Spodumene Identified at Manindi Lithium Project, WA
Metallurgical testwork has confirmed spodumene in high-grade lithium-bearing drillcore from the Manindi Lithium Project, 20km southwest of Youanmi in Western Australia’s highly prospective Murchison District (see location, Figures 1 and 2).
The metallurgical testwork is being carried out on a composite sample of drillcore from the Foundation pegmatite discovery at Manindi, which included the following high-grade lithium intersection (see Figure 1):
- 12m @1.38% Li2O from 60m (downhole) in MND005 including 3m @ 2.12% Li2O1
Initial testwork on the Foundation pegmatite drillcore produced concentrate grades of up to 2.84% Li2O, which included predominantly lepidolite (lithium mica). Mineralogical analysis of the tails, which contained most of the lithium, indicates the sample contains petalite and spodumene. Further testwork is in progress to recover the remaining petalite and the spodumene into a separate, high-value, concentrate product.
The presence of spodumene in the Foundation pegmatite highlights potential for spodumenedominant zones to occur in the identified pegmatites or elsewhere within the Manindi Project.
Follow-up exploration at Manindi will now focus on identifying new spodumene-dominant pegmatite zones, through further drilling and examination and assaying of previous drillcore.
Metals Australia Chairman Mike Scivolo commented:
“The identification of spodumene in the high-grade lithium bearing pegmatites at Manindi is an extremely positive sign as it highlights the potential for greater proportions of this high-value lithium mineral both within the identified pegmatites and in new zones.
“The Company is looking to generate high-value lithium concentrate products from the Manindi pegmatites, which have been drill tested within a 3km corridor in the northern part of the Manindi Project.
“Once the metallurgical testwork is completed, the Company will carry out further drilling to test priority spodumene target zones and define a maiden mineral resource estimate.”
