Eclipse Metals Ltd (ASX:EPM)’s recent grab sampling at its Ivigtût (or Ivittuut) and Grønnedal-Ika prospects in southwest Greenland returned elevated lithium concentrations of up to 430ppm lithium oxide.
These new results further highlight the polymetallic nature of the historic Ivigtût cryolite mine and the adjacent Grønnedal-Ika carbonatite complex.
The grab sampling marks the first lithium evaluation undertaken at Ivigtût. Its Greenlandic multi-commodity project, previously mined for cryolite at Ivigtût, has never been explored for lithium.
Eclipse Metals is planning systematic sampling and drilling to better constrain Ivigtût’s lithium potential.
Recognising the significance of this for EPM, investors have sent shares as much as 23.1% higher this morning to $0.032.
“Exciting step”
Eclipse Metals executive chairman Carl Popal said: “Our grab sampling program at Ivigtût has identified cryolithionite, a lithium-bearing fluoride mineral that was first identified at the historic Ivigtût mine in the early 1900s.
“While cryolithionite was known to exist at Ivigtût, previous operators had no interest in lithium and, therefore, did not assay for it.
“The recognition of highly anomalous lithium is an exciting step in our work and provides us with a greater understanding of the complex, multi-commodity mineralisation at Ivigtût."
Highlight polymetallic character
Anomalous lithium concentrations at Ivigtût are known to be associated with cryolithionite, jarlite, muscovite, biotite and zinnwaldite.
The Ivigtût samples represent cryolite-fluoritesiderite mine dump material with lithium most likely occurring in cryolithionite (Li3Na3Al2F12), a globally rare lithium-bearing fluoride mineral first described from Ivigtût.
Further work is required to determine which mineral, or minerals, carry the anomalous lithium identified in an aplite dyke cutting the Grønnedal-Ika carbonatite complex.
Eclipse Metals’ new lithium assay results further highlight the polymetallic character of the historic Ivigtût cryolite mine and adjacent Grønnedal-Ika carbonatite complex, offering the potential for defining rare earth element (REE), precious and base metal and industrial mineral resources in this highly mineralised project area.
Cryolithionite at Ivigtût is known to occur as crystals, up to 19 centimetres long, in massive cryolite and sideritecryolite, cryolite veins and fluorite-cryolite breccia.
In addition to Ivigtût, the type locality for this fluoride mineral, cryolithionite has also been reported from the Gasberg’s topaz-cryolite mine in Russia and Zapot pegmatite near Hawthorne, Nevada.
Lithium concentrations in 268 cryolite samples from the Ivigtût mine were reported in an academic paper in 1986 and it shows lithium concentrations ranging from 78 to 153ppm lithium.
Additional lithium-bearing minerals identified at Ivigtût include jarlite (400-800ppm lithium), muscovite (111-315ppm lithium), biotite (5,812ppm lithium) and zinnwaldite (16,710ppm lithium).
Whilst these new findings are encouraging, a more systematic sampling approach and drilling are required to better constrain the lithium potential at Ivigtût.