Mari Energies reports copper-gold find near Reko Diq in Chagai

Mari Energies Limited, one of Pakistan's large exploration and production companies, has announced a significant copper and gold discovery in Chagai district, Balochistan. It disclosed the finding to the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) in a notice on Friday.

The discovery was made at the East Siah Diq target, known as ESD-1, by Mari Minerals (Private) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mari Energies. The mineralisation spreads over about 1.4 square kilometres.

According to the company, the site lies about 50 km east of the Reko Diq copper-gold project and 25 km northwest of Nokkundi.

Mari Energies said it has completed about 25,000 metres of drilling in two phases. The work identified a new porphyry copper system beneath about 100 metres of surface sediments.

Drill hole ESD-1-DD-017 recorded 0.50 percent copper over 400.25 metres, with 0.11 grams of gold per ton. Another hole recorded 0.45 percent copper over 392.7 metres, with 0.14 grams of gold per ton. The highest gold concentration in first-phase results was 0.19 grams per ton, found in two separate holes.

The mineralisation also contains molybdenum, and the copper is mainly associated with chalcopyrite. Daily Pakistan reported that samples were sent to an Australian company and to REAS for analysis, and that technical review and approval came from June Mortimer Geosciences.

The first phase of testing is finished, and laboratory analysis of second-phase samples is under way, with results expected in the first quarter of 2027. The company plans more drilling to test mineralisation at depths that could reach 1,000 metres. It also intends to build an initial geological model and a resource estimate from both phases of drilling.