Tambourah Metals strikes 1% lithium at Russian Jack project

Rock chip sampling by Tambourah Metals (ASX: TMB) at the Russian Jack project in the Pilbara has resulted in one assay returning a grade of 1% lithium.

This find occurred 1km from the previously reported lithium-bearing pegmatites at the Russian Jack Northwest target.

The company says it is stepping up exploration for lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites at its newly acquired prospects, including at Haystack Well, which was one of six prospects bought this month from Minex Resources (ASX: MRR).

The Russian Jack project is located 295km southeast of Port Hedland and comprises five exploration licences and three applications.

Partnering CSIRO to identify drill targets

Tambourah Metals says it has previously identified swarms of possible LCT pegmatites at Russian Jack.

“The pegmatite swarms throughout the Russian Jack area cover a sizeable portion of [the] tenement area of approximately 380 sq km,” the company stated.

Tambourah has entered a collaboration partnership with the CSIRO to apply their hyperspectral dataset to define first-pass exploration targets across the Russian Jack project.

Lithium found at historic tin project

The Russian Jack ground, and the area in general, includes old tin and tantalum workings.

The company reports that, at its Bonney South project, sampling has confirmed the presence of lithium bearing pegmatites at two locations, with samples returning grades of 0.1% lithium.

Bonney South is located 6km southwest of an historic tin prospect.

The Haystack Well prospect is located on the Noreena Downs pastoral lease along with the Twin Wells alluvial tantalum prospect.

At Haystack Well, lithium soil sampling has returned up to 589 parts per million.

Working on heritage surveys

Chairperson Rita Brooks said the company is working within a large area that hosts untested pegmatites.

The partnership with CSIRO will assist identifying priority areas to investigate.

The company is now planning heritage surveys and is working with the Palyku people — one of the first nations of the Pilbara region — to clear priority areas.

The company will conduct reconnaissance and heritage clearing using helicopters where surface access is limited.