ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): National Resources Limited (NRL) has identified copper and gold deposits across at least eight locations in Balochistan’s Chagai district, following nearly 25,000 metres of drilling, delivering encouraging results.
According to the company’s report, one drill hole returned 295 metres of continuous mineralisation grading 0.43% copper and 0.13 grams per tonne of gold, including a 132-metre interval grading 0.83% copper.
The discoveries span 5.6 square kilometres in Darigwan, adjoining the company’s earlier discovery at the Tang Kaur copper-gold site.
Addressing the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 on Friday, Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba said further investigations at exploration licence EL214 were expected to establish substantial resources, subject to completion of exploration and formal resource estimation.
Tabba said further exploration at the exploration licence EL214 was expected to help establish the size of the mineral deposits, subject to the completion of exploration work and a formal assessment of the resources.
He said that the company will invest $100 million to explore for minerals in Balochistan and invited domestic and international investors and service providers to discuss emerging opportunities.
As per the company, it plans to initiate environmental, hydrogeological, metallurgical, and geotechnical studies in 2027, to complete a bankable feasibility study by the end of the decade.
While preliminary resource estimates have been prepared by a separate consultant, the company is withholding their public release pending compliance with international reporting requirements.
NRL is progressing towards its maiden mineral resource estimate in accordance with international standards.
