Connected Minerals has completed its maiden reverse circulation reconnaissance drilling programme at the Etango North-East Uranium Project under EPL 6933 in the Erongo region.
The drilling contractor, Hammerstein Drilling, is moving the reverse circulation drill rig to Connected’s Swakopmund Project (EPL 9162), focusing on targets identified following a recent horizontal-loop electromagnetic (HLEM) survey.
The maiden Etango North-East drilling programme comprised 15 reverse circulation holes for 2,678 metres.
It focused on high-priority targets identified following the return of high-grade results from a rock chip sampling programme completed in December 2024. Initially, the drilling programme at Etango North-East was designed to comprise 13 reverse circulation holes for ~2,600 metres.
Due to strong geological and alteration indications in several holes near the successful trenching area, Connected extended the programme by a further two holes for ~340 metres.
The two additional holes targeted extensions to the positive findings in the holes drilled to date, including numerous stacked Alaskites (leucogranite) lenses. Connected Minerals will assess the potential of these Alaskite lenses, which exhibit geological similarities to Bannerman Energy’s nearby Etango Uranium Project.
Connected Minerals’ contract geophysical team is on site at Etango North-East with a downhole gamma probe, an industry standard way to measure downhole mineralisation.
The mineralisation will be reported as parts per million EU3o8 following processing of the raw drilling results. Results from the maiden drilling programme at Etango North-East are expected in the coming weeks and will be reported to the market as they become available.
Connected managing director and CEO Warrick Clent said completing the maiden drilling programme at Etango North-East is another achievement and has resulted in rapid progress over the past six months.
Clent said the similarities identified with Bannerman Energy’s Etango Uranium Project are encouraging and will warrant further investigation as the company plans the following programme at the Etango North-East Project.
“We look forward to receiving the results of this programme and announcing them to shareholders in the coming weeks. With the drill rig mobilising to our Swakopmund Project, Connected’s push to quickly advance its exploration assets in Namibia will continue,” Clent said.
Connected Minerals has terminated an agreement to purchase EPL9576 from SAA Investments CC.
The company says its board decided EPL9576 did not meet its revised exploration potential criteria.