Andrada Mining Ltd (AIM:ATM, OTC:AFTTF) has said it is confident of finding a lithium development partner for its Uis mine in Nambia by the end of this year.
Interest levels have been encouraging and any transaction should be on attractive terms, Andrada added.
The junior said it also expects revenues from petalite production at the pilot plant at Uis from early in the second half of this year.
Assay results from seventeen holes drilled at the start of 2023, meanwhile, are expected this half, it said, alongside infill mapping and channel sampling along the strike of the drill targets.
Uis is already producing tin and output in the first quarter to end-May 2023 rose by 50% to 359 tonnes (t) for tin concentrate and by 42% in contained metal to 216t.
Costs also came in below forecasts while the safety performance improved.
In a statement, Anthony Viljoen, Andrada Mining chief executive, said: "The milestones achieved during the quarter have laid the necessary foundation for the accelerated growth we expect for the balance of the financial year.
“We have demonstrated the ability to produce saleable lithium concentrate. The completion of our on-site bulk-sampling plant remains on track for completion this month and will expedite the metallurgical testwork required to bring lithium revenues onstream.
“The ongoing strategic process to identify a partner for the lithium development is going well and will transform Andrada from being a fledging developer to a fully-fledged miner of technology metals.“