Calidus Resources (ASX:CAI) and its new JV partner SQM have has completed the first soil sampling programme for lithium on licence E45/2983, part of the Tabba Tabba South Project of Pirra Lithium Limited in Western Australia.
In late October SQM, one of the world’s leading lithium producers, signed on to invest $3 milion in funding into the Pirra Lithium Ltd, the project operation company
On completion of the recently announced transaction, Pirra will be owned 40% by Calidus, 40% by SQM Australia Pty Ltd, and 20% by Haoma Mining NL.
Exploration licence E45/2983 straddles the Tabba Tabba Shear Zone and is along strike from Wildcat Resources’ recently announced major new lithium pegmatite discovery, the 2018 King Col discovery of De Grey Mining in 2018 and a reportedly-identified lithium Mineral Resource on ground held by Fortescue Metals Group.
Following SQM’s agreement to acquire and fund a large stake in Pirra, we have immediately commenced exploration on Pirra’s lithium exploration acreage in the Pilbara,” Managing Director Dave Reeves said.
“The soil sampling at Tabba Tabba South is just the start of exploration on the project. Other areas on the tenement package with extensive, thicker regolith will require drilling to fully evaluate the lithium potential. However, we are very excited by the potential of the project and are moving to progress it as rapidly as possible.
“Recent lithium exploration announcements along much of the Tabba Tabba Shear Zone highlight the prospectivity of the project area.
“The results from the soil sampling will be evaluated to help guide the next phase of exploration. Meanwhile, work is continuing with acquisition of remotely sensed data across Pirra’s enlarged tenement holding.”
Tabba Tabba South
The Tabba Tabba South Project straddles the Tabba Tabba Shear Zone, a major NE-trending structure that forms the boundary between the Central Tectonic Zone and Mallina Basin with the older granite-greenstone terrains of the East Pilbara Terrane. The immediate surrounds to the shear zone, including on E45/2983, contain several potentially fertile granites of the Split Rock Supersuite, which is linked to lithium pegmatites across the Pilbara Craton.
The Tabba Tabba Shear Zone has long been the focus of gold exploration with numerous drill holes to the east and west of E45/2983 along strike. However, there are no drill holes on E45/2983, other than two short lines of shallow RAB holes for gold and base metals in the far west of the tenement.
Exploration on the expanded Pirra tenement package has started on E45/2983, which incorporates about eight km of strike length of the Tabba Tabba Shear Zone. Sampling was commenced immediately before the wet season arrives in the Pilbara.
