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Switch Metals PLC on Friday announced the completion of the resource washing programme, for the maiden tantalum mineral resource estimate, at its Issia Project in the Ivory Coast. The stock was down 19% at 11.74 pence on Friday morning in London, however. Switch Metals, an exploration company focused on developing battery and technology metals mines in the Ivory Coast, said the washing programme was completed on time and within budget, marking the completion of the necessary field-based work for the initial MRE. Switch said independent laboratory assays and geological modelling have been running in parallel to resource washing, and that it expects to publish ’MRE-1’, the initial MRE focused on eluvial and colluvial targets, ‘in the coming weeks’. Switch expects ‘in the coming months’ to also publish ’MRE-2’, an ‘incremental update incorporating tantalum-rich eluvial and colluvial targets,’ followed by ’MRE-3’, a ‘further incremental update focused on alluvial drainage targets’. Switch Metals said completing MRE-1 will represent a key milestone in advancing Issia towards further technical and economic studies this year, followed ‘in due course’ by applying for a mining licence. ‘In turn, this is also expected to support the progression of the company’s early cash flow plans,’ Switch added. ‘The completion of the resource washing programme at Issia marks an important operational milestone for Switch Metals as it moves the project into the next stages of assay interpretation, modelling and resource definition,’ Chief Executive Karl Akueson commented. ‘Set against the backdrop of record tantalum pricing and increasing global demand, especially for secure, ethical and responsibly sourced supply, we believe the Issia Project is well positioned to emerge as a significant conflict-free tantalum opportunity in Cote d’Ivoire.’ Copyright 2026 Alliance News Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
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