Aurumin Ltd (ASX:AUN) has encountered anomalous lithium and pathfinder elements during its orientation first pass reverse circulation (RC) program targeting lithium-bearing pegmatites at the Mt Palmer Project in Western Australia.
Notably, lithium results for the twelve holes drilled at the Vickers Find South prospect have been received, demonstrating low-level lithium anomalism, up to 370 parts per million (ppm), across multiple holes.
What's more, Aurumin has also completed its initial multi-element analysis using a desktop XRF on selected samples highlighting anomalous pathfinder elements commonly used for targeting lithium mineralisation, including 105 ppm tantalum, 3,612 ppm rubidium and 79 ppm niobium.
Looking ahead, the company aims to target areas in the south and potentially both deeper and down-dip of the current drilling for further exploration, including a diamond drilling program also on the cards to further extend the current drillholes.
“Multiple pegmatite units”
Aurumin managing director Brad Valiukas said: "For a first pass, we are encouraged to have intersected multiple pegmatite units with an indication of fertility for lithium.
“The pegmatites are fractionated, and we are developing the vectors to hone in further.
“We have other promising target areas untested with drilling pending as well as targets at depth.
"Environmental works to allow further PoWs (drill permits) are now completed and we expect to be back active on the ground at Mt Palmer in the next couple of months."
Drilling summary
Aurumin drilled twelve holes totalling 1,212 metres along three north-south lines at the Vickers Find South B (VFSB) target.
A review of the drilling indicates a complex geological setting consisting of a combination of pegmatites, pegmatitic leucogranite and leucogranite within a mafic-ultramafic sequence crosscut by late-stage dolerite dykes.
Geological logging showed varying percentages of feldspar (both albite and microcline) and mica (both muscovite and biotite) with minor garnet observed.
This variation in the mineralogy of the pegmatites demonstrates a high degree of fractionation of the original granitic source material interpreted to be located directly to the north.
Notably, highly fractionated pegmatites are a key component in the deposition of lithium mineralisation within LithiumCaesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatites.
Rock chip samples.
Forward plan
The depth to which the RC holes were able to be drilled in the orientation program was constrained due to water containment issues and ground conditions in some holes.
Based on this assessment, some of these current holes may be extended by diamond drilling in the next program.
Furthermore, using additional elemental ratios including K/Rb, Mg/Li and Nb/Ta as targeting vectors indicates future exploration to target areas to the south and potentially both deeper (below current drilling) and down-dip of the current drilling.