ISLAMABAD: National Resources Limited (NRL) has discovered significant copper-gold mineralisation in Chagai, Balochistan.
This was announced by Muhammad Ali Tabba, chairman National Resources Limited and CEO Lucky Cement Limited while addressing the participants at Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025 on Tuesday.
NRL, a 100 percent Pakistani privately-owned company and a subsidiary of Fatima Fertilizer, Liberty Mills Limited, and Lucky Cement, was awarded a lease in October 2023.
The licenced area contained two known porphyry prospects with strong exploration potential.
Over the 15 months, NRL has identified 18 new prospects. One of these prospects, “Tang Kaur” has rapidly progressed to an advanced drilling stage.
Tabba informed that NRL has completed 13 diamond drill holes (3,517 metres), all of which intersected significant porphyry-style alteration, sheeted and stock work quartz vein sets, and sulfide mineralisation. Assay results from the first six drill holes (1,500 meters) confirm strongly mineralised, near-surface zones with downhole intervals ranging from 48 to 148 meters, using a 0.2 percent copper cut-off grade and up to 10 meters of internal dilution. The average grade of the intercepts ranges from 0.23 percent to 0.48 percent copper, 0.09 to 0.14 g/t gold, and 1.30 to 6.21 g/t silver, resulting in a copper equivalent of 0.28 percent to 0.56 percent. The mineralised system remains open to the north, east, and at depth.
He said that advanced drilling at Tang Kaur is scheduled for May 2025, leading to an NI 43-101 Technical Report by year-end by internationally recognised consultants, who are already monitoring the project. This will be followed by 3–4 years of detailed exploration, culminating in feasibility studies, while exploration of the other prospects and leases continues.
Additionally, NRL has acquired a Lead-Zinc exploration license adjacent to a well-known deposit, where a Bankable Feasibility Study has already been conducted. A comprehensive metal value chain is also being studied to assess the feasibility of downstream processing.
NRL considers Indigenous populations as key stakeholders and actively supports social development through clean water, education, healthcare, and local employment/businesses. Our current ratio of local employment is above 90 percent. NRL fosters industry-academia collaboration and remains committed to sustainability. NRL believes mining prospers only when local communities are recognized as the most important stakeholder, and they directly benefit from such activities.
NRL is actively working with the Government of Balochistan and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (“SIFC”) to secure two additional Copper-Gold Exploration licenses in Chagai, Balochistan supported by a dedicated $100 million exploration fund. We have also signed MoU with Oil and Gas Development Company to work on newly acquired leases together. Looking ahead, NRL plans to bring additional national and international investors into the project as required.
“We sincerely thank the GoB and SIFC for their support and cooperation. NRL remains committed to advancing mineral development in Balochistan, paving the way for Pakistan-led exploration. With their continued support, we are confident that more domestic companies will join the mining sector, driving its growth and development for the betterment of Balochistan and Pakistan,” Tabba added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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