Estrella Resources Limited (ASX: ESR) has discovered a significant field of stacked, fractionating pegmatites in the Eastern tenements at the Carr Boyd Project, located 80km north-northeast of Kalgoorlie in Western Australia.
The pegmatites, which so far have been observed up to 16m in width, can be traced across the surface for a few hundred metres before being obscured by the alluvial sediments that cross the majority of the area.
The Carr Boyd Rocks Monzogranite partially intrudes the northern section of the Carr Boyd layered mafic intrusion. Monzogranites are associated with other Western Australian lithium deposits and this precedence is an important factor in assessing the positive potential of Estrella’s tenure to host LCT pegmatites.
The discovery of a significant field of stacked, fractionating pegmatites in the Eastern tenements at Carr Boyd is encouraging and, while its early days, it further highlights the project’s LCT potential,” Managing Director Chris Daws said.
“Coupled with the additional pegmatite system recently located within the Western tenements, this bodes well for the upcoming work programme consisting of mapping and sampling currently underway across the tenements.
“This will be followed by targeted soil sampling programme to guide further exploration. With this further work we hope to gain a strong understanding of the lithium prospectivity which may eventually lead to generation of lithium targets for drilling.
“Estrella’s lithium work enhances the company’s potential to make a significant discovery while imposing only minor costs, allowing us to simultaneously maintain our primary focus of unlocking further nickel sulphides at Carr Boyd. I look forward to further updating shareholders as we progress with this work programe.”
Associated with the monzogranite is a 14km long by nine km wide area of surficial quartz and pegmatite float material within alluvial and colluvial sediments. The northern section of the sedimentary plains consists of shallow cover through which numerous fractionated pegmatites can be seen outcropping.
The outcropping pegmatites can be traced for a few hundred metres before going beneath the cover again. Preliminary findings are that the fractionates are occurring in a late east-west fracture set developed off a main north-south corridor of more granitic material.
The pegmatite mineralogy observed in the field is dominantly feldspar (>70%) with the majority of that being albite with minor plagioclase and microcline.
A more complete mapping and sampling program has been initiated and is underway across the tenements. A targeted soil sampling program will then follow to guide further exploration.