Firering Strategic Minerals Plc announced that it has completed part 1 of its Phase II auger drilling campaign at Atex Lithium-Tantalum Project (?Atex?), its lithium project in Côte d'Ivoire which has resulted in the identification of six new pegmatite zones. Firering, in conjunction with Ricca Resources (?Ricca?), is now planning to commence its initial round of Reverse Circulation (?RC?) drilling targeting these zones in the fourth quarter of 2023. Highlights: A total of 14,116 soil samples were collected during the large-scale soil sampling campaign and tested in Atlantic Lithium's laboratory in Ghana using portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometry (?pXRF?) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometry (?LIBS?), with over 50% of the results reported in May (announced on 30 May 2023).

A total of nine target areas were identified, including six new pegmatite zones in some of the target areas, and have been geologically mapped in detail. The recent auger campaign focused initially on three of the nine target areas. A total of 1,039 holes were drilled during part 1 of the Phase II auger drilling campaign for a total of 6,015m of drilling and an average depth of hole of 5.79m.

End of Hole (?EOH?) samples clearly identified previously unidentified pegmatites. An initial 3,000m of RC drilling is planned to better define the pegmatites identified during the auger drilling in terms of mineralisation, size and orientation. Interpretation of soil sampling and geological mapping.

Firering's and Ricca's technical teams have interpreted soil sample results from more than 50% of the pXRF and LIBS test work and completed detailed geological mapping over the area covered by these results. Nine target areas for detailed geological mapping and auger drilling were identified, which included six new pegmatite zones in some of the target areas. Completion of Part 1 of Phase II Auger Drilling: The first part of the Phase II auger drilling campaign was completed in August 2023.

A total of 1,039 holes were drilled during this first part for a total of 6,015m of drilling, resulting in an average depth of hole of 5.79m and ranging from two to eighteen metres. All completed auger lines are shown in Figure 2. The lithology of the EOH samples in the auger holes clearly identifies pegmatites in some of the holes and was used to delineate these sub cropping pegmatites. Identification of tourmaline zones: Additional geological mapping identified tourmaline zones that had not been mapped previously.

These tourmaline zones could be indicative of pegmatites; tourmaline bearing schists occurs in the wall rocks close to some of the pegmatite contacts as observed in the drill core collected during theinitial scout drilling programme completed in 2022. Tourmaline is a common accessory mineral in pegmatites, including spodumene pegmatites, and tourmaline bearing alteration aureoles may have developed in the host rocks around the pegmatites. Planning of next 3,000m of RC drilling: Based on the results from the soil sampling and the first part of the Phase II auger drilling campaign, drill hole locations were planned for the initial 3,000m of RC drilling commencing in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Results from this RC campaign will direct the future drilling programmes.