• Galileo Resources launched a reverse circulation drilling campaign on license PL253.

• The project targets copper deposits in the Kalahari Copper Belt, a key exploration zone.

• Copper discoveries have become rare, with only 14 projects reaching production since 2010.

Galileo Resources announced yesterday the start of a reverse circulation (RC) drilling program on its copper exploration license PL253 in Botswana. The company did not disclose the financial details of the initiative, which is part of its strategy to identify new copper deposits in southern Africa.

The campaign will involve four RC drill holes designed to test exploration targets identified in recent studies on the PL253 license. The site is located in the Kalahari Copper Belt (KCB), a strategic zone that also hosts Cobre’s Kitlanya West copper prospect.

“Our drilling program now underway on PL253 is being carried out in an area with a highly prospective address. Significant exploration commitment by BHP [Group Ltd] and others has placed the spotlight on this underexplored northwestern limb of the KCB and provides considerable encouragement for our program,” said Colin Bird, CEO of Galileo Resources.

Still, the chances of Galileo making a major discovery remain uncertain. Average copper grades have fallen 40% since 1991, making new finds increasingly rare. Of 239 copper deposits discovered between 1990 and 2023, only 14 have advanced to production projects over the past decade, according to the International Energy Agency.