Krakatoa Resources Limited (ASX: KTA) has obtained promising results from the recent resource drilling assays at its 100% owned King Tamba critical metals project located approximately 70km from Mt Magnet, Western Australia.
All outstanding assay results for the recent King Tamba Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling have now been received. Multiple broad zones of rubidium mineralisation have been identified across the project area, including an exceptional intersection from drillhole DAL005 totalling 70m at 0.23% RbO2 from 82m downhole. This intersection was partially reported (as 34m @ 2183ppm Rb) in our previous announcement dated August 31 and has now been expanded with the receipt of further assays.
The company drilled 32 RC drillholes for a total of 3045m during May and June 2022. The programme targeted a suite of mineralised pegmatites which are enriched in rubidium, tantalum, caesium, niobium and lithium and was designed to infill existing drilling to a nominal 40 x 40m spacing to allow calculation of a maiden mineral resource.
The company submitted a total of 1416 samples for analysis in mid-June, with a first batch of 553 results reported to the market on August 31. The remaining 863 results are reported herein.
Rubidium was the primary target of the drilling with previous work having returned highly anomalous values over a large areal extent. The thickness of the intersections, combined with the continuity of mineralised units in our geological modelling is very promising.
Samples with Rubidium grade in excess of 1,000ppm have been returned over intervals with geological continuity.
Intersections of note include drillhole DAL029 which was the southernmost drillhole of this program, and indeed the most southerly hole drilled on the King Tamba project to date.
DAL029 intersected seven mineralised pegmatite bodies with a cumulative 28m thickness over the 102m total length, including one which returned 3m at 0.45% RbO2 from 66m downhole.
Importantly, this intersection returned the highest individual rubidium result of the program with 1m from 67-68m downhole assaying at 0.7% RbO2, 0.47% Li2O, and 0.16% Cs2O. These results were obtained from a narrow pegmatite body 3.0m wide but with markedly different chemistry from those around it.
It should be noted that DAL029 is essentially surrounded by blue-sky opportunity with no drilling to the east, west, or south, and the nearest hole to the north being 160m away. The company intends to follow up this intersection with further drilling.
Another intersection of note, drillhole DAL008 returned a single metre at 0.42% Ta2O5 and 0.08% Nb2O5 within the differentiated quartz-rich core of a wider pegmatite unit. The elevated tantalum levels are notable for being an order of magnitude higher than any other sample from this drilling programme.
Previous mining activities at King Tamba were focussed on tantalite from the quartz-core of differentiated pegmatites and the company is alert to the possibility of discovering further tantalite lodes whilst exploring the project.
This gels well with the drillhole DAL002, that returned a maximum 0.85% Li2O, an average of 0.45% Li2O between 62-68m (6m) Interval.
Overall, a cohesive geological interpretation and model is forming at King Tamba with consistent wide zones of elevated rubidium observed in multiple stacked pegmatite lenses with a sub-horizontal attitude. Occasional vertical or steeply dipping pegmatites are also interpreted, however these are likely under- represented by the drilling to date which has been composed predominantly of vertical holes.
Within the pegmatites exist differentiated fractions which can have significantly higher metal concentrations. Although these form a small percentage of the overall volume, their high tenor makes understanding their distribution important.
Work to confirm the rubidium deportment is ongoing, however initial indications from correlation of geological logging to geochemistry suggest elevated rubidium is contained mainly within mica in pegmatite.
Next Steps
Moving forward, the company intends to complete structural geology modelling and mineral deportment work at King Tamba before finalising a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) later this quarter.
The potential to discover further mineralised pegmatites here is clear, potentially including zones which are enriched in tantalum, lithium, and caesium.
An aggressive programme of geochemical sampling and drilling is now being prepared for 2023, following the release of the MRE.
For further information please visit: https://www.ktaresources.com/
