Arc Minerals Limited announced the commencement of a ground-based magnetic survey and an Induced Polarisation survey over its PL135/2017 licence at the Virgo Project, located within the Central Structural Corridor of the Kalahari Copper Belt in the Republic of Botswana. Magnetic and Induced Polarisation surveys are designed to define the contact between the D'kar and Ngwako Pan formations. Field camp preparation commenced and teams mobilised to carry out these surveys.
295 line kilometers of ground-based magnetic surveying to start this week. 52.5 kilometers of Induced Polarisation surveying to follow immediately thereafter. Data acquisition and interpretation expected to be completed by the end of Second Quarter.
The programme builds directly on the successful limited Induced Polarisation survey conducted over part of the PL135/2017 license in 2024, where the contact between the D'kar and Ngwako Pan formations were accurately identified and verified by the survey, before focused drilling commenced. The Company has decided to extend the Induced Polarisation survey to cover the full length of the hypothesized contact zone in its license area, and will be further complemented by a ground-based magnetic survey over the same length. All the known copper deposits and occurrences in the Kalahari Copper Belt occur at, or immediately above the D'kar and Ngwako Pan formations contact, particularly where structural domes create favourable settings for copper and silver mineralisation.
The Company has contracted a Botswana-based geophysical company to carry out the surveys. A field camp has been established and will cater for over 50 people at peak activity, with the magnetic survey commencing this week. The planned ground-based magnetic survey consists of 295 line kilometers at a 50 meter line spacing, with readings taken every 5 meters.
The magnetic survey will provide additional granularity around the structures coming into and around the dome and along the limbs, significantly refining the Company's geological model and overall understanding. The ground-based Gradient Array Induced Polarisation survey over the contact zone and its extents will assist in accurately identifying the location of the D'kar and Ngwako Pan formations contact and provide an efficient, cost-effective and high-resolution map of the sub-surface chargeability and resistivity, discriminating between types of conductive structures and providing targets for drilling. A total of 52.5 line kilometers are planned to be surveyed, comprising 42.5 kilometers of Gradient Induced Polarisation and 10 kilometers of insight Section Induced Polarisation.
The survey employs a pole-dipole array with 25 meter electrode spacing.
