Askari Metals Limited (ASX: AS2) has announced the identification of high-grade copper mineralisation at its recently acquired Nejo Gold Project in Ethiopia. Askari Metals is a focused Southern African exploration company. The company is actively exploring and developing its Uis Lithium Project in Namibia. The discovery stems from the analysis of historical drilling data at the Katta Target, located on the northern-most licence of the Nejo project.
Historical drilling by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) between 1967 and 1973 revealed significant copper intersections. These include 14.33 metres at 3.2% Cu from a depth of 25.3 metres (UNDP_03) and 35.51 metres at 0.82% Cu from 152.55 metres (UNDP_04). The Katta Target also features six copper-bearing gossans, with one extending over 600 metres and up to 30 metres wide. A soil geochemistry survey identified a +2km copper anomaly, though gold was not assayed in this program.
Executive Director Gino D’Anna commented on the significance of the findings, stating that the data validates their acquisition strategy. He noted the absence of systematic exploration despite the high-grade intercepts, presenting an opportunity for Askari Metals to unlock the target’s potential. D’Anna also emphasised the project’s district-scale advanced brownfields nature, highlighting its scale, high-grade gold and copper upside, proven mineralisation, and proximity to major gold operations on a globally significant greenstone belt.
Askari Metals plans to undertake systematic confirmatory drilling to fast-track Nejo toward a maiden JORC resource. The company believes that modern exploration techniques, including detailed high-resolution magnetic surveys and follow-up drilling, will significantly improve the known extent of copper and gold mineralised zones in the Katta Target area. This will contribute to Askari’s goal of becoming a major African Gold and Copper Developer.
