Lithium Power International Ltd (ASX:LPI) has made strong progress in advancing multiple lithium exploration projects and prospects in Western Australia.
The company's particular focus is in the state's southwest immediately adjacent to the Greenbushes lithium mine owned by Talison Lithium which has Albemarle Corp, Tianqi Lithium and IGO Ltd as its owners.
Notably, Lithium Power has completed a high-definition drone magnetic survey at Blackwood Prospect over a significant structural anomaly on the Donnybrook-Bridgetown Shear Zone, along strike from the world-class Greenbushes lithium pegmatite deposit.
Drone magnetic survey
A geophysical program at the Blackwood Prospect, within E70/4774, has been completed with a total of 468 kilometres of aeromagnetic data acquired by AirGeoX.
The data is being processed to enable an advanced interpretation of the area, providing the highest detail possible of the structural architecture of the Donnybrook Shear Zone (DSZ).
This is expected to improve the understanding of where pegmatites are most likely to be located and focus the planning of soil sampling and subsequent reverse circulation (RC) drilling programs.
Looking ahead, the results of this work are being used to target areas for soil sampling and for Ground Penetrating Radar (DGPR) over-identified NW faults, along which pegmatites may have intruded.
Location of LPI’s properties in the Pilbara and SW regions of Western Australia
Soil sampling at Blackwood
Soil sampling started over a new target area at Blackwood Prospect with sampling conducted by conventional hand digging of pits and the use of a hand auger, to attempt to reach the top of the bedrock sequence.
Interestingly, the soil sampling targets interpreted northeast-trending dilutional jogs along the northwest orientated structures.
Small outcrops of pegmatites have been identified within the dilutional jogs and once the results of the orientation sampling have been returned, an infill program will begin.
A drone survey has been completed at the Blackwood Prospect.
Flora and fauna surveys
Also at the Greenbushes projects, phase 1 of a detailed baseline flora assessment has been completed following completion of the fauna component in November.
These surveys have been completed to provide detailed baseline environmental information and to guide the development of a conservation management plan.
Moving forward, these surveys are to be run over two seasons with a second field component to be completed in March 2022.
Drilling program
The company's drilling was scheduled to begin in mid-December 2021 at Greenbushes but was delayed due to drilling contractor capacity limitations.
Drill pads have been prepared with work to commence in mid-January to test the combined arsenic, lithium, beryllium, tantalum and tin anomaly previously defined by MIM sampling and the regional laterite sampling program.
Soil sampling at Pilgangoora
A soil sampling program at the Pilgangoora project in the Pilbara region has been completed with 544 samples collected, including 10% duplicates.
The sampling was aimed at closing off previously defined lithium anomalies associated with the identified greenstone belts and also at investigating the potential of gold within a young intrusive granite and its contact aureole.
This intrusive body is considered to have similarities to the intrusive bodies where De Grey Mining has defined a significant gold resource at the Mallina Project, which includes the 6+ million-ounce Hemi deposit.
Samples have been dispatched for analysis with an expected six week turnaround time.
LPI's chief executive officer Cristobal Garcia-Huidobro said: “Activities on all projects and prospects are advancing well and we aim to make drilling results known once they come to hand.”
Soil sampling conducted in 2021 over the Pilgangoora Project.