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Voltaic Strategic Resources Limited (ASX:VSR) has received POW approval to commence maiden drilling at its Ti Tree Project, in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region, an emerging critical minerals hotspot.
Highlights
Program-of-work (POW) approved for maiden drill program at Andrada prospect, Ti Tree Project, Gascoyne Region, Western Australia.
- Over 30 drill targets identified from initial rockchips showing very favourable lithium, caesium, tantalum (LCT) geochemistry (Table 1 - Appendix)1.
- Maiden drilling program is planned at four (4) areas of high priority geochemical anomalism, where multiple pegmatites have been mapped at surface & will comprise 1,250m of RC drilling.
- This program is the first lithium targeted sub-surface exploration within the Project.
- Campaign to commence imminently – logistics & access underway (target early May 2023).
- All targets located within “Volta Corridor” - a major belt of lithium-bearing pegmatites that contains Red Dirt Metals’ Yinnietharra Lithium Project (90,000m drill program underway).
Following the collection of several hundred rockchips across multiple ASTER target areas2, the Company has identified multiple LCT anomalies across both northern and southern project areas and a drill program is planned to test four (4) initial targets at the Andrada prospect (Figure 1).
The objective of the maiden drilling is to expand the known surface footprint of LCT mineralization at shallow depths, and to identify potential mineralization down-plunge and along-strike. The program will provide important geological details to guide future drilling activities towards higher- calibre target areas and should bolster understanding of the regional pegmatite systems.
Andrada is one of three (3) regional targets identified to date (Figure 1) and the pegmatites at all prospects display evidence of being highly fractionated and zoned with abundant tourmaline alteration, which is similar to those at Yinnietharra3. Ti Tree has never been systematically explored for lithium, providing Voltaic with an outstanding opportunity to make a “greenfields” discovery in a region that has become a Critical Minerals exploration hotspot.
Figure 1. Ti Tree project tenement map. Neighbouring Red Dirt Metals Yinnietharra tenure also shown.
Voltaic chief executive Mr Michael Walshe said he is extremely proud of the exploration team’s dedication and success in generating drill targets over such a short timeframe at three different regional targets, one of which (Andrada) will be tested soon.
“The team have identified extensive occurrences of pegmatite outcrop, collected several hundred rockchips, and demonstrated the fertility of these rockchips which has yielded over 30 drill targets; and all whilst exploring only a small portion of the entire tenure” Mr Walshe said.
“The pegmatites at all prospects display evidence of being highly fractionated and zoned with abundant tourmaline alteration – similar to those at Yinnietharra4, and with significant LCT and associated pathfinder element anomalism (Figure 2 – Appendix).
“We will maintain our activities over the coming months to continue to vector towards the most promising areas. Geophysical and remote sensing surveys will soon commence to generate additional targets and provide detailed structural data on the pegmatites. Additionally, we will be one of the first in the region to trial a surface gravity survey as a means for differentiating pegmatites from country rock. This method has shown to be highly effective for LCT exploration in other regions with similar geology5” he said.
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