Andrada Mining has provided assay results for the remaining RC exploration drilling results of an initial scouting programme undertaken within the ML133 mining license area.
Building on the channel sampling programme, whose results highlighted the potential of the mineralised pegmatites, an exploration drilling programme was implemented to investigate the continuation of selected lithium enriched pegmatites at depth.
This announcement contains the results of the remaining 11 of the 24 holes drilled. The programme indicates that the targeted pegmatites continue at depth, and these analytical results confirm the presence of significant lithium and associated tin mineralisation within multiple pegmatites.
Andrada Mining highlights
- All drill holes intersected mineralised pegmatites with spodumene and petalite identified as the primary lithium minerals.
Significant pegmatite intersections include:
- Drill hole ATNN 17: 39 m at 1.57% Li2O, 0.16% Sn and 56 ppm Ta from 16 m to 55 m.
- Including a notable lithium intersection of 25 m at 1.73% Li2O from 29 m to 54 m.
- Drill hole ATNN 23: 57 m at 1.52% Li2O, 0.15% Sn and 58 ppm Ta from 15 m to 72 m.
- Including a notable lithium intersection of 32 m at 1.85% Li2O from 30 m to 62 m.
- Drill hole ATNN 24: 20 m at 1.36% Li2O, 0.16% Sn and 44 ppm Ta from 20 m to 40 m.
- Including a notable lithium intersection of 9 m at 2.01% Li2O from 27 m to 36 m.
- Drill hole ATNN 25: 22 m at 1.28% Li2O, 0.14% Sn and 72 ppm Ta from a depth of 17 m to 39 m.
- Including a notable lithium intersection of 9 m at 2.03% Li2O from 27 m to 36 m.
These results represent the remaining 2 km of strike providing a combined mineralised strike of 6 km.
Andrada Mining CEO, Anthony Viljoen, commented:
“The second and final batch of drill results confirm the potential of Lithium Ridge. They confirm that the 6 km of mineralisation at surface continues at depth. As previously stated, these results for the remaining 2 km of strike indicate intersections at higher lithium grades than those recorded at Uis and are commensurate with similar hard-rock resources globally. Andrada Miningis encouraged that these results also have tin grades like those at Uis which will be investigated for by-product potential.
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“Following the production of a saleable lithium concentrate from Lithium Ridge in May 2023, the recently commissioned lithium pilot plant will, when completed, facilitate the determination of an optimal flow sheet as the development advances.”
Project location
The Lithium Ridge project is within the ML133 mining license area situated approximately 35 km southeast of the Uis Mine, along the D1903 road linking to the B2 highway. This license area is situated within the NaiNais – Kohero pegmatite belt and is the location of the former tin and tantalum producing TinTan mine.
Overview of results | Andrada Mining
The programme comprised 24 RC drill holes for a total of 1900 m drilled, yielding approximately 800 samples for chemical analysis. The results of the first 13 drill holes have been disclosed, while the results of the remaining eleven drill holes, comprising approximately 400 samples, are reported in this announcement.
The Programme was undertaken to investigate the subsurface morphology and metal endowment of selected pegmatite bodies which contain elevated lithium values at surface. Since this Programme has been undertaken over an area the company considers to be greenfield, the approach has been one of caution in evaluating the potential of each pegmatite.
Due to the favourable results of this Programme, Andrada Mining is likely to implement additional drilling programmes with a view to defining a JORC compliant resource within this area in the future.
