Drilling in Chagai: National Resources Limited (NRL) has announced the discovery of gold and copper deposits in Chaff Balochistan.
Drilling in Chagai, According to Dawn News, NRL Chairman and Lucky Cement CEO Muhammad Ali Tabba made the announcement during his address at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 in the presence of Prime Minister Sheba Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asia Muir. It should be noted that NRL is a 100 percent privately owned Pakistani company, which is a subsidiary of Fatima Fertilizer, Liberty Mills Limited and Lucky Cement. The company was granted an exploration license in October 2023.
Muhammad Ali Tabba said that 16 potential deposits have been identified in the last 18 months in the 500 km licensed area, out of which advanced drilling has been started at Angkor. NRL has so far completed 13 diamond drill holes (3517 meters), all of which have revealed mineral deposits.
The analytical results from the first 6 drill holes (1500 meters) confirm strong mineralization zones near the surface. Initial drilling results indicate that the drill holes grade 0.23% to 0.48% copper, 0.09 g/t to 0.14 g/t gold and 1.30 g/t to 6.21 g/t silver, representing a combined copper grade of 0.28% to 0.56%.
Advance drilling at Angkor is scheduled for May 2025, leading to the submission of an NI 43-101 technical report by the end of the year by international consultants, who are already overseeing the project.
This will be followed by 3 to 4 years of detailed exploration followed by feasibility studies, while exploration will continue at other locations. In addition, NRL has also secured a lead-zinc exploration license adjacent to a well-known mineral mine where a bankable feasibility study has been completed. The company is also working on a comprehensive metal value chain study to fully assess the potential for downstream processing.
NRL considers the local population as its most important stakeholders and is actively supporting social development through clean water, education, health, and local employment or entrepreneurship.
According to the company, the current local employment ratio is over 90%. NRL, along with the Government of Balochistan and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIC), is actively pursuing 2 additional copper-gold exploration licenses in Chagrin, Balochistan, with the support of a $100 million exploration fund.
Drilling in Chagai, NRL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) to work on the new lease, in addition to which NRL intends to involve national and international investors in the project as required in the future.
The company says that we are grateful to the Government of Balochistan and SIFC for their cooperation and the company is committed to mineral development in Balochistan, which will pave the way for country-led exploration. We are confident that with the continued cooperation of the Government of Balochistan and SIFC, more domestic companies will join the mining sector, which will further the betterment and development of Balochistan and Pakistan.