Lithium explorer Metalicity Limited (ASX:MCT) has appointed consultancy CSA Global to a provide a targeted assessment of the best opportunities within its four lithium projects in Western Australia.
Metalicity has a significant landholding of 8958 sq km in Australia’s two key lithium producing districts, the Greenbushes district and the Wodgina-Pilgangoora district and the CSA geological review is targeting the generation of new targets and prioritising existing targets for future drilling.
Metalicity Managing Director, Matt Gauci, said previous targeting work conducted by Metalicity has focussed on mapping of pegmatites at its Pilgangoora North Project and the Stannum prospect within its Wodgina South Project.
He said this area represents approximately 20% of Metalicity’s lithium-prospective land package so significant potential remains to generate new targets for drilling within Australia’s two most significant hard rock lithium producing regions.
“The initial four-hole drill program at Pilgangoora North targeted the most accessible pegmatites which represent a small fraction of the mapped or interpreted pegmatites that have been identified at the project, some of which are confirmed from rock chip sampling as lithium bearing,” Mr Gauchi said.
“Given the size of the company’s lithium portfolio and interest from end users in the sector, we believe this is a right time to appoint lithium experts from CSA Global to conduct a targeting review of our entire lithium portfolio and determine the best strategy to progress these assets.”
The company also provided an update on its Pilgangoora North Project (EL 45/4356, EL45/4148, EL45/4227) which was acquired from Fortescue Metals Group earlier this year.
Recent fieldwork in the project area at Pilgangoora North has confirmed that pegmatites interpreted from satellite imagery, are present; some of which host anomalous lithium values.
Mr Gauci said the interpreted and confirmed pegmatites occur over an extensive 10 km x 4 km area and where observed during field work are commonly shallowly dipping, and possibly stacked, sill-like bodies.
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The southernmost pegmatites within the project area are located 1 km to the north of the Lynas Find deposit, within the world class Pilgangoora Lithium Project owned by Pilbara Minerals Limited, now ranked as the second largest hard rock lithium deposit in the world, and where thick high-grade intersections including 21m at 2.64% Li2O have been reported.
At Pilganoora North an initial four-hole 600 m reverse circulation percussion (RCP) drill programme was aimed at testing pegmatites in the southern portion of the project area that were interpreted to be extensions of the Lynas Find deposit pegmatite system.
The programne within an approximate 300m x 80m extent within the overall 10 km x 4 km target area, intersected pegmatites in every hole. While no significant levels of lithium (>0.5% Li20) were encountered in this program, Mr Gauci said the company is encouraged by the continuity and thickness of the pegmatites, these being comparable to the Pilgangoora deposits to the south (Table 1 and 2).
Multiple untested pegmatite occurrences occur to the east and north of the area drilled and throughout the approximate 10 km x 4 km pegmatite target area; most of which is still to be fully assessed for the presence of lithium mineralised pegmatites.
“Significant upside remains within the company’s lithium exploration portfolio and lithium exploration experts from CSA Global will be working closely with the company to assist in a review of the company’s four lithium projects being Pilgangoora North, Pilgangoora South, Wodgina South and Greenbushes North, to generate new targets for future exploration,” Mr Gauci said.
