Midas starts Otavi copper drilling: early geology and M&A signals for mine planners
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on Mining Technology – News
30 Second Briefing
Midas Minerals has started drilling at the Otavi Copper Project in Namibia ahead of completing the acquisition of a 1,776km² licence package, deploying two diamond rigs at the T-13 deposit and one reverse circulation rig at the Spaatzu (Monty) prospect. Historical T-13 intercepts guiding current targeting include 17.2m at 7.24% copper and 144.4g/t silver from 125.8m, and 45m at 2.43% copper and 54.5g/t silver from 193m, as rigs test extensions and continuity. Nearly 2,000 soil samples have been screened by onsite portable XRF, with certified lab assays pending to refine further drilling across Otavi and the South Otavi Project.
Technical Brief
- Additional drilling is scheduled at Deblin Segen (Driekoppies), Devon and Hartebeesport, subject to wet-season access.
- Historical T-13 intercepts include 20m at 4.16% Cu, 13.5g/t Ag from 62.6m depth.
- Another T-13 interval returned 16.3m at 2.68% Cu and 78.8g/t Ag from 97.2m.
- Nearly 2,000 soil samples have been screened using an onsite portable XRF as first-pass geochemistry.
- At South Otavi, a first-phase 140-hole programme totalling 3,693m was completed by October.
- South Otavi drilling samples are all submitted to commercial labs, with results expected in January 2026.
Our Take
The copper and silver grades reported at the T-13 deposit in Namibia place Otavi at the higher end of exploration results in our copper project coverage, suggesting potential for a relatively low-tonnage but high-margin underground or selective open-pit development if continuity is confirmed.
Running two diamond rigs at T-13 alongside an RC rig at the Spaatzu prospect indicates Midas Minerals is simultaneously tightening resource definition and testing regional targets, a pattern in our database often seen where acquirers aim to fast-track a maiden resource within a 1–2 year window post-M&A.
A first-phase 140-hole programme at the South Otavi Project is materially larger than many early-stage copper campaigns in our mining stories, signalling that Namibia is being treated by Midas more as a potential core district than a satellite to its Australian gold and copper-gold assets.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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