en.Wedoany.com Reported - Vantage Metals has commenced its first drilling campaign at the Kalahari Copper Project in Botswana, with the drill rig now in place. The program aims to test sediment-hosted copper targets within the Kalahari Copper Belt, one of the world's emerging major copper districts.
Drilling will initially target three priority areas identified through detailed aeromagnetic interpretation and airborne electromagnetic inversion. The objective is to determine the location and strike of the Ngwako Pan-D'Kar contact zone, a key geological boundary for copper mineralization in the Kalahari Copper Belt. Once the contact zone's position and orientation are established, Vantage Metals (ASX:VAN) plans to use enhanced regional airborne geophysical interpretations to track its strike extent and pinpoint copper mineralization zones. Geological, structural, and basic geotechnical logging will be completed at the rig site to enable geological decisions shortly after each hole is finished. The program is expected to include between 5,000 and 10,000 meters of diamond drilling.
Vantage Metals CEO Will Dix stated that it is exciting to launch the first drilling program in the highly prospective northern area of the project, with targets continuously refined through each geophysical iteration and geological understanding deepening. He looks forward to incorporating 3D geological and surface geochemical data into the geological model.
Vantage is applying a systematic three-phase exploration approach to maximize drilling effectiveness across its Kalahari tenements. Phase one involves airborne electromagnetic surveys to identify conductive carbonaceous marker horizons and generate drill targets within the northern license area. This is followed by detailed magnetic interpretation to reveal concealed conductors beneath the vast Kalahari sand cover. Phase three involves testing high-priority targets with the drill bit.
The Kalahari Copper Project covers approximately 3,900 square kilometers, located along strike from several significant deposits and mines within the Kalahari Copper Belt. Chinese mining giant MMG produces approximately 50,000 tonnes of copper annually from its Khoemacau operations and is expanding annual capacity to around 130,000 tonnes. Nearby, established ASX copper producer Sandfire Resources (ASX:SFR) operates its Motheo mine, which has total resources of 64 million tonnes at 1.0% copper and 13.8 g/t silver. The Kalahari Copper Belt has also attracted the attention of BHP (ASX:BHP). Last year, the global mining giant agreed to spend up to $40 million on exploration at Cobre's (ASX:CBE) Kitlanya project in exchange for the right to earn a 75% interest.
Vantage's exploration focus this year is concentrated on ground along strike from several deposits adjacent to MMG's Khoemacau hub. These deposits include Zone 5, which hosts total resources of 167 million tonnes at 2.1% copper and 26 g/t silver. The drilling program now underway at Vantage is expected to continue until at least October.
