Switch Metals (LON:SWT), the critical metals company focused on tantalum and lithium in Côte d’Ivoire, has announced the commencement of its maiden drill programme at the Issia Project.
The programme will test two priority hard-rock pegmatite targets identified across the district-scale licence package: the Zraty tantalum-bearing pegmatite target and Kabore spodumene-bearing lithium target.
Highlights
• Drilling has commenced
• Approximately 2,500 metres of drilling currently planned across the Zraty and Kabore targets
• Zraty represents one of the highest-grade hard-rock tantalum targets identified to date at Issia, with surface samples of up to 1,230 ppm Ta₂O₅
• Kabore associated with a 1.3 kilometre lithium pathfinder anomaly and spodumene mineralisation grading up to 2.8% Li₂O
• Maiden tantalum mineral resource estimate work at an advanced stage
Programme Details
Drilling has now commenced at Issia using a reverse circulation (RC) rig. The drill programme is designed to test the down-dip extensions of known pegmatite outcrops and evaluate the broader scale potential of both systems.
Approximately 800 metres of drilling is currently anticipated at Zraty and 1,700 metres at Kabore, although the final allocation may vary depending on drilling results and geological observations.
Maiden Tantalum Mineral Resource Estimate
In parallel, work on the maiden tantalum Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE-1) is at an advanced stage. MRE-1 is focused on the shallow eluvial and colluvial targets at Issia and is expected to be followed by additional resource updates (MRE-2″ and MRE-3) incorporating the wider alluvial drainage basin targets and, in due course, hard-rock pegmatite mineralisation.
The Issia Project’s shallow placer tantalum mineralisation offers the potential for near-term ethical production from a stable, OECD-aligned West African jurisdiction, at a time of increasing scrutiny on DRC/Rwanda supply chains.
Karl Akueson, CEO of Switch Metals, commented:
“The commencement of drilling at Issia marks an important step forward for the Company and follows the successful completion of our recent fundraise.
“We have commenced drilling at the Zraty pegmatite, one of the highest-grade hard-rock tantalum targets identified within our licence package. Zraty represents a significant test of the hard-rock potential at Issia and further demonstrates the broader prospectivity of the project beyond the near-surface resources currently being incorporated into our maiden tantalum MRE.
“We will then move to test the Kabore target, where follow-up work has outlined a 1.3 kilometre anomaly around the original spodumene discovery, with spodumene mineralisation grading up to 2.8% Li₂O. Given the scale of the system now defined, we believe this is the right time to test Kabore below surface.
“Alongside drilling, work on MRE-1 has reached an advanced stage. Together with the ongoing drill programme, we believe these activities have the potential to significantly enhance the Company’s understanding of the broader pegmatite system at Issia and advance both its near-term development pathway and longer-term exploration upside.
“We look forward to updating shareholders as drilling progresses and as further milestones are achieved.”
Photograph 1: RC rig mobilised at the Zraty tantalum target, Issia Project, Côte d’Ivoire
Photograph 2: RC drilling underway at the Zraty tantalum target, Issia Project, Côte d’Ivoire
