Altura drilling confirms spodumene
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Diversified resources company Altura Mining has received drilling results from its Pilgangoora lithium project located 120 kilometres south of Port Hedland in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
In its ASX announcement the company said the latest results confirm the presence of spodumene mineralised pegmatites in the project’s previously untested N1 target area.
The N1 results confirm further extensions of the spodumene enriched pegmatites over 600 metres of strike that remain open.
Highlights for recent drilling of the N1 Area include:
– 11 metres at 1.50% lithium oxide, including 4m at 2.21% lithium oxide;
– 12 metres at 1.61% lithium oxide, including 5m at 2.27%; and
– 6 metres at 1.91% lithium oxide.
Drilling carried out by Altura in the N1 target area initially identified four separate pegmatite dykes that are separated by mafic rocks and dip approximately 25 to 30 degrees to the south‐east with widths varying from 6m to 12m.
“Although only outcropping pegmatites have been targeted there is a good likelihood that there are additional pegmatites dykes below the current drilling,” Altura said in the announcement.
“Drilling in the N1 Area is being conducted on 80 metre line spacing and a nominal 40 metre hole spacing covering a strike distance of 600 metres.
“Having established the location and dip of the pegmatites, infill drilling on 40 metre spaced traverses is now being undertaken.”
Altura also completed drilling on the Pilgangoora project’s C1 and E1 target Areas.
The highlights of the supplemental results from the C1 area include:
– 16 metres at 1.48% lithium oxide, including 7m at2.02% lithium oxide; and
– 27 metres at 1.46% lithium oxide.
The latest results from the E1 target area include:
– 6 metres at 2.11% lithium oxide; and
– 9 metres at 1.70% lithium oxide.
Previous results from drilling and geological evaluation at Pilgangoora identified five pegmatite targets Altura nominated as Areas C1, E1, N1, S1 and W1.
The RC drilling carried out to date has intersected wide zones of shallow spodumene enriched pegmatites in Areas C1 and E1, and has now expanded into the N1 area.
Altura said further drilling will be conducted to evaluate the potential of other remaining targets through the remainder of this year.
The company also has drilling planned in the S1 area and has already received approvals to conduct this program from the WA Department of Mines and Petroleum.
Altura’s ongoing evaluation of the Pilgangoora project includes further drilling, assaying and metallurgical test work.
The company’s focus is now on an initial exploration target of 10 to 15 million tonnes at 1.5% to 1.7% lithium oxide; however it has set a forward interim objective of locating 20 million tonnes of similar grade spodumene mineralised pegmatites.