On December 8th, according to foreign media reports, mineral exploration company Auroch Minerals conducted regional sampling of pegmatite dikes, which owns 80% of the lithium ore in its Nepean project in Western Australia, with a degree of lithium mineralization as high as 1.05%. The company's nickel sulphide search in the project will also be intensified, with drilling along several exploration areas 10 kilometers long, which is now possible.
Auroch recently concluded a preliminary field survey of the pegmatite site, which had previously been mapped in the north of its Nepean ownership. The purpose of sampling is to assess the potential of pegmatites to carry lithium-cesium-tantalum or "LCT" mineralization.
In recent field activities, a total of five cuttings samples were collected from outcrop and submining pegmatites. Significant lithium mineralization has been confirmed in three samples, including deposits with a grade of 1.05%. The other two samples returned 0.63% lithium and 0.61% lithium.
Interestingly, the northern part of the project is adjacent to known historical lithium and tantalum deposits from the Londonderry pegmatite deposit.
The company now plans to collect pegmatite samples from recently drilled nickel holes near the lithium mine. The LCT of the analytical sample will be mineralized.
Until recently, Auroch's exploration at Nepean focused on nickel sulphide, and the drill pipe rotated violently throughout the year. He recently concluded a two-hole diamond drilling campaign for nickel sulphide mineralization under the project's historic Nepean nickel deposit.
Between 1970 and 1987, the mine produced more than 1 million tons of ore with a nickel content of nearly 3 per cent.
The second hole of this activity intercepted 12.5m impregnation and matrix to semi-massive nickel sulphide mineralization from 576.8m, which is located in the ultrabasic rock zone of 76.15m.
Auroch believes that the wide range of ultramafic units found in the hole highlights Nepean's potential for nickel mineralization in historic mines.
It is worth noting that the first hole of this activity intercepted 700m pegmatite intrusions, including 350m thick pegmatite located in the wall below the historic mine.
The analytical results of LCT mineralization in the hole have not been determined yet.
With the end of the two-hole race, Auroch will step up its search for more nickels during its broader Nepean tenure.
Drilling will now test the Little Eagle and Spoonbill targets in the south of the old Nepean mine and the Cormorant exploration area in the north. These three prospects are in the midst of a 10-kilometer ultra-magnesite strike identified by the company.
Auroch has recovered a large number of nickel ores near the historic Nepean mine, of which 8 million nickel ores returned from 35 million with a nickel content of 4.30% to 8 million and from 63 million with a nickel content of 3.21%. Previous drilling for the project also provided several excellent strikes, including 11.78 per cent nickel in 3 million and 49 nickel in 3 million and 9.93 per cent.
Auroch is likely to be busy in the coming months as he hopes to tap more nickel sulphide at Nepean and sets his sights on the lithium potential of the project.
