African Pioneer has begun planning a new drilling programme at its Ongombo–Ongeama copper project in Namibia under the conditional financing and technical services agreement signed with Hong Kong Xinhai Mining Services Limited in July. Subject to drill-rig availability and completion of regulatory requirements, the programme is expected to use up to four diamond drill rigs across Ongombo and Ongeama as the companies advance technical work needed for potential mine development.
The planned multi-month campaign will support geotechnical studies, final underground and open-pit mine design, and an update to Ongombo’s current 29 million tonne JORC (2012) Mineral Resource Estimate grading 1.1% CuEq. Drilling will begin once regulatory requirements have been completed and the parties have agreed final drill-hole locations and depths. African Pioneer said recruitment is also underway for additional technical personnel in Namibia to manage the volume of core expected from the programme.
Alongside the drilling preparations, African Pioneer and Xinhai are discussing the final mine design and processing-plant throughput scope for development of Ongombo–Ongeama. The company also said administrative processes relating to outstanding conditions precedent under the Definitive Agreement are being finalised, with a further announcement expected once those conditions have been completed.
The update moves Ongombo–Ongeama further into technical development planning, but drilling has not yet commenced and no new production target or construction decision has been announced. The planned programme is intended to generate the geotechnical and resource information needed to refine the project’s mine design, plant scope and broader development pathway.
