Venus Metals identifies three new lithium anomalies at Youanmi project
对 Venus Metals 的 Youanmi 矿石的测试表明，钒和氧化铁的品位可以通过简单的精矿工艺进行升级。
Geochemical sampling at the Youanmi lithium project in Western Australia has identified three east-northeast-trending anomalies for owner Venus Metals Corporation (ASX: VMC).
Sampling was completed as part of a regional reconnaissance program at the Manindi North licence.
It focused on a granite-greenstone contact zone within the Youanmi greenstone belt which is considered prospective for lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite mineralisation.
Beryl occurrence
A soil survey specifically targeted a known beryl occurrence which had not been historically tested.
The survey was completed across the occurrence at 40m by 80m spacings for 158 samples.
Three rock chip samples of sub-cropping pegmatites were also collected.
Lithium anomalies
The results revealed three northeast-trending lithium anomalies with the northern one centred on the reported beryl occurrence and a second anomaly located some 50m to the south.
High lithium concentrations in two rock samples (grading 2.1% and 1.2% lithium oxide) together with the broad lithium anomalism in soil is believed to indicate the presence of pegmatite under local colluvium.
A program of reverse circulation drilling is scheduled to commenced next month to test the new anomalies for potential pegmatite-hosted LCT mineralisation in the bedrock.
New targets
The new anomalies follow the identification of new lithium targets at Youanmi in April.
Venus had been carrying out geochemical surveys across the project, with one campaign collecting 490 soil samples over three tenements.
The April program identified several lithium anomalies greater than 116 parts per million at Manindi North and believed to “indicate the presence of lithium-caesium-tantalum-style mineralisation”.
Previous drilling of lithium-bearing pegmatites in the area produced intersections of 12m at 0.68% lithium oxide, 2m at 1.58% lithium oxide, and 4m at 0.76% lithium oxide.
Venus said recent geochemical data may suggest zonation with high lithium and lower rubidium anomalies identified west of previously-explored pegmatites.
The mineralisation had never been previously mapped or tested due to being under cover.
The Manindi North pegmatites and lithium anomalies are located along strike from thick intersections of lithium-bearing pegmatite at Metals Australia’s (ASX: MLS) Manindi project.