Noronex fires up rigs for Botswana copper push with South32

Noronex has launched a major new reverse circulation (RC) drilling program across the company’s Cgae Cgae copper project in Botswana, marking its first test of ground concealed beneath the Kalahari Desert sands.

Backed by heavyweight partner South32, the 3,000-metre campaign is zeroing in on buried copper systems believed to mirror the rich, basement-hosted deposits that turned Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo into global mining juggernauts.

Perched on the north-western rim of the Kalahari Copper Belt in a region that also hosts Sandfire’s 59.9Mt Motheo copper mine, the project sits in a geological sweet spot, increasingly viewed as the next frontier for major copper discoveries.

The new program is being carried out under contract by Rotsdrill Exploration and marks the first time that Cgae Cgae has ever been shown a drill bit.

The holes will be mostly vertical, down to 150 metres and will focus on chasing up a string of geophysical highs and copper-in-soil hits uncovered by recent airborne surveys run across the ground.

About 10 to 30 metres of sand cover is expected before the holes cut into basement rocks, probing prospective horizons that could host copper mineralisation.

If drilling at Cgae Cgae hits paydirt, it could open a whole new exploration front in Botswana and strengthen the geological and strategic foundations of Noronex’s growing relationship with South32.

We are excited to announce the start of a major new reverse circulation drilling campaign across our newly-acquired Botswana tenements—another important milestone in unlocking the copper potential of this under-explored region.

Noronex recently snapped up the Cgae Cgae project, which consists of two exciting leases and has wasted no time folding them into an expanded partnership with South32.

Under the savvy deal, the mining major will bankroll a $5 million exploration blitz over five years in return for a 60 per cent stake in the joint venture. Noronex will continue to operate as the manager of operations.

The deal follows Noronex’s 2024 move to farm out 60 per cent of its Humpback and Damara copper projects in Namibia, also to South 32- ground that lies in the same rich geological corridor as its new Cgae Cgae leases just across the border. Together, the two projects cover a vast 7,677 square kilometres of highly prospective terrain in what is recognised geological elephant country.

In return, South32 has committed to spend $15 million on Humpback–Damara over five years, taking its total investment across Noronex’s entire Kalahari copper portfolio to $20 million – or a hefty $1 million every quarter - an impressive level of backing for any junior explorer to have.

In June, Noronex wrapped up a seven-hole RC drilling program at Damara, with encouraging results that showed key similarities with other world-famous discoveries in the Central African Copper Belt.

One standout hole hit copper grades up to 800 parts per million in basement rocks, which was well above background levels and strongly hinting at a system with real potential. Drilling also revealed Kwebe-style volcanic rocks threaded through the ancient gneiss basement material typical of the vast Kalahari Craton - the region’s geological backbone.

The volcanic layers, made up of light felsic and dark mafic rocks, are often linked to magnetic intrusions deep within the earth. They are also believed to have played a crucial role in forming Botswana’s copper riches, including the 3.5Mt Khoemacau and 1.4Mt copper/57Moz silver Boseto deposits, both owned by US-based Cupric Canyon Capital.

With the rods spinning on two fronts, copper prices starting to hit their straps and the Kalahari Copper Belt fast emerging as one of the world’s hottest exploration addresses, Noronex looks to be in the right terrain at exactly the right time.

And it doesn’t hurt either that its partner just happens to have very deep pockets and more than just a few skills when it comes to eking out monster discoveries.

Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@wanews.com.au