- Azure Minerals (AZS) hits multiple lithium-bearing pegmatites while testing for nickel at its Andover project in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia
- Drilling completed at the end of 2022 has returned a top intercept of 1.51 per cent lithium oxide over 7.2 metres from 313.9 metres downhole
- While the drill hole was testing a nickel target, it was collared where numerous outcropping pegmatites containing visible coarse-bladed spodumene were sampled
- Azure Managing Director Tony Rovira says the results are further evidence of the “substantial mineral endowment” of Andover as a battery metals project
- AZS shares are up 4.92 per cent and trading at 32 cents at 1:43 pm AEDT
Azure Minerals (AZS) has hit multiple lithium-bearing pegmatites while testing for nickel at its Andover Project in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Drilling completed at the end of 2022 has returned a top intercept of 1.51 per cent lithium oxide over 7.2 metres from 313.9 metres downhole.
While the drill hole was testing a nickel target near an airborne electromagnetic anomaly, it was collared in an area where Azure’s exploration had sampled numerous outcropping pegmatites containing visible coarse-bladed spodumene.
Azure’s Managing Director Tony Rovira said the drilling at Andover continued to deliver “very positive” results.
“Having defined two nickel deposits hosting robust mineral resources and then identifying multiple lithium-bearing pegmatites at surface, we have now intersected high-grade lithium mineralisation in a drill hole that was specifically testing a nickel target,” Mr Rovira said.
“This is further evidence of the substantial mineral endowment of Andover as a battery metals project hosting nickel, copper, cobalt and now lithium.”
Azure said recent follow-up mapping around three prospects had also confirmed that spodumene-rich pegmatites outcropped more extensively than previously recognised, enhancing the potential for this area to host a “sizeable” body of lithium mineralisation.
Now, Azure is planning 30,000 metres of reverse circulation and 10,000 metres of diamond core drilling to determine the scale and depth potential of the known lithium mineralisation.
Given that analytical results from 600 pegmatite samples are still pending, the company said it believed it was “very likely” that many more targets would be identified over the coming months for priority drill testing.
Project-wide geological mapping and rock chip sampling of the unsampled pegmatites is also planned to continue this year to define further drill targets.
At the same time, metallurgical, heritage, environmental, hydrological, and flora and fauna studies will be undertaken.
The Andover project is a joint venture between Azure, which holds a 60 per cent interest, and Croydon Gold, a private subsidiary of the Creasy Group, which holds the remaining 40 per cent.
AZS shares were up 4.92 per cent and trading at 32 cents at 1:43 pm AEDT.