Modern Mining November 2023

ENERGY MINERALS

Go big or go home – Aterian looks to go massive Armed with a cache of exploration licenses in Rwanda and Morocco, London-listed green metals explorer, Aterian, is eager to unlock earning opportunities from its early-stage assets, chairman Charles Bray tells Modern Mining . By Nelendhre Moodley .

E stablished in 2011 the exploration and develop ment company, which hopes to ink key earn-in joint venture deals with mining majors for its lithium, copper, tin and tantalum assets, is busy taking its projects up the value curve with plans to commence drilling on key assets by year-end. According to Bray, Aterian is already in talks with parties interested in some of its assets and remains hopeful of soon entering into joint ventures “that will either result in an earn-in or partial acquisition of some of our assets”. In Morocco, the explorer is focused on copper, silver and base metals, and is advancing a portfolio of 17 projects covering 897 km 2 in the north African region. These commodities, key to the drive towards electrification and renewable energy production, are experiencing growing demand globally.

Aterian announced

discovery of high-grade

copper and silver at Azrar Project.

In Rwanda, the company holds rights to over 3 000 hectares of prospective ground for critical and strategic metals, including tantalum, tin and tung sten. Aterian intends to generate growth through exploration and development of its Rwandan assets, M&A deal flow, licence ownership and partnerships with small-scale producers (artisanal miners) and near-production assets. More recently, the company secured a metal trading licence in Rwanda, which allows it to advance buy-in opportunities.

The Azrar Project in Morocco.

18  MODERN MINING  November 2023