Kingfisher (LON:KGF) Mining Ltd (ASX:KFM) has demonstrated the lithium potential of its Chalby Chalby Project in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia with the further discovery of lithium up to 0.61% in rock chips during first-pass exploration sampling.
The company has mapped more than 11,000 metres of outcropping pegmatites covering an area of 3.3 kilometres by 3 kilometres at Chalby Chalby.
The latest rock chip results have confirmed the continuity of the high-grade nature of lithium at the project including:
- 0.61% Li2O (MWGS2784);
- 0.46% Li2O (MWGS2780);
- 0.37% Li2O (MWGS2777);
- 0.26% Li2O (MWGS2772);
- 0.26% Li2O (MWGS2788);
- 0.26% Li2O (MWGS2781); and
- 0.25% Li2O (MWGS2783).
Pegmatite outcrop.
Potential is there
“The latest results from Chalby Chalby highlight the significant potential for the discovery of lithium-bearing pegmatites within the company’s Gascoyne tenure,” Kingfisher executive director and chief executive officer James Farrell said.
“We have mapped pegmatites over 11 kilometres of strike at Chalby Chalby in an area which covers just 1% of our extensive Gascoyne tenure.
“Ongoing exploration in these areas alongside our exciting exploration for high-grade rare earth elements is now a priority for the company.
“We have also recently flown additional geophysical surveys across our Gascoyne tenure, completing the high-resolution geophysics coverage for our tenure and providing valuable insights for the ongoing targeting of rare earth elements and lithium.”
Follow-up sampling
Chalby Chalby sits along strike from the Thirty Three Suite pegmatites, which are known to host lithium at Delta Lithium’s Yinnetharra Project, where initial drilling has generated results up to 29 metres at 1.39% lithium.
Kingfisher plans to undertake follow-up soil sampling to define sub-cropping and undercover targets in the coming weeks.
The results are expected in the fourth quarter and will guide targets for drill testing.
Mapped pegmatites at Chalby Chalby and lithium results from rock chip samples.
Rare earth in the mix
Apart from lithium, the company has also been conducting exploration for rare earth elements (REEs) along the 54-kilometre Chalba target corridor and the 30-kilometre-long Lockier target corridor.
The program is testing high-priority carbonatite targets to build upon the earlier discovery of large-scale, high-grade REE mineralisation along the Chalba target corridor.
Kingfisher has lined up the following exploration work for the 2023 field season:
- Significant on-ground mapping and sampling targeting interpreted “Mt Weld style” carbonatite plugs as well as dyke mineralisation and alteration, which can be used to vector towards the large-scale source of intrusions;
- The results will be used for drill planning of the high-priority targets;
- RC drilling to test carbonatite targets at Mick Well, Kingfisher and Arthur River;
- Ground-based gravity at LK1 and Mick Well;
- The gravity survey will be used to model higher density rocks (potential mineralised carbonatites) at depth;
- Surface geochemical survey over the large-scale high-priority LK1 target at Arthur River, where mapping is restricted by deep weathering associated with the highly altered rocks and cover;
- Surface geochemistry at Chalby Chalby to define additional lithium-bearing pegmatite drill targets; and
- Further airborne geophysics to incorporate Mooloo and North Chalba Projects to its early-stage target generation.