Copper-Gold reserves discovered in Chagai, Balochistan

ISLAMABAD: National Resources Limited (NRL) has discovered significant copper-gold mineralization in Chagai, Balochistan, according to Muhammad Ali Tabba, Chairman of NRL and CEO of Lucky Cement Limited.

Addressing the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025, he said NRL—a fully Pakistani-owned private company and a subsidiary of Fatima Fertilizer, Liberty Mills Limited, and Lucky Cement—were granted a mineral lease in October 2023. The licensed area initially included two known porphyry prospects with promising exploration potential.

Over the past 15 months, NRL has identified 18 new prospects in the area. One of the most promising, “Tang Kaur,” has quickly advanced to an active drilling phase. Tabba informed participants that NRL has completed 13 diamond drill holes totaling 3,517 meters. All holes intersected porphyry-style alteration, quartz vein structures, and sulfide mineralization.

Initial assay results from the first six drill holes (1,500 meters) revealed strongly mineralized near-surface zones, with downhole intervals ranging between 48 to 148 meters using a 0.2% copper cut-off and allowing up to 10 meters of internal dilution.

The average grades reported were 0.23% to 0.48% copper, 0.09 to 0.14 grams per ton (g/t) gold, and 1.30 to 6.21 g/t silver, translating to a copper-equivalent range of 0.28% to 0.56%. Tabba said the mineralized system remains open to the north, east, and at greater depths.

Advanced drilling at Tang Kaur is planned for May 2025, with an NI 43-101 Technical Report to follow by the end of the year, prepared by internationally recognized consultants who are already overseeing the project. This will lead to 3–4 years of detailed exploration and feasibility studies, while work on other prospects within the lease also continues.

In addition to copper and gold, NRL has secured a Lead-Zinc exploration license adjacent to a known deposit with an existing Bankable Feasibility Study. The company is also exploring the possibility of downstream processing by developing a complete metal value chain.

To support further exploration, NRL is working closely with the Government of Balochistan and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to obtain two additional copper-gold exploration licenses in Chagai. The effort is backed by a $100 million dedicated exploration fund.

Tabba also announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDCL) to jointly explore newly acquired leases. He added that NRL plans to bring more national and international investors on board as the project progresses.

He expressed gratitude to the Government of Balochistan and SIFC for their continued support, reaffirming NRL’s commitment to leading mineral development in the province. “With their continued cooperation, we are confident more domestic companies will step into the mining sector, contributing to the growth of Balochistan and Pakistan,” he said.