The environment ministry has approved the environmental clearance for exploration work on EPL 7574, paving the way for Karas Lithium Resources (Pty) Ltd to begin ground activities south of Karasburg.
The licence, which lies roughly 12 kilometres north of the Orange River and overlaps the farms Pelladrift, Oranje Fall, Kambreek and Pelgrimrust, will now advance from remote-sensing studies into physical reconnaissance and sampling.
Karas Lithium Resources is a privately owned exploration company focusing on the acquisition and development of potential lithium resources, with project management carried out from its offices in Windhoek, Stellenbosch and Johannesburg.
The clearance follows a complete environmental impact assessment led by Environmental Compliance Consultancy (ECC), which has managed the process in line with the Environmental Management Act of 2007 and its regulations.
The proponent already holds the EPL, initially granted in 2020 to explore for base and rare metals, industrial minerals such as lithium and tantalum, dimension stones, non-nuclear fuels, precious metals and precious stones.
Phase 1 of the exploration programme began in 2022, when the company conducted non-invasive remote sensing and spectral analysis to identify pegmatite targets.
This phase concluded with a Mineral Potential Evaluation Technical Report in March 2023, which helped narrow down priority areas for more detailed field investigations.
Phase 2 will now begin with ground-truthing and field reconnaissance. Karas Lithium Resources plans to conduct rock-chip sampling, soil sampling in valleys and downhill of ore bodies, geological mapping and channel sampling across exposed pegmatites.
A sample yard will be established in the nearest suitable settlement, either on a local farm or in a nearby town.
If laboratory assays confirm promising mineralisation, Phase 2 will progress to an evaluation stage that includes drilling. Reverse circulation or diamond core drilling will be used to test the depth, grade, and tonnage potential of the pegmatite bodies, with infill drilling where required.
Phase 3 will proceed if the results justify it, advancing the project to advanced exploration. This stage focuses on defining mineral resources through Mineral Resource Estimates (MREs), supported by further drilling, preliminary engineering studies and metallurgical test work.
ECC also subcontracted ESM Archaeological and Cultural Heritage Consultants to carry out a heritage and archaeological impact assessment, as required under the National Heritage Act.
The study assessed potential impacts on heritage sites and recommended site-management measures.
During the public review period, landowners set out a series of conditions for exploration to proceed on their properties.
They requested certified copies of identification for all workers on site, which will be provided and included in the land-access agreements. They also insisted that no firewood may be collected from the farms, and that any removal of vegetation or establishment of temporary campsites near drill sites must occur only with landowner permission or supervision.
Landowners further required that exploration staff bring their own firewood and that all movement of equipment, vehicles, material and people be logged daily in an on-site register available for inspection by landowners or their representatives.
Security was a significant concern. Landowners noted that the area has recently experienced a rise in armed robberies targeting isolated farmsteads.
They warned that additional prospecting activity would increase access risks. They insisted that a strict access-control system be implemented, including dual-key gate control so that both parties retain responsibility for access.
Supervisors must be accountable for gate management and for ensuring that gates remain locked at all times. Landowners also emphasised that enhanced security would help deter potential poaching of wildlife and protected flora.
Another condition was the requirement that all field workers be dewormed annually. Landowners pointed to the risk of Taenia saginata contamination of livestock and game when human waste is left in the veld.
Although a 2018 regional study found no confirmed cases in Namibia, they insisted on precautionary deworming for all on-site staff to prevent possible degradation of meat quality.
ECC incorporated these conditions into the environmental management plan.
Water supply was also addressed. Landowners clarified that Dreihuk Dam does not supply usable surface water and serves only to recharge nearby boreholes.
They insisted that all water required for exploration should be imported to the site, likely by tractor and trailer, and not drawn from the dam.
The region consists mainly of mixed livestock and game farming, along with conservation land. Parts of the EPL fall within the privately owned Orange River Karoo Conservation Area.
Exploration activities, including track upgrades and temporary drill pads, will follow forestry and environmental regulations, with vegetation clearing limited to what is necessary for access and drilling.
Karas Lithium Resources expects limited short-term employment for locals during exploration, as well as the ongoing payment of annual licence fees to the Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Ground surveys and sampling are expected to take two to three months, while potential drilling campaigns could last between six and twelve months, depending on results and programme adjustments.
