Project could position Botswana as a strategic supplier of manganese needed by manufacturers of electric vehicles
Oscar Nkala
Canadian miner, Giyani Metals, says it has received the first assay results from samples obtained during an ongoing exploratory drilling project at its K. Hill manganese oxide project in Botswana.
In a statement, the CEO of the company, Roni Birchall, the results would sustain the momentum of the drilling project until it ends next month.
“Not only are these results in line with previous drilling results, but we can now look to extend the near-surface (manganese) mineralisation through a new Step-Out Exploration Programme, which is the first in a number of resource expansion programmes we have planned for 2021,” Birchall said.
The company has contracted local mining services contractor Rots Drill to speed up the exploration programme. The K.Hill infill drilling programme seeks to upgrade the current inferred mineral resource to an indicated (confirmed) mineral resource status in order to meet the requirements of a feasibility study due to be undertaken later this year.
The planned Step-out Exploration Programme will include drilling 32 more holes in search of manganese oxide resources south of the existing K.Hill exploration area. The programme is expected to start as soon as the current drilling operations end.
Drilling began in November 2020 but has been delayed by months due to the impact of international movement restrictions induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The company hopes the Botswana project will position it as a leading supplier of manganese to meet demand from electrical vehicle manufacturers