Latin Resources Ltd (ASX:LRS) (FRA:XL5) has commenced of the next phase of aircore drilling at its Noombenberry Kaolin-Halloysite Project, where it recently released a 207 million tonne inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at the Cloud Nine Deposit.
The planned drilling aims to test for kaolinized granitic material for a further 4.5 kilometres to the north of the Cloud Nine deposit - with the company confident it could potentially extend both north and south for up to 100 kilometres.
An initial 3,700 metres of aircore drilling will be completed on a 400 meter by 400-
meter grid pattern.
The rig will then move back to complete selective infill drilling within the Cloud Nine deposit with the aim of increasing confidence in the existing inferred resource in select areas to enable a JORC Indicated or Measured classification.
“Potentially expanding Cloud Nine”
Latin Resources exploration manager Tony Greenaway said: “With the drilling rig back out on site, we are looking forward to the potential of significantly expanding our Cloud Nine Halloysite-Kaolin Deposit.
“We are testing a new area that is equal in size to the footprint of the existing Cloud Nine resource, so there is significant potential for resource growth.”
“We will also be completing some infill drilling within the existing inferred resource, with the aim of better defining some of the known high-grade zones and increasing our confidence levels to enable an upgrade to indicated or measured status.”
The company expects the drilling campaign will be completed in early July 2021, followed immediately by the 2nd phase infill drilling, with all composite samples to be dispatched to various specialised laboratories in South Australia for detailed analysis.
Current drilling program at the Noombenberry Kaolin-Halloysite Project, directly north of the initial aircore drilling covering the Cloud Nine Deposit.
Cloud Nine PFS planned
Latin believes that Cloud Nine has the potential to become the single-largest undeveloped Kaolin-Halloysite deposit in Australia, with substantial potential for future growth as the mineralisation is open in all directions.
The Cloud Nine inferred mineral resource of 207 million tonnes of kaolinised granite comprises two separate domains:
- 123 million tonnes of bright white kaolin-bearing material; and
- 84 million tonnes of kaolin/halloysite-bearing material.
The company aims to commence technical studies to feed into a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) in the near term, which will consider supply to a range of traditional end-users of kaolin-halloysite.
The PFS will also investigate the potential for downstream marketing of the high-grade halloysite to emerging new applications, including the carbon-capture and hydrogen storage markets.