Data Review Enhances Prospectivity At Greenbushes South
Galan Lithium Limited (ASX: GLN) has completed a review of historical data contained within the libraries of Australian scientific body the CSIRO which has enhanced the prospectivity of its Greenbushes South Lithium project in Western Australia.
Galan reviewed the historical CSIRO data sets of laterite geochemistry, along with other geological studies. This CSIRO study defines geochemical anomalies within the laterite soils across the Greenbushes region due to the dispersion minerals and elements during extensive weathering of the mineralized Li-Sn-Ta pegmatites.
This study was undertaken before Talison Lithium Pty Ltd’s mine commenced production, when the ore deposit was still concealed. This study confirmed the feasibility to explore for a concealed deposit of this style of mineralisation. Elements such as As, Sn, Be, Sb, Nb, Ta and B were used to define the anomaly and were centred over the deposit.
Galan will now augment this data set by extending the coverage of soil sampling on from the historical data sets, with a focus on the most anomalous area located to the north east of Greenbushes South holding.
Mapping and rock chip sampling will also be undertaken. The objective is to confirm historical data and define extensions of geochemical anomalies and therefore potential mineralisation into Galan’s Greenbushes South tenure. These results would then be used to delineate potential targets for further exploration such as drilling.
Galan’s Competent Person, Dr Luke Milan, said historical geochemical assays of pisolitic laterites surrounding the Greenbushes deposit indicate well defined multi element dispersion from the source of the outcropping mineralised pegmatites.
“By plotting pathfinder elements such as As, Sn, Sb and Ta, the general trend and extent of the anomaly surrounding the deposit can be seen in the figures below. Additional soil sampling within the current holdings is planned to augment the current data set to delineate any potential along strike extension of the Greenbushes deposit to the south,” Dr Milan said.
The Greenbushes South Lithium Project located 200 km south of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. With an area of 353 sq. km, the Project was originally acquired by Lithium Australia NL due to its proximity to the Greenbushes Lithium Mine, given that the Project covers the southern strike projection of the geological structure that hosts Greenbushes. The Project area commences approximately 3km south of the Greenbushes open pit mining operations.
Greenbushes is currently the largest hard-rock lithium mine in the world, operated since May 2014 by Talison Lithium Pty Ltd, an incorporated joint venture between Tianqi Lithium Corporation (51%) and Albemarle Corporation (49%). Greenbushes produces a concentrate of the lithium mineral, spodumene, to feed both China and Western Australian based mineral conversion plants or consumers of spodumene concentrates in Europe, North America and China. Australian mining company IGO Limited recently signed a deal to acquire a 24.99% stake in Greenbushes from Tianqi Lithium Corporation.
Reports of work by earlier explorers within the Project record the presence of pegmatites – a rock type that may host spodumene – and so provides immediate exploration targets. Much of this earlier work focused on the discovery of the minerals cassiterite (tin) and tantalite (tantalum), as Greenbushes was at different times mined for these minerals before spodumene (lithium) became the major driver of revenue.
The Greenbushes South project area is deemed to have had a low level of exploration maturity, with no available drilling results for lithium or lithium pathfinders. Numerous MINDEX occurrences of lithium, beryl, tin feldspar tourmaline and mica are found in the project area, potentially indicating lithium-Caesium-Tantalum mineralisation associated with pegmatites.
Critically, the project area due south of the Greenbushes mine is highly prospective due to potential for along strike extensions south into the project area. This project area is host to a large strike length of the Donnybrook – Bridgetown Shear Zone hosting the Greenbushes mine deposit.
