Orion Minerals hits high-grade copper in Flat Mine East drill results at Okiep Project
New intercept of 9.24% Cu strengthens growth potential at Okiep Copper Project as Orion advances step-out drilling at Flat Mine East
Orion Minerals has reported strong results from its latest resource-optimisation drilling at the Okiep Copper Project (OCP), reinforcing the high-grade potential of the Flat Mine East (FME) prospect in South Africa’s Northern Cape.
The company’s OFMED157 drill hole was designed to test an open zone in the geological block model, positioned approximately 36 metres down-dip from previously reported high-grade mineralisation in hole OFMED154. The results confirmed significant copper intercepts, returning 7.88 metres grading 9.24% Cu from 311.29 metres, including a higher-grade core of 3.33 metres at 17.12% Cu from 315.84 metres.
According to Orion, the results further validate the geological continuity and upside potential of the Flat Mines area, building on strong outcomes from the 2024 confirmation drilling programme, which helped confirm both the geology and mineral endowment of the broader system.
The Okiep Copper Project spans 703km² and covers a large portion of the historic Okiep copper district, where approximately 105 million tonnes of ore have been mined over the past century. Of this, around 77 million tonnes were extracted from areas now covered by Orion’s prospecting and mining rights. The Flat Mines area, including the current drilling zone, sits within granted Mining Right NC10150MR.
“Our latest drilling at the Okiep Project provides a clear path to scale at Flat Mine East. Crucially, this exciting intersection points to high-grade copper mineralisation remaining completely open at depth,” said Orion Managing Director and CEO Tony Lennox.
He added that follow-up drilling is already underway, with hole OFMED158 targeting the down-dip extension of the mineralised zone at Flat Mine East.
The mining right is also surrounded by granted prospecting rights NC12755PR and NC12848PR, which host several historically drilled targets and past-producing mines that could support future resource expansion through additional drilling.
Orion said the latest results confirm both high-grade extensions and infill potential across the current deposit, strengthening confidence in the scale of the system beyond the existing resource envelope.
“These excellent results provide compelling evidence regarding the continuity and scale of the mineralised system beyond the current resource envelope,” Lennox said. “They reinforce the quality and growth potential of the Flat Mines area as a cornerstone of Orion’s broader Okiep development strategy.”
The company added that improved geological understanding of structural controls within mafic units will help refine targeting, reduce exploration risk, and guide future high-impact drilling programmes at the Okiep Copper Project.
