Lithium hunter Lord Resources is looking to head north by northwest at Horse Rocks. Pic via Getty Images
Lord rides high in the saddle, chasing fractionated pegmatites at Horse Rocks
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- Assays from Lord Resources’ November drilling at the Horse Rocks lithium project are in
- Results indicate promising signs to the NW of the project in a hotspot lithium hunting ground
- Ground exploration, mapping and further sampling in that direction on the cards
Special Report: Minerals explorer Lord Resources (ASX:LRD) has news from its promising, Mineral Resources-surrounded Horse Rocks lithium project in WA, confirming an extensive swarm of fractionated pegmatites with down-dip orientation.
All assays have now been received by the company’s Phase 2 RC drilling at the Horse Rocks project, which is 20km south of Coolgardie in Western Australia.
And the overall assessment supports the idea that a larger spodumene-dominated target could be nearby.
Pegmatite lithium deposits are typically associated with high fractionation, which is the inherent geological process in which the crystals are separated from magma.
And by the looks of things, that peggie fractionation is increasing to the north-west of the site (see below) outwards from the source granite and in an unexplored area. Promising signs for LRD.
Horse Rocks is in an emerging lithium ‘super-province’– home to majors including Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN), Essential Metals (ASX:ESS) and Liontown Resources (ASX:LTR).
In fact, the LRD project is within just 8km of Mineral Resources huge, operating Mt Marion lithium mine and is also surrounded by other ground held by the Chris Ellison-led company.
Also within a peggie throw or two, there’s the Bald Hill lithium mine and processing plant acquired by Mineral Resources last year, and Liontown Resources’ undeveloped Buldania project.
This is clearly world class lithium territory.
Further details
A 15-hole (totalling 2,779m) RC drilling program was completed in November 2023 at Horse Rocks and with those results in, the company highlights the following:
- “Multiple stacked pegmatites, displaying extensive strike and down dip orientation.”
- “Strong fractionation, vectoring towards the northwest, where there is little outcrop.”
The latest assays include 0.25% Li2O, 613ppm Cs2O and 87ppm Ta2O5.
From these results, one of Lord’s chief takeaways regards the elevated pathfinder elements (elements – caesium and tantalum), which it notes is an excellent indicator of strong, economically conducive mineralisation nearby.
LRD’s MD Barnaby Egerton-Warburton said:
“Drilling to date has confirmed that the swarm of stacked pegmatites at Horse Rocks extends over an area of at least 1,100m by 500m, with the fractionation increasing towards the northwest.
Also worth mentioning – the pegmatite intrusions have consistently low ratios of potassium to rubidium (K/Rb), and potassium to caesium (K/Cs) – indicators of lithium mineralisation.
North by northwest
Naturally then, this is the direction LRD will be heading next at the project.
“The next stage of exploration will likely focus on the soil-covered northwestern extension of the swarm,” continued Egerton-Warburton.
Ground exploration in this area will also include mapping and further rock sampling operations.
This article was developed in collaboration with Lord 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.
