Astute Metals NL (ASX: ASE) (“ASE”, “Astute” or “the Company”) is pleased to report assay results from the second of two holes from its inaugural diamond drilling campaign at the 100%-owned Red Mountain Lithium Project in Nevada, USA. Drill-hole RMDD002 has returned an outstanding thick intersection of some of the highest-grade lithium mineralisation seen to date at the Project, intersecting:
- 86.9m @ 1,470ppm Li / 0.78% Lithium Carbonate Equivalent1 (LCE) from 18.3m, including an internal high-grade zone grading 32.1m @ 2,050ppm Li / 1.09% LCE from 46.2m
Key Highlights
- Strong lithium mineralisation returned in assays for drill- hole RMDD002, which intersected:
- 86.9m @ 1,470ppm Li from 18.3m, including 32.1m of high-grade mineralisation @ 2,050ppm Li from 46.2m.
- RMDD002 marks the thickest intercept recorded to date at Red Mountain.
- Mineralisation successfully extended 375m north of previous northernmost intersections in holes RMRC002 & 003.
- Lithium mineralisation remains open down-dip to the east and along strike to the north.
- Outstanding results strenghten the foundation for a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate in 2025.
The identification of thick, lithium mineralisation in the northernmost drill-hole at Red Mountain highlights the immense scale of the project, with strong lithium mineralisation now intersected in all drill-holes now spanning a north-south strike extent of over 5km and surface sample geochemistry indicating further potential to the north, south and west of the current drilled extents7, 9 (Figure 4).
Of particular significance in hole RMDD002 is the presence of an internal 32.1m zone of very high-grade lithium mineralisation averaging 2,050ppm Li. The identification of substantially higher-grade lithium mineralisation in this hole, as well as that in the previously announced diamond drill hole RMDD001, indicates strong potential for further high-grade zones to be discovered at Red Mountain.
With all results for the recent diamond drilling now received, the Company is finalising geological mapping ahead of planning and permitting for the next round of drilling at the Project, which will be conducted at the earliest opportunity in the 2025 field season.
Astute Chairman, Tony Leibowitz, said:
“Like all great discoveries, Red Mountain continues to grow and improve the more we drill. The manifest scale and high tenor of mineralisation are testament to Red Mountain being one of the most important recent US lithium discoveries. This drill hole is the latest in a succession of thirteen, all of which intersected strong lithium mineralisation, establishing a solid foundation for a maiden mineral resource estimate to be advanced rapidly in 2025.”
Background
Located in central-eastern Nevada (Figure 5), the Red Mountain Project was staked by Astute in August 2023.
The Project area has broad mapped tertiary lacustrine (lake) sedimentary rocks known locally as the Horse Camp Formation2. Elsewhere in the state of Nevada, equivalent rocks host large lithium deposits (see Figure 5) such as Lithium Americas’ (NYSE: LAC) 62.1Mt LCE Thacker Pass Project3, American Battery Technology Corporation’s (OTCMKTS: ABML) 15.8Mt LCE Tonopah Flats deposit4 and American Lithium (TSX.V: LI) 9.79Mt LCE TLC Lithium Project5.
Astute has completed substantial surface sampling campaigns at Red Mountain, which indicate widespread lithium anomalism in soils and confirmed lithium mineralisation in bedrock with some exceptional grades of up to 4,150ppm Li2,8 (Figure 4).
The Company’s maiden drill campaign at Red Mountain comprised 11 RC drill holes for 1,518m over a 4.6km strike length. This campaign was highly successful with strong lithium mineralisation intersected in every hole drilled9. Two diamond drill holes have been drilled at the project.
Scoping leachability testwork on mineralised material from Red Mountain indicates high leachability of lithium of up to 98%, varying with temperature, acid strength and leaching duration10.
Other attractive Project characteristics include the presence of outcropping claystone host-rocks and close proximity to infrastructure, including the Project being immediately adjacent to the Grand Army of the Republic Highway (Route 6), which links the regional mining towns of Ely and Tonopah.
Results
Hole RMDD002 successfully intersected an 86.9m thick zone of lithium mineralised clay-bearing mudstone, sandstone, tuff and limestone, from 18.3m to 105.2m down-hole. The best grades were developed in the most clay-rich zones, which exhibit a desiccated and cracked appearance in drill core once dry (Figure 2). An internal very high-grade zone of 32.1m graded 2,050ppm Li, with a maximum single sample grade of 3,850ppm Li from 59.4-61.5m (195-201.7ft), which is the drill sample with the highest lithium grade achieved to date at the project.
Figure 1. RMDD002 interpretative cross section, lithium geochemistry and (50-110m off-section) rock chip samples
Interpretation
The two northernmost holes drilled as part of the maiden Red Mountain RC drilling campaign, RMRC002 and RMRC003, intersected thin zones of near-surface lithium mineralisation. It was interpreted at the time that these two holes ‘clipped’ the edge of a zone of lithium bearing clay-rich rocks that was likely to thicken towards the east (see ‘open’ arrow in Figure 3)9. RMDD002 was designed to test this interpretation and, in addition, extend the mineralisation 375m further north beneath an extrapolated zone of strong rock chip sample results (Figure 1).
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