Pioneer Resources Intersects New Lithium and Caesium

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Pioneer Resources (ASX: PIO) has just recently completed a drilling program at the company’s 100 per cent-held Pioneer Dome project, located in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

Pioneer Resources had designed the drilling to further test lithium and caesium extensions north and south of the recently completed Sinclair Caesium Mine Stage 1 Pit.

Drilling Highlights included:

Lithium

PDRC235
11 metres at 1.94 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O) from 40m (petalite)

PDRC236
8m at 3.1 per cent Li2O from 42m (petalite)

PDRC252
14m at 1.68 per cent Li2O from 38m (petalite)

PDRC241
21m at 1.96 per cent Li2O from 38m (petalite and lepidolite)

PDD258
11.2m at 1.77 per cent Li2O from 50m (petalite and lepidolite)

PDRC255
10m at 2.13 per cent Li2O from 40m (lepidolite)

PDD259
11.2m at 2.17 per cent Li2O from 52.5m (lepidolite)

Caesium

PDD262
2.8m at 14.58 per cent caesium oxide (Cs2O) from 51.9m (pollucite)

PDD261
1.9m at 23.92 per cent Cs2O from 54.5m (pollucite)

PDD259
0.8m at 14.01 per cent Cs2O from 54.7m (pollucite)

Pioneer conducted the drilling during late May and June 2019, consisting 24 RC drill holes (PDRC233- PDRC256 for 2,160m) and six diamond drill holes (PDD257 – PDD262 for 400.3m of core).

The company indicated the drilling intersected some of the thickest and highest-grade lenses of lithium (petalite and lepidolite) mineralisation to date (including a high-grade petalite intersection of 8m of 3.1% Li2O), as well as potash (K) feldspar and quartz, being continuations of zones encountered in the stage 1 Sinclair Caesium Mine.

The caesium mineral pollucite was intersected where targeted in three drill holes.

The extremely differentiated pegmatite core, where pollucite may occur, extends both north and south of the Sinclair Mine, albeit in this programme pollucite was intersected only as small pods north of the stage 1 pit.

Pioneer signalled it would now be commencing drilling for spodumene at the SPOD1 and SPOD2 targets, following identification of outcrops of spodumene at the Dome North prospect.

The company has been in discussion with pollucite offtaker, Sinomine Specialty Fluids Limited, resulting in variations to sale and shipping terms to expedite the shipping of pollucite stocks.

A shipment of approximately 2,000 tonnes of pollucite has been containerised ahead of a shipping date of 27 August 2019.

The company received a pre-shipment payment of US$700,000 ($1.029 million) on 12 August 2019, with a second pre-shipment payment of US$650,000 (~$0.956 million) due before containers are loaded onto the ship.

Further discussions are continuing with potential offtake parties interested in minerals other than pollucite that were stockpiled during excavation of the Sinclair Caesium Mine Stage 1 open pit.

“Several parties have, or are, undertaking test work on samples of the stockpiled materials, with most interest received for petalite to date,” Pioneer Resources said in its ASX announcement.

“Market feedback indicates that each of the stockpiled materials in its current form (i.e. run-of-mine) will require beneficiation to increase saleability and margins.

“Ore sorting test work is in train, and the results of this drilling program will contribute to the study of the viability of a future pit expansion.”

 

Website: www.pioresources.com.au