Pioneer Resources confirms lithium-caesium-tantalum mineralisation at Pioneer Dome

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Pioneer Resources (ASX: PIO) has now received all assay results from a recent drilling program undertaken at the company’s 100 per cent-held Pioneer Dome lithium project near Norseman in Western Australia.

Pioneer said the drilling had encountered encouraging lithium intersections as well as an intersection of high-grade pollucite, an ore mineral of caesium.

The company outlined this to hold potential importance and will be subjected to additional drilling.

Latest drilling results included:

PDRC020
3 metres at 1.11 per cent lithium dioxide (Li2O) from 44m

PDRC021
12m at 1.37 per cent Li2O from 54m and 10m at 408ppm tantalum pentoxide (Ta2O5) from 54m;

PDRC056
6m at 1.79 per cent Li2O from 48m;

PDRC057
12m at 1.41 per cent Li2O from 60m;

PDRC059
5m at 2.08 per cent Li2O from 37m.

Pioneer declared the drilling had also “confirmed unequivocally” the project hosts a rare-metal lithium caesium tantalum (LCT) Pegmatite system where highly fractionated pegmatite zonation is evident, including ore grade mineralogical phases.

The largest use of caesium is in the manufacture of very high value caesium formate brines, used for high-pressure/high-temperature oil and gas drilling and exploration.

“The fact that our first round of drilling has discovered a mineralised LCT pegmatite system is very exciting, with encouraging intersections of lithium and an extremely unusual, geologically rare, but potentially very significant occurrence of high grade caesium,” Pioneer Resources managing director David Crook said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

“The company will fully compile assay, geology and petrography results, and then looks forward to the next phase of drilling.”

Website: www.pioresources.com.au