Wildcat Resources (ASX:WC8) reports positive Bolt Cutter Central metallurgy results and drilling update
Wildcat Resources has reported positive maiden sighter metallurgical test work results from its Bolt Cutter Central lithium discovery in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, with core samples demonstrating spodumene recovery through industry standard techniques.
The company has also reported further drilling results from the discovery, with resource modelling now underway.
Highlights
Maiden metallurgical test work on core samples from Bolt Cutter Central demonstrated recovery of spodumene via industry standard techniques, generating an average recovery of 82.5% and an average product grade of 5.66% Li₂O from 3 composites.
Metallurgical results used the same Whole of Ore Flotation method intended to be used at Tabba Tabba.
Bolt Cutter Central is located ~10km west of Wildcat’s Tabba Tabba Project in WA’s Pilbara region, with the mineralised area extending more than 2.3km to the northwest and up to 800m to the northeast.
Exploration and infill drilling returned multiple lithium intersections, including BCDD007 with 7.1m @ 1.3% Li₂O from 20.8m and 4.3m @ 1.4% Li₂O from 29.9m, BCDD009 with 5.6m @ 1.6% Li₂O from 149.9m, BCDD018 with 7.7m @ 1.1% Li₂O from 7.4m, BCRC071 with 7.0m @ 1.1% Li₂O from 7.0m and BCRC079 with 5.0m @ 1.4% Li₂O from 65.0m.
Bolt Cutter Central is a stacked pegmatite system and remains open in most directions. Resource RC drilling is complete, with resource modelling underway and estimation and reporting scheduled for Q3.
Wildcat’s Bolt Cutter Central Lithium Project is located ~10km west of the Tabba Tabba Project and is an early stage greenfields exploration project with lithium mineralisation associated with swarms of lithium caesium tantalum (LCT) pegmatite dykes hosted in a granodiorite unit.
The maiden metallurgical test work assessed 3 composite samples from diamond drilling holes BCMT001 to BCMT003.
The composites were collected from 10 separate pegmatite domains, with samples selected based on visual identification of lithium mineralisation.
Semi quantitative X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) scans identified spodumene as the only lithium bearing mineral present in the composite samples.
The Whole of Ore Flotation test work applied the Tabba Tabba process regime of milling, magnetic separation, desliming and flotation to the Bolt Cutter Central composites.
The 3 composites returned overall Li₂O recoveries of 79.3%, 87.1% and 81.1%, with spodumene concentrate grades of 5.84% Li₂O, 5.94% Li₂O and 5.21% Li₂O respectively.
Wildcat reported that the Bolt Cutter Central mineralisation returned a similar metallurgical signature to Tabba Tabba, with future metallurgical testing to use larger composite samples to assess mineralogical and grade variability across the footprint of the discovery.
Drilling at Bolt Cutter Central has expanded the mineralised area, with RC drilling focused on extending the southern and eastern extents of the mineralised footprint, while diamond drilling primarily targeted a potential structural offset extension to the north, with the mineralised footprint now standing at an area approximately 2.3km by 0.8km.
Additional lithium mineralisation was identified by drilling 1.2km to the east of Bolt Cutter Central on adjacent tenement E45/5416.
The company stated that interpretation of surface geochemistry, geophysical surveys, geological mapping and drilling results is underway to generate priority drill targets for the next phase of work.
Wildcat’s next steps at Bolt Cutter Central include progressing resource modelling of the discovery, interpreting exploration activities to generate additional greenfield drill targets in E45/5416, continuing to receive and interpret drill assays, and collecting diamond drill samples for a PFS level metallurgical program.