National Resources Limited (NRL), a 100% privately-owned Pakistani company, has announced the discovery of substantial copper and gold deposits in Chagai, Balochistan. The announcement was made by NRL Chairman and CEO of Lucky Cement, Mr. Muhammad Ali Tabba, during his address at the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum 2025, held in the presence of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.
NRL, a subsidiary of Fatima Fertilizer, Liberty Mills Limited, and Lucky Cement, was granted an exploration license in October 2023. The licensed area spans 500 square kilometers, within which 16 potential mineralized zones have been identified over the last 18 months. Advanced drilling has already commenced at the Tang Kore site.
So far, NRL has completed 13 diamond drill holes, totaling 3,517 meters. All drill holes have shown signs of mineralization. Analytical results from the first six holes (1,500 meters) confirm the presence of strong mineralized zones near the surface.
Initial findings from the drill holes indicate copper grades ranging from 0.23% to 0.48%, gold from 0.09 grams per ton to 0.14 grams per ton, and silver from 1.30 grams per ton to 6.21 grams per ton. These combined indicate an equivalent copper grade of approximately 0.28% to 0.56%.
Advanced drilling at Tang Kore is scheduled for May 2025. NRL expects to release a formal NI 43-101 technical report by the end of the year, prepared by international consultants who are currently overseeing the project. Following this, a 3–4 year period of detailed exploration and feasibility studies will take place. Simultaneously, exploration work at other identified locations will continue.
In addition to the copper-gold prospects, NRL has also secured a lead-zinc exploration license adjacent to a well-known mineral deposit, where a bankable feasibility study has already been completed. The company is also conducting a comprehensive metal value chain study to evaluate downstream processing opportunities.
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 with the support of a $100 million exploration fund.
To expand its exploration efforts, NRL has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Oil and Gas Development Company (OGDC) for joint work on new leases. The company also plans to bring in additional investors as the project progresses, based on future needs.
While officials have hailed this discovery as a major step forward for Pakistan’s mineral sector and investment climate, the local population of Balochistan remains deeply skeptical about whether such developments will translate into real benefits for them. Many nationalist and civil society groups in the province believe that Pakistan is exploiting Balochistan’s vast natural resources while keeping the indigenous population marginalized and deprived of even basic human needs such as clean drinking water, access to healthcare, education, and employment opportunities.
Decades of mistrust have led to repeated protests, insurgency, and armed resistance by Baloch militant groups, who view these mining ventures as a form of colonial resource extraction. These groups have issued warnings and carried out multiple attacks targeting security forces and foreign workers in recent years, asserting that the wealth of Balochistan is being extracted without the consent or benefit of its people.
Additionally, the infrastructure situation in Balochistan remains dire, with poor road connectivity, unreliable electricity, inadequate health services, and a fragile education system. Despite being home to some of the richest mineral deposits in the region, Balochistan continues to be Pakistan’s most underdeveloped province.
This ongoing tension between federal ambitions of economic development through mineral exploration and local demands for autonomy and rights over resources continues to cast a long shadow over any optimism surrounding such major mining projects.