Pan Asia Metals (ASX:PAM) has increased the anomalous zone at the KT East lithium prospect in Southern Thailand by 2.8x after conducting soil and rock chip sampling.
The anomalous zone, which is 2.1km long and 1km wide, confirms and enhances previous rock chip defined trends and the presence of mapped pegmatites, with many individual dykes between 7m and 10m wide and up to 20m wide. KT East is located within the company’s RK Lithium Project.
Pan Asia, which has a market capitalisation of $17.25 million, reports the pegmatites are stacked and dip moderately suggesting KT East is likely amenable to open pit mining.
The results from both programs support each other and confirm the presence of numerous northeast trending zones within a mapped lepidolite pegmatite dykes and vein swarm.
Pan Asia says the soil and rock chip results also confirm the footprint of the KT East prospect is larger than the RK and BT prospects combined.
Managing Director Paul Lock says the company’s field team is continuing with the grid-based soil and rock chip sampling and geological mapping program, chasing down several areas which remain open to the northwest of the Main Zone.
“There are several walk-up drill targets and the team will continue to investigate other drill sites, with drilling expected to start later this year,” Lock says.
“KT East is proving to be a substantial addition to the RK Lithium Project, with the KT East prospect larger than the RK and BT prospects combined.
“KT East has the potential to add substantial lithium carbonate equivalent tonnes to the RK Lithium Project. Although the underlying lithium price is off, we are looking at the bigger picture as battery demand continues on its growth path and PAM is in a low-cost environment.”
The company is conducting soil sampling in areas where soil anomalism remains open around the Main Zone. Pan Asia says this is combined with rock chip sampling in those areas.
A more detailed mapping and rock chip sampling program is also planned for the Main Zone area.
Pan Asia is also planning additional reconnaissance sampling within the licence area, particularly in the KT East northwest area, where large-scale historic surface mining for tin has been conducted and where anomalous rubidium and lithium oxide mod have been located in rock chip and tailings samples.
Lock adds that the company expects that the RK Project will out-compete many other hard rock lithium projects on the basis of the cost environment, which applies to capital and operating costs, and proximity to markets for inputs and end products.
“Limestone is one such product, with Australian lithium processors importing their limestone requirements from Thailand,” Lock says.
“The field results being reported herein will continue to feed into discussions with potential strategic partners.”
Pan Asia Metals is a battery metals-focused explorer and developer with lithium and copper projects in Southeast Asia and South America.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Pan Asia Metals
