New assays from Pan Asia Metals’ Reung Kiet lithium project could extend mineral resource
Pan Asia Metals managing director Paul Lock says the latest assays provide “very strong indication” there will be “a good uplift to the mineral resource estimate” later this year.
Pan Asia Metals (ASX: PAM) has received assay results for a further four holes completed at the Reung Kiet lithium project in southern Thailand.
The results demonstrate extensions at depth and along strike of the project’s inferred mineral resource announced in June of 10.4 million tonnes grading 0.44% lithium oxide, 0.04% tin, 0.009% tantalum pentoxide, 0.16% rubidium and 0.02% caesium for approximately 113,000t of lithium carbonate equivalent.
Better intervals from this latest batch were 12.7m at 0.47% lithium oxide from 16.3m; 3.95m at 0.44% lithium oxide from 59.95m; 2.25m at 0.55% lithium oxide from 113.95m; 2.9m at 0.60% lithium oxide from 127.75m.
Other results were 9.15m at 0.58% lithium oxide from 11.1m; 2m at 0.70% lithium oxide from 22.4m; 2.2m at 0.51% lithium oxide from 31.4m; 7.75m at 0.73% lithium oxide from 5.8m; 8.5m at 1.03% lithium oxide from 29m; and 2.6m at 0.97% lithium oxide from 43.7m.
Numerous narrow zones of mineralisation were also present.
Geological model
Pan Asia managing director Paul Lock said the results continue to support the project’s geological model of extensive lithium mineralisation hosted in lepidolite rich pegmatite dykes-veins and adjacent metasediments.
“The visuals are encouraging and this deeper mineralisation has some potential,” he said.
“It provides a very strong indication that we will see a good uplift to the mineral resource estimate later this year.”
The resource will underpin a scoping study which will consider initial production of up to 10,000t per annum of lithium carbonate equivalent and associated by-products.
Bottom of the cost curve
Pan Asia is focusing on lepidolite as a source of lithium as peer group studies have indicated that lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide projects using lepidolite as their plant feedstock have potential to be placed at the bottom of the cost curve.
Lepidolite has also been demonstrated to have a lower carbon emissions intensity than other lithium sources.
Pan Asia has been conducting infill and extensional diamond core drilling at Reung Kiet since March 2021.