Talonx Resources has identified multiple priority copper exploration targets across its 1,000km² Kihabe project in north-west Botswana, setting the stage for near-term drilling as it sharpens its focus on the red metal.
Copper targets emerge across Kihabe
The Kihabe project, located within the Aha Hills belt, hosts several prospects defined through historical drilling, soil geochemistry, and geological datasets. These include Gossan, Tswee Tswee, Copper Anomaly, Marble Hill, and the Kihabala Trend, each offering distinct opportunities to test for copper and base-metal mineralisation.
Historical drilling at the established Kihabe deposit has returned notable copper intersections, including 7m at 1.04% copper from 71m, 6.5m at 0.67% from 91m, and 18m at 0.43% from 122m. One hole yielded 11m at 0.37% from 106m, including 1m at 1.44% from 116m. These intersections span roughly 800m of strike, but the continuity of mineralisation across that distance remains unconfirmed.
The project also contains existing zinc, lead, and silver resources across the Kihabe and Nxuu deposits, totaling 27Mt of Indicated and Inferred resources at a 0.5% zinc equivalent cut-off. Copper is not currently included in those estimates, giving Talonx a separate exploration avenue to pursue.
Gossan leads initial copper focus
Gossan is the first priority. Systematic soil sampling has been completed there, and laboratory assays are pending. Historical exploration outlined a zinc soil anomaly extending over 1.5km, alongside copper responses identified through conventional soil sampling. The prospect lies within a prospective carbonate sequence, with recent sampling aimed at pinpointing copper and associated base-metal concentrations.
Assays from the completed program will help refine priority drilling locations and address limitations in historical data, particularly portable-XRF copper readings that Talonx considers unreliable for detecting subtle anomalies. At Tswee Tswee, historical soil geochemistry recorded copper responses within a folded sedimentary and carbonate sequence. Further verification is needed to reconcile differences between past surveys.
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Copper Anomaly features historical soil sampling results showing copper responses near the contact between the Aha Hills sedimentary succession and basement rocks. Previous drilling and trenching returned low copper values, leaving the source of the soil anomalism unresolved. Potential untested positions along favorable geological contacts remain open for assessment.
At Marble Hill, historical zinc anomalism and laboratory copper responses occur within recrystallised dolomite. Talonx is evaluating relationships between carbonate contacts, alteration, and interpreted structures. The Kihabala Trend offers a regional opportunity, with zinc-anomalous areas distributed along a 20km corridor northeast of Kihabe, alongside localised copper responses, particularly around Kihabala Extended.
Additional prospects such as North Kihabe, Kihabe South, and Wanchu further expand the exploration portfolio. North Kihabe shows historical zinc anomalism associated with dolomite just north of the existing deposit. Kihabe South hosts a 600m-long zinc soil anomaly. Wanchu, southwest of Nxuu, features historical portable-XRF zinc responses extending approximately 1.3km, with laboratory sampling underway to assess their significance.
Regional opportunities at Nxuu Southeast, Wanchu Southeast, and Westwin will also be evaluated progressively through mapping and geochemical work as Talonx builds a pipeline of follow-up targets.
Board adds Botswana copper expertise
The company’s copper strategy gained momentum with the appointment of Steve McGhee to its board. McGhee previously served as executive director of MOD Resources, where he participated in discovering and advancing the T3 copper project in Botswana to feasibility. That project was later acquired by Sandfire Resources in 2019 and now forms part of the producing Motheo Copper Operations.
