Chariot Corporation uses K-feldspar testing to identify prime drilling targets at Black Mountain
Chariot Corporation (ASX: CC9) has identified a prospective drilling target area through ongoing K-feldspar testing at its Black Mountain hard rock lithium project in Wyoming, USA.
The company recently contracted consultancy firm ERM to help define potential drilling targets at Black Mountain.
The K-feldspar technique specialist has identified the southern group of pegmatites as an area to focus on going forward.
Surface exploration
K-feldspar is a surface exploration method used for identifying and vectoring to highly fractionated lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite systems.
It has been successfully used by other lithium companies under the guidance of ERM.
ERM’s experience and global dataset of K-feldspar fractionation data indicate that pegmatites with a K:Rb value of less than 30 have the highest potential to host lithium mineralisation.
The Black Mountain pegmatites, located in the project’s Southern Target Area, exhibited K:Rb ratios averaging 24 and are associated with high-grade lithium mineralisation encountered at surface and in drill holes.
The data indicates that the sampled pegmatites are all LCT-type.
Rubidium content
Analysis of the rubidium content in K-feldspar crystals collected from outcropping pegmatites at Black Mountain has also confirmed the moderately- to highly-fractionated state of the outcropping LCT pegmatites.
A portable X-ray fluorescence device was used on 218 K-feldspar samples collected from the outcropping pegmatites at Black Mountain.
Many of these samples also displayed anomalous caesium and tantalum values, further supporting the existence of LCT pegmatites in the area.
LCT potential
After further assessment, it was determined that the K-feldspar fractionation data from the Black Mountain pegmatites is consistent with moderately to highly fractionated pegmatites with significant potential for LCT mineralisation.
Chariot’s management says the results of this work demonstrate the effectiveness of using K-feldspar testing to distinguish prospective lithium-mineralised LCT pegmatites from less-fractionated ones.
Due to K-feldspar’s success in enabling the company to cost-effectively sharpen the focus of its exploration activities at Black Mountain, it will also be used to focus exploration at the company’s other projects including Copper Mountain and South Pass in Wyoming.