According to Mining Weekly, London-listed miner Pensana has completed the initial drilling program at the Coola carbonate complex. The ore body is located approximately 30 kilometers north of Pensana's flagship Longonjo rare earth project.
Pensana noted that Longonjo remains one of the world's largest undeveloped rare earth deposits, while Coola is part of the company's regional exploration strategy to extend the mine life of Longonjo.
The company emphasized that the drilling program was completed before the onset of the rainy season, marking another important milestone in its plan to evaluate the Coola complex.
Following early-stage field and soil sampling, reverse circulation drilling was deployed at eight selected points along the entire diameter of the complex.
The program successfully obtained samples, conducted mineralogical and metallurgical analyses, and assessed the potential of this alkaline or carbonate complex to supply future rare earth production.
The drilling was completed in collaboration between Pensana's Coola exploration team and SOEMTO, a local Angolan drilling contractor and engineering service provider.
Core sampling was conducted at 1-meter intervals, and the use of handheld XRF analyzers on-site enabled SOEMTO to carry out real-time interpretation efficiently, with verification performed by Pensana's experienced technical team.
In the coming weeks, the company will announce preliminary interpretation results following detailed laboratory analysis.
"I am pleased that we have completed the drilling program at the Coola carbonate complex in partnership with SOEMTO before the rainy season. We will announce the findings in the coming weeks," said Grant Hayward, Exploration Manager at Pensana.
"Coola is significant for us as it establishes our foothold in the drilling sector in Angola. We are aware of the challenges, so collaborating with a company like Pensana is a rare opportunity," stated the founder of SOEMTO.
"For us, Coola is not just a drilling program—it represents progress for Angola, our partners, and the communities that will benefit from its success."
