Historical exploration is proving to be a boon for Metal Hawk’s hunt for lithium (and nickel) at Yarmany. Pic: Peter Dazeley via Getty Images
Metal Hawk’s look into the past reveals 50m thick pegmatite at Yarmany lithium-nickel project
Mining
share
- Thick pegmatites identified along Ida Fault following review of historical data
- Data review also underway for potential nickel sulphide mineralisation
- Mapping, sampling and prioritising of both lithium and nickel drill targets underway
A review of old drilling has uncovered unassayed pegmatites – a lithium host rock — logged up to 49.7m downhole thickness at Metal Hawk’s newly acquired Yarmany project in WA.
The company, which signed an option in July to acquire the project, has identified new lithium targets along the Ida Fault after a review of historical data found that thick pegmatites had been recorded in diamond drilling from the 1970s.
Four diamond holes totalling 643m drilled at the Reptile Dam prospect in 1973-74 intersected numerous thick pegmatite units within and adjacent to the targeted ultramafic rocks.
None of this material was assayed for lithium and the current location of the drill core is unknown. Metal Hawk has collected several gossan samples from the prospect and submitted them for analysis.
To add to the body of evidence for lithium mineralisation at Yarmany, wide spaced auger sampling by previous owner Horizon Minerals (ASX:HRZ) also identified numerous zones of lithium anomalism with elevated levels of pathfinder elements including caesium, rubidium and tantalum.
A lithium hotspot
Notably for Metal Hawk (ASX:MHK), there are several major projects that are also located along the Ida Fault – a major regional structure and crustal boundary between the Kalgoorlie and Youanmi Terrane.
These include Delta Lithium’s (ASX:DLI) Mt Ida project that has a resource of 12.7Mt at 1.2% Li2O and Liontown Resources’ producing Kathleen Valley mine, which has 156Mt of ore at 1.4% Li2O and 130ppm tantalum.
With such illustrious company, it is quite clear why Metal Hawk has ranked the newly identified Reptile Dam prospect as a priority target for reverse circulation drilling to test for both lithium and nickel sulphide mineralisation.
“We have identified new walk-up lithium targets from historical diamond drilling which we’ll be testing with our first campaign of RC drilling at Yarmany,” managing director Will Belbin said.
“We are in the process of systematically mapping, sampling and prioritising drill targets for lithium and nickel sulphide mineralisation. The favourable lithologies present at Reptile Dam are very encouraging and warrant more drilling.”
“This is a very exciting time as we progress towards our maiden drilling program at Yarmany.”
Large-scale prospectivity
Metal Hawk had in early July secured the option to acquire the 282km2 Yarmany project in the Eastern Goldfields about 40km northwest of Coolgardie from Horizon Minerals (ASX:HRZ).
Under this option, the company paid Horizon a $400,000 option fee – split evenly between cash and MHK shares – and must spend at least $1m on ground exploration expenditure prior to exercising the option, which has a 24 month term.
Should Metal Hawk exercise the option, Horizon may either sell the entire licence for $1m in cash, shares, or any combination of the two as the completion consideration or forgo the completion consideration in return for a 20% interest that is free carried to a decision to mine.
It has a geological setting with key similarities to major lithium deposits of the Kalgoorlie Terrane, including favourable host lithologies such as ultramafic rocks, multiphase granites and numerous pegmatites identified along the 50km strike length of the project.
The majority of historical drilling is limited to regional gold exploration with only sparse exploration for nickel sulphide carried out since the 1970s without the benefit of modern – and game-changing – geophysical methods of electromagnetic surveying.
Additionally, the tenements have received limited, mostly superficial exploration for pegmatite-hosted lithium-caesium-tantalum mineralisation.
Not just lithium
Besides lithium, Yarmany also has the potential for nickel sulphide mineralisation with historical exploration focusing on the far north.
Metal Hawk is currently reviewing and digitising open file data. It notes that the main lithologies reported included ultramafics, felsic volcanics, granites and pegmatites.
Metal Hawk believes there is potential for komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide mineralisation along the regional Ida Fault.
Exploration plan going forward
The company has started regional soil geochemical surveys primarily to confirm, follow-up and extend lithium anomalism identified by Horizon’s initial 2022 auger program.
This will seek to define buried lithium-bearing pegmatite targets for drill-testing.
Mapping and sampling of the newly identified pegmatite outcrops is also underway with samples submitted to the laboratory for assay whilst lithium expert and former Core Lithium exploration manager Dr David Rawlings has been engaged to assist the company with its systematic lithium exploration program.
In parallel with its lithium exploration, Metal Hawk has also commenced regional nickel sulphide exploration activities with high-powered airborne electromagnetic surveys due to commence shortly to cover most of the project.
Maiden drilling is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2024.
This article was developed in collaboration with Metal Hawk, 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.
