Poseidon Nickel Ltd (ASX:POS, OTC:PSDNF) has enhanced the copper-gold and lithium exploration prospectivity of its Lake Johnston Project in Western Australia.
“Following completion of our recent soil sampling program at Lake Johnston, we continue to receive positive results that have enhanced the greenfield opportunities at this project,” Poseidon CEO Brendan Shalders said.
“These include the copper-gold opportunities at Billy Ray and Norfolk prospects, and the lithium potential across the Mantis tenement E63/2244.
“Due to the historic nickel focus, large areas of the Lake Johnston greenstone belt that are prospective for gold, lithium and base metals have been underexplored with no surface geochemistry coverage or assays for these targeted metals."
Lake Johnston gold in soil anomalies and coverage of previously untested area across the tenements.
Billy Ray copper-gold prospect
Preparation for drilling is underway at the project’s Billy Ray Prospect.
Here, infill soil sampling results have confirmed a 1-kilometre by 1.2-kilometre bullseye-shaped copper-gold anomaly.
The highest soil copper-gold values, of 71ppb gold and 141ppm copper, are concentrated near the eastern margin of the prospect, an area untested by drilling.
“The Billy Ray Prospect is a coherent bullseye-shaped copper-gold anomaly extending onto the Mantis tenement, with the highest values concentrated on the eastern margins which have not been drill tested,” Shalders said.
“The western extent of the soil anomaly is supported by the previously reported mineralised copper-gold drill intersection, which supports the prospectivity for a larger copper-gold system.
“The company is currently working on getting all the permitting approvals to allow for priority drilling to test this promising target.”
Priority reconnaissance drilling programs are planned to test this promising target once all necessary approvals are in place.
Norfolk, an untested gold target
The Norfolk prospect is an emerging second untested gold target at Lake Johnston.
Maiden reconnaissance sampling results across the farm-in Mantis tenement (E63/2244) have successfully extended the open-ended Norfolk gold anomaly.
The company plans to soon commence an infill soil sampling program to better define the extent and grade distribution for this emerging gold-in-soil target.
Shalders said, “The Norfolk prospect presents a second emerging gold exploration target in the region based on a promising gold in soil anomaly that has been successfully extended onto the Mantis JV tenements.
“The results have also identified a large 2.3-kilometre by 3.4-kilometre lithium anomaly which remains open to the west with a maximum soil sample value of 495ppm lithium oxide (Li2O) extending south from lithium-bearing pegmatites which returned high grades from 2.80% up to 3.85% Li2O.
“Further to this, the anomalous values noted are commensurate with other anomalies previously reported by peer lithium explorers in the Lake Johnston region.
“Further infill soil sampling within the Mantis tenements is scheduled to start shortly to progress copper, gold and lithium targets in parallel.
“The company has also completed infill soil sampling at Black Swan during the second half of September 2024, awaiting results. The information obtained will be used for planning drill programs to test the gold targets identified.”
“The maiden Mantis soil program is part of a larger systematic program that will be assayed for a broad suite of pathfinder elements to provide baseline coverage for the first time over the entire Lake Johnston tenement package. The results from the Mantis program have been very successful on several fronts.”
The company will commence an infill soils program straight after the Norfolk program.
What's ahead?
Poseidon plans to undertake further soil sampling programs at Lake Johnston in the near future to continue to build out the gold, lithium and base metal opportunities at the project.
The company is also progressing planning for shallow aircore and/or RC drilling at Billy Ray to test this advanced copper-gold target. A flora survey is planned over the spring season this year to support planning approvals.
At Black Swan the company is awaiting results from the recent infill soil sampling and grab sampling programs completed at the Wilson Prospect and several other gold anomalies.
Results are expected in the following weeks and will be used to optimise drill targets to complete shallow aircore or RC drilling.