Wildcat Resources‘ first assays from maiden drilling at its Western Australian Tabba Tabba Lithium-Tantalum project have confirmed high-grade lithium mineralisation running from the surface of its northern and central pegmatite clusters and shown the early potential for a large scale-lithium camp.
Wildcat Managing Director Samuel Ekins said he was confident the company was in the early stages of a major discovery, and it had been a welcome surprise to see the size of the system.
Over 95% of all holes to date have intersected pegmatites and we eagerly await further rounds of assays. Our central pegmatite is now over 1.2km long (open to the north), subvertical and outcropping at widths of over 50m which is very significant,” Mr Elkins said.
Mr Elkins added that given the proximity to major global lithium projects like Pilgangoora and Wodgina, the company saw plenty of potential to uncover a large-scale deposit across an extensive 3.2-kilometre trending pegmatite system.
“We anticipate receiving Foreign Investment Review Board approval for our acquisition of Tabba Tabba and Ministerial Approval by the end of September and bringing our first diamond rig onto site in early October, with more results from our initial drilling expected also,” he said.
Forward plan
Two RC rigs continue to spin over Tabba Tabba, and Wildcat will deploy a diamond rig early next month to accelerate work on its discovery.
Over 66 holes for over 15,000 metres are awaiting assay, with continuous batches to be released over the coming months.
The broadest intersections came from the previously undrilled central area of the leases south of the high-grade 318Kt at 950ppm Ta2O5 tantalum deposit already established at Tabba Tabba.
The central cluster of pegmatites is now defined over 1.2 kilometres of strike, remains open in all directions, and will be the priority of ongoing exploration.
Best results
Central cluster:
- 85m at 1.1% Li2O from surface (TARC086) (down-hole length)
▪ including 59m @ 1.5% Li2O from surface - 218m at 0.8% Li2O from 16m (TARC089) (down-hole length)
▪ including 22m at 1.0% Li2O from 31m
▪ including 23m at 1.0% Li2O from 152m
▪ including 51m at 1.5% Li2O from 183m to end of hole
▪ Estimated true width is approximately 53m
Norhtern cluster:
- 21m at 1.1% Li2O from 42m (TARC055) (est. true width)
- 26m at 0.9% Li2O from 76m (TARC015) (est. true width)
- 20m at 1.3% Li2O from 20m (TARC005) (est. true width)
- 16m at 1.1% Li2O from 17m (TARC001) (est. true width)
