Askari Metals has completed a project-wide soil sampling programme at its Uis Project in Namibia, opening the way for the Australian-listed explorer to identify new drilling targets for tin and critical minerals while also testing the licence for gold.
The programme covered EPL 7626 in the Erongo Region and aimed to identify extensions of mineralised pegmatites associated with the nearby operating Uis Tin Mine, as well as concealed pegmatite systems in areas with limited modern exploration. askari
Askari said the exploration programme targeted geochemical signatures associated with tin, lithium, tantalum, caesium and rubidium. The company will now analyse samples collected during the campaign before deciding which anomalies should advance to more intensive exploration.
The company has, however, added another dimension to the programme by identifying EPL 7626 as prospective for gold.
According to Askari, the licence lies on major regional structures associated with gold mineralisation and sits on an upper structure that joins the Okondeka Fault Zone, which hosts Wia Gold’s Kokoseb gold deposit and Ongwe’s Manga gold discovery. askari
The location means Askari will analyse the soil results for both pegmatite-related critical minerals and structurally controlled gold targets, potentially broadening Uis beyond the company’s primary tin and critical-minerals exploration strategy.
Results to determine next targets
Askari has not yet released assay results from the EPL 7626 programme.
The company said the samples must first be prepared and analysed, after which the geochemical results will be combined with geological mapping, structural interpretation, geophysical information and hyperspectral data.
The combined dataset will be used to rank anomalies before follow-up work involving mapping, rock-chip sampling and trenching. Drilling could follow depending on the results. askari
Executive director Gino D’Anna said the completion of the programme marked another step in the company’s effort to establish the wider potential of its Namibian holdings.
“The completion of the project-wide soil sampling campaign at EPL 7626 marks another important milestone in our strategy to systematically unlock the broader district-scale potential of the Uis Project.
“The program has been designed to identify concealed pegmatites and extensions of mineralised systems associated with the nearby Uis Tin Mine, with a clear focus on tin, lithium, tantalum, caesium and rubidium. EPL 7626 also presents an important gold opportunity given its position on major regional structures connected to the Okondeka Fault Zone,” D’Anna said. askari
Three-licence Uis position
Askari’s Uis Project comprises EPL 7345, EPL 8535 and EPL 7626 and is located within the Cape Cross-Uis Pegmatite Belt in west-central Namibia.
EPL 7626 is contiguous with the operating Uis Tin Mine, while Askari’s wider exploration strategy is aimed at determining whether known mineralised pegmatites continue across its licence areas and whether previously concealed systems can be identified. askari
The company has already carried out mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and drilling at EPL 7345, identifying polymetallic pegmatite mineralisation at targets including OP, DP, PS and K9.
Previous work there has identified mineralisation containing tin, lithium, tantalum, rubidium and caesium. Further mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and drill-target development are planned across EPL 7345 and EPL 8535. askari
Askari said its next immediate task at EPL 7626 is to complete sample preparation and analysis and quality-assure the resulting dataset. It will then rank anomalies for tin, lithium, tantalum, caesium, rubidium and gold before deciding which targets warrant follow-up exploration. askari
The company cautioned that the analytical results from the soil programme have not yet been received, meaning no discovery has been established at EPL 7626. It said references to potential extensions and exploration targets remain conceptual and there has not yet been sufficient exploration to determine whether economically significant mineralisation is present.
