Askari Metals commences drilling at Namibian lithium project

Highlights:

• Minimum 3000 m RC drill programme has commenced on EPL 8535.
• At least four separate target zones will be tested with more than 40 drill holes which may be expanded upon to target additional pegmatite zones recently mapped and sampled.
• Due diligence sampling from the project area (EPL 8535) returned sample results up to:
  • 3.3% lithium oxide (Li₂O).
  • 3.2% tin (Sn).
  • 4280 ppm tantalum (Ta).
  • 7980 ppm rubidium (Rb).
• Detailed mapping and sampling programme also ongoing on EPL 7345.
• Phase II drilling to commence on EPL 7345 before the end of February 2023.

EPL 8535 forms part of the Uis lithium project and is located less than 17 km from the town of Uis and adjacent to the operating Uis mine, owned by London-listed Andrada Mining Limited. The project holds exceptional potential, as identified by the due diligence sample results and the very high number of pegmatites exposed at the surface, ranging from a few metres in width to more than 50 m wide. Many of the pegmatites have been mined historically for tin and semi-precious stones, and altered spodumene and lepidolite are visible within the workings and the mined rock around the workings.

Commenting on the programme, VP-Exploration & Geology, Mr Johan Lambrechts, stated:

“Askari has maintained an aggressive and hands-on exploration approach since acquiring the Uis lithium project. We acquired EPL 7345 in late October 2022 and expanded our strategic landholding with the acquisition of EPL 8535 in early December 2022. Within 3 weeks of acquiring EPL 7345, the company had mobilised a drill rig to site for its Phase I RC drilling programme at EPL 7345 and we are now due to commence Phase II RC drilling at EPL 7345 in late February 2023.

We have continued with this momentum having now commenced our Phase I RC drilling programme at EPL 8535. We are confident in the mineralised pegmatites we have seen on surface to date and with our mapping team continuing in the field, there are numerous additional targets being identified highlighting the significant exploration upside. We see the Uis lithium project as having significant potential and we are aiming to demonstrate the potential scale of the mineralisation through aggressive drilling and other exploration campaigns. We are certainly leading the lithium charge out of Namibia.

This inaugural phase of drilling on EPL 8535 will culminate in the company completing more than 100 drill holes on our Namibian projects in less than five months, and this statistic will be compounded when the second phase of drilling starts on EPL 7345 in a few weeks’ time. We aim to continue with this methodology for the foreseeable future, with the mapping programs leading to new and additional drill targets to be tested."

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/mining/15022023/askari-metals-commences-drilling-at-namibian-lithium-project/