By Staff Reporter
WINDHOEK, April 13 — Namibian lithium exploration company, Askari Metals, has ramped up its exploration efforts across two tenements at its Uis lithium project. The company is targeting previously identified pegmatites in its aggressive exploration strategy, which forms part of a recently expanded Phase 1 program at tenement EPL 8535.
The dual Reverse Circulation (RC) campaign has been extended from 3,000m up to 4,000m. The company has identified at least four different target zones and is investigating unexplored pegmatites and areas of high-potential lithium mineralisation, based on some eye-catching surface sample results of up to 3.3% lithium oxide.
Askari has completed 41 holes for around 2,750m at the site, with the drilling campaign beginning in February. The program was extended following the discovery of additional large pegmatites to the south of the current rig location.
The company is also conducting a Phase 2 drilling campaign at its EPL 7345 tenement. This campaign includes at least 4,000m of drilling and ongoing mapping work to target the most prospective pegmatites.
Askari completed Phase 1 of its drill campaign at the Uis lithium project in December 2022. This included 59 RC holes for 3,017m as part of an overall 10,000m program. One of the key takeaways from the program was the visible lithium mineralisation evident at the site.
The Uis Mine View prospect was the main target of the first drill program and took the majority of the metres drilled. The company also tested two other targets, including one near the centre of the tenement that produced rock sample results of up to 1.1% lithium oxide and 658 parts per million tantalum. The third target was an area where reconnaissance sampling identified results including 0.92% lithium oxide and 0.76% tin.
According to Askari Metals, some pegmatites across the Uis lithium project area pinch near the surface, while others continue to a greater depth. The company’s exploration work aims to identify pegmatites across the tenements that are economically mineralised and continue to greater depths.
Results from the two concurrent drill programs will guide future exploration, as the company moves towards developing a maiden mineral resource at the African operation. Additional pegmatite drill targets identified by the mapping and sampling crews will be drill tested in Phase 3 at EPL 7345.
Once assays from the current exploration program have been analysed, Askari Metals plans to begin diamond drilling. The aim is to produce core intersections of the most promising RC intercepts, which will be used for metallurgical test work in the future.
Askari’s Uis lithium project sits directly west of Andrada Mining’s Uis mine, which hosts resources of 71.5 million tonnes at 0.63% lithium oxide, 0.134% tin, and 85 parts per million tantalum.
Once completed, crews will be mobilised to EPL 8535, where detailed mapping and sampling will also be completed across the entire project area. A project-wide electromagnetic survey is also expected to begin once results have been received.
– Namibia Daily News
