Accelerate Resources (ASX:AX8) reports it has planned a ground based sampling program to target potential lithium, tin, and tantalite mineralisation within pegmatites on the company’s lithium projects in East Pilbara, Western Australia.
Following an encouraging initial reconnaissance sampling program earlier this year and a detailed photo interpretation, new targets have been identified with an on-ground exploration program planned for November.
Based on the lithium pegmatite model successfully employed in the immediate region by other explorers, the upcoming field program will seek to follow up targets generated from the detailed photo interpretations and previously identified geophysical anomalies from historical diamond exploration.
Historical data has now been collated, and whilst there has been significant historical exploration for diamonds, limited work focusing on lithium or lithium-related pathfinder geochemistry has been recorded.
Desktop studies have identified priority targets characterised by multiple vein/dyke filled cross-cutting structures within the granitic plutons.
Work has also included a review of the host granitic structures and neighbouring exploration activity that has successfully identified lithium mineralisation.
The north-western part of Accelerate Resource’s Mount Creek tenement block lies within the 6km to 8.65km zone of nominal lithium prospectivity (Target Zone) around the Moolyella Monzogranite.
The Target Zone also hosts the Archer Lithium Deposit in addition to the MB Lithium showings.
The Target Zone also hosts the Archer Lithium Deposit in addition to the MB Lithium showings
The concept behind the Prospectivity Zone is that each granite body that is fertile for lithium (Li-source) projects a ring of complex Li-Cs-Ta-Sn fluids at an approximately constant distance into the surrounding rocks.
For the Moolyella Monzogranite, based on the known lithium discoveries and the generalised pegmatite model of Cerny and others this is around 6km to 9km.
Similarly, the Mondana Monzogranite is postulated to have injected Li-Cs-Ta-Sn fluids at a similar radius within the Sandy Creek tenement area.
Detailed photo interpretation of the available satellite images have identified several linear features associated with quartzose to felsic material that may have been a pegmatitic component.
In each area there are an abundance of mafic filled linear features (ultramafic to dolerite dykes) that indicate a tensional regime that would allow the emplacement of pegmatites.
Additionally, for the Mount Creek tenement area, the GWSA has identified the Bishop Creek Monzogranite as a potential source rock (Mineral Systems Atlas- Rare Element Pegmatite Trap 2020 Version 1.0 DMIRS) in addition to the Moolyella Monzogranite.
A 6km to 8.65km ring from the edge of granite suggests the southwest portion of the tenement area is prospective for lithium.
A ground exploration is planned at both lithium prospects to define targets for drill testing. The fieldwork includes systematic sampling of numerous interpreted targets.
Any promising areas will be mapped to enable the accurate siting of drillholes.
Targets for drill testing will be finalised once results of the field campaign are assessed.
The maiden drill program for the lithium targets is scheduled to commence in the first half of 2023.
Accelerate’s projects are located in an area of active lithium exploration and discovery which includes Global Lithium Resources’ (ASX:GL1) Archer deposit (10.5Mt @ 1% LiO2) around 30km to the northeast and the Moolyella project held by Lithium 1 Pty Ltd.
Accelerate is an Australian-listed exploration company focused on the exploration of precious and industrial minerals projects. It owns the Comet Gold Projects hosted within some of Western Australia’s most prolific greenstone belts in Western Australia.
The company also owns Tambellup Kaolin Project located in Western Australia.
Images: Accelerate Resources Ltd
