Accelerate Resources Ltd (ASX:AX8) has executed a Native Title and Heritage Exploration Agreement (NTA) with the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation (NAC) in preparation for drilling at the Prinsep Lithium Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.
A heritage survey will now be carried out in the lead-up to a first phase drilling program at Prinsep, an advanced, drill-ready project that is 15 kilometres south of the regional centre of Karratha and 35 kilometres west of Azure Minerals’ Andover Lithium discovery.
Azure is currently subject to a $1.7 billion takeover offer by SQM (NYSE:SQM) and Hancock Prospecting.
Framework for surveys
Accelerate chief executive officer Luke Meter said: “We thank the Ngarluma Aboriginal Corporation for their support and assistance in finalising this agreement.
"The NTA provides Accelerate with the framework to complete the heritage and ethnographic surveys necessary to responsibly explore and drill the exciting walk-up drill targets at the Prinsep Lithium Project without disturbing areas of cultural significance."
Accelerate is working closely with the NAC to finalise the details and the timing of the heritage and ethnographic survey over the Prinsep Lithium Project.
PoW applications lodged
In addition, the company has also lodged PoW applications with the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DEMIRS) for approval.
While this is taking place, the company will source consumables and infrastructure to ensure rapid deployment once all permit requirements have been completed with drilling expected to begin next quarter.
Location of the Karratha Lithium Projects with publicly reported pegmatite occurrences and prospects.
Prinsep forms part of the company’s larger Karratha Lithium Projects portfolio which encompasses about 90 square kilometres of prospective tenure within the emerging Karratha-Roebourne hard-rock lithium belt.
Mmineralisation has so far been defined across two subparallel pegmatite zones, each over 1,800 metres in length with widths up to 60 metres.
Significant rock chip sample assay results from Prinsep include 2.06% Li2O, 1.87% Li2O, 1.66% Li2O, 1.55% Li2O and 1.31% Li2O.
Detailed soil sampling
Accelerate has contracted field services company Terra Search to complete extensive soil sampling over high-priority areas of the Karratha Lithium Projects.
This will consist of around 630 samples collected on a nominal 100 x 400-metre north-south grid over portions of the Prinsep, Mt Sholl East and Roebourne South projects.
It is expected to aid in the company’s understanding of lithium distribution within the developing Karratha-Roebourne hard rock lithium belt as well as to identify new anomalous lithium targets by comparing the data against known mineralisation at Prinsep.
The program is expected to take about two weeks to complete, with samples being dispatched to Labwest in Perth for Ultrafine Fraction (UFF) analysis.