Pioneer Resources Identifies Spodumene Targets at Pioneer Dome

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Pioneer Resources (ASX: PIO) has identified two spodumene-bearing pegmatites at the Dome North prospect within the company’s 100 per cent-held Pioneer Dome project near Norseman in Western Australia.

Pioneer Resources identified the two targets from recent mapping and rock sampling, resulting in the first time that spodumene, a major source of lithium, being identified within the Pioneer Dome project.

Spodumene Target 1: Orientation rock chips assays returned 1.4 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O); 1.71 per cent Li2O and 1.73 per cent Li2O.

Pioneer said these and a further four samples of outcropping rocks were confirmed as containing spodumene using a Bruker Bravo Raman spectrometer.

Samples were taken over a strike length of 150 metres.

Spodumene Target 2: 18 rock chips containing spodumene were taken along 400m of outcropping pegmatite before becoming covered by soil.

Spodumene was again confirmed by Raman.

Pioneer has submitted both targets for confirmatory chemical analysis, however, it did acknowledge that it already considers both targets drill ready.

The company has completed a program of extensional drilling at its Sinclair pollucite mine and is currently waiting on assay results.

The drilling encountered lithium mineralisation (lepidolite and petalite) along strike, running approximately 150 metres to the north of the northern pit wall and 80 metres to the south of the southern pit wall.

Pioneer has now received payments totalling US$2.6 million for sales of pollucite, from which it has repaid the loan facility of US$4.8 million provided by offtake partner Cabot Specialty Fluids Limited.

The Resources Roadhouse spoke with Pioneer Resources CFO Tim Spencer at the 2019 Gold Coast Investment Showcase to get the lowdown on the company’s recent progress.

 

 

Email: pioneer@pioresources.com.au

Website: www.pioresources.com.au

 

Piedmont Lithium Increases Resources by 47 per cent

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Piedmont Lithium (ASX: PLL) released a major update to the Mineral Resource estimate for the company’s wholly-owned Piedmont lithium project located within the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (TSB) in North Carolina, USA.

Piedmont Lithium has increased the Mineral Resource for the Core property to 25.1 million tonnes at 1.09 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O), bringing the project’s total Mineral Resources to 27.9 million tonnes at 1.11 per cent Li2O, containing 309,000 tonnes of lithium oxide or 764,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) the benchmark used in the lithium industry.

The company highlighted that 74 per cent of the Core Mineral Resource sits within 100 metres of surface and 97 per cent is within 150m of surface.

Approximately 50 per cent (12.5 million tonnes) of the Mineral Resource is classified in the Indicated Resource category.

All Mineral Resource tonnes at both the Core and Central properties are attributable to spodumene mineralisation.

Piedmont says it expects to complete a pre-feasibility level metallurgical testwork program followed by a Scoping Study update in July.

“We are very pleased with the resource update at our Core property, bringing our total project-wide resources to 27.9 million tonnes at 1.11 per cent lithium oxide,” Piedmont Lithium president and chief executive officer Keith D. Phillips said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“As we expand our land holdings and drill out other highly prospective targets, we are optimistic that we will ultimately identify North America’s largest spodumene ore body.

“This scale, combined with high grade, strong mineralogy and metallurgy, and our superior location in North Carolina, all support the unique strategic nature of the Piedmont lithium project.”

 

Email: info@piedmontlithium.com

Website: www.piedmontlithium.com

 

Spectrum Metals Achieves High-Grade Extensions at Penny North

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Spectrum Metals (ASX: SPX) released further high-grade gold intersections from the company’s Penny North prospect in Western Australia.

Spectrum Metals is currently conducting an extensional Phase II RC drilling program at the Penny North prospect.

The latest results are from 12 recently completed holes with results pending from a further eight holes.

An additional 11 holes have been designed and are yet to be drilled.

So far, SPX has drilled 44 RC holes into the Penny North prospect.

Intersections achieved from the latest batch of assays received include:

SPWRC053
5 metres at 13.3 grams per tonne gold from 202m within 9m at 6.9g/t gold from 200m;

SPWRC054
1m at 24g/t gold from 231m within 7m at 4.9g/t gold from 225m, and 3m at 15g/t gold from 239m;

SPWRC051
1m at 26g/t gold from 149m, within 13m at 3.2g/t gold from 141m;

SPWRC047
1m at 18g/t gold from 111m, within 4m at 4.6g/t gold from 111m; and

SPWRC048
1m at 8.2g/t gold from 134m.

