Mari Energies Copper Gold Discovery Near Reko Diq
The Mari Energies copper gold discovery has been announced in Balochistan, about 50 kilometres east of the Reko Diq project in Chagai district.
Its subsidiary, Mari Minerals, found the mineralisation at the East Siah Diq target, known as ESD-1, after about 25,000 metres of exploration drilling in two phases. The find covers an area of about 1.4 square kilometres, buried under roughly 100 metres of surface sediments.
Mari Energies disclosed the discovery to the Pakistan Stock Exchange on Friday. Its managing director and chief executive, Faheem Haider, announced it at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026 in Islamabad.
Mari Energies copper gold discovery: strong grades in the first phase
Results from the first phase of drilling show promising copper and gold concentrations. The strongest result came from drill hole ESD-1-DD-017, which recorded 0.50 per cent copper over 400.25 metres, along with 0.11 grams of gold per tonne.
Another drill hole recorded 0.45 per cent copper over 392.7 metres, with a gold grade of 0.14 grams per tonne. The highest gold concentration in the first-phase results was 0.19 grams per tonne, recorded in two separate drill holes.
Across the 20 intercepts from the first phase, copper grades ranged from 0.04 to 0.50 per cent, while gold grades ranged from 0.02 to 0.19 grams per tonne. The mineralisation also contains molybdenum, a metal used widely in industry. Mari Energies said the copper mineralisation is mainly linked to chalcopyrite, with pyrite also present and bornite observed. Samples were prepared and tested by SGS Pakistan.
More drilling planned to greater depths
The company has finished the first phase of testing. Laboratory analysis of samples from the second phase is under way, and results are expected in the first quarter of 2027.
Mari Energies plans further drilling to test the mineralisation at greater depths, down to 1,000 metres below the surface. It will also prepare an initial geological model and a resource estimate using results from both drilling phases.
The company cautioned that further drilling, geological interpretation, metallurgical testing and technical studies will be needed before the scale, grade continuity, economic significance and development potential of the mineralisation can be determined. The results do not yet amount to a mineral resource or a reserve.
The technical findings were reviewed and verified by Dr John Mortimer of JM Geoscience, a geoscientist with more than 40 years of experience in porphyry copper exploration.
A second Chagai discovery in one day
The Mari Energies announcement came on the same day that National Resources Limited reported eight new copper and gold discoveries at Darigwan, also in Chagai. Both announcements point to a busy exploration season in the district, home to Reko Diq, one of the world’s largest undeveloped copper-gold projects.
Mari Energies itself has been at the centre of the week’s mining news. On Thursday, Canadian miner Ivanhoe Mines signed a memorandum of understanding with the company on the sidelines of the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2026, marking the Canadian firm’s entry into South Asia. Business Recorder reported the same drilling figures from the company’s stock exchange notice. The forum has drawn representatives from more than 60 countries, and provinces have offered security cover for mineral investors as part of the push to attract mining capital.
The forum’s broader message is that Pakistan wants to turn its mineral wealth into investment and jobs. The government’s strategic minerals push targets global investors, with Chagai’s copper and gold belt at the heart of the pitch.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the Mari Energies discovery?
At the East Siah Diq target in Chagai district, Balochistan, about 50 kilometres east of the Reko Diq project and 25 kilometres northwest of Nokkundi, in the Koh-i-Sultan area.
What did the drilling find?
A new porphyry copper system covering about 1.4 square kilometres. The best first-phase result was 0.50 per cent copper over 400.25 metres, with 0.11 grams of gold per tonne.
Is this a proven reserve?
No. Mari Energies said the results do not yet amount to a mineral resource or a reserve. More drilling, testing and studies are needed to establish the scale and economic value.
When will more results come?
Laboratory analysis of second-phase samples is under way, with results expected in the first quarter of 2027. Deeper drilling to 1,000 metres is planned.
Why does this discovery matter?
It adds to a wave of exploration in Chagai, including eight finds reported by National Resources Limited on the same day, and it comes as Pakistan courts global mining investment at the minerals forum in Islamabad.
