ASX-listed Askari Metals has completed a project-wide soil geochemical sampling campaign across an exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) at its Uis project in the Erongo region of Namibia.

The company says the completed survey represents an important milestone in the systematic evaluation of EPL 7626.

The sampling programme was designed to test for extensions of mineralised pegmatites from the nearby operating Uis tin mine and to identify concealed pegmatite systems across areas where limited modern exploration has previously been undertaken.

The geochemical programme focused on identifying mineralised pegmatites enriched in tin, lithium, tantalum, caesium and rubidium.

These metals are commonly associated with evolved lithium/caesium/tantalum pegmatite systems and provide a broad suite of geochemical vectors for target generation.

Askari says the soil sampling results will be interpreted together with geological mapping, structural interpretation, geophysical information and hyperspectral datasets.

The company explains that this integrated approach is intended to define and rank priority anomalies for follow-up mapping, rock-chip sampling, trenching and, subject to results, drilling.

In addition to its tin and critical minerals potential, Askari says EPL 7626 is prospective for gold mineralisation. The licence is located on major first-order regional structures associated with gold mineralisation in the region.

Importantly, EPL 7626 sits on the upper major structure that joins the Okondeka Fault Zone, which hosts WIA Gold’s Kokoseb gold deposit and Ongwe's Manga gold discovery.

The company says this structural setting provides an additional exploration opportunity within the licence and will be considered as part of the interpretation of the completed soil geochemical programme.

Askari notes that it intends to assess the multi-commodity geochemical response across EPL 7626 so that both pegmatite-related critical minerals targets and structurally controlled gold targets can be identified and prioritised.

The completion of the EPL 7626 campaign complements the substantial body of exploration completed at EPL 7345, where mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and drilling have identified widespread polymetallic pegmatite mineralisation across multiple targets.

The company says its previous exploration at EPL 7345 has demonstrated mineralisation containing tin, lithium, tantalum, rubidium and caesium across an extensive pegmatite corridor.

It adds that this work provides an important technical foundation for the systematic expansion of exploration across the remainder of the Uis project.

Further work is planned at EPL 7345 and EPL 8535, including additional mapping, geochemical sampling, trenching and drill-target advancement.

Together with the completed soil programme at EPL 7626, the company says these parallel exploration workstreams provide Askari with multiple opportunities to identify new mineralised pegmatites, extend known systems and test the broader size and scale potential of the Uis project.

Askari explains that tin remains a strategically important metal with essential applications in solder, electronics, renewable-energy systems, advanced technologies and electrification.

The prevailing high tin price environment highlights the strategic and economic relevance of discovering and advancing new, secure sources of tin supply.

Askari says it considers the combination of strong tin market conditions, the established regional mineral endowment and the multi-commodity nature of the pegmatite systems at Uis to provide a compelling setting for continued exploration.

The presence of tantalum, lithium, rubidium and caesium offers potential additional commodity exposure alongside the company's primary tin exploration focus.

Askari executive director Gino D’Anna says the completion of the project-wide soil sampling campaign at EPL 7626 marks another important milestone in the company’s strategy to systematically unlock the broader district-scale potential of the Uis project.

“We are increasingly encouraged by the potential size and scale of the broader Uis project,” he says.

D’Anna reiterates that tin’s critical role in electronics, electrification and renewable energy infrastructure reinforces the strategic value of Askari's exposure to this commodity.

NEXT STEPS

Moving forward, Askari says it aims to complete the preparation and analysis of soil samples collected across EPL 7626, quality assure and interpret the geochemical dataset and integrate results with geological, structural, geophysical and hyperspectral datasets.

The company says it will also define and rank priority tin, lithium, tantalum, caesium, rubidium and gold anomalies; advance priority targets through follow-up mapping, rock-chip sampling and trenching; and continue planned exploration and target advancement across EPL 7345 and EPL 8535.

“We look forward to receiving and interpreting the EPL 7626 results and advancing the highest-priority targets into the next phase of exploration,” says D’Anna.