Mining

IP survey completed at Koba Resources’ Blackpine cobalt-copper project, drilling in August

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By Robin Bromby - 
Koba Resources ASX KOB Blackpine cobalt copper project Idaho USA

Koba Resources will begin its maiden drilling program at Blackpine in August.

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Cobalt hunter Koba Resources (ASX: KOB) has now completed an induced polarisation (IP) survey across its entire flagship project Blackpine in Idaho.

This will be followed up with the first drilling program at Blackpine in 25 years, which is scheduled to begin in August.

The IP survey tested 5km of what the company has described as strong cobalt-copper anomalism.

It is also intended to help locate extensions of “very high-grade” cobalt mineralisation intersected in historic drilling at Blackpine.

Blackpine lies 15km south the historical Blackbird cobalt-copper mine, which produced 5 million tonnes at 0.6% cobalt and 1.5% copper up until 1968, with all of its projects being located on the famed Idaho Cobalt Belt.

Results from the survey are expected in mid-July.

Drill program will extend known cobalt mineralisation

The upcoming drill program will be the first in more than 25 years at Blackpine.

The previous explorers were primarily targeting copper, and paid little attention to the cobalt.

However, the previous operator intersected thick and very high-grade cobalt with results including 0.15m at 4.79% cobalt and 4 grams per tonne gold, 6.2m at 0.61% cobalt and 6.4g/t gold, and 16.8m at 0.37% cobalt and 0.59g/t gold.

Koba managing director and chief executive officer Ben Vallerine said the IP survey will provide the company with the most modern information possible and greatly assist in targeting extensions.

“We already know there is substantial high-grade mineralisation at Blackpine,” he continued.

Key role in auto industry

“Cobalt has a key role to play in the electrification of the motor vehicle industry industry.”

“Our high-grade projects, in the stable jurisdiction of Idaho, provide us excellent opportunities  to help bridge the forecast cobalt supply shortfall,” Mr Vallerine added

Koba holds several projects in the Idaho Cobalt Belt (as well as one in Nevada, 50km from Las Vegas).

The belt was mined from the mid-1800s with the last cobalt production in 1969.

Apart from Blackpine, Koba owns the Colson, Panther and Elkhorn cobalt-copper projects on the belt. Colson is now under way at Colson and, on completion, the rig will move to Blackpine, 40km to the southeast.

All of the projects have historical exploration records showing high-grade hits, from either surface sampling or drilling. Some have seen some mining with high-grade output in the past.

In the same region is the Idaho cobalt project owned by Jervois Global (ASX: JRV) which has a resource of 6.8Mt at 0.42% cobalt, 0.64% copper and 0.15 grams per tonne gold.