Asarian revives Namibplaas drilling

Ogone Tlhage
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Drilling is expected to resume at Asarian Energy's Namibplaas uranium deposit later this month or in early November, more than three years after the previous drilling programme was completed in mid-2023.


The company plans to return to the deposit as it seeks to improve its understanding of the uranium resource and assess whether parts of it can be classified with a higher level of geological confidence.


The programme forms part of the Norasa Project, located in Namibia, and is expected to be followed by further drilling in 2027, including at the Valencia deposit.


John Borshoff, Asarian's president and chief executive, described the programme as the first phase of a drilling campaign expected to continue in 2027, with work also planned at Valencia to support resource optimisation.


“This drilling program is the first phase of what we expect will be a continued drilling campaign in 2027, also extending to parts of the Valencia deposit to support resource optimisation. In this context, the focused Namibplaas program marks an important stage in the evolution of the Norasa Project, as we re-evaluate the current resource base and assess opportunities to improve its definition and classification.”


Asarian plans to drill about 4 500 metres across 17 holes using a combination of reverse circulation and diamond core drilling. The holes will target mineralisation at depths of up to about 250 metres below the surface.


The work is intended to support an updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Namibplaas, where the current resource is classified as Inferred.


That classification reflects a lower level of geological confidence than the Indicated category, which the company hopes to achieve for portions of the deposit if the additional data supports an upgrade.


The need for further work stems partly from limitations in the existing dataset. Previous drilling relied predominantly on down-hole gamma logging, which measures radiation within drill holes, while comparatively few samples were supported by laboratory assay results.


The new programme will include sampling for laboratory analysis, allowing the company to compare the results with existing radiometric measurements and improve confidence in its estimates of uranium grades.


The company has not disclosed the cost of the programme or when the updated resource estimate is expected.