Venus Metals discovers multiple new lithium zones at Youanmi project
Venus Metals Corporation (ASX: VMC) has delineated multiple new zones with outcropping lithium-caesium-tantalum pegmatites from a mapping and sampling field program at the Deep South prospect within the Youanmi project in Western Australia.
Geological mapping has identified the Central (grading up to 4.5% lithium oxide), East and North (both up to 4.6%) zones as common areas of high lithium grades associated with coarse-grained petalite.
Petalite is a lithium mineral with similar composition to spodumene and known to occur alongside it in other lithium deposits in the region such as Mt Holland, located 350 kilometres to the south.
The northerly-trending Central Zone is interpreted to dip gently towards the east, while the orientation of the other two zones is yet to be determined.
The mapped LCT pegmatites are believed to correlate with broad geochemical anomalies for caesium (up to 10,591 parts per million) and tin (up to 473ppm), consistent with an extensive intrusive system.
Significant lithium find
Venus said the Deep South mineralisation was shaping up to be a significant new lithium find and exploration had been accelerated to better understand the dimensions of the pegmatites and map the distribution of lithium minerals.
The company is currently planning a reverse circulation drilling program to test the depth extent of outcropping pegmatites and explore for additional LCT pegmatites below extensive areas of cover.
The results are expected to provide a better understanding of the true size and orientation of lithium pegmatites and could potentially identify possible variations in lithium mineralogies.
Exploration at Deep South is at an early stage and known pegmatites in the poorly-exposed area are believed to represent a relatively small part of the whole mineralised system.
Project location
The Deep South prospect is located 44 kilometres south of the Youanmi gold mine.
Lithium mineralisation was discovered in July following a regional Ultrafine soil sampling program which outlined an extensive lithium anomaly grading more than 110ppm.
Field checks showed common thin sand cover over poorly outcropping bedrock comprising mafic/ultramafic and granitoid rocks including pegmatite.
Lithium-rich pegmatite was identified in two outcrops at North Zone last month.