Pan Asia Metals Ltd (ASX:PAM) has intersected pegmatite dyke swarms in all three recently completed diamond drill holes at RK Prospect within the Reung Kiet Lithium Project in southern Thailand.
The pegmatite contains locally abundant lepidolite with spot hand-held XRF analysis of core showing elevated levels of rubidium, cesium, manganese as well as accessory tin, tantalum and niobium.
Pegmatite is shallow dipping, extends to plus 100 metres down dip from surface and remains open down dip.
Results “support earlier drilling”
Pan Asia Metals managing director Paul Lock said: “The results for diamond core holes RKDD008 through RKDD010 support earlier drilling and trenching, indicating a pegmatite dyke swarm that continues for over 400 metres along strike and which remains open to the southwest and northeast.
“Previous trench and rock chip sampling at the surface expression of the pegmatites intersected in the drilling returned consistent lithium oxide grades with 122 of 126 samples being >0.5% lithium oxide with an average of 1.49% lithium oxide.
“We are encouraged by the drilling results and look forward to the lab assay results.”
RK Prospect
The Reung Kiet Prospect (RK) forms part of the Reung Kiet Lithium Project (RKLP), one of PAM’s key projects.
RKLP, is a hard rock project with demonstrated potential for lithium hosted in lepidolite/mica rich pegmatites chiefly composed of quartz, albite, muscovite and lepidolite, with minor cassiterite and tantalite as well as other accessory minerals, including some rare earth.
The RK prospect includes a relatively large former open cut tin mine, and the pit is about 500 metres long and up to 125 metres wide.
Mining of the weathered pegmatites extended up to 25 metres below the surface, to the top of hard rock.
Diamond drilling
The three newly completed drill holes indicate that a lepidolite-rich pegmatite dyke and vein swarm would appear to extend from the surface and up to 150 metres down dip, and the zone is around 400 metres long.
The dyke swarm is relatively shallow dipping, extends to plus 100 metres down dip from the surface and remains open down dip.
Testing of weathered pegmatites
Previous trenching and rock chip sampling at the surface expression of the pegmatite swarm intersected in the drilling returned consistent lithium oxide grades.
However, lithium grades in the pegmatites intersected in the drilling can only be confirmed by laboratory analysis.
Metallurgical testing of weathered pegmatites sampled from the trenching program has indicated that high recoveries of lepidolite can be achieved from the weathered material.
The weathered pegmatite also contains potentially recoverable by-products such as kaolin and quartz which are potentially valuable but would otherwise report to tailings.
Tin and tantalum are also potentially recoverable and the total length of the pegmatite trend at Reung Kiet as defined by drilling is now about 1 kilometre.
Forward planning
The company plans to continue drilling at the prospect with a further nine holes planned and additional drilling contingent upon the success of these holes.
Further success may lead to the delineation of a drill supported exploration target and/or a mineral resource defined under the JORC Code (2012).