Galileo’s drilling project at Kamativi on course

Oliver Kazunga

UNITED Kingdom-headquartered resource group, Galileo Resources, intends to go into the second phase of exploration drilling at its Kamativi Lithium project after the successful completion of drilling under phase one.

The mining group, which also owns a gold project near Bulawayo started exploration on both projects in April 2022.

Galileo is engaged in exploration and development of gold, copper, rare-earth aggregates and iron ore and manganese.

Outside Zimbabwe, the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) listed firm’s projects include the Kalahari copper project in Botswana, Kashitu project, and Star Zinc projects in Zambia among others.

In a communique accompanying financial results for the half-year ended September 30, 2024, Galileo on the Kamativi lithium asset said:

“Following on from the previously reported positive results of the Phase One drilling campaign at Kamativi, work has focused on desk-based studies and data analysis to enable an informed second phase of drilling — with an emphasis on identifying prospective, later-stage, discordant pegmatites.”

Pegmatites are igneous rocks showing a very coarse texture, with large interlocking crystals usually greater in size than one centimetre and sometimes greater than one metre.

The Kamativi Lithium project, which is located in Matabeleland North Province comprises Exclusive Prospecting Order 1782, covering 520 square kilometres and lies on the Kamativi belt directly adjacent to — and along strike from the historic Kamativi tin-tantalum mine which operated from 1936 to 1994.

Lithium is one of the most sought-after minerals given its centrality in the manufacture of lithium batteries used in electrical vehicles.

Despite the existing depressed commodity prices on the international market, demand for lithium is expected to grow exponentially across the globe, as the world transitions to EVs, which are part of key global initiatives aimed at steering away from sources of non-renewable energies to reduce emissions
that drive pollution harmful to the environment.

Zimbabwe is the world’s sixth-largest producer of lithium and is expected to benefit significantly from the growing demand for lithium in the ongoing EVs revolution.

Currently, the country has at least three active lithium mines that include Bikita Minerals, Sabi Star Lithium Mine and Prospect Lithium Zimbabwe.

Several other large lithium assets are at various stages of development across the country.