Stelar Metals Ltd (ASX:SLB) is aiming to commence an initial shallow drilling program at its newly acquired Trident Lithium Project in New South Wales in the middle of this year, with field work expected to start this week.
The critical minerals explorer last week announced the acquisition of four exploration licences prospective for pegmatite-hosted lithium mineralisation in the Broken Hill Block from Everest Metals Corporation Ltd.
Stelar has kicked off engagement with stakeholders and is planning reconnaissance field visits to map and resample the known lithium bearing pegmatites over the coming weeks.
Further, it is investigating geophysical techniques to map the morphology of pegmatites at depth to optimise targeting for future drill testing.
Trident Lithium Project showing distribution of pegmatites and known mineral occurrences.
Primary focus
Stelar Metals chief executive officer Colin Skidmore said: “The Trident Lithium Project is a significant addition to our portfolio of critical metal projects, and we consider it to have the same hallmarks that attracted Stephen Biggins and I to the Finniss Project in the NT for Core Lithium.
“The lithium prospectivity at Trident is likely to become Stelar’s primary focus in 2023.
“Previous explorers have confirmed the presence of LCT-type pegmatites in the Euriowie Tin Field and have returned some stunning high-grade surface results, but as no drilling was undertaken, they missed the opportunity to test for spodumene which is typically weathered and depleted in lithium at surface.
“I am pleased to announce that within the first week of acquisition we are already working on this exciting project.”
Location of Stelar’s tenements and Trident Lithium Project near Broken Hill in NSW on simplified geology.
Limited exploration
The Trident Lithium Project extends over the Euriowie Tin Field, where tin was historically mined for over a hundred years.
Although there has been no previous drilling into the main lithium bearing pegmatites within the project, previous exploration data confirms the Euriowie pegmatites are lithium-rich LCT-type.
Multiple historic mines in the Euriowie Tin Field have returned high-grade lithium in rock-chip samples, including Triumph Prospect with 7.63% lithium oxide (Li2O), Lady Don Mine with 4.45% Li2O, Trident Mine with 3.88% Li2O, and Sceptre Mine with 1.54% Li2O.
Stelar's Trident Project extends over 15 kilometres of strike, with more than 250 known mineral occurrences that have historically been worked for tin and tantalum with individual pegmatites over 1 kilometre in length and up to 100 metres wide.
Numerous pegmatite swarms have also been recorded with visible lithium minerals in outcrop.