Global Lithium Resources Limited (ASX: GL1) has highlighted a large-scale lithium bearing pegmatite system extending to the Northeast with assay results from its 2022 drilling programme at the company’s 100% owned Manna Lithium Project, located 100km east of Kalgoorlie.
The Northeast spodumene extension of the Manna deposit was identified by GL1’s exploration team late last year but due to the priority placed on the Manna Resource upgrade, the area was not drilled until late in the 2022 exploration programme.
The majority of the results from this prospective area have now been received and highlight an 800m long zone that contains large high-grade intercepts of spodumene bearing pegmatites, that extend along strike and down dip in all directions.
This new prospective zone is thought to be a direct extension of the Manna Deposit that has been offset by localised faulting and show well-developed, multiple sheets of thickening pegmatites down dip, with a small upper layer of lepidolite mineralisation that quickly transitions in to a spodumene rich pegmatite.
An interim resource upgrade is currently underway using the remaining assay results from the 2022 drilling programme. It is anticipated that these results will improve the level of confidence and add to the overall size of the resource.
Currently, everything outside the current pit shell outline is not included in the scoping study numbers, this includes all of the North-eastern extension.
The 2023 drilling campaign of ~35,000m will focus on an expanded exploration programme at the Manna Lithium Project targeting our now increased understanding of the lithium mineralogy within the Manna LCT pegmatite system. These new regional targets will be drill tested to depth for possible additional spodumene pegmatites.
I am very pleased with these exceptional assay results within the new North-eastern extension of the Manna Lithium deposit. These results have increased our confidence that this new area could potentially hold significant tonnes and the company will continue to build on the existing Manna Resource,” General Manager Exploration, Stuart Peterson, said.
“The exploration team have planned a large scale, 35,000m drilling program that is targeted to drill out and define new prospective areas within Manna. Our team continues to work hard to understand the extent of the possible strike length of the deposit outside of our current resource estimate”.
The Manna Lithium Project currently hosts a Mineral Resource of 32.7Mt @ 1.0% Li2O1. Global Lithium recently released an updated MRE with an extended drilling program continuing into 2023 to further grow and expand the resource.