Arkle Resources PLC on Friday said it has been awarded two exploration licences in the Makgadikgadi salt pans in north-eastern Botswana.

The exploration company, with principal assets in Irish gold and zinc exploration licences, said licences PL 075/2023 and PL 0148/2023 were awarded to prospect for lithium in the salt pans.

It said licences PL 075/2023 and PL 0148/2023 cover 312 and 525 square kilometres respectively in size.

There is very little known about the potential for lithium brines in the vast Makgadikgadi salt pans, Arkle Resources said.

Early-stage prospecting work will begin in early 2024, it added.

‘We now have three lithium exploration projects, one in Ireland, one in Zimbabwe, both hard rock, and now in Botswana which is a lithium brines project,’ said Chair John Teeling.

‘Initial work will focus on analysis of the very limited exploration data, followed by prospecting to identify targets for drilling.’

Shares in Arkle Resources were up 8.6% to 0.38 pence each in London on Friday morning.

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