Koba Resources hits high-grade cobalt-copper at historic Idaho Cobalt Belt

In September, Koba Resources (ASX: KOB) kicked off the first drilling in 25 years at its Blackpine cobalt-copper project in Idaho, United States, located on that state’s historic cobalt belt.

Now the results are in from this maiden three-hole drilling program with the company reporting high-grade returns of both metals, as well as gold.

The program at the Swift prospect has demonstrated that induced polarisation (IP) geophysical anomalies are closely associated with high-grade cobalt and copper mineralisation, the company noted.

Results included 0.4m at 0.78% cobalt in one hole, 0.3m at 13.45% copper in another.

Confidence in targeting process 

The IP survey last year delineated mineralisation over 4km of strike.

The assays now received from one of the holes returned 0.7m at 0.38% cobalt, 1.22% copper and 2.65 grams per tonne gold.

Another interval, of 1.2m, assayed at 0.31% cobalt and 0.57g/t gold, including 0.4m at 0.78% cobalt and 1.36g/t gold.

Assay numbers also included 0.3m at 13.45% copper and 0.46% gold, 1.5m at 2.54% copper and 0.43g/t gold, and 4.1m at 0.94% copper.

Koba managing director and chief executive officer Ben Vallerine said the results illustrate the potential for Blackpine to host “significant and high-grade” cobalt-copper mineralisation.

“These results provide confidence in our targeting process as we look to test stronger and larger IP anomalies both between these high-grade intersections and elsewhere at the Blackpine project,” he added.

Larger IP anomalies at depth

Koba says larger and stronger anomalies exist at depth below these intersections and are now being given high priority as untested drill targets.

The company has filed permit applications to drill the Swift, Regina and Trench prospects in 2023. These prospects contain the largest and strongest of the IP anomalies.

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.