Trek Metals expands lithium potential at Tambourah ahead of high-impact drill program
Trek Metals plans to kick off its maiden drilling program at Tambourah in the second quarter.
Lithium explorer Trek Metals (ASX: TKM) has been buoyed by an independent geochemical review of its flagship Tambourah lithium project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, as it gears up for a maiden drill program slated to begin in Q2 2023.
The company has engaged renowned WA geochemist Dr Nigel Brand to review the available stream sediment, rock chip and soil data from Tambourah.
Dr Brand has confirmed his belief that there is “significant prospectivity” of the project to host a greenfields lithium discovery.
Trek began exploring for lithium at Tambourah last year, with an initial field exploration program returning high-grade spodumene rock chip results which set the market alight in early November last year.
Rock chips of up to 3.07% lithium oxide were returned from the so-called Eastern prospect, along with a range of other high-value assays including 2.69% lithium oxide, 2.36% lithium oxide, 2.28% lithium oxide and 2.11% lithium oxide.
The rock chips were taken from within a swarm of mapped pegmatites, the host rock for lithium mineralisation, increasing the likelihood that Tambourah hosts a significant lithium discovery.
Tambourah’s location just 70km south-east of the world-class Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum deposit, owned by market leader Pilbara Minerals (ASX: PLS), has further increased geological interest in its prospectivity.
Lithium potential confirmed and expanded
Dr Brand’s report was based on an evaluation and classification of stream sediment, rock chip and soil data from Tambourah according to their fertility and lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) prospectivity.
LCT pegmatites are targeted for their potential to host significant volumes of hard rock (spodumene) lithium mineralisation.
Dr Brand’s review has reaffirmed the high-priority drill targets at the Eastern and Central prospects, with soil geochemistry data interpreted to define class LCT pegmatite zonation, indicating that the Central prospect is likely to be located within the lithium zone – elevating its potential as a drill target.
Stream sediment data has also identified several extensive new areas within the southern exploration licence where a significant anomalism occurs over large areas of prospective geology.
Minimal exploration has been undertaken in this southern area, opening it up as an exciting new area for exploration in 2023.
Maiden drill program now looming
Trek is now gearing up for its maiden drill program at Tambourah, with approvals lodged and a heritage survey scheduled for late this quarter.
The company anticipates that drilling will commence next quarter.
Trek chief executive officer Derek Marshall said Tambourah is an exceptional greenfields lithium exploration opportunity, located in the heart of one of the world’s premier mining districts.
“I’m pleased to say that the results of Dr Brand’s review are extremely encouraging and have further strengthened our belief in the potential of this project to yield a significant greenfields lithium discovery,” he said.
“Dr Brand’s analysis has unequivocally confirmed the Eastern prospect as a high priority focus for our upcoming drill program, highlighting a significant area with rock chips dominantly classified as LCT pegmatites, including those containing the high-grade spodumene rock chips reported late last year.”