Widgie Nickel Limited (ASX: WIN) has received promising assay results from eight Reverse Circulation (RC) holes from a maiden 18-hole programme completed at the Faraday Lithium prospect Mt Edwards Project in Western Australia.
Drilling conducted on a nominal 40m x 40m spacing over approximately 175 metres of strike has identified lithium bearing pegmatite extending beneath a 600-metre surface outcrop measuring up to 25 metres wide.
The company said the complete set of drill results extremely promising start, highlights the continuous presence of lithium-bearing pegmatite at a high-grade (≥ 0.8%). The results encourage the company to significantly increase lithium exploration activity to fully assess the potential scale of the Faraday prospect.
This initial programme is a resounding success for what is our maiden drill programme targeting lithium and confirming the outstanding critical metals potential of our Mt Edwards project,” Managing Director Steve Norregaard said.
“Lithium is now confirmed as the second major critical mineral within our tenement package which the company will progressively advance in tandem with its highly successful and ongoing nickel exploration effort.
“Widgie looks forward into the new year with great anticipation. Two high-value, high-demand commodities with abundant exploration upside further evidence the immense value inherent in our tenement package which the company is keen to unlock.”
The preliminary RC drilling was conducted to provide an indication of the orientation of the pegmatite and the potential distribution of any associated lithium mineralisation. This drilling has been highly successful, and with only very limited shallow drilling done to date, the presence of high-grade lithium values intersected within the pegmatites demonstrate that the area has the potential to host an economic discovery.
The drilling and assays confirm the pegmatites display a degree of internal fractionation and/or are multiple events with higher lithium grades more often on the contacts of the pegmatite, with further studies planned to determine the elemental distribution. The higher grade (>0.8%) lithium appears to demonstrate good continuity in an NNE/NE orientation within the overall N/S striking pegmatite with infill drilling designed to test this.
The company in tandem with continuing its nickel drill program will now accelerate its lithium exploration across its tenure.
Next Steps
Infill drilling within the area currently drilled to achieve better mineralisation definition is planned for commencement in mid-January with drill density varying from 20m by 20m to some areas designed to be covered on an 10m x10m pattern coincident with better lithium grades.
Upon completion, the company intends to complete a material RC drilling campaign to test the potential of the system along strike (over 400m of untested outcrop) and at depth.
Pending heritage clearance and ongoing drill success the program can thereafter expand further as success dictates.
Metallurgical testing including XRD testing of mineralogy and physical testing of the drill core is now underway with work comprising initial crushing and sizing analysis to understand if any natural bias exists where spodumene reports to certain size fractions preferentially with various other testing regimes planned thereafter upon completion of this initial work.
The company is intending to continue its nickel drill programme and accelerate its lithium exploration across its tenure with the view to defining further drill targets.
For further information please visit: https://www.widgienickel.com.au/