Aldoro Resources Ltd (ASX:ARN) has confirmed the presence of lithium and rubidium mineralisation from recent test studies performed on Niobe and Wyemandoo samples by the University of Western Australia (UWA).
The Niobe Lithium-Rubidium-Tantalum Project and the Wyemandoo Lithium-Rubidium-Tungsten Project in Western Australia are Aldoro’s flagship projects.
The results of the UWA study will be used to assess the areas of mineralisation potential and assist in developing the exploitable metallurgical properties in the recovery of metals from the ore.
Niobe
At Niobe, a total of fourteen pegmatitic samples were analysed from the main pegmatite to the northeast pegmatite, within a total area of 2.5 hectares.
Key findings include:
- The primary mineralogy of the samples included quartz, albite feldspar, and Fe(iron)-rich muscovite. Li(lithium)-rich phases include zinnwaldite and small amounts of petalite. Secondary mineral phases include orthoclase, oligoclase, monazite, topaz, zircon, nepheline, kaolinite, corundum, almandine, and grossular garnets.
- Overall mineralogy is relatively simple with the presence of medium to coarse crystal grains, with some replacement and small amounts of replacement and intergrowth. Spatial distribution of the studied samples does not show significant variation of the dominant mineral assemblage (albite-quartz-muscovite/zinnwaldite), perhaps due to the small areas sampled.
Wyemandoo
At Wyemandoo, a total of forty-one pegmatitic samples were analysed from an area of 259 square within the “Fairway Corridor” of the pegmatite swarm.
Key findings include:
- Interpretation of the TIMA spectra found the dominant mineral phases for the Wyemandoo samples include albite, oligoclase, plagioclase, orthoclase, quartz, and muscovite. The accessory mineral phases include but are not limited to garnet (almandine, spessartine, grossular), monazite, zircon, and corundum. Lithium-rich minerals present include Li-rich muscovite and petalite. Ta(tantalum)-rich minerals include microlite and tantalite.
- Albite, quartz, muscovite and orthoclase are the dominant hosts for the Li-Rb (rubidium) Wyemandoo prospect. Other feldspars associated with the prospect include oligoclase, plagioclase and anorthosite. Li-Rb-Ta minerals include lepidolite, petalite, muscovite, tantalite and microlite. Variable amounts of polymorphs, apatite, and garnets are present, and a small number of samples contain hematite and magnetite.
Next steps
The above analyses will provide aid to metallurgical processing studies conducted by renowned specialist Professor Zhiguo He at China’s Central South University School of Minerals Processing & Bioengineering.
These studies are expected to commence shortly.