Mining & Trade News

ASX-listed resources group DY6 Metals has announced that it has submitted five exclusive prospecting licence (EPL) applications totalling 838[LK1] .2km2 in  Malawi to the Ministry of Mining for tenements it considers to be highly prospective for rare earths and lithium.

The Company is in the process of submitting an Environmental and Social Management Plan for each of these new applications, and on the basis these are acceptable, the licences should then be granted by the Ministry.  

CEO for DY6 Mr Lloyd Kaiser says in a statement that the licence areas under application are “Mzimba” (West, Central and South) and “Karonga”.

He explains that the recent applications will expand the Company’s overall strategic footprint in Malawi to a total 1,080 km2.

Meanwhile, the Company’s geological team has undertaken a reconnaissance field visit over parts of the licence application areas during December and February

Mr Kaiser reports that seven random reconnaissance rock chip samples from the Mzimba license areas have been submitted for laboratory analysis in South Africa.

He says: “We are very excited about these four strategic lithium license applications in northern Malawi. Field reconnaissance has identified several pegmatite systems, which are currently being worked by artisanal miners for a range of minerals, including the gemstones tourmaline and beryl, and lithium micas.”

Upon granting of the EPL, the exploration team will undertake extensive geochemical programs and detailed geological mapping over the  four new licence areas  in the coming months.”

Mzimba Lithium Project

Located in the Mzimba district of central Malawi about 200km north of the capital Lilongwe, the Mzimba Project covers an area of approximately 710.5km2 extending through three separate tenements namely: Mzimba West, Mzimba Central and Mzimba South.

A desktop study identified two areas for field inspection by DY6 staff and a field reconnaissance program was conducted over parts of the tenement area during November 2023 and February 2024. The first area is 65km north of Mzimba Township covering portion of the Traditional Authority Mtwalo, Chindi and part of Inkosi Paramount Chief M’belwa.

Reports indicate that regional geological mapping and reconnaissance surveys were conducted in the area by British Geological Survey in the 1980’s, and Malawi’s Geological Survey Department. The results indicated that Mzimba district has potential for a range of gemstones (such as aquamarine, tourmaline, beryl, and ruby) and industrial minerals occurring in pegmatites.

Karonga Lithium Project

The Karonga Lithium Project is located about 440km north of the capital Lilongwe and covers a total area of 36.2km2. The area can easily be accessed using the Karonga-Chitipa M1 Road turning to the west at Kasikizi School signpost along the M1 Road. DY6 also secured a 6-month option over a granted licence adjacent to the company’s recent EPL.

During late November, DY6’s exploration team undertook a reconnaissance field visit  in the Karonga region, predominately to the south of the area selected that adjoins the recent licence application.

The Karonga area is associated with a series of N-S trending ridges with metamorphic Basement complex rocks commonly identified as windows within the Karroo System which overlies the basement. The Karroo System units are typically sandstones with carbonaceous shales formations. Pegmatite float material was noted in the Mwesa River to the south of the Company’s Karonga license application, which cuts NE-SW through the area.

Samples collected from the Karonga area were taken to Geological Survey Department for preparation. DY6 considers the Karonga Lithium Project to host the same underlying geology as the areas inspected to the south.

DY6 PURSUES TUNDULU RARE EARTHS PROSPECT IN PHALOMBE

Meanwhile, DY6 Metals has also submitted an exclusive prospecting licence application for 91.5km2 of the Tundulu carbonatite ring complex in southern Malawi’s district of Phalombe, which has significant potential for the prospecting of rare earth elements (REEs).

Results of shallow historical drilling at Tundulu undertaken by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1988 up to a maximum depth of 50m included:

• 41m @ 3.7% TREO, from 8m (JMT-22);

• 17m @1.3% TREO, from surface and 14m @1.1% TREO, from 21m (JMT-14);

• 11m @ 2.2% TREO, from 17m and 14m @ 4.1% TREO, from 36m (JMT-17); and

• 14m @ 1.1% TREO, from 3m (JMT-07).

Mr Kaiser reports that the Company’s geological team recently undertook reconnaissance field visit over parts of the licence application area and samples have been submitted for laboratory analysis in South Africa.

Mr Kaiser says: “We are very excited about this strategic licence application in southern Malawi. Tundulu is a known carbonatite ring complex close to our flagship HREE Machinga Project with an interesting profile of bastnaesite and apatite with abundant REE mineralisation, and easily accessible by road. Tundulu will complement our existing REE projects, Machinga and Salambidwe. While the Company waits for the licence to be granted, the focus of the exploration team will be on undertaking a detailed geological and geophysical review of this new licence over the coming months.”

DY6 has completed a maiden exploration-drilling program for 4 ,543m at the Machinga REE and Niobium Project in southern Malawi.

Besides, the Company is prospecting for REEs and Niobium at Salambidwe in Chikwawa in the southern Shire Valley area where it has completed a comprehensive geochemical and geophysics program.

DY6 is also conducting exploration for platinum group metals and copper at the Ngala Hill prospect in Southern Malawi.

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