Stelar Metals Ltd (ASX:SLB) has been on the ground at the Trident Lithium Project near Broken Hill in Far West NSW in recent months, prosecuting an expanded soil sampling campaign and advancing its geological mapping efforts.
The company has conducted expanded soil sample programs over the Caloola and Mount Euriowie lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite corridors and has sent 614 samples to the lab.
Results from these samples will be used to devise and calibrate an XRF lithium fertility index to assist with the design of the next phase of drilling.
Over the course of the program, the company has amassed an impressive 4,000 soil samples from the broader project area.
In addition to the soil samples, Stelar has submitted 33 rock chip samples for laboratory analysis, with results pending. These samples are critical for the ongoing assessment and prioritisation of the drill targets.
Large-scale pegmatite system
The Trident area, in one of Australia’s first lithium mining provinces, boasts a large-scale lithium-rich pegmatite system that spans a 20-kilometre strike length of the Euriowie Tin Pegmatite Field.
The field has historical significance, having been mined for lithium and tin in the past.
Stelar’s initial reverse circulation (RC) drilling program in late 2023 intersected significant lithium mineralisation.
Results included 8 metres at 1.16% Li2O as well as broad mineralised intersections, including 34 metres at 0.2% Li2O.
This initial exploration also provided valuable data, helping to map the orientation and morphology of the pegmatites and confirming that the system extends to the north, where it appears to thicken and deepen.
What’s next?
On the horizon for Stelar are plans to undertake a second phase of drilling in mid-2024, which will necessitate extended environmental and cultural heritage surveys as part of the drilling approval applications.
Stelar CEO Colin Skidmore said: “The Trident Lithium Project is advancing well and extends well beyond the small area tested in the inaugural drill program.
“This upcoming work will enable us to prioritise new targets for the next round of drilling.”