Venus Metals uncovers 5.8% lithium in rock chip samples at Henderson
Venus Metals is planning an accelerated exploration program including drill testing at the WA project.
Multi-commodity explorer Venus Metals (ASX: VMC) has uncovered up to 5.8% lithium in rock chip samples taken from its Henderson project, close to Red Dirt Metals’ (ASX: RDT) Mt Ida project in Western Australia’s eastern goldfields.
After identifying lithium-caesium-tantalum pegmatites at Henderson earlier this year, Venus undertook a rock chip sampling program.
Assays have been received for 89 samples, with 29 of those returning grades exceeding 100 parts per million lithium.
Peak assays were 5.8% lithium and 3.6% lithium and come from the Emerald SE prospect, which has now been designated as a priority area for drilling.
To follow this up, Venus has contracted a reverse circulation rig, which will test areas prospective for lithium.
Gold potential
The RC rig will also follow-up gold targets that were identified from aircore drilling last year.
Aircore drilling at Henderson unearthed gold at Emerald South and the Henderson Bore prospects.
Notable results from this campaign were 7m at 1.3 grams per tonne gold from 45m, including 1m at 4.57g/t gold from 49m; and 2m at 2.2g/t gold from 19m, including 1m at 4.09g/t gold from 19m.
Henderson hosts the historical Hilltop workings where sampling returned 77.2g/t gold and 2.4g/t gold.
Henderson project
Henderson comprises five exploration licences that cover about 800 square kilometres of area along the southern margin of the Mt Ida greenstone belt.
The project is in proximity to existing and historical gold mines, with similar associated structures.
Venus owns 90% of the project, with an unnamed prospector holding the other 10%.
Red Dirt’s Mt Ida project
Henderson is directly south of Red Dirt’s Mt Ida project, which is also prospective for gold and lithium.
Red Dirt has focused on Mt Ida’s lithium potential with four rigs onsite and 30km of drilling completed to-date.
The company is planning a further 60km of drilling between May and October this year.
Notable drill results from Mt Ida comprise 34.17m at 1.32% lithium from 332m, including 12.43m at 2.13% lithium from 334.5m; 19.86m at 1.77% lithium from 285.4m, including 14.84m at 2.06% lithium from 300.43m; and 21.7m at 2.11% lithium from 250.7m.
Lithium mineralisation remains open in all directions and Red Dirt is targeting a maiden resource for the project for the September quarter.