ASX-listed Askari Metals has affirmed that its uranium acquisition strategy in southern Tanzania serves as a cornerstone of the company's African clean energy focus.
Askari is set to propel various exploration initiatives across Namibia and Tanzania, with the objective of advancing key project areas towards readiness for drilling. These efforts will primarily target resource definition across uranium and lithium reserves, aiming to yield high-value outcomes.
Ongoing reviews are in progress for additional uranium projects, including those in advanced exploration stages with clearly defined mineralisation.
In the immediate future, the company's primary focus will remain on high-impact, low-cost exploration programmes designed to establish robust drill targets. Field exploration programmes are slated for the Matemanga uranium project, to be carried out concurrently with planned trenching, mapping and channel sampling activities at the Uis lithium project.
Askari MD Gino D’Anna stated that the recently completed placement has enabled the company to implement its growth strategy in southern Tanzania.
“The uranium portfolio underpins our African clean energy focus with key projects currently under review comprising advanced exploration stage assets with clearly defined mineralisation,” he said.
He added that, as the company continues to meet its exploration objectives at the Uis lithium project, the goal remains to identify robust and high-confidence drill targets for subsequent drilling to delineate maiden resources.
“The company has set its growth profile which will see Askari emerge with a portfolio of uranium projects in a tier one emerging uranium district. These projects will be explored alongside the Uis lithium project offering shareholders exposure to two high-demand metals," D’Anna said.
He emphasised Askari's sustained focus on uranium as it fulfills its Southern African clean energy mandate. The amalgamation of uranium and lithium projects within the company's portfolio ensures shareholder exposure to these sought-after metals within secure, mining-friendly jurisdictions.
Since the acquisition of the Matemanga project, Askari has actively assessed several other advanced-stage exploration projects with clearly defined mineralisation and identified targets.
These additional areas hold significant historic exploration data, including drilling, which allows for swift mobilisation of drill rigs to expand on previously established mineralised zones.
The Matemanga project, located within an extensive radiometric cluster measuring 10 km x 6 km, features numerous historic pits that were previously excavated but not sampled by prior explorers. Despite the favourable geological setting, as indicated by consulting engineering firm SRK's identification of preferential channel sand flows within the Matemanga area, these pits will be revisited for in-pit sampling, mapping and exploration of outcropping areas.
An initial reconnaissance visit to the Matemanga project is planned pending the granting of licences, which Askari expects in the coming weeks.
Additionally, a hyperspectral study will begin over the Matemanga project, alongside the reprocessing and reinterpretation of historic exploration data from Uranex and Western Metals.
Over the next six to eight weeks, Askari will pursue its uranium acquisition strategy in southern Tanzania, aiming to emerge with a portfolio of key uranium projects in the area.