Latin Resources Ltd (ASX:LRS) has again delivered assays outlining the potential to expand its Brazilian lithium mineral resource inventory, with the Colina West deposit set to contribute heavily to the Salinas lithium JORC resource upgrade due in the second quarter this year.
The latest results continue to grow the high-grade zone at Colina West: this is now extended to more than 500 metres along strike and 300 metres up dip which remains open in all directions.
Notably, thick spodumene-rich pegmatites intersected at Colina West (assay results pending) continue to define this emerging priority growth zone.
Latin has seven drill rigs on site at its 100%-owned Colina Lithium Deposit and isn’t taking a backward step in its 2023 drilling campaign, with one more drill rig soon to be on-site set to speed the program up further.
The company also plans to introduce reverse circulation (RC) capability to grow the drilling fleet on site to 10 and enable the rapid ‘step‐out’ testing of the prospective lithium corridor.
Highlights of the latest results include:
- SADD061 - 20.70 metres at 1.51% Li2O from 159 metres;
- SADD062 - 10 metres at 1.13% Li2O from 149.51 metres;
- SADD063 - 4.03 metres at 1.60% Li2O from 125.12 metres and 6.79 metres at 1.52% from 267.37 metres; and
- SADD070 - 5.03 metres at 1.64% Li2O from 192.97 metres, 5.52 metres at 1.50% from 292.03 metres, 16.43 metres at 1.69% from 323.57 metres and 18.89 metres at 1.56% from 356.91 metres.
Colina drill collar location showing projected Colina MRE block model, dill collar locations and drill traces, an interpreted Leapfrog mineralisation envelope for Colina West.
Confirming “exceptional prospectivity”
“These results continue to confirm the exceptional prospectivity of the Latin landholding and the potential to expand our mineral resource inventory,” Latin Resources’ geology manager Tony Greenaway said.
“We are continuing to see outstanding pegmatite intersections in our new drill core from the 2023 campaign.
"These intersections support our current interpretation of mineralisation, with the emergence of a clear, thick, plunging high‐grade envelope at Colina West which remains open in all directions.
“We are seeing a significant increase in the abundance and thickness of spodumene pegmatites developed at Colina West, with this emerging priority area now extending over 500 metres along strike and 300 metres up‐dip.
"We will continue to target this area with more drilling to ascertain its limits and to provide sufficient drill coverage to include this area in our planned mineral resource update scheduled for the second quarter of this year.”
2022 results correlate with MRE
Drilling completed in late 2022 has delivered results illustrating good correlation with the JORC 2012 mineral resource estimate (MRE).
The results from the 2022 campaign include holes from within the existing Colina Deposit MRE model and the Colina West area which is outside of the MRE block model.
This augers well for the company moving forward.
Latin gathers momentum
With seven drill rigs on site, it was only a matter of time before Latin started delivering results from its latest campaign.
Drilling is on track with over 3,000 metres of the planned 65,000 metres drilling program already completed.
Six of the seven rigs are focused on the Colina West areas, where the logging of drill core continues to show the presence of thick spodumene-rich pegmatites including intersections of
- SADD072 - 27.67 metres from 333.82 metres; and
- SADD077 - 33 metres from 319.65 metres.
The latest results, used in conjunction with results from the 2022 campaign, have allowed Latin to develop a preliminary leapfrog interpretation of the Colina West mineralisation envelope, which has as stated above revealed a shallow easterly dipping zone extending for over 500 metres along strike and 300 metres up dip.
This model has assisted Latin in planning and targeting additional drilling.
What’s next?
Latin has plenty on its plate in the coming months to complement its aggressive drilling campaign, including work across the broader tenement package at Salinas.
Work includes:
- infill geochemical soil sampling at the Salinas South Prospect to better define initial soil broad anomalism encountered in the initial stream sediment and soil sampling;
- mapping and reconnaissance work to the southwest of Colina/Colina West along an interpreted prospective lithium corridor and other tenements include Lajinha and Monte Alto; and
- detailed airborne geophysical magnetic surveys over the Colina/Colina West areas.
In its bid to increase its drilling capacity, Latin is speaking with contractors for the supply of up to two RC rigs tasked with completing rapid step‐out drill fences to define the prospective lithium corridor further to the west and southwest of the known Colina/Colina West mineralisation.
Latin is also eyeing its RC capacity as a first-pass exploration tool to test mapped pegmatites, or geochemical anomalies where there is no physical outcrop, as is the case with some parts of the Salinas South tenements.
Latin’s maiden MRE stands at 13.3 million tonnes at 1.2% Li2O at Colina Deposit.