TSX-V-listed Koryx Copper has completed a further six diamond drill holes for 1 808 m out of a planned 37 holes as part of the Phase 2 drill programme for its 2025 exploration and project development strategy on its Haib copper project in southern Namibia.

The assay results received from these six holes generally showed higher copper grades than the average mineral resource estimate (MRE) over large intercepts, the company reported on July 7.

Hole HM73 returned intercepts of 88 m at 0.41% copper from 12 m to 100 m, and 228 m at 0.34% copper from 270 m to 498 m.

Hole HM68 yielded 46 m at 0.38% copper from 96 m to 142 m, 14 m at 0.52% copper from 172 m to 186 m, and 60 m at 0.39% copper from 202 m to 262 m.

Hole HM74 returned 46 m at 0.36% copper from 2 m to 48 m, and 22 m at 0.34% copper from 96 m to 118 m.

Hole HM69 recorded 8 m at 0.97% copper from 40 m to 48 m, and 14 m at 0.46% copper from 142 m to 156 m.

Hole HM70 yielded 4 m at 0.40% copper from 32 m to 36 m, and 46 m at 0.41% copper from 134 m to 180 m.

Hole HM71 returned 8 m at 0.39% copper from 34 m to 42 m, and 6 m at 0.35% copper from 64 m to 70 m.

The company stated that assaying for molybdenum and gold continued to show by-product credits. These credits will be incorporated into the next MRE update and are expected to contribute to a higher average copper-equivalent grade.

Extensive surface mapping and drill-core relogging are ongoing with the assistance of a highly credible international porphyry consultant. These activities are aimed at improving geological understanding and core logging consistency, which will assist in improved drill targeting and mineral resource modelling.

Drilling operations were reported to be progressing well, with two quality drill contractors on site. Each contractor is operating two track-mounted drill rigs. In addition, four man-portable drill rigs are being mobilised to enable safe drilling in the deep valleys and steep terrain of the project area.

Two of these man-portable rigs are expected to be on site by the end of July, with the remaining two expected to arrive in October.

To date, Koryx has completed 11 100 m of the planned 28 000 m drill target for this year.

"Our geological understanding keeps improving and, with the aid of [consultant] Dr Warren Pratt . . . we are very encouraged by what we are seeing, namely not only confirmation of the previously identified higher-grade zones, but also indications of additional higher-grade mineralisation along previously unappreciated east-west and northwest-southeast structures related to breccias and shear zones,” Koryx president and CEO Heye Daun said.

He noted that these near-surface, higher-grade intersections were important as they may not only improve the grade of the overall MRE, but also have the potential to serve as a shallow, higher-grade starter pit along this structure.

“With the arrival of the first two man-portable drill rigs expected in late July, we will be able to drill test the continuity of these higher-grade structures at greater depths, in the topographically more challenging areas of the deposit,” Daun said.

Haib is an advanced-stage copper, molybdenum and gold project. It is envisaged to produce a clean copper concentrate by means of a conventional crushing, milling and flotation metallurgical process, with the potential for additional copper production through heap leaching.