Recent results at Andover South have extended the high-grade trend significantly to the west of the previously 50-metre-wide pegmatites. Pic via Getty Images
Mining
Mapping and sampling at Raiden’s Andover South project, next door to Azure Minerals’ tier 1 Andover discovery, is defining a high-grade Li2O trend within the central part of the pegmatite field which extends over 1.5km along strike.
Hot lithium stock and established Pilbara explorer, Raiden Resources (ASX:RDN) is having a hell of a year – up 440% year to date — thanks in part to Azure Minerals’ (ASX:AZS) lithium success at the Andover project next door.
AZS’s Andover project boasts an exploration target between 100Mt and 240Mt grading 1 – 1.5% Li2O, which MD Tony Rovira says places the project “within the top 10 lithium deposits in the world.”
Early-stage exploration by Tolga-backed Raiden has already identified pegmatite outcrops across a 3.5km long, 600m wide field, with some individual pegmatites up to 50m wide at surface.
Efforts to prove up Andover South remain on track, with the company uncovering the highest lithium (2.73% Li2O) and rubidium (0.55%) results to date.
From Raiden’s point of view, the results continue to indicate the strong potential significant and mineralised lithium-tantalum-caesium pegmatites.
RDN managing director Dusko Ljubojevic says the results have extended the high-grade trend significantly to the west of the previously 50m wide pegmatites.
“High-grade pegmatites are now defined over a significant strike extent through the pegmatite field and are extending the strike for planned drill testing,” he says.
Mapping and sampling were undertaken throughout September on E47/4061 and E47/4062 within the Andover South tenements.
The program aims to define the distribution and extent of the mineralised pegmatites and to define the widths and geometry in significant detail.
As previously reported on the basis of field observations and use of ultraviolet lights, likely spodumene crystals were noted in several samples by the company’s geologists.
Spodumene is a much sought after lithium mineral – crystals can grade ~6% lithium — which comes from pegmatite rock.
To date, a total of 301 rock chip samples have been collected from outcrops on the Andover South Project (300 submitted to the laboratory).
This second batch of assays accounts for 219 of those total samples which have been submitted to the laboratory.
Further samples have been collected by the mapping team and will be dispatched to the laboratory for analysis.
Raiden continues to evaluate the potential for LCT mineralisation throughout the remainder of the portfolio, including on Mt Sholl, Arrow, Tabba Tabba and Pyramid projects.
Initial work is focused on reviewing historical data sets, followed by evaluation of satellite imagery to define prospects.
Field verification of the prospective areas is in the planning stages and the company will update the market as soon as results become available.
This article was developed in collaboration with Raiden 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.
