Firering Strategic Minerals plc announced the commencement of its large-scale Phase II Soil Sampling Programme at its flagshipAtex Lithium-Tantalum Project ("Atex"), in Côte d'Ivoire. The Phase II Programme is being undertaken in conjunction with Ricca Resources Limited ("Ricca") following its US$18.6 million investment to advance Atex to Definitive Feasibility Study ("DFS") announced on 2 November 2022. Phase II of the Atex soil sampling programme commenced on 9 January 2023.

By close of business on 16 January 2023, 993 soil samples had been taken out of a planned 2,491 samples, representing 40%. The number of soil samples prepared for analysis in Ghana is 673. Analysis of the prepared samples will be done with pXRF and LIBS, which specifically targets the lithium in the samples.

The first batch of prepared samples is expected to arrive in Accra in January 2023. High level test work is being undertaken by SGS/Coremet in Johannesburg, South Africa on three samples comprising: one composite sample of approximately 30kg lepidolite-bearing pegmatite material collected at surface from around Spodumene Hill; and two composite samples of approximately 15kg and 80kg respectively comprising colluvial/eluvial material from pits excavated on and around Spodumene Hill. The objective of the test work is to determine the nature of the tantalum ("Ta") and niobium ("Nb") mineralisation within the samples, the particle size distribution of the said mineralisation, liberation and whether the mineralisation is amenable to upgrading and potential production of a Ta-Nb concentrate.