Kalamazoo unveils spodumene bearing pegmatites

Kalamazoo Resources’ Pilbara lithium project has taken a step forward with the discovery of outcropping spodumene bearing pegmatite dykes with rock chip results showing up to 2.8 per cent lithium oxide. The best outcrop included four rock chip assays from 2.1 to 2.8 per cent lithium oxide over a 1.1km strike length. The company says the outcrop had visible spodumene, a commercial lithium mineral and is undrilled.

The company believes this was the first reported discovery of spodumene within the Marble Bar project area and considers it to be highly encouraging. The spodumene was noted to occur in en-echelon pegmatite dykes extending over a 1.1km strike with individual average dyke widths of 2-3m.

Kalamazoo says its 2023 exploration program is being formulated with further evaluation of the spodumene-bearing pegmatites at the company's Marble Bar lithium project planned as part of a substantial phase 2 drilling program.

Exploration at Marble Bar and Dom's Hill is part of the Kalamazoo joint venture with major Chilean lithium producer Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A. or SQM. Kalamazoo previously announced that SQM has the right to earn an up to a 70 per cent interest in the tenements with an initial 30 per cent earned through expenditure of $12 million over four years. Kalamazoo continues to manage the exploration activities on behalf of the joint venture.

Chilean based SQM is one of the world's largest lithium producers and has a half share in Mount Holland mine in Western Australia which has a resource of 94 million tonnes of proven and probable reserves grading 1.5 per cent lithium oxide.

SQM will not be looking for small fry and the Pilbara is hard rock lithium elephant country. The Pilbara hosts world class lithium mines at Pilangoora which has resources of 223Mt at 1.27 per cent lithium oxide and at Wodgina where resources total 259Mt going 1.17 per cent lithium oxide. The smaller Archer deposit owned by Global Lithium Resources is only 25km north of the Kalamazoo ground and contains 18Mt at 1.0 per cent lithium oxide. Kalamzoo's ground is considered by the company to be highly prospective for similar lithium-caesium-tantalum or LCT pegmatites.

Kalamazoo and SQM have a decent budget and with their combined expertise should give the Marble Bar lithium tenements a red-hot crack this year. Being in elephant country means the rewards could be significant.

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