Lightning Minerals Ltd (ASX:L1M) has identified a lithium-rubidium anomaly from a soil sampling program at the Dundas Project in Western Australia.
These early results have highlighted an approximate 2 by 2-kilometre lithium in soil anomaly above 60ppm on tenement E63/2001 as well as a larger rubidium soil anomaly above 60ppm extending to the east.
The company is undertaking a regional soil sampling campaign across its Dundas tenements to explore lithium anomalies and indicators of potential lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) mineralisation.
During the campaign, Lightning outlined a peak assay result of 112ppm lithium, with multiple samples exceeding 60ppm.
Meanwhile, pathfinder results suggest the potential identification of LCT pegmatite mineralisation.
Moving forward, these assays form the basis for further exploration in an emerging lithium province, with the drill permitting process underway.
“Significant lithium district”
Lightning minerals CEO Alex Biggs said: “These early results continue to build the company’s confidence in the Dundas region as a significant lithium district.
“Anomalies along the same interpreted structure with known lithium mineralisation to the north and south are very promising.
“We are continuing to investigate the source of anomalies, both on tenement E63/2001 and our other Dundas tenements where soil sampling is continuing.
“We continue our exploration with our soil sampling campaign and geophysical interpretation works, with a view to developing high-quality drill targets for testing”.
Lithium UFF+ soil anomalism >60ppm contours on Interpreted 1:100,000 GSWA interpreted geology.
Soil sampling program
As part of the initial reconnaissance exploration campaign, samples were collected on a nominal 400 x 400-metre grid across the tenement, analysis was completed using the Ultrafine + (UFF+) technique with chemical analysis for a suite of 62 elements including lithium and associated pathfinders for LCT mineralisation.
The objective of this first-pass exploration phase is to assess the project for mineralisation hosted within fractionated pegmatitic intrusive bodies prospective for LCT and to aid drill planning with increased confidence in potential sites of mineralisation.
Analytical results from the UFF+ method employed by Lab West have revealed a 2 x 2-kilometre lithium soil anomaly at >60ppm, which shows a broadly northwest-southeast orientation.
The lithium anomalism occurs within interpreted felsic volcanic lithologies.
Within this, a coherent zone of north-south trending anomalism of >100ppm lithium is present, with three contiguous samples and a peak value of 112ppm lithium.
Rubidium anomalism is broadly coincident with the elevated lithium values related to the interpreted felsic volcanic lithology.
Rubidium UFF+ soil anomalism >60ppm contours on Interpreted 1:100,000 GSWA interpreted geology.
Forward plan
Soil geochemistry results will be integrated into the exploration prioritisation strategy which includes geophysical interpretation, further field reconnaissance and planning for drill testing
The combination of anomalous UFF+ soil geochemistry and areas of structural interest shown in the open file geophysics increases the potential prospectivity of E63/2001.
Lightning’s geology team is planning to follow up on anomalies and conduct further exploration early next month.
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