NAMC Advances Ghor Fifa Copper Exploration Ahead of Phase II Drilling
September 13, 2026
Exploration trenching in zeolitic tuff at Ung Ar Rustom, northeastern Jordan.
The National Arab Mining Company and Downstream Industries (NAMC) has completed exploration and an initial resource estimate at the Ung Ar Rustom zeolite project in Tulul Ash Shahba’, Ruweishid, Al Mafraq Governorate. Under the JORC Code (2012), the work defines an Indicated Mineral Resource of about 1.32 million tonnes of zeolitic tuff in situ, with an average total zeolite content of 29.34%.
The project lies about 45 km east of As Safawi and 13.5 km south of the Amman–Baghdad International Highway, so it has ready access to domestic and regional markets.
Exploration Programme
The programme covered an exploration licence area of 350,786 m². It included geological mapping at 1:3,000 scale, a topographic survey, eight trenches totalling 44 m, and six boreholes totalling 52 m. Trenches reached 3–8 m and boreholes 3–15 m.
Geologists collected 36 representative samples along the lithological boundaries. Major oxides were measured by XRF on 32 samples, and the mineral content was quantified by XRD at the ARGETEST laboratory in Ankara.
Geology and Mineralogy
Ung Ar Rustom is a volcanic centre in the Harrat Ash Shaam volcanic province. The target unit is the zeolitic tuff of the Aritayn Volcaniclastic Formation: bedded air-fall ash, lapilli and basaltic fragments cemented by zeolite minerals and calcite.
The main zeolite minerals are phillipsite, chabazite and faujasite. Total zeolite content ranges from 13.5% to 41.3% in trench samples and from 2.3% to 49.5% in borehole samples. The tuff is at or near the surface, with little or no overburden.
Indicated Mineral Resource
Mineral Expertise Bureau (MinXperts) prepared the estimate. The effective date is 28 September 2026. Prof. Khalil M. Ibrahim, MAusIMM, reviewed and approved the report as Competent Person.
Closer-spaced drilling and further assaying are planned to raise geological confidence before any part of the resource is upgraded to Measured or converted to a reserve.
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Resource footprint | 124,156 m² |
| Average modelled thickness | 7.78 m |
| Bulk density | 1.37 t/m³ |
| In-situ resource (Indicated) | ~1.32 million t |
| Mineable quantity (80% recovery) | ~1.06 million t |
| Average total zeolite | 29.34% |
Towards Development
The tuff sits at or near the surface, so the preliminary plan is a surface mine. Work would follow a simple sequence of ripping, loading, haulage, crushing and screening. The mine area is divided into 25 blocks and scheduled over a 25-year life at about 42,000 tonnes per year.
NAMC is finalising the project’s feasibility study. It sets out a phased route that starts with screened, graded zeolite for agriculture and horticulture and adds finer ground products later. The next steps are infill drilling, density and geotechnical testing, bulk-sample product trials with prospective customers, and the mining licence and environmental approvals.
The immediate focus is to complete infill drilling and product testing and to finalise the feasibility study.
