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Oceana Lithium Limited (ASX:OCN)(Oceana or the Company) is pleased to advise that field exploration work is now underway at the Monaro Lithium Project in James Bay Québec.
Key Points
- Field exploration commences at Monaro Lithium Project following lifting of wildfire access restrictions.
- Québec based contractor Explo-Logik has mobilised an experienced exploration team with helicopter support to target high-priority areas.
- In preparation for its inaugural field season Oceana has identified various high priority targets within the Monaro project area. These targets will be investigated on the ground during the current field campaign with a focus on identifying spodumene bearing pegmatites.
- These targets include the two reported Québec Government SIGÉOM pegmatites; some 114 large linear structures with surface signs of pale outcrop, some up to 1.25 km in length identified from high resolution satellite imagery, as well as 26 spectral targets selected from Sentinel 2 remote sensing data.
- Monaro covers 104 km2 in the western portion of the Archean Duhesme Lake metavolcano-sedimentary greenstone belt, that can be traced about 40 km along strike and 4-5 km across and is known to host lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) mineralisation.
- The project is located 10 km north-west of the Adina Lithium Project, where owner Winsome Resources (ASX: WR1) has reported significant lithium mineralised pegmatite intercepts1.
Experienced Québec based contractor Explo-Logik has mobilised at the Mirage Outfitter camp to conduct the inaugural helicopter-supported field program over the Monaro project area. The program consists of mapping, prospecting, rock, till and soil sampling with onsite XRF analyses for key LCT pegmatite pathfinder elements (Cs, Be, Nb, Sn, P, Rb, and Ta).
Oceana has identified numerous geological features, magnetic structures and visual supported by four support field technicians working on a rotational basis. The exploration team plans to sample over 60 locations, with samples to be sent to ALS in Val-d’Or, Québec for analysis with field activity expected to continue until mid to late September.
Figure 1: Simplified bedrock geology map of the James Bay district showing the location of the Monaro Lithium Project in relation to the CV5 discovery made by Patriot Battery Metals 2 and proximity to Winsome Resources’ Adina lithium prospect. For a more detailed geological map refer to Oceana’s ASX announcement 5 July 2023.
Sentinel 2 visible/near infrared (VNIR) and shortwave infrared (SWIR) and Aster Multispectral and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data has been acquired for the Monaro project area and analysed. Analysis of the emission spectra, with a focus on dihydrogen or helium which have strong emission lines in the VNIR, has generated targets, which could be indicative of the mineral zeolite, common in pegmatites, and cookeite, a weathering product of the lithium mineral lepidolite. Twenty-six (26) spectral targets (gas and resistivity), excluding 4 targets previously reported which actually lie on the periphery of the tenements (Oceana’s ASX announcement 5 July 2023), have been generated from these data sets (see Figure 2). This method has been applied with great success in lithium exploration in Western Australia.
Figure 2: Linear satellite imagery targets (yellow) and spectral targets (red diamonds); and identified pegmatites (SIGÉOM pegmatite data – red star, and Tilly pegmatite suite - red polygon) within the Monaro Lithium Project area (refer Oceana ASX announcement 5 July 2023).
The Company has also purchased high resolution PNEO 30cm 6-Band satellite imagery for the tenement area, and a LiDAR survey contractor has been appointed to gather additional high resolution topography data and imagery to further assist in pegmatite identification and accurate delineation.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Oceana Lithium, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
OCN:AU
Drilling Commenced at Viani in Fiji
HIGHLIGHTS
- The Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program has commenced at the Viani Project, Fiji and will test for extensions to the quartz vein gold mineralisation at depth.
- Phase 1 is expected to be completed in early 2025, with plans for additional drilling under the same program dependent on the initial results
- The Viani Project (SPL1513) covers an area of approximately 200km2 and is largely underexplored.
- At the Dakuniba prospect within Viani, low sulphidation epithermal high-grade gold mineralisation has been mapped over >3km strike length.
- Diamond drilling completed by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in 1995 to 1997 intersected high-grade gold in low sulphidation epithermal quartz veins, including 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au.
Alice Queen’s Managing Director, Andrew Buxton said,
With drilling underway, Alice Queen is positioned to test the epithermal gold-style mineralisation identified in historic drilling at the Viani Project. Weather permitting, we anticipate completing the Phase 1, three-hole diamond drilling program in early 2025. Following this, our exploration team will mobilise the drill rig to the Sabeto Project in Fiji to maintain the momentum of this campaign. To deliver timely results to shareholders, we intend to accelerate the analysis of the drill core at ALS Brisbane.”
Image 1 – Diamond drilling at Viani
Details
Geology
The geology of the Viani Project (SPL 1513) comprises olivine basalts and volcaniclastics of the Natewa Volcanic Group which are intruded by andesite sills and dykes. In the 1940s, gold mineralisation was found by local prospectors near the village of Dakuniba. At Dakuniba, low sulphidation style epithermal gold occurs in quartz veins, and silicified rocks along a 3km long NE trending zone.
In 1995-1997, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) drilled six diamond holes at Dakuniba and intersected high-grade gold in chalcedonic, crustiform, colloform banded quartz veins at depths of 50m to 100m below surface (i.e. MJVFV-5 intersected 2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au, incl 0.6m @ 27.6 g/t Au at 121m downhole). This high-grade gold mineralisation is open in all directions.
Proposed Drill program
The initial Phase 1 drill program at Viani (see Table 1) will comprise three diamond drillholes designed to test continuity to the epithermal gold mineralisation previously intersected in JICA drillhole MJVFV- 5 (2.2m @ 11.3 g/t Au) (see Figure 2). The drilling will test for extensions to the gold mineralisation at depth and along strike.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Alice Queen Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
