Oceana Lithium (ASX:OCN) has completed a phase one scout drilling campaign at its Solonópole Lithium Project in Ceará State, Brazil which has intercepted multiple thick pegmatites.
All pegmatites intercepted remain open along strike and down dip. Infill drilling and 3D modelling are planned for the Bom Jesus de Baixo pegmatites Pit, Central and East, to confirm if these pegmatite bodies are linked along strike.
Logistics and planning are being fast-tracked for follow-up phase two Scout drilling at Soledade West prospect and infill drilling at the Bom Jesus de Baixo prospect, with a particular focus on the Tin Mine target to test down-dip and lateral extensions to confirm the dimension of this significant pegmatite body.
Meanwhile, the drill rig has now been de-mobilised until the next phase of drilling. Oceana plans to complete infill drilling (including diamond core) to test the down-dip and along strike potential of the pegmatites identified during this first phase of scout drilling.
Oceana plans to complete infill drilling (including diamond core) to test the down-dip and along strike potential of the pegmatites identified during this first phase of scout drilling
The first 928 samples from holes NGR-RC-001A to NGR-RC-010 have been exported to the SGS Geosol lab in Belo Horizonte.
Assays for these first holes are expected in the next 4-6 weeks. Samples from the remaining holes are expected to be exported to SGS Geosol within the next 4 weeks. An XRF is now on site to assist with the sample logging process (lithium pathfinder elements; whole rock chemistry pegmatite vs. host-rock signatures).
A high-resolution drone survey (ortho-mosaic and DTM topography) was flown over Bom Jesus de Baixo and Soledade West Prospects to assist with accurate surface data required for the future 3D modelling.
Interpretation and preparation of preliminary schematic cross sections is underway.
Oceana completed 16 drillholes at the Bom Jesus de Baixo Prospect (1,107m), across 3 different targets (BJdB Pit, BJdB Central and BJdB East) which are aligned along strike and dipping north.
Although drilling assay results are pending for this prospect, spodumene and lepidolite have previously been confirmed from grab-sampling within the BJdB Pit walls.
At the Bom Jesus de Baixo prospect Oceana completed 16 drillholes (1,107m) across 3 different targets (BJdB Pit, BJdB Central and BJdB East) which are aligned along strike and dipping north. Although drilling assay results are pending for this prospect, spodumene and lepidolite have previously been confirmed from grab-sampling within the BJdB Pit walls.
The Soledade West prospect is where soil samplingrreturned anomalous lithium in soil. At Rolados Target, 2 trenches (274m in total) were completed on a portion of the anomaly, with 146 channel samples and 51 rock-chip samples collected by Oceana (pending assay results).
A large-scale infill soil sampling program has commenced over prioritised wider spread 2017 anomalies identified by previous explorer Cougar Metals NL, as well as CPRM/DNPM mapped pegmatites and artisanal workings.
The sampling grids are along 200m spaced lines with 25m sampling stations, aligned north-south in order to cut across all typical pegmatite strike directions in this area. This work commenced in March 2023, with the collection of 3,282 samples to date, representing 57% complete of the 5,784 planned samples for this year.
Planning is also underway for trial hyperspectral remote sensing surveysaand high-resolution magnetics and radiometrics geophysics surveys over selected pegmatite and soil grid targets.
An all-weather drying greenhouse has now been set up at Oceana’s Solonópole field base, as well as an XRF for the assaying of Li pathfinder elements. Two containers are also on site to provide secure lock-up sample storage.
Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au
Images: Oceana Lithium Ltd
