Askari Metals Ltd (ASX:AS2, FRA:7ZG) is stepping up exploration at its Uis Critical Metals Project in Namibia, with soil sampling nearing completion, trenching advancing at the Kestrel target and reverse circulation drilling plans taking shape across several high-priority pegmatite prospects.
The company is positioning Uis as a polymetallic pegmatite project with exposure to tin, tantalum, lithium, rubidium and caesium, while multiple exploration programs are being used to refine a growing inventory of drill-ready targets.
“The Uis Project continues to deliver a growing pipeline of high-priority targets as multiple exploration workstreams progress simultaneously across the project area. With the soil sampling survey at EPL 7626 nearing completion, trenching advancing at the Kestrel Pegmatite Target and RC drilling planning underway across the DP, PS, K9 and OP Targets, Askari is rapidly building momentum toward the next phase of value-generating exploration,” executive director Gino D’Anna said.
The Uis Project showing the newly identified pegmatite targets along with the current targets with the Sentinel-2 multispectral satellite imagery as a backdrop.
Soil sampling and Kestrel trenching advance
A soil geochemical survey across EPL 7626 is approaching 75% completion and is designed to identify concealed pegmatites and generate additional targets for mapping, trenching and drilling.
Once completed, samples will be submitted for laboratory analysis and combined with geological, geophysical and hyperspectral datasets to further refine targets across the licence area.
At EPL 8535, Askari is progressing the first phase of trenching at the Kestrel Pegmatite Target, where the program is intended to expose fresh pegmatite beneath surface cover and create channel sampling opportunities ahead of potential drilling.
The company plans 89 trenches covering a combined 7,675 metres, with results to feed into geological interpretation and future drill planning.
Large-scale targets expand Uis potential
Detailed geological mapping and rock-chip sampling are also continuing across EPL 7345 and EPL 8535 as Askari works to define target geometry, pegmatite zoning and geochemical signatures associated with critical minerals mineralisation.
Several sizeable prospective pegmatite targets have emerged from this work and hyperspectral studies, including K10 with an estimated strike length of 3.1 kilometres, GP at 2.4 kilometres and Tawny at 2.2 kilometres.
Other targets include EVE at 1.7 kilometres, Martial at 1.7 kilometres, Zebedeus-1 at 1.4 kilometres and MW at 0.9 kilometres.
List of Askari’s new prospective pegmatite targets generated by the hyperspectral study.
RC drilling becomes next major catalyst
Askari is now preparing an RC drilling program at the DP, PS, K9 and OP targets on EPL 7345.
The targets have been prioritised following integration of geological mapping, geochemical sampling and previous exploration datasets, with the drilling expected to provide the first systematic subsurface assessment of the prospects.
Final drill designs and scheduling will be completed once the remaining exploration data has been received and interpreted.
What’s next
Over coming months, Askari plans to complete the remaining soil sampling at EPL 7626, finish first-phase trenching at Kestrel and continue mapping and rock-chip sampling across EPL 7345 and EPL 8535.
The company will also interpret assays from current field programs, finalise RC drill targeting at DP, PS, K9 and OP and prepare for the next phase of drilling across Uis.
“Importantly, our field teams continue to identify and refine new opportunities across EPL 7345 and EPL 8535, reinforcing our belief that Uis has the potential to host multiple mineralised pegmatite systems. We look forward to updating shareholders as assay results are received and drilling preparations advance,” D’Anna said.