Askari Metals advances technical review to identify polymetallic potential at Uis project
Askari Metals (ASX: AS2) is advancing a technical evaluation of the tin, tantalum and rubidium potential at its Uis project in Namibia.
A data review of historical exploration results that initially focused on EPL 8535 has been extended to include EPL 7345, the central tenement held by Askari.
EPL 7345 is contiguous to the south-western boundary of the operating Uis tin mine operated by Andrada Mining that hosts a globally significant resource estimate of 77.51 million tonnes grading 0.79% lithium oxide, 0.15% tin and 82 parts per million tantalum.
‘Exceptionally high grades’
Historical exploration of 1,163 rock chip samples from EPL 7345 returned “exceptionally high grades” of tin, tantalum and rubidium mineralisation based on results from surface mapping, rock chip sampling and two phases of reverse circulation drilling.
The results from these campaigns included assays of up to 4.05% tin oxide and 66 samples reporting values exceeding 1,900ppm tin.
Approximately 268 samples assayed above 100ppm tantalum pentoxide, with values as high as 1,121ppm tantalum pentoxide.
They also recorded strong rubidium values, with assays of up to 0.83% rubidium oxide and 61 samples returning greater than 0.2% rubidium oxide.
Exploration potential
Askari director Gino D’Anna believes the Uis project holds considerable exploration potential.
“Uis is shaping up to be a valuable polymetallic project offering significant economic upside and is fast emerging as a major strategic but underexplored asset for Askari—it will be an area of close focus for us going forward.”
Mr D’Anna also pointed out that, despite lying directly along strike of the Uis mine, the project’s potential to host significant tin and tantalum mineralisation had never previously been a focus of the exploration or analysis conducted.
Key targets
Mr D’Anna said the company had delineated and explored the key OP, PS, DP and K9 pegmatite targets in detail, while also mapping newly identified pegmatite zones for exploration.
Assays to date have shown an anomalous tantalum and rubidium trend extending north-west and following the same lithological and structural trends as these targets.
Askari’s upcoming low-cost, high-impact field campaign at EPL 7345 will comprise an assessment of assays from a Phase 1 trenching program across the permit, detailed mapping and rock chip sampling of the new targets and the start of Phase 2 trenching.