Aterian plc has been granted a new prospecting licence in Botswana’s prolific Kalahari Copper Belt, expanding its presence in one of Africa's most prospective copper regions.
The licence covers approximately 396 square kilometres and is strategically located next to exploration ground held by major copper producer Sandfire Resources.
It is held by Atlantis Metals, a 90%-owned subsidiary of Aterian, for an initial three-year term.
Aterian executive chairperson Charles Bray said the award significantly enhances the company's portfolio.
"Securing this ground in the Kalahari Copper Belt significantly enhances the strategic and geological quality of our Botswana portfolio…,” he said.
“Given strengthening copper fundamentals, the KCB is emerging as one of the most exciting copper belts globally, and we believe Aterian is exceptionally well positioned to create substantial value from its growing KCB portfolio."
Historical data from MOD Resources reports from late 2017 indicate several copper-in-soil anomalies within the licence area.
The company has begun an initial review of available datasets to identify priority exploration targets.
The licence acquisition follows Aterian's recently announced joint venture with Lithosquare, a partnership designed to accelerate exploration funding across its projects in Botswana and Morocco. Bray noted the new licence adds "further scale and optionality to a platform designed to accelerate discovery while managing capital efficiently."
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor-In-Chief, Rough & Polished
