Askari Metals has secured two additional exploration concessions at its Yarrie lithium project in the prolific Pilbara region of Western Australia – and in proximity to Pilbara Minerals’ globally-renowned Pilgangoora lithium resource.
The company says the acquisitions represent a significant milestone and it now plans to launch further exploration works at what it describes as a “highly-anticipated” project.
The total tenure at Yarrie consists of nine contiguous exploration licences covering 1711 square kilometres across ground adjacent to and along strike from other significant hard-rock pegmatite-hosted lithium deposits. The new concessions add to a maiden exploration permit granted at Yarrie just last month and the six remaining licences are steadily making their way through the relevant approval processes.
Management believes the three granted concessions represent a core group of permits based on identified geological structures and previously-conducted exploration works at the project.
In 2022, Askari embarked on a preliminary phase-one field campaign to identify areas prospective for lithium mineralisation and to establish priority targets for more advanced exploration activity.
The combined work included project-wide mapping coupled with stream sediment and rock sampling. It helped identify 11 targets considered by Askari as prospective for hosting lithium mineralisation, including five high-priority areas.
The company now plans to launch a follow-up phase-two exploration campaign consisting of auger soil sampling and air-core (AC) drilling as it looks to pinpoint the location for more precise drill-testing at Yarrie.
Askari Metals managing director Gino D'Anna said: “This is a significant milestone which has been achieved and demonstrates the company’s continued progression within the lithium sector in the highly-prospective eastern Pilbara region. We expect further exploration licences to be granted in due course in line with our previous guidance.”
D’Anna also said the company was continuing to develop relationships with key stakeholders and interested parties to ensure timely access for exploration.
Askari expects the proposed work at Yarrie to run concurrently with exploration activities at its Uis lithium project in Namibia, where a resumption of drilling is anticipated in the coming weeks. It recently outlined its objective to drill-test high-quality targets at Uis that have already undergone systematic sampling.
Askari appears set for a news-filled year as its hunt for lithium builds up-steam across two fronts.
The Pilbara is one of the world’s richest sources of lithium and Yarrie sits right at its heart. So, it won’t take much to move the needle should the company deliver the goods in this fertile geological domain.
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By Bart Bogacz
