Askari Metals has announced that it has obtained its first exploration license for its Yarrie lithium project, located just 100 km northeast of the massive Pilgangoora lithium deposit, owned by Pilbara Minerals. The entire project area consists of nine contiguous exploration licenses, totaling 1711 km² of prospective land adjacent to other significant lithium deposits in hard rock pegmatites.
The Yarrie project was acquired by Askari in 2022, and since then, the company has steadily gone through the process of obtaining the necessary permits. This project is considered a “valuable asset” due to its large area, unexplored research potential, and excellent geological location.
Obtaining the first exploration license in the Yarrie area is a significant achievement for the company and paves the way for the commencement of initial research programs on this highly anticipated project. We expect that additional exploration licenses will be granted soon. “The Yarrie lithium project is a valuable asset in our Australian portfolio, covering a large area in the highly prospective Pilbara region,” says Gino D’Anna, Managing Director of Askari Metals.
The company notes that it has maintained continuous communication with all relevant stakeholders since submitting the applications, including native landowners, local landowners, and has entered into numerous heritage and access agreements, as well as obtaining other required licenses and permits.
Now, the company’s efforts are paying off, and it believes it is ready to commence fieldwork, which will run concurrently with the work on the Uis lithium project in Namibia, including upcoming drilling activities.
Askari conducted preliminary fieldwork last year to identify initial exploration targets. A combination of stream sediment, soil, and rock samples were used to test anomalies defined in ASTER survey results using infrared remote sensing.
The work conducted has identified several pegmatites within the project area and 11 target areas associated with lithium-tantalum-ceasar-tantalate (LCT) mineralization, of which five are prioritized for the Phase II exploration campaign.
LCT mineralization refers to a set of minerals related to extreme levels of fractional crystallization of S-type granites that form from the melting of metasedimentary rocks in continental collision zones.
Along with distinctive physical characteristics and mineral composition, elevated concentrations of indicator elements in LCT pegmatites, including lithium, tantalum, niobium, cesium, and rubidium, indicate a higher potential for the occurrence of these and other valuable metals.
Pegmatites, rich in minerals, often occur in greenstone belts of archaic origin adjacent to granites. However, pegmatites can also occur at some distance from the surface contact between these two types of rocks.
The company emphasizes that its Yarrie project borders Octava Minerals’ lithium project in Talga, where Octava recently identified significant LCT signatures and a large target area of approximately 100 km², with the potential for LCT-type pegmatites.
Additionally, useful gold samples with values of up to 5.45 g/t gold have been identified in Talga soil samples, showing a gold anomaly area measuring approximately 400 m by 40 m, adjacent to the prospective Razorback gold zone.
It is worth noting that Talga is situated just 10 km north of Global Lithium’s Archer lithium deposit, where the company has focused on exploring a cluster of spodumene-bearing pegmatites within a 3 km by 1 km zone. Spodumene is a key lithium raw material.
In 2022, Global’s drilling program at Archer resulted in 288 drill holes totaling 45,528 m. The drilling has increased tonnage in resources, and indicated resources were defined following infill drilling, with the company reporting updated (JORC 2012) mineral resources of 18.0 million tonnes at 1.0% lithium oxide, representing a 71% increase compared to the June 2020 estimate of 10.5 Mt at 1.0% lithium oxide.
With its location in a surprisingly underexplored area, one exploration license already obtained, and eight more in progress, Askari appears to have promising prospects for the coming year.
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FAQ Section based on the main topics and information presented in the article:
1. What license did Askari Metals obtain for its Yarrie lithium project?
Askari Metals obtained its first exploration license for the Yarrie lithium project.
2. Where is the Yarrie project located?
The Yarrie project is located approximately 100 km northeast of the Pilgangoora lithium deposit near Pilbara Minerals.
3. What is the area of the Yarrie project?
The Yarrie project area consists of nine contiguous exploration licenses, totaling 1711 km² of prospective land.
4. What are the characteristics of the Yarrie project?
The Yarrie project is considered a “valuable asset” due to its large area, unexplored research potential, and excellent geological location.
5. What work did Askari Metals undertake to obtain licenses?
Askari Metals maintained continuous communication with all relevant stakeholders, entered into heritage and access agreements, and obtained other required licenses and permits.
6. What are the priority targets for the Phase II exploration campaign in the Yarrie project?
Within the Yarrie project, 11 target areas associated with lithium-tantalum-ceaser-tantalate (LCT) mineralization have been identified, of which five are prioritized for the Phase II exploration campaign.
7. What are the characteristics of LCT mineralization?
LCT mineralization refers to a set of minerals related to extreme levels of fractional crystallization of S-type granites that form from the melting of metasedimentary rocks in continental collision zones.
8. What indicator elements occur in LCT pegmatites?
LCT pegmatites contain elevated concentrations of indicator elements such as lithium, tantalum, niobium, cesium, and rubidium, indicating a higher potential for the occurrence of these and other valuable metals.
9. Which lithium project does the Yarrie project border?
The Yarrie project borders Octava Minerals’ lithium project in Talga.
10. What are the prospects for Askari Metals in the coming year?
With its location in a relatively unexplored area, one exploration license already obtained, and the process of acquiring more, Askari Metals appears to have promising prospects for the coming year.
Suggested related links:
– askarimetals.com.au
– pilbaraminerals.com.au
– taschereauinvestments.com/global-lithium
– octavamining.com.au
The source of the article is from the blog agogs.sk