Kavango Resources, a London-listed mining company, has completed its initial resource drilling programme at the Prospect 3 target on the Hillside gold project in Zimbabwe.
By Ryan Chigoche
This drilling programme provided valuable geological data and samples that will be used for further testing, including assays, metallurgical, and geotechnical evaluations. These tests are crucial for defining a maiden resource estimate for the project.
The drilling involved 34 diamond drill holes, totaling 2,109 meters, and confirmed the presence of shear zones containing quartz veins beneath areas previously worked by artisanal miners. As part of its next steps, Kavango plans to carry out additional structural analysis to better understand the relationships between different vein sets and surrounding geological features, including shear zones, faults, and areas of mineralization.
Ben Turney, Chief Executive of Kavango Resources, commented on the progress: *”We are very pleased with how quickly our team has delivered this drill programme and are excited to receive the results. We have high hopes for our Hillside Gold Project, and if we are able to prove there is a minable resource at Prospect 3, we aim to bring that into production this year. We only set Kavango Zimbabwe up in July 2023, so to be on the cusp of hopefully moving one of our discoveries into production in such a short period of time is a significant achievement. We look forward to providing results in the next month or so.”
In addition to its focus on gold, Kavango is also prospecting for rare earth elements, iron ore, and copper throughout Southern Africa. The company is working on developing both open-pit and underground mines using modern mechanized techniques. The Hillside project, which includes the Nara project, features several high-priority targets. Prospect 3, in particular, is suited for open-pit selective bulk mining, with potential for underground mechanized mining. Meanwhile, Prospect 4 is being explored for its high-grade underground mining potential.
Geology of Prospect 3
At Prospect 3, the surface is covered by a thin layer (less than 1 meter) of soil and loose rocks. Beneath this, the northern part of the area features solid diorite and granodiorite, while the southern portion consists of older rocks such as metasediments (rocks formed from other rocks) and metavolcanics (rocks formed from volcanic activity), as well as Banded Iron Formation (BIF). The soil and rock cover is slightly thicker in the southern part (less than 2 meters), where the volcanic rocks are softer and break apart more easily.
Exploration drilling has revealed shear zones—areas where the rock has been weakened—that contain quartz veins. These shear zones are located beneath areas where artisanal miners have worked on the surface. The mineralization within these shear zones occurs in the diorite, granodiorite, metasediments, and metavolcanics. The shear zones generally run in a west-northwest to east-southeast direction, dipping towards the north-northeast. The areas where artisanal miners have worked on the surface seem to align closely with the mineral-rich zones observed in the drill core samples.
The project demonstrates significant growth potential, further enhanced by Kavango’s use of advanced exploration techniques. These methods are helping the company deepen its understanding of the mineralization at Hillside, positioning it for a more efficient and larger-scale operation. With these developments, Kavango is well-positioned to move forward with its production plans, reinforcing its commitment to bringing the project to fruition.
