Connected Minerals Limited plans to explore three zones further at its Etango North-East uranium project under EPL 6933 in the Namib Desert to test the possible extensions of these zones.
Etango North-East is located along strike from and within the same rock units as Bannerman Energy’s (ASX: BMN) world-class Etango Uranium Project (429Mt @ 225ppm U3O85).
The company commenced its maiden field exploration programme at Etango North-East in Q4 2024, which was expanded and completed during Q1 2025.
The expanded programme carried out in Q1 comprised 132 rock chip samples, covering a length of 139m, collected from the extended trenches surrounding the previously reported6 high-grade U3O8 mineralisation.
Zone 1 (Ondapanda Prospect) over the current high-grade mineralisation and extending north, measuring 1,000m by 500m, which extends the potential zone of mineralisation away from the currently known areas, shown by the outstanding rock chip/trench sample results that CML has collected to date.
Zone 2 (Onkumbwa Prospect), located in the south-west of the survey area, open to the south & south-west, with further exploration to assess the potential of this newly discovered area.
Zone 3 (Pandula Prospect) is located in the south-east of the survey area, open to the east, with further exploration to assess the potential of this newly discovered area.
The highest grade of mineralisation is associated with the alaskite exposed in trench 1, with 506ppm U308 @ 46m, including 1m @ 5,413 ppm U3O8, 2m @ 2,084 ppm U3O8, and 1m @ 1,100 ppm U3O8.
Zones 2 and 3 are located on the edges of the survey area and demonstrate characteristics similar to those of Zone 1.
Connected Minerals appointed Hammerstein Drilling to start the maiden reverse circulation drilling program at the Etango North-East in March 2025.
The programme, which commenced in April, will comprise 13 holes for ~2,600m reconnaissance drilling at Etango North-East Project, following up high-priority targets identified from a rock-chip sampling programme completed in December 2024.
Once the Etango North-East programme is complete, the rig will mobilise to the Swakopmund Project with 20 holes for ~450m of RC drilling planned to follow up the recent geophysics results, which confirmed potential paleochannels including the widest response of 600m wide x +/-18m depth.