Askari Metals has received its inaugural exploration licence for the Yarrie Lithium Project in Western Australia, marking a significant step towards the initiation of its exploration campaigns.
The licence, E45/6118, is one of the nine applications covering an expansive 1,711km² in the resource-rich Pilbara region.
Since acquiring the Yarrie Lithium Project area in January 2022, Askari Metals has engaged with stakeholders, Native Title parties, pastoralists and other licence holders to advance the exploration licence applications.
The company also executed pastoralist deeds, heritage agreements and access deeds for each application.
Three exploration licences, including E45/6118, concluded their Native Title Advertising period without objections, leading to the recent granting of E45/6118.
The remaining two licences are expected to be granted shortly, allowing exploration to commence promptly.
The Phase One field campaign identified 11 lithium and LCT-type pathfinder mineralisation target areas, with five designated as high priority for the upcoming Phase Two exploration, which will include auger soil sampling and Aircore drilling.
Results from the Phase Two campaign will inform future exploration efforts as Askari Metals aims to advance the Yarrie Lithium Project towards reverse circulation drilling.
The three core licences, E45/6117, E45/6118 and E45/6119, are pivotal to the project's development.
With the first licence now granted and the others soon to follow, the company plans to mobilise its team for further exploration based on the Phase One campaign and a previous hyperspectral survey.
Exploration activities at the Yarrie Lithium Project are set to begin as soon as the remaining licences are granted and will likely occur alongside work at the Uis Lithium Project in Namibia, which is gearing up for drilling in early 2024.
Additionally, two more exploration licence applications, E45/6122 and E45/6123, are currently in their Native Title Advertising period, and expected to conclude in early 2024.
Yarrie managing director Gino D’Anna said: “The granting of E45/6118 marks the grant of the first exploration licence at the Yarrie project and signifies a major achievement for the company, paving the way for initial exploration programmes to commence at this highly anticipated project.
“We expect further exploration licences to be granted in due course in line with our previous guidance. At the same time, the company continues to develop relationships with key stakeholders and interested parties to ensure timely access for exploration.”
