Drill targets are testing highly anomalous lithium soil sample assays returned in 2017. Pic: Getty Images
Minrex gets the drill bit spinning at Moolyella in search for lithium
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A maiden reverse circulation (RC) drilling program has kicked off, comprising around 40 drill holes for 2,700m testing outcropping pegmatites along strike and at depth.
Drill targets are testing highly anomalous lithium assays results from sampling undertaken by BCI Minerals Limited in 2017, which yielded up to 265ppm lithium (477ppm lithium oxide).
As well as drilling, Minrex (ASX:MRR) has delineated extensive stacked sheeted pegmatites on the western and eastern zones of the southern portion of E45/5873 hosted within extensive lithium geochemical zones – these areas will be the first to be tested by drilling.
North Moolyella is about 5km west of Global Lithium’s (ASX:GL1) Archer deposit, which hosts 10.5Mt at 1% Li2O, and 4km southwest of the historic Moolyella Tin Field, representing some of the highest alluvial tin grades in the world at 2.40kg/m.
Hear more about Minrex’s developments in their recent 90s video below.
Encouraging ‘hallmarks’ of lithium mineralisation
Based on geological mapping and the interpreted historic lithium geochemical soil anomalies, MRR CEO George Karageorge says the frequency of the outcropping pegmatites and the strongly anomalous lithium bearing soils is extremely encouraging as they have all the hallmarks of lithium mineralisation.
“The surface lithium soil anomalies are strongly anomalous and MinRex aims to drill around 2,700m as a first pass program over the Moolyella Lithium Project before December,” Karageorge says.
“Global Lithium’s Archer Deposit is located directly east of our Moolyella North Lithium Project with the same pegmatite trending north-northwest in stacked swarms hosting the lithium and tantalum in the Archer deposit.”
Moolyella geology
Minrex is using modern exploration techniques in its hunt for lithium and battery metals potential as the Eastern Pilbara develops into a strategic lithium endowment in a world class province.
The source of the lithium mineralisation is the Moolyella Monzogranite, which has intruded older Archean orthogneisses of the Fig Tree Gneiss Group and the Johansen Monzogranite.
Both the Fig Tree Gneiss and the Johansen Monzogranite comprise the Mount Edgar Batholith, which is a gneiss-granitoid complex surrounded by contemporaneous greenstone belts.
The highly evolved Moolyella Monzogranite has produced aplite dykes, greisen, and pegmatite sheets, all of which contain elevated concentrations of incompatible elements such as tin, tantalum, niobium, tungsten, and lithium.
What’s next?
A total of three main targets out of 12 areas have been selected to be drilled tested within the project based on the combination of soil geochemistry and mapped pegmatite dyke zones.
These have been preferentially selected over known pegmatite dykes within elevated lithium assays from soil sampling (greater than 70 ppm Li).
Ground exploration activities will concentrate in the north portion of E45/5873 with heritage surveys completed for the calendar year
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.