The drilling has now extended the Penny North high-grade mineralisation down dip, south and north taking the gold mineral system at Penny West / Penny North to now measure 650m in strike length extending to a vertical depth of 230m and is open in all directions.

Spectrum indicated it still has a number of infill holes still to drill from its Phase I program under the Penny West pit, and as part of Phase II will follow up an earlier intersection in SPWRC006 of 5m at 28.9g/t gold from 203m, which it said is open in all directions and could represent a new zone of increased lode thickness.

“The Penny North Lode is displaying an apparent southerly high-grade plunge, much like the mineralisation associated with the Penny West lode beneath the open pit,” Spectrum Metals said in its ASX announcement.

“However, mineralisation remains open to the north with additional holes planned with the aim of extending the mineralisation in a northerly direction.”

 

Email: info@spectrummetals.com.au

Website: www.spectrummetals.com.au

 

Meteoric Resources to Commence Juruena Drilling

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Meteoric Resources (ASX: MEI) announced the signing of a contract with Brazil’s largest drilling Company GEOSOL to carry out a maiden diamond drilling program on the company’s 100 per cent owned Juruena gold project.

Metroric Resources said it anticipates a drill rig and associated equipment to be onsite shortly with drilling to commence in July.

Meteoric explained the significance of the signing of the Brazilian drillers saying that GEOSOL has a logistical base located in the Alta Floresta Belt in the township of Peixoto de Azevedo that means it has access to nearby logistical support for remote drilling operations that is crucial to minimising unwanted delays and costs.

The company’s initial program will concentrate on high‐grade zones at the project’s Dona Maria and Querosene prospects, in addition to testing other known prospects including Mauro, Tomate and Uilliam, comprising 26 holes for 4,700 metres of diamond drilling.

Targets will be refined as drilling progresses, considering a combination of visual logging of the drill cores and assay results from the laboratory.

“Since the formal completion of the Acquisition of Juruena and Novo Astro was completed…we have been working hard to commence our exploration,” Meteoric Resources managing director Dr Andrew Tunks said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The initial drill program will be weighted towards following up bonanza grade intercepts at Dona Maria and Querosene, but will also test additional nearby targets at Mauru, Tomate and Uilliam, which also contain multiple exciting gold grade intercepts from limited drilling.

“I have just completed two weeks onsite at Juruena, overseeing the smooth transition of the Brazilian projects into Meteoric as we gear up to begin our first drill campaign.

“I am pleased to report that Juruena is even more exciting than I anticipated, and the team has produced a quality drill program with excellent targets for our maiden exploration.

“I very much look forward to reporting our results as we progress.”

The Juruena project’s current JORC Code 2012-compliant Global Mineral Resource Estimate of 1.3 million tonnes for 261,000 ounces of gold at 6.3 grams per tonne comprises:

High-grade Dona Maria and Querosene resources of 436,000 tonnes at 14.7g/t for 205,000 ounces of gold; and

The large‐tonnage, lower‐grade Crentes resource of 846,000 tonnes at 2g/t for 55,000 ounces of gold.

 

 

Website: www.meteoric.com.au

 

Black Cat Syndicate Drilling Boosts Myhree Confidence

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Black Cat Syndicate (ASX: BC8) declared increased confidence in the company’s Bulong gold project outside of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.

Black Cat Syndicate recently completed extensional and infill drilling programs at the project’s Myhree deposit.

Results from extensional drilling at Myhree, include:

19MYRC052
7 metres at 4.24 grams per tonne gold from 187m and 4m at 5.85g/t gold from 201m;

19MYRC044
11m at 2.63g/t gold from 185m; and

19MYRC040
6m at 3.53g/t gold from 105m and 6m at 3.58g/t gold from 143m and 4m at 5.67g/t gold from 168m.

Myhree remains open at depth and extensional drilling is continuing to the north and at depth.

Results from Resource infill drilling at Myhree, include:

19MYRC043
10m at 3.82g/t gold from 113m;

19MYRC041
8m at 3.63g/t gold from 78m;

19MYRC037
3m at 8.16g/t gold from 38m; and

19MYRC039
2m at 7.96g/t gold from 122m.

Black Cat said the infill drilling increased the confidence in the existing Resource and is expected to result in an upgrade when updated in July 2019.

RC drilling has also been completed on SAM Target 1, to the south of the Boundary deposit, with results pending.

The mineralised strike over the Myhree and Boundary deposits now totals approximately 1,200m while the undrilled area between the deposits has been reduced to around 400m.

