HTM Ethiopia Field Team to Progress Exploration Sampling at Ketele LCT Project

High-Tech Metals Limited (ASX: HTM) (High-Tech, HTM or the Company), a critical battery minerals exploration company, recently announced that the Company had been granted the Ketele LCT Project (“Ketele” or the “Project”, Figure 1) (MOM-EL-05096-2023) in Ethiopia (Refer ASX Release dated 5 December 2023) and further announces the pending commencement of its first exploration of the Project.

HIGHLIGHTS

• HTM continues to progress its exploration work program and planning to identify lithium bearing pegmatite occurrences at Ketele LCT Project.
• The field team will begin with channel sampling of prospective bedrock over the course of January and February 2024.
• The Company will move quickly to an advanced exploration phase with these results to assist in identifying multiple drill targets at each of the potential occurrences.
• Ketele LCT Project covers 42km² of prospective geology with no modern exploration.

Figure 1 – Ketele LCT Project Location.

Exploration Program – Channel/Rock Chip Sampling

This initial program will comprise sampling of prospective geological units (granites, pegmatites, etc) and regional structures which have been previously identified and mapped in this underexplored area of Ethiopia (Figure 2). This sampling will include rock grabs and channel samples, the latter yielding continuous samples across an entire outcrop. All samples collected by HTM will be submitted to a European laboratory with results expected in February 2024.

Figure 2 – Example of previously identified outcrops for planned rock/channel sampling at the Ketele LCT Project.

Sonu Cheema, Executive Director commented:

"We are excited to start the New Year with our maiden exploration program at Ketele and look forward to finding critical minerals in such a well-endowed jurisdiction. The HTM team has moved quickly to get us to this point considering the license was granted a mere month ago, just before the holidays.”

Next Steps

Overall, the land package remains largely underexplored with multiple regional targets requiring investigation. With this first program, HTM seeks to identify mineralisation over appreciable widths to establish multiple drill targets at several occurrences. Given favourable results, the next stage of activities will include drill permitting with the goal of drilling key targets in the first half of 2024. Continued dialogue to establish partnerships with local Indigenous communities is ongoing.

HTM is committed to responsible exploration practices and takes measures to minimize the impact of its exploration activities on the environment and local communities.

Click here for the full ASX Release

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