Aldoro Resources’ bid to define a major rubidium resource at its Niobe project in WA has received a shot in the arm from rock chip assays grading up to 0.93% rubidium and 0.86% lithium oxide.

Anomalous rubidium and lithium occurrences now extend for over 400m in strike at Niobe East, 40km south of Leinster, setting the scene for a drilling program into the multi-layered pegmatite.

Aldoro (ASX:ARN) has now had a program of works approved for drilling at Niobe, where assays confirmed the prospectivity of rubidium and lithium targets outside the Niobe main pit.

At the Breakaway prospect, one of three sampled along with Niobe East and Southwest, rubidium and lithium value extend up to a strike length of 100m while at Southeast a handful of samples have rubidium values of up to 0.2%.

Aldoro outcrop
Rock sample NR0004 from the Niobe project with visible outcrop. Pic: Aldoro Resources

The average rubidium value across the 46 rock chip samples was 1892ppm, ranging from 34.7 to 9307ppm, while the average lithium was 0.0725% at between 0.005-0.4%, with a sprinkling of caesium for good measure.

Rubidium and lithium results in the most recent sampling campaign are generally consistent with those obtained by Pancontinental in the 1980s, providing Aldoro with confidence in the historical drilling assays used to form its exploration target at Niobe.

That target is approximately 33,000-150,000 tonnes at grades ranging 696-1457ppm rubidium oxide (Rb2O) over an 80m by 65m area containing detailed drilling.

Aldoro rockchips
Rock chip samples have extended the strike at Niobe. Pic: Aldoro

The rock chip samples have provided Aldoro with confidence that the target can be extended.

“The rock chip results show the potential for the area and give confidence for increasing the Exploration Target tonnage,” Aldoro chairman Joshua Letcher said.

An RC drill rig is already booked for the upcoming drilling program, which is just waiting on a heritage survey.

Negotiations are underway with the Wajarri PBC for the heritage survey over the area.

 

 

 

This article was developed in collaboration with Aldoro 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.