Riversgold Ltd (ASX:RGL) has intersected multiple lithium-rich pegmatite dykes in its maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at the Tambourah project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
The current program comprising 21 holes for about 2,500 metres has been designed to test a number of exploration models and targets at Bengal, where narrow surface lepidolite had been mapped.
Five holes for a total of 587 metres have been drilled as of November 1, 2022, with the first batch of samples to be sent to Perth for multi-element assaying next week.
The initial RC drilling has confirmed that a significant spodumene and lepidolite lithium mineralisation system exists at Tambourah.
A second drill program is now being planned for additional metres, where the priority Lion and Ragdoll prospects as well as substantially wider subsurface targets have been identified from mapping and deep ground penetrating radar (DGPR).
The program is expected to be completed before the end of the year.
Chip tray showing interval from 15.0 to 29.0 metres.
Scratching the surface
Riversgold executive chairman David Lenigas said: “To make such a significant discovery in the early stages of our maiden drilling program at Tambourah is a testimony to the potential of the project.
"We are only really scratching the surface of this system, as we have only drilled about 20% of holes in this current program and still have another 16 kilometres of prospective granite/greenstone contact to properly explore.
“The Pilbara is renowned as being a premier mining jurisdiction with an incredible endowment of lithium. Its high quality, efficient infrastructure and track record of project development make it a tier-one jurisdiction in which to operate.
"With the current developments and planned future downstream infrastructure, the Pilbara is shaping up to be a global battery minerals hub.
“Our team has taken Tambourah from acquisition as an Exploration Licence Application in March 2022 and turned it into a discovery in less than 10 months.
"The model being applied based on the mapping and deep ground penetrating radar (DGPR) provided a thesis of a considerable lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) type pegmatite, which in part was generally quite narrow at surface, and only expressed itself as lepidolite.
"This system was interpreted to transition to a much wider system with spodumene at depth. The drilling has confirmed this model and has to date far exceeded our expectations.
“This initial drilling focused on the easiest areas of access which were only short traverses from existing access tracks and roads and represented second-order targets from a mapping, sampling and DGPR perspective.
"Drilling of our higher priority targets is still ahead of us. In addition, the targets drilled to date are open at depth and along strike.
“We have a lot more work to do here now and we look forward to providing the market with further updates on the progress of our exploration of Tambourah and across the rest of our WA lithium portfolio.”
Bengal targets and drill holes completed to date.
Above expectations
Riversgold chief executive officer Julian Ford added: “The initial results from the maiden RC drill program have exceeded our expectations. I’m hugely encouraged that our third drill hole found classic zonation with lepidolite at the margins and spodumene mineralisation in the centre within a 13-metre-wide pegmatite.
“This drill intercept, at an interpreted depth of approximately 10 metres below surface, occurred where previous lepidolite rock chips graded 1.5% to 2% Li2O at surface over less than a metre width outcrop.
"We look forward to further drilling and getting the assays and mineralogy results for this maiden discovery.”
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