Alchemy Resources Ltd (ASX:ALY)’s detailed ground gravity survey at the Hickory prospect at the Karonie Project has yielded encouraging results.
The fieldwork has allowed the company to map out pegmatites under alluvial cover at the prospect and suggests extensions to the north of the existing mapped pegmatite locations.
Multiple new targets
The result is that multiple new targets have been generated, doubling the existing footprint.
A ground gravity survey was completed in December last year, with custom data processing by Perth-based consultancy NewGen Geo, which specialises in the application of geophysics to pegmatite exploration.
The high-resolution gravity survey measures variations in the earth’s gravity field caused by differences in rock density.
Lower density pegmatites intruded into higher density metamorphosed mafics at Hickory are expected to be expressed as a ‘gravity low’ response.
The gravity data, together with known pegmatite locations from drilling and mapping, was used to interpret the northern extensions and outline new targets for follow up work.
Spodumene and lepidolite
The interpreted pegmatite swarm increases in width to the north of the RC drill program completed at Hickory in November 2022, which contained visual spodumene and lepidolite.
Chief executive officer James Wilson said: “We are extremely pleased with how well the gravity survey has managed to map out the extensions of pegmatites at Hickory.
“The learnings and knowledge gained from this survey will be used to help map out pegmatites at our other high priority lithium targets at Karonie.
“With approximately 4 kilometres of alluvial cover northwards to Pecan, we are excited to begin using gravity and high resolution drone magnetics technology to aid in mapping out the pegmatite system to the north.”
Next steps
The company plans to:
- extend the gravity survey area to further map pegmatites under cover towards the Mesquite and Pecan prospects;
- conduct high-resolution drone magnetics survey to better define favourable structures at Mesquite and Pecan;
- continue detailed mapping in the areas north of Hickory to further enhance the geological model;
- commence mapping and sampling of regional lithium tenure at E28/2681 and E28/2667; and
- conduct XRD analysis of drill samples to further enhance the understanding of the pegmatite mineralogy of recent drilling.
Planning is underway for follow-up reconnaissance mapping and sampling of the Lake Rebecca tenure.