Verity Resources (ASX: VRL), via its wholly owned subsidiary African Metals, is awaiting approval from the mining regulator of Botswana to commence its next phase of on-ground exploration at the Airstrip, Dibete, and Maibele North critical minerals projects.
The proposed exploration pitting and bulk sampling program will expose near-surface nickel-copper-silver-platinum group elements (PGE) mineralisation across 143 square kilometres—less than 10% of the company’s 1,800 sq km portfolio.
It will seek to validate previously identified mineralised zones at surface, refine drill targeting for subsequent campaigns, and inform processing options for future development planning.
The results will support detailed geological mapping and structural interpretation and provide the company with material for metallurgical testwork and targeted exploration.
Bonanza-Grade System
Historical drilling at Airstrip demonstrated the bonanza-grade nature of the vein-hosted copper-silver system hosted along the Magogophate Shear Zone.
Best assays were 1.13 metres at 21.58% copper and 1,023 grams per tonne silver from 65m including 0.25m at 60.98% copper and 2,833g/t silver, and 0.6m at 25.27% copper and 1,283g/t silver from 64m including 0.24m at 49.06% copper and 2,493g/t silver.
Other highlight hits were 11m at 7.63% copper and 462g/t silver from 52m including 3m at 22.74% copper and 1,379g/t silver, and 18m at 1.72% copper and 27.5g/t silver from 42m including 3m at 8.39% copper and 136.2g/t silver.
Mineralisation at the C6 and C12 shoots remains open at depth and along strike and a 2021 audio-frequency magnetotelluric (AMT) survey identified deeper conductive zones beneath both shoots, suggesting potential for larger sulphide accumulations at depth that have not yet been drill tested.
High-Grade Copper-Silver Assays
Located approximately 5km from Airstrip along the same shear corridor, the Dibete project has previously returned thick, high-grade copper-silver intercepts from a system that is largely untested below 120m depth.
Significant historical intercepts were 36m at 1.37% copper and 70g/t silver from 12m including 2.5m at 7.41% copper and 456g/t silver, along with 25m at 2.17% copper and 77g/t silver from 27m including 6m at 4.46% copper and 162g/t silver.
AMT work at Dibete identified large pipe-like conductive targets at depth beneath known shallow mineralisation, potentially representing massive sulphide accumulations.
They have not yet been drill tested and represent the highest-priority discovery targets in Verity’s portfolio.
Maibele North Inferred Resource
Maibele North hosts a 2015 inferred mineral resource estimate of 2.38 million tonnes at 0.72% nickel, 0.21% copper, 0.08g/t platinum, 0.36g/t palladium, 0.04g/t rhodium, 0.05g/t rubidium, and 0.10g/t gold.
The metal price assumptions used at the time were well below elevated nickel, copper, and PGE prices associated with the critical metals demand outlook.
Therefore Verity believes there is scope to revisit the resource at cut-off grades reflective of current prices.
The AMT survey identified a vertical conductor beneath the thickest part of the Maibele North orebody and large south-dipping anomalies extending beyond the known deposit, representing priority targets to expand the resource at depth.
Keen to Start Exploration
Director Patrick Volpe said the company was keen to commence the next phase of exploration at the three projects.
“Our team has been working diligently to recommence on-ground activities as soon as the Department of Mines approvals are received,” he said.
“The strength of the historical dataset across Airstrip and Dibete — where multiple holes have returned bonanza-grade copper-silver intercepts at shallow depths — combined with a Maibele North resource that pre-dates the recent re-rating of nickel, copper, PGE and gold as critical metals, gives us strong conviction in the scale and quality of what we hold.”
“We see significant district-scale potential here, and the upcoming program is designed to validate near-surface mineralised zones, refine drill targeting, and provide meaningful news flow as we step back into the field.”
New Botswana Appointment
Verity has appointed experienced geologist Paul Lemmon as competent person for the Botswana projects.
With a career spanning more than 30 years across 26 African countries, Mr Lemmon has a number of professional accreditations including registered professional natural scientist with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions, fellow of the Geological Society of London, member of the UK’s Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and professional geologist with Canada’s Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists.
Mr Lemmon is co-founder and chief geologist of Kalahari Copper (Namibia and Botswana) and has overseen multiple copper discoveries and asset monetisations along the southern African copper belt over the past decade.
He is also co-founder and chief geologist of Copperzone Resources (Zambia), which has executed joint ventures with major mining companies on the back of copper discoveries made under his technical leadership.
“Paul’s track record of copper discoveries across southern Africa over more than three decades — and his sustained presence in Botswana and Namibia in particular — brings world-class technical oversight to our next phase of work,” Mr Volpe said.
