Stelar Metals Ltd (ASX:SLB) has started its first hard rock lithium drilling program at the Trident Lithium Project in Far West NSW, which it acquired earlier this year.
CEO Colin Skidmore was understandably buoyant: “Stelar’s team is excited to commence this inaugural drilling program after months of detailed geological mapping, surface sampling, interpretation and stakeholder engagement.”
Hard rock lithium prospects
The Trident project area extends over the 20-kilometre strike length of the Euriowie Tin Pegmatite Field near Broken Hill and is considered to be highly prospective for hard rock lithium mineralisation.
A reverse circulation (RC) program will be conducted by Buillion Drilling Services. It’s going to cover 3,000 metres of drilling at the site to test historical lithium prospects where high-grade rock chips up to 7.86% Li2O were found.
The focus is on testing beneath the historical lithium mines, which have identified major lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites.
Targeting known shallow workings below the oxide zone will provide an opportunity to assess better the lithium mineral zoning in the Trident pegmatite system and test for the presence of spodumene, which is known to weather away near the surface.
The program is designed to be flexible, to allow an initial assessment of the orientation and morphology of the known lithium-mineralised pegmatites.
Stelar’s geologists have worked with expert structural geologists from PGN Geoscience (PGNG) to optimise the drill hole design for the program, working with the structural controls on the orientation and morphology of mapped pegmatites at Trident, Sceptre, Lady Don, Triumph, Stag and Gloria.
This will allow them to better assess the lithium mineral zoning.
Significant development
Trident covers an area of 260 square kilometres and is just 50 kilometres or so north of Broken Hill – an area highly prospective for hard rock lithium mineralisation.
“We look forward to finally testing our interpretations and uncovering the lithium potential,” Skidmore continued.
“This is a significant development for Trident since project acquisition earlier this year, and we look forward to sharing results as they return over the coming months.”
The drill campaign will wrap up by early December and assays will be in around the start of the new year.
In the meantime, the company will continue to map other pegmatites in the Euriowie Pegmatite Field to generate targets for a second round of drilling in early 2024.