Shree Minerals Ltd (ASX:SHH) has used geological mapping to confirm the presence of pegmatite in the spoil from historical drilling at the Dundas Project in Western Australia’s south.
Mapping has identified pegmatite drill chips in the spoil from 10 holes completed during Pan Aust Exploration drilling in 1998 and samples collected will be assayed for lithium as well as the pathfinder elements of caesium and tantalum.
Despite the sample piles being eroded and covered by heavy vegetation regrowth over time, sample chips were readily identified and collected for sampling.
Pegmatite chips from old drill spoil at the Dundas Project.
In lithium area
Shree Minerals’ executive director Sanjay Loyalka said: “The identification of pegmatites in historical drill chips confirms the findings of historical drill logs by past explorers that intersected gold mineralisation.
"Many of the holes drilled intersected pegmatites but these were not the target of the exploration at the time and hence were not assayed for lithium or lithium pathfinder elements.
"It has significant implications for additional discoveries within our tenements. These implications are even more significant because Liontown’s world-class Buldania Lithium Project is only 25 kilometres away.
"The structural setting at Buldania (adjacent to Zuelika Shear) resembles the same settings within Shree’s tenements, highlighted by major regional structures, as suggested from aerial magnetic images.”
White-coloured drill spoil from a historical drill hole.
Cultural heritage survey
A cultural heritage survey was conducted by members of the Ngadju Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (NNTAC) over Shree’s exploration tenements between October 10 and 17 as planned in southern part of E63/2046 and E63/2048.
Within the scheduled survey time, a survey was completed in E63/2046.
However, lack of 4WD vehicle access tracks, very thick vegetation cover (including burnt regrowth on burn scars at Dundas which is thick and difficult to walk through) and other operational issues and difficulties made progress slow and the remainder of the survey could not be completed.
The company will liaise with NNTAC to schedule resumption of the surveying for E63/2048 at the first available opportunity.
A Flora & Fauna Survey was completed for E63/2048 and the southern part of E63/2046 in late August 2022 and early September respectively.
Shree completed a Plan of Works (POW) application during September along with survey reports.
Next steps
Following approval of the POW, aircore drilling will begin over selected gold, lithium and rare earth element (REE) targets.
Aircore drilling is warranted around and along strike of historical drill holes with recorded pegmatite and gold intervals.
Anomalous gold, lithium and REE along with lithium pathfinder geochemistry will then be tested by reverse circulation (RC) drilling.
Following completion of the heritage survey in E63/2048 and approval of the submitted POW, infill auger drilling will commence over the historical gold geochemical targets within E63/2048.
This will target a buried carbonate layer that has been a successful sample medium in outlining gold mineralisation in the Dundas Goldfield and elsewhere in WA.
Samples will be assayed for gold, nickel, base metals, REEs and lithium pathfinder elements. Anomalous auger geochemistry will then be tested by RC drilling.