“The drilling at Myhree is now down to an average spacing of approximately 25 metres by 30 metres and continues to provide thick, high grade results,” Black Cat Syndicate managing director Gareth Solly said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“This bodes well for an upgrade of the Resource in July 2019.

“Extensional drilling at depth has also been highly successful and shows the mineralisation is consistent in terms of widths and grades in the deepest holes to date.

“In the meantime, extensional drilling is continuing at depth and to the north of Myhree.

“We continue to close the undrilled gap along this strongly mineralised corridor.”

 

Email: admin@blackcatsyndicate.com.au

Website: www.blackcatsyndicate.com.au

 

Corazon Mining Chasing New Discovery at Mt Gilmore

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Corazon Mining (ASX: CZN) is currently conducting exploration activities that are focused on the discovery of a large, concealed suphide system within newly identified zones of mineralisation at the company’s Mt Gilmore copper-cobalt-gold project in New South Wales.

Corazon Mining is carrying out field activities at Mt Gilmore testing newly identified copper-cobalt-silver geochemical anomalies, to define priority targets for the company’s next phase of drilling.

The company believes these large geochemical anomalies represent alteration zones associated with intrusive-related copper-sulphide systems, located at favourable structural dilatant zones within the Mt Gilmore trend.

Ground preparation for an Induced Polarisation (IP) ground geophysical survey is currently underway, which is expected to commence this month and be completed by the end of July.

Testing will consist an initial reconnaissance survey of 20 line-kilometres, with provision for follow-up based on results.

“Geological mapping of the large copper-cobalt-silver soil anomalies is ongoing and continues to identify extensive favourable alteration and outcropping sulphide mineralisation,” Corazon Mining said in its ASX announcement.

“Alteration includes the quartz-tourmaline breccia-styles typical of the Cobalt Ridge sulphide deposit at Mt Gilmore, along with extensive propylitic and skarn style hydrothermal alteration assemblages, including the minerals epidote, calcite, garnet, magnetite and sulphide (pyrite-pyrrhotitechalcopyrite) typical of the intrusion related sulphide deposits being explored for.”

 

Email: info@corazon.com.au

Website: www.corazon.com.au

 

Calidus Resources Improves Warrawoona Confidence

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Calidus Resources (ASX: CAI) announced first assay results from a recent 42-hole RC drilling program at the company’s Warrawoona gold project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

Calidus Resources stressed the importance of the results being from infill drilling, saying they confirm the continuity of the western part of the main Klondyke Resource model at Warrawoona.

Results for the eastern portion are pending and are expected to be released soon.

Of the 42-hole RC drilling program, 35 RC drill holes were completed over the current Klondyke Resource as part of the infill program while a further 7 RC drill holes were drilled into two regional targets that a truck-mounted air-core rig was unable to access.

Calidus has received an initial batch of results for 10 holes drilled into the western part of the Klondyke Resource, with results including:

13m at 1.58 grams per tonne gold from 28m;
12m at 1.52g/t gold from 66m;
5m at 2.85g/t gold from 2m;
7m at 1.9g/t gold from 86m; and
6m at 2.06g/t gold from 71m.

Calidus explained the infill drilling across the Klondyke deposit was undertaken to increase the reliability of the Resource and the mineralisation types inside the PFS open cut pit design as part of an ongoing strategy to de-risk the project.

“The RC drilling and trench campaigns are part of Calidus’ strategy to derisk the development of the Warrawoona project, where a Pre-Feasibility Study is due for completion next month,” Calidus Resources managing director Dave Reeves said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Upgrading drill density and trenching the upper portions of the Klondyke Resource will result in an improved level of confidence in lode geometry, continuity and predictability.

“Results will be used to refine the open-cut mine design and shallow early mine-feed material.”

 

Email: info@calidus.com.au

Website: www.calidus.com.au

 

Hillgrove Resources to Commence Kanmantoo Drilling

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Hillgrove Resources (ASX: HGO) is undertaking an underground study at the company’s Kanmantoo Copper Mine in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia.

Hillgrove Resources is evaluating a possible underground mining development below the Giant Pit at Kanmantoo that may be able to work in conjunction with the company’s Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) development.

The company’s objective for the underground development is to extract value from the Kanmantoo Exploration Target of 5 to 10 million tonnes at 1.7 per cent to 2.2 per cent copper and 0.4 grams per tonne to 1g/t gold, whilst AGL review the potential of the PHES project.

