Aldoro Resources is spreading its wings in Western Australia’s Murchison region, snapping up lithium pegmatite prospects adjacent to its Windimurra lithium footprint through a deal to acquire the neighbouring Wyemandoo as well as the Niobe tantalum-lithium project near Mount Magnet from privately-owned Meridian 120 Mining.
Aldoro says its Windimurra lithium project is rich in lithium-cesium-tantalum or “LCT” type pegmatites, with tungsten also present. Rock chip lithium oxide grades of up to 2.6 per cent lithium oxide and tantalum oxide grades up to 5610ppm have been recorded from sampling. Tungsten oxide rock chip grades up to 16.5 per cent have also been logged.
The Wyemandoo area, 80km south-east of Mount Magnet, covers 9 square kilometres and joins Aldoro’s recently granted tenure on the Narndee-Windimurra Igneous Complex. Management says the Wyemandoo pegmatites represent a new lithium-bearing pegmatite field only about 25km north-northwest of the Youanmi lithium pegmatite field, and appear to cover a large area. At this stage the area is projected as a north-east trending corridor more than 10km long and up to 4km wide where the full extent of the pegmatite is masked by young alluvium and colluvium cover.
Several pegmatites have reportedly been mapped and sampled in the south-west corner of the Wyemandoo licence, and a total of 18 rock chip samples produced an average of 1.06% Li2O with a peak grade of 2.12% Li2O.
A total of 53 pegmatite rock chip samples have been collected within Aldoro’s overall Windimurra project area, the highest grade coming in at 2.6% Li2O from a sample taken from just inside Aldoro’s adjoining Narndee licence.
The Niobe tantalum-lithium project 70km north-west of Mount Magnet contains several areas of significant lithium and tantalum enrichment, according to the company.
High-grade tantalum ore has been mined in the past from a small open pit and there are shallow high-grade drill intersections that require follow-up. Aldoro management says anomalous lithium values were detected in the 1980s, however the lithium potential of the area has been largely ignored since then and there has been no systematic exploration despite the local pegmatites clearly showing strong lithium enrichment.
Aldoro will pay Meridian $50,000 cash and $150,000 in shares for the Murchison projects and will also grant a one per cent net smelter return royalty over the tenements.
Aldoro has also announced a boost to its technical capabilities with Dr Peter Hayden joining its advisory team. Dr Hayden is a geologist with more than 35 years’ experience in exploration and mining for commodities such as tin, tantalum, lithium, nickel and gold. He has significant regional experience and has worked on all phases of exploration from reconnaissance to feasibility and development.
Aldoro chairman Joshua Letcher said: “It is pleasing to secure the adjacent licence to Aldoro’s Windimurra lithium project ... which is showing significant promise. While we are excited to shortly commence drilling our flagship nickel-copper-PGE project at Narndee over the next few months we have already put plans in place to ensure work currently occurring at our Windimurra lithium project continues unabated.”
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By Matt Birney
