Stelar Metals Ltd (ASX:SLB) is making progress with exploration at the Trident Lithium Project near Broken Hill in Far West NSW, revealing the presence of substantial new pegmatite formations to the south of the project.
Findings from the company's geological mapping and surface sampling highlight the discovery of two major zoned pegmatites, named Pilgrim and Sabre.
Additional strike
Pilgrim extends around 2 kilometres north-south with widths up to 500 metres and Sabre stretches 4 kilometres east-west with widths reaching up to 700 metres.
An additional strike length of 3.2 kilometres, termed Trident North, has also been mapped, extending the known mineralised zone north of the previously drilled Trident area and linking with Mount Euriowie.
This extension represents a significant increase in the potential lithium-bearing footprint of the area.
Preliminary analysis includes the processing of 64 rock-chip samples by Intertek Laboratories, with outcomes anticipated shortly.
What’s more, Stelar Metals collected 83 rock-chip and 627 soil samples in February for initial in-house analysis using portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LiBS) technologies, with selected samples poised for further examination by Intertek.
The company is also conducting petrological and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to comprehensively characterise the lithium mineralogy and related alterations.
Upcoming second-phase drilling
These efforts will help Stelar refine its understanding of geology and mineralisation patterns in the area, which will inform the upcoming second phase of drilling scheduled for mid-2024.
The company’s exploration success at Trident builds on the historical significance of the area as one of Australia's initial lithium mining locales, known for its lithium and tin-bearing pegmatites.
This region's pegmatite system, extending over a 20-kilometre strike length within the Euriowie Tin Pegmatite Field, has shown promising signs of hard-rock lithium mineralisation.
The company's inaugural reverse circulation drilling program conducted in late 2023 yielded substantial lithium grades, including an 8-metre intersection at 1.16% Li2O, alongside broader mineralised zones.
The pegmatite system is open to the north, where it appears to thicken and deepen.
CEO Colin Skidmore said: “The latest mapping this year highlights the immense scale of the pegmatite systems in the Trident Lithium Project.
“While we complete the detailed analysis of the previous drilling, the mapping and surface sampling will continue so we can prioritise targets to design the next drill program optimally.”