Lepidico is revisiting the historical Rubikon and Helikon mines within the Karibib Lithium project, with the latest visit done by a team led by exploration manager Simon Kahovera this week.
The company says it is preparing for an inaugural drill programme at the Berger’s pegmatite.
The Rubikon mine was discovered in the 1950s and the Klochner Group of Germany started working on the mine in the 1950s.
The Rubikon mine reportedly produced some 17,000t of lithium mineral concentrates from small-scale open pit and underground mining between 1980 and 1994.
Helikon 1, located 750 m south of Helikon 2 – 5, is the largest exposed pegmatite at the project with a strike length of 350 m, an average thickness of 65 m and dips 70° to the north.
The Helikon 2 – 5 pegmatites define a discontinuous strike length of 1,700 m with variable dips and thicknesses.
The project is on Farm Okongava 72, owned by the Namibian Government.
The Klochner Group owned the project through its subsidiary, Metramco of South Africa. The direct management of the project was under SWA Lithium, a subsidiary of Metramco of South Africa.
The Group worked on the Rubikon and Helikon mines until 1990 when they sold to Namibia Lithium Mines, a subsidiary of South Africa Afmin.
The next owner of the Karibib Lithium Project was Sunrise Minerals, an Australian company. It is not clear what work Sunrise Minerals did to the project before it was acquired by another Australian company, Black Fire Minerals, in 2009.
When Black Fire Minerals acquired the Karibib Lithium project, a Namibian-registered company, Starting Right Investments 94 held the Karibib Lithium Project EPLs 3750 and 3751.
Desert Lion Energy bought the project from Black Fire Minerals, which had bought it from another Australian company called Sunrise Minerals in 2009.
Lepidico Limited acquired an 80% interest in Desert Lion Energy (Pty) Ltd through a plan of arrangement in July 2019. In January 2020 the Namibian entity’s name was changed from Desert Lion Energy to Lepidico Chemical Namibia (Pty) Ltd. Current ownership of the project is 80% to Lepidico Chemicals (Pty) Ltd and 20% to Huni-Urib Holdings (Pty) Ltd.
