REG - Switch Metals PLC - Completion of pitting and soil sampling at Issia

Switch MetalsAnnouncement

Tue 07:00

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RNS Number : 3086A  Switch Metals PLC  23 September 2025

23 September 2025

 

Switch Metals plc

("Switch", "Switch Metals" or the "Company")

Completion of pitting and soil sampling at Issia

 

Highlights:

·      Mineral Resources Estimate target area ("MRE 2") pitting and
soils sampling complete

·      Together with MRE 1, over 400 tonnes of samples collected on
schedule and on budget

·      Pilot wash plant expected to be on site shortly to complete
assaying of samples for tantalum pentoxide (Ta(2)O(5)) and associated heavy
minerals

·      First resource estimate for Issia on track for early 2026

 

Switch Metals plc (LSE: SWT), the critical metals focused mining company with
assets located in Côte d'Ivoire, is pleased to announce the completion of its
pitting and soil sampling programme on the second Mineral Resources Estimate
target area ("MRE 2") of its 100% owned Badinikro Issia Project.

Work on the MRE 2 target area covered an additional 1.3 km(2) of exploration
alongside the initial MRE 1 target area of 2.5km(2). These target areas form
part of Permit PR0895 which covers an area of 112 km(2) of the 1,015 km(2)
district-scale Issia Project.

The Company's plan is to define a resource and complete technical and economic
studies on the shallow surface coltan placer deposits in the near-term, in
parallel with demonstrating further upside potential in the deeper hard rock
targets.

Across the MRE 2 target area, 156 resource pits were successfully dug,
sampled, mapped, transported and stored ready for further analysis. With the
addition of the previously completed MRE 1 work, a total of 369 pits have been
dug over a 100 x 100 metre grid spacing, for a cumulative total depth of 1,609
metres. Samples of these holes, with approximately 250kg of representative
soil materials each, amount to a total weight of over 400 tonnes which
contains various quantities of heavy minerals including tantalum.

Key to the Company's ongoing activities now will be the delivery of the five
tonne per hour pilot wash plant, including a scrubber, jig and shaking table
which is expected to be on site shortly. Once on site, plant assembly and
commissioning will commence immediately.

Once the wash plant is operational, the soil samples will be systematically
washed following a strict protocol, to produce a heavy mineral ("HM") sample
for each metre. These HM samples will be assayed for tantalum pentoxide
(Ta(2)O(5)) grade estimation per metre which will feed into the maiden
resource model. The processing of these HM samples are expected to follow
during October and November 2025. The samples will initially be assayed using
Switch's XRF analyser prior to independent lab analysis. Initial assay results
will be announced as they become available.

The Company's objective remains to determine a first resource estimate at
Issia in early 2026. Achieving this milestone will pave the way for technical
and economic studies, and the subsequent application for a mining licence over
the balance of 2026.

Karl Akueson, CEO of Switch Metals, commented:

"We continue to be pleased with progress at Issia, with the addition and
completion of pitting and sampling on this second target area being another
major step. We have come a long way since the start of our first tantalum
resource definition programme in May this year, being sufficiently encouraged
to expand the initial programme to include the MRE 2 target area.

"I would like to thank our team for their hard work to complete this part of
the programme on time and on budget, with no major incidents to report. This
additional work should increase the first resource estimate which in turn may
enhance the economics of our near-term production plan at the Issia Tantalum
Project. We now look forward to installing our pilot wash plant and unveiling
the contents of these samples."

 

Figure 1: MRE 1 and MRE 2 target areas for resource definition.

Figure 2: Example of pit hole of 1.25 metres by 80 centimetres and 5 metres
depth.

 

 

Figure 3: Bulk soil sample bags stored for each hole metre by metre,
containing various quantities of heavy minerals and ready for processing using
the pilot wash plant.

 

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 / Lauren Wright

 Sales: Kelly Gardiner / 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

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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