Aim-listed Botswana Minerals says the company is progressing well with its fully funded AI-driven exploration programme over licences 458 and 459 in Ngamiland, north-west Botswana, which aims to identify and rank the most promising exploration targets and identify the best copper prospect for drilling.

These licences are part of Botswana Minerals’ 7 074 km² land holding in the north-eastern Damara Belt, a region known for its potential to host copper and other important minerals, the company points out.

A copper anomaly stretching about 9.5 km has been identified east of a major fault.

Moreover, a silver anomaly corridor of about 20 km has been mapped across a key fault zone.

Also, a core zone of lead/zinc mineralisation, about 2.4 km long, has been identified within a larger trend to the west.

Further, several possible deposit types have been recognised, including Irish type (MVT), carbonate replacement, hydrothermal and potential skarn systems.

The next stage of work will include more detailed magnetic and gravity data analysis, additional geochemical testing, integration of hyperspectral satellite data and a full review of historical drilling records.

AI-assisted analysis will be used to strengthen the geological interpretation.

Results from Phase 1 are helping the company move from a broad regional view to more clearly defined targets, it explains.

Current work suggests there may be two separate mineralised zones, namely a structurally controlled copper/silver trend linked to a major fault, and a western area more prospective for lead and zinc.

At this stage, there are two possible explanations for the mineralisation – either it comes from one large system with different metals forming in zones, or from two separate but overlapping systems, Botswana Minerals explains.

Ongoing analysis is helping to refine these models and prioritise the best targets for follow-up work, it adds.

“These early results are good. There are emerging copper, silver and lead-zinc patterns in the new data. The AI models we are using assist with better and quicker interpretations of the data. Our objective is simple and clear. Identify drill targets,” says chairperson John Teeling.