Core Exploration Ltd (ASX:CXO) has identified a high-grade intersection of 42.9 metres at 1.39% lithium at the BP33 prospect, part of the Finniss Lithium Project near Darwin.
This comes less than a fortnight after the group delineated a continuous 86 metre intersection of spodumene pegmatite, the widest interval drilled in the Northern Territory.
READ: Core Exploration makes history by drilling widest spodumene intersection
The new high lithium grades just identified are positive for the nearby 86 metre spodumene pegmatite intersection containing high average concentrations of spodumene.
Visual drill hole content is similar
The visual spodumene content from the two drill cores bear similarities.
Results from the recent diamond and reverse circulation drilling confirm that the BP33 pegmatite is open at depth and along strike to the south.
Possible extensions to other pegmatites
Management suspects that the pegmatite body becomes broader with depth at the southern end of BP33 and plunges to the south under cover.
This could potentially extend to the company’s pegmatites at BP32 and BP32W identified in historic trenching and verified more recently in shallow drilling.
Drilling to test extensions
BP33 is only 5 kilometres south of the proposed development of the Grants lithium deposit, offering development synergies and potential for extending the mine life at Finniss.
Core is planning to commence an initial resource evaluation at BP33 in late March 2018.
Follow-up drilling is planned to better define the southward and shallow up-dip extension of the wide spodumene pegmatite body intersected at BP33.