AfriTin Mining says its latest exploration drill results from five further holes drilled during its ongoing exploration for lithium and tantalum at the Uis mine in Namibia contain the highest average lithium grade.
“These exploration drill results contain the highest average lithium grade for a full pegmatite intersection within the V1/V2 pegmatite ore body to date, namely 90 metres at an average Li2O content of 1.40%,” said AfriTin’s CEO Anthony Viljoen said.
“This intersection includes a continuous portion of 76 metres at 1.56% Li2O. The lithium grade of the V1/V2 pegmatite appears to increase with depth, and the company intends to further explore the down-dip potential of this pegmatite. We look forward to the potential upgrade of our mineral resource estimate and advancing our lithium and tantalum product development programmes at Uis.”
The 50-hole drilling programme, comprising 29 diamond and 21 reverse circulation drill holes, aims to increase confidence in the existing lithium and tantalum mineral resource estimates over the deposit.
All 50 drill holes have been completed and are being processed. The results of 25 previous holes have previously been announced. Results from 20 holes remain outstanding.
Pegmatite was intersected in all five of the latest holes, at depths and apparent widths predicted by the geological model.
Significant pegmatite intersections include 90 metres at 0.164% tin, 73 parts per million (ppm) tantalum, and 1.40% lithium oxide, 96 metres at 0.150% tin, 68 ppm tantalum and 0.72% Li2O, and 71 metres at 0.166% tin, 81 ppm tantalum, and 1.05% Li2O.
The results also include some of the drilling programme’s most notable intersections of lithium mineralisation within the pegmatite intersections, including 76 metres at 1.56% Li2O, 26 metres at 1.00% Li2O, and 25 metres at 1.65% Li2O.
This comes as the London Stock Exchange-listed firm, last month announced that its exploration activities in Namibia had confirmed the presence of significant lithium, tin and tantalum mineralisation.
The exploration programme on its ML133 licence, located about 35 km from the company’s flagship Uis tin mine, started in the fourth quarter of 2021 and conducted over a 12-month period, included aerial surveys, regional and high-resolution geological mapping, and surface chip sampling and aims to increase the confidence of the existing lithium and tantalum mineral resource estimates over the deposit.
AfriTin Mining is an African technology metals mining company with a portfolio of mining and exploration assets in Namibia.
