Pilbara Minerals expands Pilgangoora Central pegmatites

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS) has reported drill results from ongoing resource drilling being conducted along the Central and Western pegmatites at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project near Port Hedland in Western Australia.

Pilbara Minerals said the latest drilling has outlined extensions of the mineralisation to the north of the Central pegmatite, well beyond the conceptual pit for the Central Open Pit designed in the March 2016 Pre-Feasibility Study.

Latest intersections include:

PLS459
58 metres at 1.69 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O) from 131m;

PLS456
37m at 1.85 per cent Li2O from 106m and 8m at 2.11 per cent Li2O and 119ppm tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) from 147m and 15m at 1.72 per cent Li2O and 113ppm Ta2O5 from 160m;

PLS453
30m at 1.92 per cent Li2O from 96m and 23m at 1.92 per cent Li2O and 106ppm Ta2O5 from 129m and 8m at 1.68 per cent Li2O from 155m; and

PLS454
20m at 1.8 per cent Li2O and 141ppm Ta2O5 from 127m.

“Thick zones of high-grade mineralisation have now been encountered well beyond the boundary of the conceptual open pit for the Central Pegmatite defined in the recent Pre-Feasibility Study, which is the largest open pit at the project and will provide the bulk of production in the early years of operations,” Pilbara Minerals managing director and CEO Ken Brinsden said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“While there is further work to be done, there is a high likelihood that this material will be able to be incorporated in the updated Ore Reserve – resulting in a significant expansion of the Central pit which in turn should grow our Ore Reserves and mine life.

“Recent drilling has also continued to demonstrate excellent continuity, width and grade of mineralisation within the current pit design over the Central and Western pegmatites.

“This program is successfully converting a significant portion of the current Indicated Resource to the Measured category to underpin the upcoming Definitive Feasibility Study.”