Red Dirt Metals Limited (ASX: RDT) is set to undertake an expanded and aggressive exploration strategy at its 100% owned Mt Ida Lithium-Gold Project in Western Australia.
The aim is to expand upon significant areas of known LCT (lithium-caesiumtantalum) pegmatites and increase exploration activity systematically across the wider Mt Ida tenement area.
“Progress has been very rapid at Mt Ida since the acquisition in late 2021 with drilling only commencing in October last year,” Managing Director Matthew Boyes said.
“We are now moving towards the delineation of our maiden resource and completing extensive metallurgical testwork on the pegmatites discovered to date.
“The commencement of regional geochem and aircore programmes over the remainder of our tenure is a critical step towards truly understanding the potential of the Mt Ida project which to date has been only explored for precious metals.
“We have further strengthened our financial position with the recent capital raise now successfully completed.”
Expanded Exploration Strategy
• Ongoing RC Drilling on resource delineation and expansion of known pegmatites
• Ongoing Diamond Drilling for depth extensions to logged pegmatites & delivery of metallurgical core samples
• Expansion of regional exploration by targeted soil geochemistry program 2,000+ sites along both the western & eastern corridors
• A 2-stage programmr of Aircore Drilling of the goldilocks corridor of 320 holes up to 20,000m+ targeting immediate prospects under cover & follow up of soil anomalism Project-Wide Regional Exploration Focus;
• Step out drilling from the main Central South & Central North pegmatites is continuing with structures now being tested with a POW approved over prospective corridor to the north of the Central Area
• Approximately 2.5km of prospective strike to be tested in first pass programme with pattern RC drilling down to 120m depth and Aircore drilling over the granite contact
• Regional soil survey program is designed with approximately 2,600 sample sites to be tested on both the eastern and western limbs of the Copperfield granitic intrusive, commencing March 14
• Soil samples to be initially tested with portable XRF in the field to determine Lithium Index, with follow up wet chemical ICP analysis to be completed at the laboratory
• Regional scale Aircore programme to commence in early Q2 initially testing western limb of the granite with 320 Aircore holes within preferred host rocks on the western margin of the granite on a 200 x 100m pattern.
Central Area Pegmatites
• Resource definition drilling and continued expansion of mineralised horizons is ongoing with RDT targeting a maiden Mt Ida Lithium-Tantalum resource estimate by Q3 2022
• Metallurgical diamond core is now being drilled from the four main known pegmatite intrusive, core will be cut sampled and half-core submitted to laboratory for detailed preliminary testwork programme
• Full mineralogical characterisation study to be undertaken on each individual intrusive Step Out RC drilling Step out RC driling has now commenced approximately 1km north of the Mt Ida Central zone.
The programme is targeting previously delineated and mapped zones of structural displacement within the prospective Anorthosite host unit that hosts the large pegmaitite bodies to the south.
To date, all the known and recently drilled pegmatites are located proximal to major east-west trending faults pre-dating the granitic intrusion.
The majority of this area is devoid of any outcrop and covered with 2.0-5.0m of transported material making the targets effectively blind to surface, and demanding geochem and drilling as the most effective exploration tools for further discovery.
Regional Aircore and Geochemical Programme
Since acquisition of the Mt Ida Project there has been no soil or auger soil sampling programmes completed with the purpose of identify new blind LCT bearing targets. The only available historical geochemical datasets available have focussed exclusivley on precious metals.
The company now intends to undertake specific LCT targeted soil geochem programmes on a regional scale with an extensive surface sampling programme commencing this week.
Soils will be analysed via pXRF with Geochemical Services Pty Ltd and Dr Nigel Brand being contracted to provide assistance in the interpretation of the lithium signature in the initial XRF data, which will then be followed up with a full wet chemical analysis.
RDT has designed the programme to test the entire 14km western and approximately the same extent on the southern and eastern contacts and prospective units.
A 320 hole aircore drill programme has also been designed, with RDT awaiting POW approval before commencing work, and is tentatively scheduled for mid-April at this stage.
