Red Dirt Metals Limited (ASX: RDT) has mobilised five drill rigs to site to commence a 60,000 metre drilling campaign at the Mt Ida Lithium Project in Western Australia.
The company also has two rigs at the Yinnetharra Lithium Project, with a third rig due to arrive this quarter
Mt Ida Lithium Project (100%)
Work underway will test regional exploration targets and extend and upgrade previously reported resources of 12.7Mt at 1.2% Li2O – 19 October 2022. The programme will also gather data to establish geotechnical parameters for pit wall angles, sterilise ground for waste dumps and process infrastructure, and include grade control drilling in advance of detailed mine development studies at both the Sister Sam and Timoni deposits.
The company is currently on track to lodge mining approvals documentation with the WA State Government in early February with the intention to start mining operations in the December quarter 2023.
Yinnetharra Lithium Project (100%)
After acquiring the Yinnetharra Project in September 2022, the company started drilling in November and completed 16 diamond holes for 3,250 metres during 2022. The results of these initial drillholes are due from the laboratory in February.
The company has started a 90,000 metre drilling programme at Yinnetharra. This extensive campaign is focused on understanding broad geological controls to mineralisation, with the aim of discovering and defining new lithium deposits ahead of resource drilling planned for later in 2023. The company has identified 40 targets to be tested in 2023. There are currently two rigs on site, one diamond rig and one RC rig. A third rig (RC) is due to arrive on site later this quarter.
The plan is to complete a big campaign of drilling and permitting leading into the development of Western Australia’s next lithium mining project at Mt Ida in late 2023. This is going to be a very exciting year for the company,” Chairman, David Flanagan, said.