Koba Resources hits high-grade cobalt-copper at historic Idaho Cobalt Belt
In September, Koba Resources (ASX: KOB) commenced drilling for the first time in 25 years at its Blackpine Cobalt-Copper Project in Idaho, located in that state’s historic Cobalt Belt.
Results are now in from this initial three hole drill program with the Company reporting high grade returns for both metals and gold.
The program at the Swift prospect has demonstrated that the induced polarization (IP) geophysical anomalies are closely associated with high-grade cobalt and copper mineralization, the Company noted.
Results included 0.4m grading 0.78% cobalt in one hole, 0.3m grading 13.45% copper in another.
Confidence in the targeting process
Last year’s IP survey outlined the mineralization over 4 km strike.
Assay results now received from one of the drill holes returned 0.7m grading 0.38% cobalt, 1.22% copper and 2.65 grams per tonne gold.
An additional intercept of 1.2m assayed 0.31% cobalt and 0.57 g/t gold, including 0.4m assaying 0.78% cobalt and 1.36 g/t gold.
Assay counts also included 0.3m at 13.45% copper and 0.46% gold, 1.5m at 2.54% copper and 0.43g/t gold and 4.1m at 0.94% copper .
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Ben Vallerine said the results demonstrate the potential for Blackpine to host “significant and high-grade” cobalt-copper mineralization.
“These results provide confidence in our targeting process as we seek to test stronger and larger IP anomalies both between these high-grade trends and elsewhere on the Blackpine project,” he added.
Major IP anomalies at depth
According to Koba, larger and stronger anomalies exist at depth below these intercepts which are now being given high priority as untested drill targets.
The Company has submitted permit applications for drilling at the Swift, Regina and Trench prospects in 2023. These prospects contain the largest and strongest of the IP anomalies.
Koba owns several projects in the Idaho Cobalt Belt and one in Nevada, 50 km from Las Vegas.
The belt was mined from the mid 18th century with the last cobalt production in 1969.
In addition to Blackpine, Koba owns the Colson, Panther and Elkhorn cobalt-copper projects in the Belt. Colson is now underway at Colson and upon completion the drill rig will be relocated to Blackpine, 40km to the southeast.
All projects have historical exploration records showing high-grade hits, either from surface sampling or drilling. Some have seen high grade mining in the past.
