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Extremely tantalum: MinRex sampling of large enriched pegmatites proves high-grade lithium at Tambourah North
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MinRex’s rock chip sampling has identified large pegmatites hosting visible spodumene and lepidolite with lithium and tantalum mineralisation at the Tambourah North project.
Assays of the rock chips returned a top result of 2.56% lithium oxide, 1.59% lithium, 105 ppm 80 ppm tantalum, 40 ppm niobium, 100 ppm tin and 1,293 ppm rubidium, validating reports by previous owners of lithium mineralisation.
The project hosts large, stacked pegmatites over 1.5km in length by 150m in width from surface within the goldilocks zone in the granite-greenstone of the Pilbara Supergroup and have visible coarse and fine-grained spodumene and lepidolites with zoning along strike and across strike.
MinRex Resources (ASX:MRR) says the sampled tantalum-niobium enriched pegmatites are considered to be part of zoned LCT pegmatite swarms with exploration ongoing to identify more extensive lithium-rich pegmatites.
It had announced in March that large pegmatites hosting visible spodumene had been identified over the Tambourah North, Leavers Well and Twin Well projects in WA’s East Pilbara region.
“We are delighted to have confirmation of the high-grade lithium identified from the extensive spodumene hosted outcropping pegmatites over the Tambourah North Project areas,” managing director George Karageorge said.
“The high-grade lithium-tantalum-caesium-rubidium rock chip assay results indicates enrichment of fertile pegmatite field.
“These rich spodumene stacked pegmatites have extensive width, strike and zonation which have all the hallmarks of a potential Pilgangoora Lithium Deposit.”
To advance its exploration efforts, the company has appointed former Global Lithium Resources’ (ASX:GL1) Archer Deposit founding geologist Ian Shackleton as its exploration manager.
Marble Bar lithium exploration
Besides the rock chip sampling at Tambourah North, the company’s potassic geophysical survey over the Haystack Well project has outlined potential buried pegmatites that could explain the source of strongly elevated surface lithium results.
MinRex has also noted encouraging indicators for lithium-caesium-tantalum pegmatites at the Shaw River project from anomalous rubidium (710 ppm) and tin (120 ppm) assay results.
The company is currently advancing Heritage Agreement and Heritage Surveys over its Marble Bar lithium projects adjacent to the Archer Deposit.
Additionally, planning is underway for an initial reverse circulation drill program to test the extensive stacked pegmatites over its project areas.
This article was developed in collaboration with MinRex Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.
