Islamabad, 13 November, 2026 (Ghufran): National Resources Limited (NRL) has announced the discovery of copper and gold deposits at eight sites in Balochistan’s Chagai district following nearly 25,000 metres of drilling that produced encouraging results. The company is now working towards its first formal estimate of the area’s mineral resources. NRL Chairman Muhammad Ali Tabba, speaking at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026, said one drill hole had identified a 295-metre mineralised zone containing 0.43 per cent copper and 0.13 grams of gold per tonne, including a 132-metre section with a higher copper concentration of 0.83 per cent. The discoveries cover an area of 5.6 square kilometres in Darigwan, adjoining the company’s earlier Tang Kaur copper-gold discovery. Tabba said further exploration under licence EL214 would help determine the extent of the deposits, subject to the completion of exploration activities and formal resource assessment. A joint venture between Fatima Fertilizers, Liberty Mills and Lucky Cement, NRL holds five exploration licences in Balochistan, covering two copper-gold projects, one lead-zinc project and two antimony projects. The company plans to begin environmental, hydrogeological, metallurgical and geotechnical studies in 2027, with the objective of completing a bankable feasibility study by the end of the decade. Tabba reaffirmed the company’s commitment of $100 million to mineral exploration in Pakistan and invited local and international investors and service providers to participate in emerging opportunities. He said NRL was also collaborating with the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) to develop an artificial intelligence-based predictive model to accelerate mineral exploration through geological modelling and drilling data. The company’s technical workforce is largely local, with Baloch geologists working alongside international consultants and Pakistani contractors undertaking drilling activities. Alongside its exploration programme, NRL is supporting education and community development through the newly established Chagai Foundation. Tabba stressed that the people of Balochistan must benefit from the opportunities generated by the province’s mineral wealth, urging industrialists, investors and corporate partners to support the foundation’s vision of enabling Balochistan.