Special report: Due diligence drilling by Six Sigma Metals at its Shamva project in Zimbabwe has delivered wide pegmatite intersections in every hole of an initial five-hole program.

Six Sigma (ASX:SI6) has been drilling the high priority Bonnyvale prospect to test if lithium mineralisation continued at depth as part its due diligence assessment of the project.

The program successfully intersected pegmatite dykes containing visible lithium minerals, including spodumene and lepidolite, in every hole.

Spodumene is the main lithium-bearing mineral mined from most hard rock lithium mines around the world. Lepidolite is also a lithium-bearing mineral.

The pegmatites extend to at least 60m below surface, with the thickest single dyke measuring between 10m and 12m.

Over 60 rock chip samples taken previously returned grades of over 2 per cent. Anything over 1 per cent can be considered high-grade in lithium mining.

This has made Bonnyvale a high priority target for Six Sigma.

Lithium mineralisation has been defined in rock chip samples over an area of 160m width and 550m of strike at surface at Bonnyvale.

The recent drilling targeted only a small portion of the area and has shown that the pegmatites vary in widths from less than 1m to about 12m wide.

Based on the spread of mineralised rock samples, Six Sigma is confident that the discovery of further pegmatite dykes related to surface mineralisation is likely at Bonnyvale.

The Shamva project hosts a further four prospect areas containing significant occurrences of outcropping pegmatite that are yet to be drill tested.

Six Sigma previously executed an option agreement with Zimbabwe-based miner Mirrorplex to acquire up to an 80 per cent interest in the Shamva lithium and Chuatsa vanadium and titanium projects.

New deal reduces risk

Earlier in July, the company successfully negotiated a new deal that further reduces risk in the investment decision and speeds up drilling.

Instead of having to wait until due diligence is completed, Six Sigma was able to conduct drilling straight away and it can have the results in hand before it needs to make a final decision on the acquisition.

Zimbabwe has long been a significant producer of lithium and is currently the 5th largest producer in the world.

The largest single producer is the Bikita mine, where resources of around 11 million tonnes at 1.4 per cent lithium have been mined for over 60 years.

Bikita lies directly south of the Shamva project.

Six Sigma says initial drilling has provided it with important information about the geometry and thickness of pegmatite dykes at Bonnyvale.

Once the results are received, which is expected in August, Six Sigma will have further valuable information regarding the continuity and tenor of lithium mineralisation within the dykes below surface outcrops.

 

This special report is brought to you by Six Sigma Metals.

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