Following the conclusion of a share purchase agreement to acquire a 90% interest in Atlantis Metals, in Botswana, in April, Aim-listed Aterian has completed initial target generation using available airborne geophysical data and remote sensing.

Aterian chairperson Charles Bray says the company has completed the target generation exercise and is preparing to initiate operations on the ground, describing the highly prospective Kalahari Copperbelt (KCB) as an “excellent mineral destination” for the company, with some well-documented, recent exploration success stories.

"The copper and lithium licences in Botswana underscore and support our exploration efforts in Morocco, where we are actively exploring for sedimentary-hosted, near-surface copper with similar geological features, and in Rwanda, where we have an earn-in joint venture with Rio Tinto exploring for hard-rock lithium.

“The knowledge and experience gleaned by our geologists across the jurisdictions are invaluable as we learn and understand the various features of the environments. We look forward to updating the market on our continued exploration effort to develop these critical energy transition metals,” says Bray.

Atlantis is a private Bostwana-registered entity holding seven prospecting licences in the KCB and three licences prospective for lithium brine in the Makgadigadi region of Botswana.

Atlantis holds a portfolio of ten strategically located licences for copper/silver and lithium brine projects, in Botswana, covering 4 486.11 km².

Three licences are held, covering a combined 2 516.93 km² within the Makgadikgadi Pans, which are considered highly prospective for lithium brine.

Additionally, three licences are prioritised for initial fieldwork for the KCB licences. Two areas of interest have been identified on the lithium brine project for field follow-up.

ACTIVITY UPDATE

Aterian notes that it has been working with two independent geophysical consultancies to acquire and reprocess available airborne geophysical line data.

The interpretation is based on publications and data from the Botswana Geoscience Institute (BGI), formerly the Geological Survey Department, and other relevant published and unpublished data, reports and press releases.

The work considered the regional geophysical sensing and allows for interpretation across the Altantis licences.

The company explains that this work aimed to provide an improved insight into the underlying geological lithologies and more precise target generation based on mapping the contact between the D'Kar Formation and the underlying red beds of the Ngwako Pan Formation, the stratigraphic target for copper/silver mineralisation in the KCB.

Moreover, an independent remote-sensing specialist evaluated the licences by processing satellite imagery.

The company says this may facilitate the target generation of so-called blind targets in those areas that lie under soil and deep overburden cover.

FUTURE WORK

Based on the reinterpretation of the available information and a review of work completed by the peer group within the KCB, the company has shortlisted three licences for follow-up fieldwork. The remaining four licences will be explored after the initial work on the priority areas has been completed.

Selected profiles have been identified for detailed ground magnetics, induced polarisation/resistivity, electromagnetics and ground gravity, which Aterian says are the preferred methods for the initial exploration phase.

The company says additional geophysical works will be considered based on the outcomes of the profile geophysics indicating favourable conditions for potential copper mineralisation.

A soil sampling programme over any identified geophysical profile anomaly will be initiated, a technique known to be effective in the KCB to potentially resolve strike extensions.

Not all of the methods mentioned will be required for each licence, and the specific survey method, or combination of geophysical methods, will vary, says Aterian.

Regarding the lithium brine licences, the company is evaluating a gravimetric survey of selected areas to model the main structures controlling brine placement or containment.

While the gravimetric survey is being conducted, Aterian says a technician will also locate the existing boreholes identified in the national database and report their location and condition for potential water/brine sample collection.