Six Sigma Metals Ltd, an Australian miner, has discovered high-grade lithium in a reverse circulation (RC) drilling program at its Shamva Lithium Project in Zimbabwe.
The drilling was undertaken at the high-priority Bonnyvale prospect and confirmed high-grade lithium mineralisation in spodumene-rich zones continuing at depth below surface outcrops and old workings. Six Sigma Metals Ltd is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.
The Australian company had announced in early July that it had started drilling the high-priority Bonnyvale lithium target at the Shamva project in Zimbabwe to judge the thickness of mineralisation and see if it continues at depth.
The West Perth company said at the time that drilling had begun and would continue until the end of July, with assays to be returned in August. These are the results which have turned out to be hugely positive.
Highlighted assay results from two holes include: 8 metres at 3.08% lithium from 1 metre, including 5 metres at 4.38% from 2 metres; and 32 metres at 1.42% from surface, including 12 metres at 2.45% from 18 metres and 5 metres at 3.83% from 19 metres.
The program was designed to test the continuity of lithium mineralisation as part of Six Sigma’s due diligence assessment of the project.
Sample analysis of the Loch Ness prospect in Shamva’s northwest also revealed encouraging results with all samples from the north of the prospect in a range of 1.5-2.89% lithium and samples collected from the south of Loch Ness returned numerous grades over 2% to a maximum of 4.71% and 4.82% lithium.
Six Sigma non-executive director Steve Groves said the due diligence exploration program at Shamva had been a great success.
Groves said: “Mapping and surface rock sampling have shown us that at least 5 large areas containing extensive lithium mineralisation at surface from multiple pegmatite dyke outcrops exist across the entire project area.
“Every one of the areas sampled to date has shown high-grade lithium with up to over 4% across multiple sample sites.
“The due diligence program included a small program of RC drilling to test one of the outcropping pegmatite dykes at the Bonnyvale area.
“This program was very successful in intersecting thick zones of high-grade mineralisation to at least 30 metres below surface and achieved everything it was designed to do.”
High-grade lithium was consistent across the results, with 7 samples returning over 4% lithium.
The intersections were from a single dyke which has an interpreted true thickness of between 10-12 metres and represents a tiny portion of the Bonnyvale area.
Drilled pegmatite is outcropping and can be mapped at surface for a strike length of at least 250 metres.
Previous rock sampling at Bonnyvale revealed a large area of around 550 by 160 metres, containing a broad spread of lithium mineralised samples.
The company is confident in the likelihood of discovering further pegmatite dykes related to surface mineralisation at Bonnyvale.
Source: Proactive Investors Australia