Calidus Resources Limited (ASX:CAI) has recorded significant results from the maiden drilling programme at Pirra Lithium’s Spear Hill discovery located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Pirra Lithium is owned equally by Calidus and Haoma Mining NL.
The initial drill programme comprised 20 holes for 1,535m. The programme tested an exposed pegmatite that has yielded rock-chip assays of 0.66%–2.34% Li2O2 and a second poorly- exposed pegmatite to the north.
The maiden drilling programme at Spear Hill has demonstrated the down-dip continuity of outcropping pegmatites and identified broad lithium anomalism,” Calidus Managing Director Dave Reeves said.
“The drilling represents only a small portion of the outcropping lithium pegmatites, with another 3km of strike length of pegmatite untested.
“In our gold exploration program, RC drill rigs are currently being mobilised to the Marble Bar Goldfield and to Blue Spec West. We are very excited to get the maiden drill program underway at Blue Spec West where we will be testing strong gold-in-soil anomalies present over 2.5km of strike length”.
Spear Hill
The Spear Hill area, about 50km SW of Marble Bar, is part of the historic Shaw River tin field which was mined for alluvial tin from 1893–1975.
Twenty RC holes for a total of 1,535m were drilled to test the dip and thickness of the pegmatite and the along-strike and down-dip extents of lithium mineralisation. The holes were drilled at -60° toward the SSW to intersect the pegmatite near to perpendicular. The drilling has confirmed that the pegmatite dips gently to the NNE and can be traced for over 250m down dip from the surface exposures. Eight planned holes at the far western end of the main pegmatite could not be drilled owing to boggy ground due to unseasonably heavy rain during the drilling program and will form part of the next phase of drilling.
Eleven of the 20 holes contained Intercepts of >0.5% Li2O. Significant intercepts include:
- 2m @ 1.11% Li2O from 19m in 22PIRC026
- 2m @ 1.09% Li2O from 5m in 22PIRC020
- 2m @ 1.03% Li2O from 25m in 22PIRC031
- 3m @ 0.95% Li2O from 4m in 22PIRC021, and
- 4m @ 0.74% Li2O from 20m in 22PIRC025.
Most of the intercepts were accompanied by narrow, strongly anomalous haloes (>0.1% Li2O) and 18 of the 20 holes contained one or more intervals of at least 1.0m @ >0.1% Li2O. Strong correlations between Li and Rb and Cs are consistent with lepidolite as the main ore mineral defined to date at Spear Hill.
Blue Spec West (E46/1026)
On August 2, 2022, Calidus announced a zone of strong gold-in-soil anomalism defined over >3km strike length within the Blue Spec Fault Zone west of the Blue Spec mine. The main zone of anomalism is coincident with hyperspectral indicators of alteration and a structural corridor. Follow-up field work has confirmed that the main zone of anomalism coincides with an increase in carbonate alteration and quartz-ankerite veins.
The soil samples were analysed by Calidus field personnel for Au using the novel detectORE method developed by Portable PPB within 48 hours of the samples being collected. This has allowed the entire timeframe from sampling to approvals granted to be compressed so that drilling could be carried out before the end of the field season in the Pilbara.
A programme of work (PoW) for an initial program of drilling was approved by DMIRS on the 27th of September 2022. A heritage survey carried out by Njamal Traditional Owners in September indicated that there are no heritage sites within the proposed drilling area on E46/1026. Drilling commenced this week.
Twenty holes will test the corridor of anomalism over a strike length of 2.5km.
Marble Bar (E45/5172)
On E45/5172, just outside Marble Bar, eight RC holes were drilled by Calidus in December 2021 to test the down-dip potential of the main quartz reef which was the focus of historic mining on the goldfield. The only historic holes were drilled adjacent to the quartz reef.
Several high-grade intercepts, including 2m @ 8.03g/t Au from 22m in 21MBRC005 (incl. 1m @ 11.87g/t from 23m), 2m @ 6.75g/t Au from 48m in 21MBRC002 (incl. 1m @ 12.94g/t from 48m), and 2m @ 4.53g/t Au from 85m in 21MBRC007 (incl. 1m @ 8.34g/t from 85m) provided sufficient encouragement to test the reef further down dip and along strike to the south. Infill holes will also be drilled to determine the continuity of grade and thickness of the quartz reef.
