Encounter Resources Ltd (ASX:ENR) has confirmed lithium and other critical minerals bearing LCT pegmatites at the Crawford target part of the Junction Lithium Project in Australia’s Northern Territory.
Highlights
- Assay results confirm LCT (lithium-caesium-tantalum) pegmatites at Junction, comparable to the host pegmatites of the Finnis lithium deposits in the Pine Creek region
- Critical metal results include maximum assays: lithium (0.2% Li2O); rubidium (0.57% Rb); tin (500ppm Sn); caesium (498ppm), tantalum (51ppm) and tungsten (740ppm)
“The first on-ground activities completed have identified a trend of lithium and critical minerals bearing LCT pegmatites,” Managing Director, Will Robinson, said.
“Crawford is a new critical minerals occurrence in the North Arunta and is located ~5km east of Core Lithium’s Ringing Rocks prospect which further serves to highlight the potential of the broader Junction region.
“To have such strong and consistent results across a range of critical minerals at an early stage is highly encouraging. A systematic soil sampling program will be completed as soon as possible in order to define targets for drilling.”
Junction sits within the North Arunta Pegmatite Province which was first identified in a report by the Northern Territory Geological Survey (NTGS) in 2005. The NTGS interprets that the pegmatites in the region are LCT pegmatites similar to the host pegmatites of the lithium deposits at Greenbushes in Western Australia and the Finnis deposit in the Pine Creek pegmatite province in the NT.
The NTGS interpretation has now been validated at Crawford with significant implications for the broader Junction area.
The Crawford target at Junction is defined by the intersection of two important LCT-controlling structures, the Barrow Creek and Neutral Junction Fault Zones.
Core Lithium Ltd’s Ringing Rocks prospect is located ~5km west of Crawford. Ringing Rocks is a lithium-in-soils anomaly coincident with the outcrop position of two large pegmatite bodies and surface rock chips assaying up to 0.6% Li2O. This further demonstrates the potential of the broader Junction area.
Next Steps
Systematic soil geochemical sampling of the LCT pegmatite prospective corridor will be completed in early 2023.
The geochemical sampling will test for a range of critical minerals including Li, Cs, Ta, Sn, Be, W and Rb. Following this soil sampling programme, RC drilling of defined targets is planned.
For further information please visit: https://www.encounterresources.com.au/
