Early results from a geophysical pilot study show Galan’s tenements are highly prospective for lithium given their proximity to the Greenbushes mine.Junior explorer Galan Lithium (ASX: GLN) has completed a geophysical pilot study using a deep ground penetrating radar (DGPR) technique as part of ongoing exploration at the Greenbushes South joint venture in Western Australia.
Preliminary results confirm that the technique could potentially delineate the presence of the Donnybrook-Bridgetown Shear Zone (DBSZ) and three blind pegmatite-like targets at depth.
The general location of the targets identified by the DGPR survey corresponds to geochemical anomalies of arsenic and antimony pathfinder elements identified in historical surface soil assays.
Galan’s ongoing soil sampling program at Greenbushes South focuses on the surface expression of the DBSZ which hosts the main Greenbushes deposit and is considered to be a prominent geological feature.
It is believed to be a steeply-dipping, north-to-south trending zone primarily associated with syntectonic emplacement of lithium-bearing pegmatites from the current Greenbushes mine to the north.
The company will conduct further soil sampling and air core drilling once a conservation management application to extend its access to the DBSZ has been approved by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions.
It is also planning high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) magnetic surveys to identify the target boundaries’ scale and investigate if the program could incorporate other geophysical methods.
Moving forward
Galan managing director Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega said the geophysical results will help the company continue to move forward with exploration.
“While the identified targets at Greenbushes South certainly give us something to smile about, there is more to do to firm up the big geological picture of the system before we can commence drilling,” he said.
“The new data keeps indicating that our tenements are highly prospective for lithium given their proximity to the Greenbushes mine.”
Greenbushes South acquisition
In January, Galan entered into an agreement with Lithium Australia (ASX: LIT) to acquire an 80% interest in the Greenbushes South project, located 200km south of Perth.
Spanning 353sq km, it was originally acquired by Lithium Australia due to its proximity to the Greenbushes open pit lithium mine operated by the Talison Lithium joint venture between Tianqi Lithium Corporation (51%) and Albemarle Corporation (49%).
Greenbushes is currently the largest hard-rock lithium mine in the world, producing a spodumene concentrate to feed mineral conversion plants in China and Western Australia or spodumene consumers in Europe, North America and China. Last December, Australian mining company IGO (ASX: IGO) signed a deal to acquire a 24.99% stake in Greenbushes from Tianqi.
