Drilling at Tabba Tabba Finds High Potential Pegmatites
Brisbane, April 11, 2024 AEST (ABN Newswire) - North American lithium producer Sayona Mining Limited (
ASX:SYA) (DML:FRA) (SYAXF:OTCMKTS) announces that maiden exploration drilling at its wholly owned Tabba Tabba Lithium Project, 45/2364 identified high potential pegmatite systems containing caesium and tantalum. Based on these results, Sayona plans to conduct deeper drilling along a 7.5km prospective corridor located immediately south of the historic Tabba Tabba tantalum mine, where recent exploration by Wildcat Resources has identified encouraging lithium mineralisation.
The 77-hole air core drilling program for 1,473m focused on two key areas, with results in the northern drill area identifying a zone of alteration, interpreted as the targeted southern extension to the Tabba Tabba mine stratigraphy. The southern drill area, sited around the Roadside and Turley prospects, intersected narrow pegmatite within broader zones of elevated tantalum and caesium geochemistry, typical of a LCT (lithium-caesium-tantalum) type pegmatite system.
An orientation ground gravity geophysical survey has commenced to identify the prospective gabbro - sediment contact for targeting, as this is an important control for lithium mineralisation within the area.
The gravity survey covers a 7km x 2km area and comprises approximately 2,500 stations arranged on 160m x 40m traverses, infilled to 80x20m over the northern and southern drill areas. The survey is anticipated to take three weeks to complete.
Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling is planned after the completion of the gravity survey to test existing and new gravity defined targets within fresh rock at depth. Some earthworks have been completed in support of the planned drilling program.
The air core drill results support the ramp up of West Australian exploration activities at Tabba Tabba and Sayona's other 100% owned lithium and gold projects in the region.
Sayona's Director and Interim CEO, James Brown commented, "We are pleased with the results of the drilling program so far, which delineated a prospective lithium corridor, as we advance our wholly owned Western Australian lithium assets.
"These encouraging drill results at Tabba Tabba identified high potential pegmatites and provide a strong basis for us to proceed to a deeper RC drilling program. Given the recent discoveries in neighbouring tenements, we are excited to progress the exploration for lithium mineralisation in Western Australia.
"We look forward to continuing our exploration program in both Quebec, Canada and Western Australia as we expand and diversify our global lithium portfolio."
Northern Drill Area
In the northern drill area 31 holes with an average depth of 25m were completed on two drill lines spaced 400m apart. Bedrock comprised a western zone of clastic and volcanogenic sediments typical of the Mallina Formation. These are margined by a zone of thermally altered units and granulite before transitioning eastwards into a mixed package of mafic, ultramafic, felsic volcanic and chert. The thermally altered zone is interpreted as the targeted southern extension to the Tabba Tabba stratigraphy.
This target zone is planned to be tested by deeper RC drilling of fresh rock. An orientation ground gravity geophysical survey has commenced to further help target RC drilling of potential flat lying pegmatite systems extending from the north.
Roadside Prospect - Southern Area
Drilling at the Roadside prospect comprised 17 holes on two drill lines spaced 200m apart with holes averaging 14m in depth. Each drill fence intersected pegmatite and zones of elevated LCT type geochemistry as displayed in the table below*.
The tantalum enriched pegmatite (maximum 127ppm Ta) combined with elevated caesium and tin are typical of the LCT type class of pegmatites. Lithium drill results are not strongly anomalous in lithium, however, surface silicification, commonly logged in the weathered rock profile, indicates a loss of lithium during the weathering and silicification process may have occurred. Drill results are supported by surface pegmatite mapping and elevated Li-Cs-Ta soil geochemical results, which in combination identify a 500m by 100m wide corridor, open along strike, for deeper drill testing. Outcrop at surface is limited due to surficial cover but gabbro and sediments crop out locally.
The gravity survey will provide data to help focus deeper RC drill testing, targeting spodumene pegmatite within the favourable gabbro host rock at depth.
Turley Prospect - Southern Area
A total of 29 air core holes with an average 16m depth were completed on two drill traverses 400m apart.
Holes were sited over an area of colluvial cover located to the east of the Turley pegmatite. Drilling did not identify any pegmatites or LCT type geochemistry. The Turley pegmatite, which has been mapped at surface as an anastomosing system ranging from 1m to 10m in thickness over a 280m strike extent, remains untested by drilling. The pegmatite is tantalum and caesium enriched and future RC drilling will target the pegmatite system and potential lithium rich zones at depth. It is anticipated results from the gravity survey will help the targeting process for future drilling.
Next Steps
Deeper RC drilling at each of the Northern, Roadside and Turley areas is planned once the ground gravity orientation survey is completed. This will optimise exploration in the search for flat lying spodumene pegmatite mineralisation at depth. A tenement wide review of geology is also underway, targeting the prospective gabbro host units and structural settings which facilitate emplacement of the target north striking spodumene pegmatite mineralisation.
Sayona holds 100% of the lithium rights to six tenements within the Pilgangoora lithium district, (including E45/2364), and a 49% interest in the Morella Lithium Joint Venture which comprises lithium rights to an additional six leases. The commencement of drilling at the Tabba Tabba project, marks a strategic reevaluation of the importance of the Western Australian lithium tenure in Sayona's global lithium development portfolio.
Geologically, planned exploration is benefiting from an enhanced understanding of pegmatite occurrences. This includes observations from exploration at Moblan, Quebec where flat lying pegmatite hosted by gabbro was discovered by Sayona in 2022 at the South Pegmatite Zone.
Flat lying pegmatite systems often have limited surface expression and require a systematic exploration approach to best focus drilling into the most prospective target areas. Sayona is advancing this process, being guided by mapping, rock and soil sampling and now, first pass drilling.
Recent exploration success within Western Australia has also reinforced the importance of similar gabbroic host rocks. The Tabba Tabba lease and Mallina JV area both stand to benefit from continued exploration targeting these geological analogues.
*To view tables and figures, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/XIE4630L
About Sayona Mining Limited
Sayona Mining Limited (ASX:SYA) (OTCMKTS:SYAXF) is a North American lithium producer with projects in Quebec, Canada and Western Australia. In Quebec, Sayona's assets comprise North American Lithium together with the Authier Lithium Project and its emerging Tansim Lithium Project, supported by a strategic partnership with American lithium developer Piedmont Lithium Inc. (ASX:PLL). Sayona also holds a 60% stake in the Moblan Lithium Project in northern Quebec.
In Western Australia, the Company holds a large tenement portfolio in the Pilbara region
prospective for gold and lithium. Sayona is exploring for Hemi-style gold targets in the world-class Pilbara region, while its lithium projects include Company-owned leases and those subject to a joint venture with Morella Corporation (ASX:1MC).
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