Shuka Minerals Plc has expanded its drilling programme at the Kabwe Zinc Mine in Zambia after initial exploration holes in previously unmined northern sections of the deposit confirmed the continuation of zinc mineralisation and highlighted the potential for additional resources.
The African-focused mine operator said it has successfully completed drill holes KBDD06 and KBDD07 in the “Speaks” and “Mine Club” zones, areas located more than one kilometre northwest of the Pit 2 section that has been the primary focus of recent exploration activities.
The latest results have prompted the company to extend its initial drilling campaign to 2,500 metres from its original programme, with an eighth drill hole already underway.
KBDD06, drilled to a depth of 269.1 metres, represents the first exploratory hole into the northern extension of the Speaks and Mine Club areas, a previously unexploited section of the historic Kabwe zinc-lead-copper deposit. The hole intersected massive to banded dolomites, the principal host rocks for Kabwe mineralisation, with mineralised veins encountered between 55 metres and 91 metres and again between 160 metres and 193 metres downhole.
Preliminary results from portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) readings showed several mineralised intervals, including 8.33 metres grading an average of 1.69% zinc from 55.66 metres and six metres grading 4.57% zinc from 84.66 metres. Peak zinc readings in the latter interval exceeded 20%, reaching as high as 22.8% over individual one-metre sections.
KBDD07, drilled from the same collar position to a depth of 173.8 metres, also intersected three mineralised zones between 20 metres and 25 metres, 83 metres and 88 metres, and 140 metres and 142 metres downhole. The best interval returned 1.33 metres grading 1.60% zinc.
While the average grades encountered in the two holes were lower than those reported from earlier drilling at Kabwe, the company said the presence of multiple mineralised zones and isolated high-grade sections in an underexplored area was encouraging.
“The northern areas of the Kabwe Project are less defined so the programme here is much more of a true exploration drilling programme,” said Shuka Minerals Chief Executive Officer Richard Lloyd.
“We again hit mineralisation in our first holes and demonstrated the northerly reaches of the orebodies. These exploration holes give us so much more information about the orebody and its behaviour along strike.”
According to the 2023 NI 43-101 technical report prepared by Behre Dolbear, the Speaks orebody contains an estimated 1.944 million tonnes of indicated and inferred resources grading 12% zinc and 2% lead. The Mine Club orebody hosts an estimated 666,000 tonnes grading 11.7% zinc and 0.8% lead, in addition to silver and vanadium oxide. Copper mineralisation has also previously been identified in the northern areas of the project.
The company noted that the latest results are based on calibrated pXRF readings and remain preliminary pending laboratory verification in accordance with JORC and NI 43-101 reporting standards.
Drilling at the project is being undertaken by Zambia-based contractor Ox Drilling Limited, while geological consultants GeoQuest and company executives continue to oversee the expanded exploration programme, with further updates expected as drilling progresses.
