Krakatoa Advances 10,000m Drilling Campaign at Zopkhito Critical Minerals Project

Innovative Drone Technology Opens New Exploration Areas

Krakatoa Resources Limited (ASX – KTA) has reported significant progress at its Zopkhito Antimony-Gold Project in Georgia, Eastern Europe, leveraging cutting-edge drone LiDAR technology to safely access and map underground adits that have remained largely untouched for decades. This approach not only enhances operational safety by identifying hazardous gases and unstable zones but also enables the company to plan targeted sampling campaigns with greater confidence.

The high-resolution 3D images generated by the Elios-3 drones allow Krakatoa to recalibrate historical sample locations from mid-20th century records, aligning them with modern spatial standards. This recalibration is critical for refining geological models and improving the precision of exploration efforts, a step that CEO Mark Major highlights as foundational for advancing the project towards a maiden JORC-compliant Mineral Resource estimate.

Drilling Campaign Targets High-Grade Antimony and Gold Zones

Concurrent with the drone survey, Krakatoa is operating dual diamond drilling rigs across multiple high-priority targets between historical adits. The ongoing 7,000 to 10,000 metre drilling program aims to validate and expand on historic foreign resource estimates, which indicate substantial tonnages of antimony and gold. These historic figures, while promising, require rigorous confirmation under the JORC Code 2012 standards, a process that the company is actively pursuing.

Assay results from the drilling campaign are anticipated in late Q4 2025, a milestone that will provide critical data to underpin the maiden JORC resource and potentially elevate the project’s profile among investors focused on critical minerals.

Strategic Importance in a Shifting Global Minerals Landscape

Antimony is classified as a critical mineral by both the European Union and the United States due to its essential role in energy storage, advanced materials, and defense technologies. With over 90% of global supply currently dominated by China, Krakatoa’s Zopkhito Project offers a strategically valuable alternative source within Europe’s critical minerals corridor.

Georgia’s favorable mining framework, existing infrastructure, and free-trade agreements with the EU position Zopkhito as a rare opportunity to contribute to Western-aligned supply chains. Krakatoa’s efforts to integrate historical data with modern exploration techniques underscore the project’s potential to support Europe’s transition to secure and diversified critical mineral sources.

Looking Ahead – From Exploration to Resource Definition

As Krakatoa advances its exploration program, the combination of innovative technology, rigorous data validation, and strategic geopolitical positioning sets the stage for a pivotal phase in the project’s development. The upcoming assay results and subsequent JORC resource announcement will be closely watched by the market, potentially marking a significant step forward in establishing a new critical minerals supply hub in Eastern Europe.