LONDON - Kavango Resources plc (LSE: KAV), a metal exploration company focused on Southern Africa, has reported the discovery of significant concentrations of tungsten and other strategic elements at its Hillside Project in Matabeleland, southern Zimbabwe. The findings come from the first phase of Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) tests on core samples from the site.
The assays of three core sets revealed potentially economic levels of tungsten, bismuth, selenium, and molybdenum. These results have prompted Kavango to expand its exploration focus to include these elements, with further assays planned to assess tungsten values and widths.
Chief Executive Ben Turney expressed optimism about the assay results, stating the strategic minerals and critical elements could become valuable byproducts of gold mining, particularly given the current climate of restricted supply and high demand.
The ICP assays confirmed high tungsten concentrations across three gold targets within 1.5km of each other at Hillside, with a peak intersection value of 2,200 parts per million (ppm). The crustal abundance of tungsten is about 1.25ppm. The results for bismuth, selenium, and molybdenum were also notable, with bismuth and selenium showing peak values significantly above their crustal abundances.
Kavango's exploration targets at Hillside are situated in the Filabusi Greenstone Belt, which has historically produced tungsten concentrate from 106 deposits. The company's primary focus has been on developing gold production targets, but the recent findings have encouraged a broader search for strategic minerals.
The company has drilled 11 diamond core holes at Hillside, observing high values of the strategic elements in question. Historical data suggests that the region has potential for further discoveries, with tungsten historically sourced from nearby deposits.
Kavango will now routinely include ICP and X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) analysis in its exploration at Hillside and the Nara gold project, which it has an option to acquire until June 2025.
The discovery is significant for strategic elements exploration in Zimbabwe, where Kavango is working to expedite the process of exporting samples for ICP & XRF testing due to the lack of a local internationally accredited laboratory.
Kavango's operations in Zimbabwe include exploring for gold deposits that can be quickly brought into production. The company is evaluating potential open-pit and underground opportunities at both the Hillside and Nara projects.
The information in this article is based on a press release statement from Kavango Resources. Further details about the company and its projects can be found on its website.
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