Assays for the latest four holes completed at Pan Asia Metals’ (ASX: PAM) Reung Kiet prospect in Thailand have supported a geological model of extensive lithium mineralisation hosted in lepidolite-rich pegmatite dykes, veins and adjacent metasediments.
The mineralised zone is currently defined over a strike length of more than 1km and remains open along strike to the north and south, and at depth in the south.
Step-out drilling has demonstrated extensions at depth from the existing mineral resource while infill drilling proved the geological interpretation.
Drilling results
Best intervals were 17.8 metres at 0.05% lithium oxide, 0.2% tin and 76 parts per million tantalum pentoxide from 301.5m, and 21.5m at 0.55% lithium oxide, 0.08% tin and 100ppm tantalum pentoxide from 172m including 4.55m at 0.88% lithium oxide, 0.1% tin and 111ppm tantalum pentoxide from 177.45m, including 5.05m at 0.77% lithium oxide, 0.09% tin and 159ppm tantalum pentoxide from 186m.
Also reported was: 13.25m at 0.13% tin and 98ppm tantalum pentoxide from 240.1m; 5.5m at 0.48% lithium oxide, 0.05% tin and 92ppm tantalum pentoxide from 64.4m; and 16.4m at 0.52% lithium oxide, 0.06% tin and 89ppm tantalum pentoxide from 73.6m including 4m at 0.74% lithium oxide, 0.06% tin and 94ppm tantalum pentoxide from 74m.
Drilling at Reung Kiet is now complete and the remainder of assays pending will be incorporated into a mineral resource update to be prepared by mining consultant CSA Global.
In line with expectations
Pan Asia managing director Paul Lock said the latest results are in line with expectations.
“They confirm that the deposit remains open at depth to the south, which is good news,” he said.
“We now await the assay results which will help with the preparation of an updated mineral resource.”
Hard rock project
Reung Kiet is a hard rock lithium project where the mineralisation is chiefly hosted in lepidolite or mica-rich pegmatite dykes and veins.
Historic open pit mining in the early 1970s extracted tin and tantalum from the weathered pegmatites.
Pan Asia aims to complete sufficient drilling to increase and convert much of the project’s existing inferred mineral resource to the indicated and measured categories.
The upgraded resource figures will be used as part of a pre-feasibility study planned for later this year.
Sources of lithium
Pan Asia is focusing on sources of lithium such as lepidolite which have potential to be competitive and cost-effective.
Market studies indicate that lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide projects using lepidolite as their plant feedstock have the potential to be placed near the bottom of the cost curve.
Lepidolite has also been demonstrated to have a lower carbon emissions intensity than other lithium sources.
