Anglo Asian Mining has announced an expanded 90,000-metre drilling programme across several of its Azerbaijan deposits over 2026 and 2027, as the company works to increase resource estimates and advance key projects toward feasibility and mine development.
The programme comprises approximately 55,000 metres of exploration drilling and 35,000 metres of feasibility drilling. Drilling operations using two rigs have already commenced at the Kharxar deposit, with work at Garadagh scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2026. Additional drilling is planned within the Gadabay contract area and at the Demirli mine and South Demirli deposit. Underground drilling has also started at the Gilar deposit, focusing on upper mineralised horizons and potential extensions of ore bodies at depth.
The feasibility component allocates approximately 10,000 metres at Kharxar and 25,000 metres at Garadagh for geological confirmation, geotechnical analysis, hydrogeological studies, metallurgical testing and quality control — work that will feed directly into updated resource assessments and future mine development plans.
Kharxar, located approximately 1.5 kilometres north of the Gadabay contract area, has been the subject of extensive exploration in recent years. A JORC-compliant resource estimate has confirmed 119,100 tonnes of contained copper at the site. Garadagh, adjacent to Kharxar, has emerged as the company’s most significant copper asset, with a preliminary JORC-compliant resource estimate published in 2024 confirming approximately 900,000 tonnes of contained copper — a figure that positions it as potentially one of the most important copper developments in Azerbaijan’s mining sector.
