St George Mining Limited (ASX: SGQ) has started drilling at its Mt Alexander project, in Western Australia’s Goldfields, to test below numerous widespread pegmatite dykes, which are interpreted as highly prospective for lithium mineralisation.
Reverse circulation drilling will test below lithium-bearing pegmatite outcrops on two exploration licences – E29/638 (75% St George; 25% IGO) and E29/962 (100% St George). Prospective pegmatites have been mapped at surface up to 20m thick and over a widespread area with a north-south trend of 1.7km and east-west strike up to 1.4km
Drill targets include pegmatites where laboratory assays from surface rock chip samples returned high-grade values of up to 2.72% Li2O. Outcropping pegmatite dykes are interpreted to have a similar geological setting to lithium-bearing pegmatites at the nearby Mt Ida Project of Red Dirt Metals (ASX: RDT), where a significant lithium resource was announced earlier this month.
In total, 20 RC holes for approximately 2,000m are planned. The downhole depths of RC drill holes for lithium targets will range between 60m and 150m.
Deeper holes at the lithium targets will be completed by the diamond rig to provide a clearer picture of the mineralogy and zonation of the lithium mineral system. The diamond rig, which will also drill highly prospective nickel targets at Mt Alexander, is scheduled to arrive at site in the first week of November.
“This is an exciting milestone for St George as we commence the first-ever, lithium-focused drill program at Mt Alexander. This initial phase of drilling will provide St George with an opportunity to potentially make a greenfields discovery within what is emerging as a significant lithium province,” executive chairman John Prineas said.
“Prospective pegmatites have been mapped over a wide area within a north-south corridor adjacent to the Copperfield Granite and extending approximately 15km along St George’s tenements.
“This scale, together with the grades we are seeing in the outcrops sampled to date, provides encouragement for the potential for a large lithium system at Mt Alexander.
“The initial focus of drilling is on the Jailbreak Prospect, where high-grade lithium observed in outcropping pegmatites has been confirmed by rock chip assays. The Jailbreak pegmatites occur in a zone extending 1.7km north-south and up to 1.4km east-west. The first phase of drilling will test a number of east-west trending pegmatite dykes within this zone.
“Once the diamond rig arrives in coming weeks, we will incorporate the results from the RC drilling to prioritise diamond hole follow-ups – alongside testing some of our priority nickel targets.
“It promises to be an exciting end to 2022 for St George and our shareholders.”
