National Resources Limited (NRL) on Tuesday announced it has discovered significant copper and gold mineral reserves in Chagai, Balochistan.
According to an address by NRL Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025, the company was awarded an exploration lease in October 2023. He said the licensed area contains two known porphyry prospects with strong exploration potential. Over the past 15 months, he said, NRL has identified 18 new prospects, with one of them—Tang Kaur—progressing to an advanced drilling stage.
Tabba informed the forum that NRL has completed 13 diamond drill holes (3,517 meters), with all intersecting significant porphyry-style alteration, sheeted and stockwork quartz vein sets, and sulfide mineralization. Assay results from the first six drill holes (1,500 meters) confirm strongly mineralized, near-surface zones with downhole intervals ranging from 48 to 148 meters, using a 0.2% copper cut-off grade and up to 10 meters of internal dilution. The average grade of the intercepts ranges from 0.23% to 0.48% copper, 0.09 to 0.14 g/t gold, and 1.30 to 6.21 g/t silver, resulting in a copper equivalent of 0.28% to 0.56%. The mineralized system remains open to the north, east, and at depth.
He said advanced drilling at Tang Kaur will commenced in May 2025, leading to an NI 43-101 Technical Report by year’s end from internationally recognized consultants, who are already monitoring the project. Three to four years of detailed exploration will follow, culminating in feasibility studies, as exploration of the other prospects and leases continues.
Tabba said NRL has also acquired a Lead-Zinc exploration license adjacent to a well-known deposit, where a bankable feasibility study has already been conducted. A comprehensive metal value chain is also being studied to assess the feasibility of downstream processing.
The NRL chairman said his company considers Indigenous populations as key stakeholders and actively supports social development through clean water, education, healthcare, and local employment. He claimed the current ratio of local employment was above 90%. NRL fosters industry-academia collaboration and remains committed to sustainability, he said, adding the company believes mining prospers only when local communities are recognized as the most important stakeholder and directly benefit from such activities.
He said NRL is actively working with the Government of Balochistan and the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to secure two additional Copper-Gold Exploration licenses in Chagai, supported by a dedicated $100 million exploration fund. The company has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Oil and Gas Development Company to jointly work on newly acquired leases. Looking ahead, NRL plans to bring additional national and international investors into the project as required.
Tabba concluded his speech by thanking the Government of Balochistan and the SIFC for their support and cooperation. He stressed that NRL remains committed to advancing mineral development in Balochistan, paving the way for Pakistan-led exploration. With the continued support of both entities, he stressed, NRL was confident that more domestic companies will join the mining sector, driving its growth and development for the betterment of Balochistan and Pakistan.
Tabba is also the CEO of Lucky Cement Limited. NRL is a 100% Pakistani privately owned company and a subsidiary of Fatima Fertilizer, Liberty Mills Limited, and Lucky Cement.