KAMATIVI – United Kingdom-based Galileo Resources has announced that it has identified four target zones in its ambitious Kamativi lithium project in Matabeleland North Province with potential for pegmatite-hosted lithium, tin, and tantalum.
The 520-square-kilometer lithium project is located on the Kamativi Belt, directly adjacent to the historic Kamativi tin-tantalum mine, which operated from 1936 to 1994.
The four target zones for pegmatite-hosted lithium, tin, and tantalum exploration were identified using a detailed reconnaissance mapping and sampling programme.
In a recent statement, Galileo Resources chairperson and CEO, Colin Bird confirmed that the mining company was still awaiting laboratory analysis results before beginning drills in the four target areas.
“We await the results of laboratory analysis and, if appropriate, we will aim to progress confirmed prospects to drill testing stage.
“We also have a substantial number of additional samples in storage for analyses, depending on the results of the current batch.
“The prospects for lithium remain strong and Zimbabwe is an emerging source of this new age metal,” said Bird.
The AIM-listed company sent 1,661 samples to an assay laboratory for elements such as lithium, tin, and tantalum, including rock chips, stream sediments, and soil samples.
The target zones are located along strike extensions or parallel structures to the Kamativi tin mine, which has an indicated mineral resource of 26.3 million tonnes (Mt) of lithium in tailings at 0.58% lithium oxide, according to JORC standards.
Galileo owns 29% of BC Ventures and can earn an additional 51% by spending US$1.5 million on exploration and evaluation in the project area and over the Bulawayo gold-nickel property by 21 January 2024.
Prior to Galileo Resources’ Kamativi lithium project, there had been little exploration in the licensed area of over 25 years even with good historical data available to advance lithium exploration.
The Kamativi lithium project licensed area includes extensions and splays of the Kamativi Tin Mine host unit, including mapped pegmatite, and old tin-fluorite workings have been reported on the Sinamatella property.
On the historic geological maps within the project area previous tantalum, tourmaline, and tin workings were documented, but lithium was not targeted at the time.
Prior to the Kamativi lithium project, the UK firm recently announced that it had identified three priority gold and nickel exploration targets based on an airborne geophysical survey in the Bulawayo gold project.
Other projects listed by Galileo Resources outside of Zimbabwe include the Kashitu project, Glenover rare earth project, Ferber project, Kalahari copper belt project, and Concordia copper project.
