Australian battery minerals explorer, Firetail Resources Limited (ASX: FTL) has extended detailed field mapping to an area of approximately 2.5km by 2.0km and identified pegmatite and quartz bearing veins surrounding several known lithium occurrences in exploration activities at its Yalgoo Lithium Project (Yalgoo) in Western Australia.
Assay results from rock chip samples have highlighted two new areas prospective for lithium mineralisation, with several anomalous results returned for Lithium, Caesium and Tantalum at Yalgoo.
Executive Chairman, Brett Grosvenor, said the company is highly encouraged by this geological evidence and is excited to soon be embarking upon its maiden drilling campaign, in what will be the first ever drilling designed to test the potential of pegmatite-hosted Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) mineralisation at the project.
Highlights:
• Second mapping campaign confirms and extends lithium bearing pegmatite footprint at Yalgoo Project, following the success of an initial mapping programme undertaken in May 2022
• Anomalous Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) assays of up to 1,309ppm Li2O (FFR26360), 398ppm Cs (FFR26184) and 253ppm Ta (FFR26384), respectively, returned from rock chip samples, providing further confidence in the potential of the Yalgoo Project area to host significant LCT mineralisation
• Maiden drilling campaign targeting LCT mineralisation at Yalgoo scheduled to commence in late September, following completion of a Heritage Survey
• Further exploration targets being generated from regional datasets at the expansive Yalgoo and Dalgaranga Lithium Projects
“Work to date indicates that we are onto something really exciting at Yalgoo. The team is building geological datasets that continue to point in the direction of a potentially large-scale lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) bearing pegmatite system,” Mr Grosvenor said.
“We are now well positioned to proceed with our maiden drilling campaign at Yalgoo, with POW approvals in place, and a Heritage Survey booked in the coming fortnight, we are anticipating commencement of drilling in the coming four to six weeks.
“We find ourselves in an enviable position, to be exploring a very large, well-located land package, highly prospective for pegmatite hosted LCT mineralisation, which until now has never been systematically explored.”
A total of 231 rock chip samples of various rock types were collected, predominantly pegmatite and quartz bearing veins, with some samples also taken from granitoid material. The latest multi-element geochemical rock chip assay data have been sent to a consulting geochemist and the Company awaits interpretation of their results with respect to lithium prospectivity.
Next Steps
The company is excited to soon be embarking upon a maiden drilling campaign at the Yalgoo Project, testing for the presence of LCT mineralisation, as confirmed by multiple campaigns of mapping and surface geochemical sampling.
Next steps and activities planned for the Yalgoo Project include:
• Heritage Survey- scheduled for mid-September
• Earthmoving for drilling access- scheduled for mid-late September
• Maiden 2000m RC Drilling Campaign- scheduled for late September- early October
• Geochemical Interpretation:
o rock chip results from latest mapping campaign – geochemical Interpretation for lithium prospectivity
o soil sample (assay results pending)- once results received, to be sent to consulting geochemist for interpretation
• Target Generation- review results from geochemistry and first pass drilling to determine and rank highpriority targets, and plan follow-up work programmes.
For further information please visit: https://www.firetailresources.com.au/
