Shuka Minerals announced that it has completed the eighth drill hole, KBDD08, at the Speaks and Mine Club zones of the Kabwe zinc mine in Zambia. The hole is the third exploration drill hole targeting previously unmined areas and is designed to test the northern extension and continuity of the Kabwe zinc-lead-copper deposit.
Portable XRF readings across the identified mineralised intervals returned zinc grades ranging from 1% to 22%, lead grades of 0.1% to 3.3%, and copper grades of up to 3%. Shuka said mineralisation appears to thicken toward the central part of the Speaks and Mine Club zones, while expected copper oxide mineralisation is also emerging, strengthening confidence in the north-south continuity of the orebody.
According to a 2023 NI 43-101 report, the Speaks orebody contains approximately 1.94 million tonnes of indicated and inferred resources grading 12% zinc and 2% lead. The Mine Club orebody hosts around 666,000 tonnes grading 11.7% zinc and 0.8% lead, with additional silver and vanadium oxide mineralisation. Following encouraging initial results, Shuka has expanded the first-phase drilling programme to 2,500 metres and will continue with holes KB009 and KB010 to test the southern extensions of the Speaks and Mine Club orebodies.
