Caledonia finds Zambian cobalt

Geochemical prospecting has led Caledonia Mining (TSE) to a cobalt showing at its Nama property in the copper belt of northern Zambia.

Soil geochemical surveys, completed over half of the 180-sq.-km exploration licence area, detected 10 areas where soils had elevated cobalt concentrations.

A 29-hole reverse-circulation drilling program, mounted on one of the areas, found cobalt grades ranging from 0.02% to 0.38% from surface to depths of 14 to 49 metres. Copper grades in the same holes were 0.05% to 0.38%.

The mineralization occurs in wad (manganese oxides and hydroxides) and tests on a bulk sample show it can be leached using sulphuric acid with 93% recovery of cobalt and 50% recovery of copper.

The company will begin work again in March, following the end of the rainy season. The remainder of the property will be covered in a geochemical survey, and other targets will be drilled.