Azure Minerals Ltd (ASX:AZS) has delivered its best lithium results so far from the Andover Project in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia with grades up to 3.32% Li2O in a pegmatite exploration program and investors have responded positively.
Assays received for 60 whole rock geochemical samples collected during the second phase of the sampling program confirmed numerous spodumene-bearing, lithium-rich pegmatites.
Shares higher
“It’s pleasing to report that our lithium-focused exploration program at Andover continues to deliver very significant results,” Azure managing director Tony Rovira said.
“The latest batch of assays returned high grades of lithium up to 3.32% Li2O, which is the highest lithium grade reported to date.
"Encouragingly, our geological mapping is identifying the presence of the preferred lithium-bearing mineral, spodumene, in many of the outcropping pegmatites.”
The results have brought about a strong response from investors with AZS shares as much as 30.24% higher intraday to $0.28.
Spodumene-rich pegmatites
The latest batch of results follows the initial surface sampling program which returned anomalous lithium assays up to 1.62% Li2O.
Numerous samples returned high grades of lithium hosted in spodumene, including:
- APRK00037 - 3.32% Li2O;
- APRK00046 - 2.65% Li2O;
- APRK00050 - 1.31% Li2O;
- APRK00051 - 1.19% Li2O;
- APRK00049 - 1.13% Li2O; and
- APRK00086 - 1.13% Li2O .
Sample APRK00037 contained a significant amount of coarse-grained visible spodumene and returned the highest lithium grade received to date from the Andover Project.
It was collected from a pegmatite outcrop 150 metres from historical artisanal mines and shallow surface workings from which beryl, tin and tantalum were mined in the 1960s.
Spodumene was also observed in several other samples that returned high grades of lithium and were collected from a cluster of shallow dipping pegmatites exposed at surface over an area of more than 500 metres by 200 metres.
Duplicate of sample APRK00037 – pegmatite contains large spodumene crystals (left) and bladed spodumene on the reverse side (right).
With so many anomalous samples, work is underway to prioritise the pegmatites that warrant immediate follow-up work.
“We’re planning for the first drilling program to target the pegmatites and will commence as soon as we have received the necessary approvals," Rovira added.
"The lithium exploration continues in parallel with our nickel-copper-cobalt exploration where drilling is currently in progress on the Seaview and Pipeline prospects.”