Maximus Resources Ltd (ASX:MXR, OTC:MXRRF) has fielded encouraging assay results from a shallow, wide-spaced reconnaissance drilling program at the Lefroy Lithium Project joint venture (JV) with the Korea Mine Rehabilitation and Mineral Resources Corporation in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.
The first-pass program, which was designed to test an extensive legacy lithium in soil anomaly and out-cropping pegmatites, hit fertile lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites in 23 of 30 holes, with widths up to 18 metres thick.
The company observed continuous lithium mineralisation grading up to 6 metres at 1.11% lithium, including 3 metres at 1.99% lithium from 91 metres of depth across a 600-by-400-metre area, which remains open and untested at depth.
Supplementary X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) mineralogy analysis confirmed the presence of high spodumene (hard rock lithium) content up to 22%.
Successful first drill program
“The company has moved quickly in completing the first phase of the lithium exploration program, which was designed to evaluate several outcropping pegmatites within a large 2-kilometre by 1-kilometre lithium soil anomaly,” Maximus Resources managing director Tim Wither said.
“This first drill program has been a successful start, supporting our geological interpretations of a sequence of stacked pegmatites, aligning to lithium in soil anomalies and importantly providing great direction for follow-up drill program.”
Lithium results of notes from several shallow spodumene-bearing intersections include:
- 5 metres at 1.11% lithium from 111 metres, including 3 metres at 1.72% from 111 metres;
- 5 metres at 0.77% from 59 metres, including 3 metres at 1.18% from 59 metres;
- 12 metres at 0.39% from 78 metres, including 2 metres at 0.87% from 78 metres and 3 metres at 0.65% from 83 metres; and
- 58 metres at 0.11% from 46 metres including 12 metres at 0.25% from 66 metres and including 4 metres at 0.38% from 58 metres.
More exploration to come
“The completion of the first-pass drill program only covers a small area of the greater Lefroy area and demonstrates the outstanding lithium potential, with prime geology in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields,” Wither continued.
“The company has also completed the fieldwork component of the tenement-wide soil geochemistry program, which is expected to deliver additional drill targets.
“Both the soil geochemistry mapping and the first-phase drill program are utilising the non-refundable deposit from KOMIR, with the larger program to commence in early 2024.
“We have only completed a shallow first pass of the initial targeted area and are already seeing consistent lithium grades across a large 600-metre by 400-metre area with multiple intersected pegmatites, which remain open down dip and untested at depths greater than 100 metres.
“The next phase of drilling is expected to commence in early 2024 and will focus on extension and testing at depth.”