CHAMWE KAIRA
Mining company, Andrada Mining Limited, has extended the identified lithium mineralised trend at its Lithium Ridge Project by 50% to nine kilometres, following the completion of a surface sampling programme.
The Lithium Ridge Project is a major pegmatite-hosted lithium and tantalum exploration property in the Erongo Region. Operated by Andrada Mining in a multi-stage partnership with global lithium leader SQM.
The company, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange’s AIM market and the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX), said the latest results confirmed high-grade lithium mineralisation as well as the presence of associated tin and tantalum across multiple areas within the project licence.
The sampling programme forms part of the first stage of an earn-in agreement with Chilean chemicals company Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile SA (SQM) through its subsidiary SQM Australia.
Andrada said several surface samples returned lithium grades exceeding 3.5% lithium oxide (Li₂O), while additional mineralised pegmatites were identified outside the main Lithium Ridge trend.
The results extend the known mineralised zone from six kilometres to nine kilometres and point to further exploration potential across the licence area.
The company also reported strong results for other minerals, with grab samples showing tin grades of up to 7.38% and tantalum levels reaching 3,192 parts per million.
Andrada chief executive officer Anthony Viljoen said the completion of the licence-wide sampling programme represents an important milestone in understanding the potential scale of the Lithium Ridge Project.
“The results extend the identified mineralised trend by an additional three kilometres and confirm high-grade lithium mineralisation across multiple new pegmatites, together with significant associated tin and tantalum mineralisation,” Viljoen said.
He added that the findings complemented earlier drilling results, which had confirmed lithium mineralisation from surface to depth and improved the company’s understanding of the broader pegmatite system.
The Lithium Ridge Project is part of Andrada’s wider portfolio of critical mineral assets in Namibia, where the company is also advancing its tin production operations.
