Shuka Minerals expands exploration at Kabwe Zinc Project with encouraging drill results

Shuka Minerals has reported further progress at its Kabwe Zinc Project in Zambia, completing two exploration drill holes that are providing new geological insights into previously unmined areas of the historic deposit.

The company announced the successful completion of drill holes KBDD06 and KBDD07 in the “Speaks” and “Mine Club” zones, located more than one kilometre northwest of the Pit 2 area, where exploration has largely been concentrated to date.

The latest drilling forms part of a broader exploration programme designed to evaluate mineralisation beyond the historically mined sections of the Kabwe deposit. Working alongside geological consultants GeoQuest, Shuka is targeting previously unexploited orebodies at depths ranging from approximately 150 to 275 metres.

According to the company, drill hole KBDD06 reached a final depth of 269.1 metres and represents the first exploratory hole completed in the northern section of the Speaks/Mine Club area, which is considered an extension of the historic Kabwe zinc-lead-copper deposit.

Downhole gyroscope measurements confirmed the drill hole closely followed its planned trajectory, providing confidence in the geological data collected.

Initial observations identified three mineralised zones at depths of approximately 20–25 metres, 83–88 metres and 140–142 metres downhole. Samples from the drilling programme have been submitted for laboratory analysis, with assay results expected to provide a clearer indication of the grade and economic potential of the intersected mineralisation.

Shuka Minerals CEO Richard Lloyd said the early results are encouraging, particularly given the exploratory nature of the programme.

“The northern areas of the Kabwe Project are less defined, so the programme here is much more of a true exploration drilling programme. We again hit mineralisation in our first holes and demonstrated the northerly reaches of the orebodies. These exploration holes give us much more information about the orebody and its behaviour along strike. We now return to drilling more centrally in this northern orebody and will have further drilling updates in the near term.”

The northern extension of the Kabwe deposit remains comparatively underexplored despite historical resource estimates suggesting significant potential.

According to the Behre Dolbear 2023 NI 43-101 Technical Report, the Speaks orebody hosts an indicated and inferred mineral resource of approximately 1.94 million tonnes grading 12% zinc and 2% lead. The adjacent Mine Club orebody contains an estimated 666,000 tonnes grading 11.7% zinc and 0.8% lead, with additional silver and vanadium oxide mineralisation. Previous exploration has also identified copper mineralisation in the northern portion of the project.

The Kabwe Project is one of Zambia’s best-known historic base metal operations, and Shuka’s latest drilling campaign forms part of ongoing efforts to better define the remaining resource and evaluate opportunities to expand future mine development.