ISLAMABAD: National Resources Limited (NRL) has identified copper and gold mineralisation at eight sites in Balochistan’s Chagai district following nearly 25,000 metres of drilling, marking progress in the company’s exploration programme as it moves towards preparing its first mineral resource estimate.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Announcing the findings at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 (PMIF26), NRL Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba said exploration activities had produced encouraging results across an area of approximately 5.6 square kilometres in Darigwan, adjoining the company’s earlier Tang Kaur copper-gold discovery.
Highlighting the drilling results, Tabba said one drill hole intersected a 295-metre mineralised zone containing an average copper concentration of 0.43 percent and gold content of 0.13 grams per tonne. Within this interval, a 132-metre section recorded a higher copper concentration of 0.83 percent.
He said further exploration under Exploration Licence EL214 would help determine the scale and potential of the deposits, subject to completion of the exploration programme and formal resource assessment.
NRL is now working towards its maiden mineral resource estimate in accordance with internationally recognised reporting standards. Although preliminary estimates have been prepared by an independent consultant, the company has decided to withhold their release until all applicable international reporting requirements are fulfilled.
A joint venture involving Fatima Fertilizer, Liberty Mills and Lucky Cement, NRL holds five exploration licences in Balochistan, covering two copper-gold projects, one lead-zinc project and two antimony projects. Exploration activities are currently underway across these licences.
The company plans to initiate environmental, hydrogeological, metallurgical and geotechnical studies in 2027, with the objective of completing a bankable feasibility study by the end of the decade.
Tabba also reaffirmed NRL’s previously announced commitment of $100 million towards mineral exploration in Pakistan, inviting local and international investors, mining companies and technical service providers to participate in the country’s emerging mineral development opportunities.
AI-Based Exploration and Local Expertise
In a move to integrate advanced technology into mineral exploration, NRL has partnered with the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) to develop a predictive artificial intelligence model aimed at accelerating mineral discoveries.
The initiative will utilise geological modelling and data generated through the company’s extensive drilling programme to improve exploration analysis and identify promising mineral targets.
Tabba said the company’s ambition was to establish a world-class mineral exploration platform and contribute to an integrated mineral value chain covering discovery, mining, processing and further value addition.
He highlighted the role of the exploration programme in developing local technical expertise, noting that Baloch geologists were working alongside international consultants, while Pakistani contractors were undertaking inclined drilling activities.
According to him, almost the entire technical workforce involved in the programme comprises local professionals, reflecting the company’s commitment to building domestic capabilities that could eventually support exploration activities beyond Pakistan.
Community Development in Balochistan
Alongside its mineral exploration activities, NRL is also supporting education and community development initiatives through the recently established Chagai Foundation.
Tabba urged industrialists, investors and corporate partners to contribute to the foundation’s vision of enabling socioeconomic development in Balochistan.
He emphasised that local communities must benefit directly from the development of mineral resources in their region.
“The people of Balochistan must share in the opportunities created by their mineral wealth,” he said.
The latest discoveries add to Pakistan’s growing mineral exploration activity and highlight the potential of Chagai district as an important destination for copper and gold exploration. NRL’s ongoing drilling, resource assessment and planned technical studies are expected to provide a clearer picture of the deposits and their commercial development potential in the coming years.
Story by Khaleeq Kiani
