Metalicity returns high-grade lithium field work results from Pilgangoora South
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Metalicity (ASX: MCT) has received assay results from first pass field work, recently carried out on the company’s Pilgangoora South lithium project, located in the Pilbara Region of Western Australia.
The work included geological mapping and sampling, at the Stannum tenement (E45/4677).
The company’s efforts returned high-grade assays of up to 2.45 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O), while hyperspectral data processing and interpretation identified new targets considered to be prospective for spodumene at Stannum.
Metalicty collected a total of sixteen rock chip samples from the L1 and L2 prospects at Stannum, which were assayed by Bureau Veritas laboratories in Perth, using sodium peroxide fusion and Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Optical Emission Spectrometry (OES)/ Mass Spectrometry (MS).
The company said the results confirmed the presence of lithium bearing rare metal pegmatites at the prospects, with Li2O results up to 24,544ppm (2.45 per cent) and tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) results up to 200ppm.
Metalicit also commissioned Mineral Spectra Mapping to undertake processing of Hyperspectral data for Stannum, which was flown for Talison Minerals in 2006 by HyVista Corporation.
The company explained the original processing of the data was to identify pegmatites, which has been confirmed, but not to discriminate between spodumene and other minerals present within the pegmatites.
This data has indicated distinct mineral zoning within the pegmatites leading Metalicty to believe that spodumene may be one of these minerals.
Areas of possible spodumene have been mapped using this data, which the company said correlate well with pegmatites identified through aerial photo interpretation and mapping, over a strike of approximately five kilometres within Stannum.
“Confirmation of high lithium assays, observed spodumene from only one kilometre of the five kilometre target area and geophysical data re-processing to map spodumene has elevated Stannum as one of the most prospective new area’s for an economic lithium discovery in the world class Pilgangoora District,” Metalicity managing director Matt Gauci said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
Metalicity is now organising a further round of rock chip sampling and mapping for Stannum, which will entail a more comprehensive work program over several days along the five kilometre target zone.
The company outlined this next round of sampling and mapping will again involve helicopter support to accelerate the work program and provide close up aerial assessment.
Metalicity said this work will focus on confirming additional target areas for a maiden drilling program at Stannum, which is currently planned for the third quarter of 2016.
Metalicity’s Pilgangoora South project applications (E45/4675, E45/4676 and E45/4677) are located within five kilometres of the Pilgangoora lithium deposit of Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) and adjacent to the Wodgina operations of Global Advanced Metals.