Assays from Haddington Resources Limited’s (ASX: HDN) rock chip sampling program on its tenements in the Pilbara region of Western Australia have returned values of up to 5.0% Lithium Oxide (Li2O) and 408ppm Tantalum Pentoxide (Ta2O5).
A significant number of results ranging from 0.4% to 5.0% over a sampling length of 700 metres were returned and Haddington is now embarking on a trenching and reverse circulation drill program planned to determine width and orientation of lithium bearing pegmatites.
Global growth in the lithium market of 5 - 7% over the past five years, accelerated by the growth in rechargeable batteries of 20% or better, has increased the potential for new sources of lithium to be developed, said Haddington group general manager James Brown.
Resource grades of hard rock lithium deposits are typically in the range 0.9% to 1.4% Li2O, the high grades returned from the rock chip samples together with significant Ta2O5 grades are an extremely encouraging sign at this early stage of exploration.
Haddington’s strategy has been to explore the region for base and precious metals and mineralised hard rock pegmatite resources. A swarm of pegmatite veins run parallel to the granite contact with the greenstones of the Warrona Group.
The tenements held by Haddington cover the western alluvial covered portion of the mineral field with significant quantities of alluvial/eluvial tantalite and tin previously mined from these pegmatites.
The company currently holds the granted tenement of E45/2287 and applications P45/2758 and E45/3488 covering 64 square kilometres in the Pilgangoora region.
Further reverse circulation drilling will help in further understanding the width and orientation of the pegmatites and explore under cover between areas of outcrop.
The company plans to utilise an in-house multi-purpose drill to undertake the exploration drilling program. It is planned to commence this program towards the end of the current calendar year.