Marquee Resources (ASX:MQR) says a refined structural model at its West Spargoville Project indicates historical drilling may have incompletely tested several spodumene-bearing pegmatite trends, prompting a redesign of its next drilling program.
The company collected 49 rock chip samples across a 1.5km by 1.5km target area in Western Australia’s Southern Yilgarn region. Field observations are said to support the interpretation of multiple stacked quartz-feldspar pegmatites that strike northeast–southwest and dip steeply to the northwest.
Marquee highlights historical reverse circulation (RC) holes were predominantly drilled towards the east, making them oblique to the pegmatite geometry now interpreted.
Managing Director Charles Thomas says the historical program does not definitively test West Spargoville’s lithium potential.
“We have a substantial existing dataset, previously reported spodumene-bearing pegmatites and rock chip assays up to 3.01% Li2O, and a refined structural model indicating that much of the historical RC drilling was oblique to the pegmatite geometry now interpreted,” Thomas says.
Previous surface sampling returned several rock chip assays above 1% Li2O, including a peak result of 3.01% Li2O. The historical results were reported in April 2024 and remain incompletely reconciled with subsurface drilling.
All 49 new samples have been sent to ALS (ASX:ALQ) for multi-element, whole-rock, and gold analysis. Laboratory work is underway, with no new assay results reported.
Marquee says it will integrate the validated results into its database and update its three-dimensional model before re-ranking the pegmatite trends. Subject to the results, final interpretation, and approvals, the company plans around 2,000m of re-oriented RC drilling.
The West Spargoville Project covers around 80km² in the Widgiemooltha area. Marquee holds a 75% interest in its lithium rights through a joint venture with Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), which owns the remaining 25%.
Write to France Pinzon at Mining.com.au
Images: Unsplash
