Exploration
Shalina Resources Ltd has a well developed and focused exploration program, which provides a strong platform for long-term growth. The company holds significant license holdings in the DRC together with strong in-house exploration capabilities. The exploration programme is a key focus of the Company’s growth, as it looks to source new deposits to feed its Usoke processing facilities. The exploration strategy is also key to the Company’s focus on downstream activities, with a strong commitment to creating value within the DRC.
The company has acquired full ownership of potential sites that cover a surface area of 10,800 square kilometres. These are spread along the Katanga and Kibaran geological formation which host some of the world’s richest copper, cobalt and precious minerals and are part of the ‘Katanga Cupriferous Arc’. Many of the licences are located in close proximity to existing mines and mine development projects.
View major copper deposits in Katangan Copper belt
Shalina Resources’ exploration projects are at various stages of development ranging from advanced exploration to very early stage exploration. The company is following a systematic exploration programme focused on Copper and Cobalt deposits, that initially will provide open pit mining opportunities. Through targeted drilling programmes the Company is aiming to significantly increase its resource base and add additional capacity to its existing mining operations. Its core holding is located around Kolwezi, where the company is running an active exploration programme based on its Makala licences.
Shalina Resources Exploration Capabilities
Shalina Resources has an extensive exploration department that provides the Company with significant in-house capabilities. The team is capable of undertaking exploration work from reconnaissance stage through to regional and detailed exploration. With this capability, the Company is well placed to rapidly advance its exploration programme delivering value for the DRC and key stakeholders.
- Its in-house exploration division, comprised of 122 people includes 26 mining geologists and 6 geophysicists and trained technicians. This team plans and executes exploration projects, controlled from the offices located at Lubumbashi and Kolwezi
- Extensive fleet of drill rigs: fifteen medium-capacity diamond core drills, 1 high-capacity diamond core drill and 1 Reverse Circulation drill rig. This machinery is dedicated to detailed exploration, with well-trained and experienced staff and engineers.
- In house geo chemical laboratory with state of the art instruments including AAS and Niton XRF for the analysis of the targeted elements (from ppb level)
- Well established drill core library and sample preparation facilities at Lubumbashi. An additional sample preparation laboratory at Kolwezi for processing and assaying is also soon to be complete.
- Well equipped workstations with geomodelling software SURPAC, GIS, AutoCAD, LisCAD and Plotters for the generation of plans, geological and 3D ore body models for resource assessment.
Download our drilling results
Shalina Resources Exploration Activities
Systematic reconnaissance and preliminary geological surveys are planned and executed annually in various prioritized research permits. Geochemical Surveys (in stages) are conducted to obtain the anomalous signatures of mineralization for identification of potential targets. Strict QA/QC standards are followed for data collection, data validation and documentation for deposit characterization, as per standard code (JORC).
2009 Achievements:
- A total of 10,889 numbers of geochemical samples generated from 13 PR sites and approximately 9 potential targets targeted for further exploration through test drilling.
- A total of 24,443 meters of diamond core drilling and 906 meters of reverse circulation drilling had been accomplished by December 2009. , During 2009 11,422 m drilling was accomplished in nine blocks, this was achieved during the world wide recession period.
- A total of 10, 642 drill core samples from seven exploration blocks analyzed to date for the Co, Cu and associated Fe, Mn, Pb Zn.
- Preliminary metallurgical test carried out by the in house laboratory for Makala cobalt-copper ores.
2010 Activities in progress:
- Makala [PE 4613] - the R4 , R2 and Masela- Mupanja blocks
- Kapamba [PE 1526], Dianda [PR2350]
- Etoile extension (PE1538)
- Kasamia (PE11557)
2011 Activities planned so far are: