Jindalee Resources Ltd's (ASX:JRL) remaining assay results from the last four drill holes completed in 2020 at McDermitt Lithium Project in Nevada, USA, continue to confirm extensions to mineralisation and further demonstrate the project's strategic scale.
Three of the holes showed encouraging lithium intercepts outside the current inferred mineral resource and include:
- 32 metres at 1,379 parts per million (ppm) lithium from 70.2 metres;
- 70.2 metres at 1,221 ppm from 12.2 metres and 24.4 metres at 1,887 ppm from 131.2 metres, including 6.1 metres at 2,953 ppm;
- 25.9 metres at 1,615 ppm from 120.5 metres, including 4.6 metres at 2,550 ppm; and
- 15.3 metres at 1,554 ppm from 56.4 metres including 4.6 metres at 2,623 ppm and 56.4 metres at 1,151 ppm from 122.2 metres, including 4.6 metres at 2,150 parts per million lithium.
The 2020 drill program infill drilling has confirmed the grade and continuity of the deposit while the success of large step-outs from the current mineral resource are indicative of the potential scale of the McDermitt Lithium Project.
Mineral resource update
In late 2019 Jindalee announced an inferred mineral resource of 150 million tonnes at 2,000 ppm lithium (0.43% lithium oxide) at a 1,750 ppm cut-off and the company will now engage an independent consultant to update this estimate.
Results from the three drill holes are expected to materially benefit the update and the increased drill density across the deposit is expected to be sufficient to extend the inferred mineral resource and exploration target range.
They are also expected to convert existing inferred resources to the indicated status to feed into a possible scoping study for McDermitt in the June quarter.
Location of McDermitt resource, exploration target areas and drilling.
Next phase of drilling
In addition, Jindalee is planning the next phase of drilling for 2021 with the aim to define the full extent of the lithium mineralisation at the McDermitt Project.
This includes drilling of the remaining six holes proposed as part of the 2020 program, which was suspended due to COVID-19 complications.
The drilling is planned to be a combination of diamond core and reverse circulation and will primarily focus on extensions to the west of the current deposit and continued infill drilling of the upcoming mineral resource.
Applications for drill permitting will be submitted by Jindalee in April 2021.