Bemetals drills 5,870 ppm copper over one metre at Pangeni, Zambia

Bemetals Corp. [BMET-TSXV; BMTLF-OTCQB; 1OI-FSE] reported significant results from its 2023 air core campaign at the D prospect within the Pangeni copper project, Zambia. Three newly identified higher-grade target zones have been outlined by six shallow air core holes returning samples of more than 2,000 parts per million (0.2% copper), with these target zones defined by samples ranging from 5,870 ppm Cu (0.58% Cu) to 1,987 ppm Cu (0.20% Cu).

The Pangeni Project mineralization represents westerly extensions to the prolific Zambian Copperbelt. Aircore drilling of other prospects and targets at Pangeni is ongoing as part of the company’s US$2 million exploration program which is pro rata funded by Bemetals (72.2%) and the Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC) (27.8%).

Highlights of 2023 D prospect air core results:

Target zone 1 – Identified by four air core holes with copper values of: 5,870 ppm Cu (D14-03), 5,079 ppm Cu (D15-02), 2,942 ppm Cu (D16-03B) and 4,363 ppm Cu (D7-04). The footprint of this zone at the base of the Kalahari cover is some 400 metres in length and 100-125 metres in width and remains open to the North and South.

Target zone 2 – Identified by two air core holes with copper values of: 4,657 ppm Cu (D17-04) and 1,987 ppm Cu (D18-03). The footprint of this zone at the base of the Kalahari cover is some 250 metres in length and 100 metres in width and remains open to the North and potentially at depth to the South.

Target zone 3 – Identified by two air core holes with copper values of: 3,352 ppm Cu (D18-01) and 2,769 ppm Cu (D17-02). The footprint of this zone at the base of the Kalahari cover is some 200 metres in length and 100 metres in width and remains open to the South.

John Wilton, president and CEO of Bemetals, stated: “We are very pleased with these results from the shallow air core drilling program completed, last month, at the D prospect within our Pangeni Copper Project. The results include some of the highest-grade copper air core sample values returned to date at the Pangeni Project, and as such generate exciting priority targets for core drill testing.

“This year’s air core drilling at the D prospect was designed to specifically identify, structurally controlled, potentially higher-grade copper zones within the mineralization, as observed at certain, large scale, copper mines in this region of the Zambian Copperbelt. The air core program has been successful by indicating three such interpreted target zones where higher-grade copper is predicted. Core drill testing of these target zones is planned to commence during September 2023.

“Copper exploration projects with the discovery potential of Pangeni are rare, situated at the western extension to the Zambian Copperbelt that hosts several world-class copper mines, in an area where little historical exploration has been undertaken due to the thin but extensive Kalahari sand cover. The ongoing air core drilling program is testing additional prospects and targets on the Property. Follow-up core drilling of new and confirmed targets is planned for the remainder of the year.”

Pangeni copper project – 2023 D prospect air core results: The 2023 air core program at the D prospect was designed to identify targets for potential higher-grade zones of copper within the mineralization discovered by the company under the thin Kalahari sand cover. This objective has been successfully achieved with three exciting target zones defined by the shallow drilling.

The 2023 air core results have been integrated into the previously reported 2018-to-2022 phases of shallow drilling. Simple contouring of the bedrock and weathered bedrock copper values beneath the Kalahari sand cover unit outlines the target zones.

Field operations and management have been provided by RES an independent geological consulting and contracting company. The air core and core drilling was conducted by Blurock Mining Services, of Kitwe, Zambia.

Bemetals has established itself in the gold sector with the acquisition of a portfolio of wholly owned exploration projects in Japan. Bemetals is also progressing its tier-one targeted, Pangeni Copper Exploration Project in the prolific Zambian Copperbelt with co-funding investor the Japanese state agency JOGMEC.