Namibe Lithium Project
Overview
The fundamentals surrounding mineral exploration in Angola are the favourable geology, the limited amount of modern exploration techniques used to date and the Angolan government’s objective to attract foreign investment in the mineral resource sector.
The Angolan government understands the importance of supporting mineral exploration and is vocal in welcoming foreign investment into the country. At a recent Critical Minerals Association meeting:
Dr Jacinto Rocha of the Angola National Agency of Mineral Resources has stated, “we want to not only diversify the economy but the Angolan mining sector”. Dr Rocha continued to outline Angola’s vision for a responsible critical minerals sector. “We want a mining sector that contributes to the socio-economic development of the area […] it is a moral value that most countries have adopted, and Angola has done the same. We want companies that are conscious about their environmental obligations […], this is the vision we have: a clean, environmentally-compliant mining sector.”
The 207km2 project area contains the Giraul pegmatite field, in which approximately 600 or more pegmatites are exposed within an area spanning 25km long and up to 10km wide. The exposed pegmatites are up to 1500m long and 100m wide, presenting as patches of outcrop surrounded by rubble and shallow soil derived from eroded pegmatite.
The pegmatite field was discovered in the 1960’s and there was minor production of feldspar and beryl until 1975. Following this, an academic study of mineralogy and chemistry has been completed (mid 2000’s), along with regional mapping in 2019 (part of the Planageo initiative) and initial attempts (in 2019 and 2021) to assess the economic potential of the pegmatite field. None of the pegmatites have been tested by drilling.
It is important to note that the work completed to-date has largely been restricted to investigation of pegmatites that are more accessible, being near the access track that passes through the project; only 18 pegmatites have been subjected to detailed sampling. Lithium mineralisation has been confirmed in 7 pegmatites to-date, with spodumene present in 4 of the 7 lithium-bearing pegmatites.