Switch Metals starts maiden drilling programme at Issia

17th Jun 2026 12:47

(Sharecast News) - Switch Metals said on Wednesday that it had started its maiden drilling programme at the Issia tantalum and lithium project in Côte d'Ivoire, targeting two priority hard-rock pegmatite prospects.

The AIM-traded critical metals company said around 2,500 metres of reverse circulation drilling was planned, with about 800 metres expected at the Zraty tantalum-bearing target and 1,700 metres at the Kabore spodumene-bearing lithium target.

Zraty has returned surface samples of up to 1,230 ppm tantalum pentoxide, while Kabore is associated with a 1.3 kilometre lithium pathfinder anomaly and spodumene mineralisation grading up to 2.8% lithium oxide.

Chief executive Karl Akueson said the start of drilling marked "an important step forward" following the company's recent fundraise.

Switch said work on its maiden tantalum mineral resource estimate was also at an advanced stage, focused on shallow eluvial and colluvial targets at Issia.

At 1223 BST, shares in Switch Metals were down 5.35% at 10.18p.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.

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