ASX-listed Botswana Metals (BML) has said on its latest exploration update that it has discovered a potential for lithium and tantalum exploration on its existing prospecting licences (PLs) in the eastern part of the country.
The company noted that the potential for Li-Cs-Ta type pegmatite mineralisation is similar in style to major Li deposits in Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and WA (Greenbushes, Pilbara).
The discovery follows BML “re-visit and review” of historic exploration data over its tenement holding in Eastern Botswana and confirmed that significant occurrences of pegmatite rocks were mapped at surface, but disregarded in previous exploration.
Pegmatites are a coarse-grained, granitic intrusion known to host significant rare-earth resources including Li and Ta across the globe. The historic exploration programmes also confirmed the existence of anomalous Tantalum (Ta) in soil samples, the company said.
BML Chairman, Pat Volpe said they believe all the right criteria are in the Limpopo Mobile Belt (LMB), which contains similar Archean rocks to these that host one of the world’s largest LCT deposits in Zimbabwe and extend into the their tenement area in Botswana.
“This makes the search for mineralised LCT pegmatites a valid and exciting new exploration target for Botswana Metals,” Volpe said. “With anomalous values of Tantalum detected in past independent laboratory analysis including numerous samples with over 1000ppb Ta reported, BML is obligated to follow up these results with a focussed campaign to search for a source of Ta and potential of Li in the pegmatites that are known to exist over BMLs tenements. BML is now embarking on that search.”
BML said it believes the potential for Li and Ta is sufficient to become a priority exploration target adding that it is currently constructing an exploration programme and budget design to progress the target beyond the concept stage.
Already, the exploration company’s staff are on site reviewing the historic exploration results that include a number of strong Tantalum anomalies from numerous stream sediment sampling programmes undertaken by Thomson and Associates in 1998.
Both Lithium and Tantalum are high demand metals with specialist applications, particularly in electronics and batteries. A significant discovery similar to Bikita Pegmatite deposit in Zimbabwe (11Mt at 1.4%Li) or Marropino Deposit in Mozambique would transform eastern Botswana into a world class mineral province and re-rate BML’s market capitalisation.
