National Resources Limited (NRL), a Pakistani-owned mineral exploration company, has identified copper and gold mineralisation at eight porphyry discoveries in Balochistan’s Chagai district after completing nearly 25,000 metres of drilling.
The discoveries cover 5.6 square kilometres in Darigwan, near the company’s previously identified copper and gold deposit at Tang Kaur.
NRL Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba shared the findings at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026, according to Business Recorder.
Strong Copper and Gold Grades Found in Drilling
One of the drill holes intersected 295 metres of continuous mineralisation containing 0.43 percent copper and 0.13 grams of gold per tonne.
Within this interval, a 132-metre section recorded a copper grade of 0.83 percent, nearly twice the overall average.
Tabba said further exploration at licence EL214 could establish substantial mineral resources. However, this will depend on completing additional work and preparing a formal resource estimate.
An independent consultant has already developed preliminary resource estimates, but NRL has not released them because they have yet to meet international reporting standards. The company is now working towards its first formal mineral resource estimate.
NRL Targets Feasibility Study by 2030
NRL plans to launch environmental, hydrogeological, metallurgical and geotechnical studies in 2027. It aims to complete a bankable feasibility study by the end of the decade.
Tabba also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to invest $100 million in mineral exploration in Pakistan and invited domestic and international investors to participate in the country’s mining sector.
NRL is a joint venture involving Fatima Fertilisers, Liberty Mills and Lucky Cement. It holds five exploration licences in Balochistan, covering two copper-gold projects, one lead-zinc project and two antimony projects.
The company is also developing an artificial intelligence model in collaboration with LUMS to accelerate mineral exploration.
NRL’s technical workforce is largely Pakistani, with local Baloch geologists working alongside international consultants.
The latest discoveries further strengthen Chagai’s position as a major copper and gold exploration region. The district is also home to the Reko Diq copper-gold project.
