REG - Switch Metals PLC - Alluvium Exploration Programme Underway at Issia

Switch MetalsAnnouncement

20/10/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 8964D  Switch Metals PLC  20 October 2025

20 October 2025

 

Switch Metals plc

("Switch Metals" or the "Company")

Alluvium Exploration Programme Underway at Issia

Switch Metals (LSE: SWT), the critical metals focused mining company with
assets located in Côte d'Ivoire, is pleased to announce that, following the
successful completion of its mineral resource estimate ("MRE") pitting
programme, the Company has started a programme targeting additional
tantalum-rich coltan deposited in alluvial drainage basins, on the Badinikro
licence of the Issia Project.

Highlights

·    First MRE is focused on eluvium and colluvium targets and is expected
to be completed in early 2026.

·    Pilot wash plant is currently being assembled to complete assaying of
samples for tantalum and associated heavy minerals for the MRE.

·    To demonstrate district-scale potential, the exploration focus now
moves to the drainage basins which are considered good additional targets for
high-grade and shallow alluvium deposits.

Our work to date has been focused exclusively on eluvium and colluvium target
zones pre-defined during previous exploration programmes (see Figure 1), and
is the subject of the ongoing MRE.

Due to their heavy nature, minerals such as tantalum-rich coltan are often
deposited in high concentrations in drainage basins by gravity (see Figure 1).
Located near mineralised pegmatites which are weathered over time, these
alluvial basins are tangible resource targets.

Figure 1: Schematic of eluvial (and colluvial), alluvial and hard rock LCT
pegmatite contexts typical of the interpreted Issia coltan district.

 

The exploration programme underway has been designed to systematically sample
the gravel layer within the Badinikro drainage basins covering a total of
2,763 hectares or 27.63 km(2) (see Figure 2). On average, one sample will be
collected for each five hectares of basin surface area. The programme plans
the collection of a total of 491 samples which will be manually panned for
heavy mineral concentrates followed by laboratory analysis for tantalum and
niobium content.

The results will allow the alluvial drainage basins to be ranked according to
their tantalum and niobium prospectivity and will define the follow-up
programmes for alluvium resource targeting.

Figure 2: Drainage basins within the Badinikro permit area.

 

Karl Akueson, CEO of Switch Metals commented:

"The first MRE work which focuses exclusively on the priority MRE 1 and MRE 2
target zones is well underway at Issia with the arrival and the ongoing
installation of the pilot wash plant. Whilst our priority remains the delivery
of the first MRE at Issia in early 2026, we continue to explore on the
Badinikro licence to delineate new resource targets and thereby demonstrate
the district-scale potential of this unique project.

The combination of shallow eluvium, colluvium and alluvium resource targeting
to support Phase 1 production, to be followed by hard rock exploration for
Phase 2 development, will progressively unveil the extent of the Issia
Project.

 

For further information, please contact:

 

 Switch Metals plc                                                              Via IFC Advisory

 Karl Akueson, CEO

 Andy Yeo, CFO

 Allenby Capital Limited (Nominated Adviser & Joint Broker)                     +44 (0) 203 328 5656

 Corporate Finance: Nick Harriss / James Reeve

 Sales: Kelly Gardiner / Lauren Wright/ Matt Butlin

 OAK Securities (Lead Broker)                                                   +44 (0) 203 973 3678

 Jerry Keen, Head of Corporate Broking

 jerry.keen@oak-securities.com (mailto:jerry.keen@oak-securities.com)

 Henry Clarke, Head of Sales

 henry.clarke@oak-securities.com (mailto:henry.clarke@oak-securities.com)

 IFC Advisory Limited (Financial PR and IR)                                     +44 (0) 203 934 6630

 Tim Metcalfe / Florence Staton

 switchmetals@investor-focus.co.uk (mailto:switchmetals@investor-focus.co.uk)

About Switch Metals

Switch Metals plc, admitted to trading on AIM in April 2025, is a mining
company focused on critical technology and battery minerals in Côte d'Ivoire,
one of the most attractive mining jurisdictions in Africa. The Company is the
largest land holder covering tantalum, lithium and other critical metals
prospects in the country (and potentially in West Africa) today.

Its core assets include Issia (Ta + Nb), Bouaké (Ta + Nb + REE) and Tiassalé
(Li) projects. Issia is the current focus for the Company as it exhibits
potential for early cash flow through ethical tantalum production from shallow
coltan placer deposits with significant scale-up potential (from both placers
and hard rock pegmatites).

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