{
  "id": 19791682,
  "title": "Copper, gold deposits identified at eight sites in Balochistan’s Chagai district: mining company",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/copper-gold-deposits-identified-at-eight-sites-in-balochistans-chagai",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-11-13T10:19:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn",
    "slug": "dawn",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2044284/copper-gold-deposits-identified-at-eight-sites-in-balochistans-chagai-district-mining-company"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "National Resources Limited (NRL) has discovered copper and gold deposits at eight locations in Balochistan’s Chagai district, following extensive drilling. The company is currently estimating the total mineral resources of the area. One drill hole uncovered a 295-meter stretch with 0.43% copper and 0.13 grams of gold per tonne, with an additional 132-meter section showing even higher copper concentrations at 0.83%.\n\nThese discoveries span an area of 5.6 square kilometres in Darigwan, adjacent to NRL's previously found Tang Kaur copper-gold site. NRL Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba stated that further exploration at exploration licence EL214 will help determine the extent of the mineral deposits, pending the completion of exploration work and a formal assessment of resources.\n\nNRL, a joint venture between Fatima Fertilisers, Liberty Mills, and Lucky Cement Ltd, holds five exploration licences in Balochistan, including copper-gold, lead-zinc, and antimony projects. The company plans to conduct environmental, hydrogeological, metallurgical, and geotechnical studies in 2027, with the goal of completing a bankable feasibility study by the end of the decade.\n\nTabba reiterated NRL's commitment of $100 million to mineral exploration in Pakistan and encouraged domestic and international investors and service providers to explore emerging opportunities. An independent consultant has prepared preliminary resource estimates, but the company is awaiting approval to release them according to international reporting standards. NRL is working on a predictive artificial intelligence model, developed in partnership with Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), to expedite exploration using geological modeling and drilling data.\n\nTabba emphasized NRL's ambition to create a world-class mineral exploration platform, contributing to an integrated mineral value chain. The company is building local expertise by collaborating with Baloch geologists, international consultants, and Pakistani contractors. The technical workforce is nearly entirely local, supporting the company's goal of developing domestic expertise that could also aid international exploration.\n\nIn addition to its exploration efforts, NRL is investing in education and community development through the newly established Chagai Foundation. Tabba called upon industrialists, investors, and corporate partners to contribute to NRL's vision of \"Enabling Balochistan\" and ensuring that the people of Balochistan share in the opportunities stemming from their mineral wealth.",
  "summary": "ISLAMABAD: Mining company National Resources Limited (NRL) on Friday announced that it had identified copper and gold deposits at eight sites in Balochistan’s Chagai district, following nearly 25,000 metres of drilling that yielded encouraging results. The company is now moving towards its first estimate of the area’s mineral resources. One of the drill holes revealed a 295-metre stretch of…",
  "key_points": [
    "NRL discovers copper and gold deposits at eight sites in Chagai district, Balochistan",
    "Largest deposit: 295-meter stretch with 0.83% copper concentration",
    "Company plans $100M investment in mineral exploration and education initiatives"
  ],
  "editors_take": "Expanding exploration through advanced geological modeling and local expertise positions the joint venture to transform Balochistan into a significant hub for the global mineral value chain.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Sydney Morning Herald",
        "title": "Australian Gold and Copper lands NSW multi-metal bonanza",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/australian-gold-and-copper-lands-nsw-multi-metal-bonanza-19766342",
        "published": "2026-11-13T05:52:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Age",
        "title": "Australian Gold and Copper lands NSW multi-metal bonanza",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/13/australian-gold-and-copper-lands-nsw-multi-metal-bonanza",
        "published": "2026-11-13T05:52:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}