As part of this evaluation an exploration drilling program will commence on 24 June to confirm the depth extension, grade and continuity of the central Kavanagh copper-gold lode below the Giant Pit.

Hillgrove anticipates the drilling to take approximately two months.

“If the drilling successfully intersects the copper-gold mineralisation of significant grade and continuity, then this drilling information will be used to assist Hillgrove to estimate an Indicated Resource and thereby enable the company to assess the viability of establishing an underground mine before the potential PHES project is commissioned,” Hillgrove Resources said in its ASX announcement.

 

Website: www.hillgroveresources.com.au

 

Piedmont Lithium Confirms Ore Body Pure Spodumene Nature

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Piedmont Lithium (ASX: PLL) completed mineralogical testing, comprising semi-quantitative and quantitative x-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, on samples of mineralised pegmatites and composite samples from the company’s Core, Central, and Sunnyside properties in North Carolina, USA.

Piedmont dais it has been advised that the relatively pure spodumene character of its ore body is unusual and highly positive, allowing for a simplified flowsheet to produce strong lithium recoveries.

A total of 36 samples of mineralised pegmatites were collected from Piedmont’s Core, Central, and Sunnyside properties.

The resulting data demonstrated the Piedmont ore body to not contain any petalite, lepidolite, or zinnwaldite – non-spodumene lithium bearing minerals concentrate under different operating conditions than spodumene when processing with dense medium or flotation.

The company explained that petalite (4.86% lithium dioxide (Li2O)) and lepidolite (7.7% Li2O) have lower lithium content than spodumene (8.03%).

Because the numbers are in its favour, Piedmont expects to maintain both high lithium concentrate grades and recoveries at the company’s planned concentrator in part due to the absence of petalite or other lithium bearing minerals.

“As the market’s understanding of lithium processing evolves, it will become increasingly clear that mineralogy and metallurgy are the fundamental building blocks of a successful hard-rock lithium business,” Piedmont Lithium president and CEO Keith D. Phillips said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“Our testwork confirms what we have always suspected – the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt is exceptional not only in scale but in terms of mineralogy.

“When combined with the shallow nature of our ore body and the capital and operating cost advantages of our location, we are excited about the upcoming resource, metallurgical and scoping study updates.”

 

Email: info@piedmontlithium.com

Website: www.piedmontlithium.com

 

Comet Resources Identifies Large Graphite Target

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THE DRILL SERGEANT: Comet Resources (ASX: CRL) has identified a large, priority exploration target immediately to the north east of the company’s existing Springdale graphite resource in Western Australia.

Comet Resources believes the target could be a fold repeat of graphite-bearing stratigraphy that hosts the current high-grade Springdale resource that consists a defined Inferred Resource of 15.6 million tonnes at 6 per cent total graphitic carbon (TGC), including a high-grade portion of 2.6 million tonnes at 17.5 per cent TGC.

The company’s interpretation of a recent regional aeromagnetic survey identified a potential fold-repeat of graphite-bearing stratigraphy eight kilometres east-north-east of the defined resources.

The scale of the folding presents a target of approximately seven square kilometres.

The target sits in a similar, favourable fold-closure position to the one that already hosts the high-grade graphite resource.

Comet said its ability to target shallow, high-grade graphite mineralisation using electromagnetic surveys (EM) was confirmed during its February drilling campaign with the discovery of two new zones.

The company’s exploration to date has focussed on the fold closure of a northeast-southwest trending syncline.

Recent interpretation of the regional aeromagnetic survey has highlighted a potential fold-repeat of graphite-bearing stratigraphy to the east-north-east of the existing resource.

Comet plans to use EM as a high-grade targeting tool to test the newly identified area.

“We don’t yet know if we have found the highest-grade areas of graphite mineralisation at Springdale,” Comet Resources CEO Philippa Leggat said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The highest intercept of one metre at 48 per cent TGC was retuned in our February drilling program.

“The two new discoveries made in the program are outside the current resource and clearly confirmed the potential to use EM to target the high-grade zones near surface, and that is really quite exciting.

“We already have an Inferred Resource of 2.6 million tonnes at 17.5 per cent TGC on less than ten percent of our licence, mostly within 60 metres of surface, and this is before we look at the potential that a fold repeat could deliver.

“Moving forward, we see EM helping to identify the highest grade in new areas and around the existing resource, so that we can cost-effectively upgrade the high-grade component of our project.”

 

Email: comet@cometres.com.au

Website: www.cometres.com.au