12 September 2016
HIGH GRADE LITHIUM ASSAYS RETURNED FROM FIRST HOLE INTO KIETYÖNMÄKI LITHIUM PROJECT
Highlights
Avalon Minerals Ltd (ASX: AVI) ('Avalon') is pleased to report initial assay results from drilling at the high grade Kietyönmäki Lithium deposit in southern Finland.
Assay results from diamond drill hole KMDD001 have returned (downhole widths):
Malcolm Norris, Avalon's Managing Director said:
"We are pleased to have obtained these high grade results in our first hole, which are consistent with our expectations, and confirm that the Kietyönmäki Lithium Project has the potential to evolve into a significant lithium project. There's some work we need to do to better understand the geology, however we are off to a very solid start of our exploration programme".
The diagrams below show the location of the drill holes in plan and section. Drill holes KMDD002 and 003 are on the same section as KMDD001 (figures 1 and 2) and show a thinning of the dyke, or a fault offset, at depth, but also show multiple dykes on the south side of the Main Dyke which require further exploration.
Drilling on the traverse 50m south-east has intersected a 23m thick (downhole) spodumene bearing pegmatite dyke in KMDD006 (figure 3), which is the continuation of the Main Dyke, and a new 6m wide (downhole) dyke. This hole is currently being logged and samples prepared for assay.
Results from drilling 50m north-west with holes KMDD004 and 005 has been interpreted to show a fault offset to the west, the 'Kietyönmäki North Fault' (figures 1 and 4). This moves the target zone to the west and will be tested with additional holes in a future program.
Geological and assay results from all six diamond drill holes are to be interpreted and further drilling planned. The results from holes KMDD001 and KMDD006 suggest continuation of a thickened pegmatite dyke to the south-east and this trend is expected to be tested with further drilling once the drilling rig has completed the first pass test of gold targets at the nearby high grade Satulinmäki Gold prospect.
Figure 4 shows a more regional view of the distribution of pegmatites and target zones that require further drill testing.
Table 1: Table of intersections for KMDD001
|
From (m)
|
To (m)
|
Interval (m)
|
Li2O (%)
|
Nb2O5 (ppm)
|
Ta2O5 (ppm)
|
|
14.00
|
15.00
|
1.00
|
0.60
|
131.80
|
111.36
|
|
17.88
|
60.00
|
42.12
|
1.05
|
73.55
|
75.95
|
|
Including, 17.88
|
42.05
|
24.17
|
1.44
|
85.43
|
91.82
|
|
And including, 29.00
|
38.00
|
9.00
|
1.99
|
92.44
|
99.51
|
|
60.67
|
65.71
|
5.04
|
0.18
|
29.76
|
19.29
|
|
97.50
|
100.50
|
3.00
|
0.39
|
107.33
|
128.21
|
Nb2O5 and Ta2O5 values shown here are anomalous and are provided here to demonstrate that intervals that are anomalous in lithium, are also anomalous in elements that will require further investigation as the project advances and as mineral resources may be estimated. Globally, some lithium pegmatite deposits that are in production, or are being considered for development, also consider by-product credits which contain Nb2O5 and Ta2O5.
Figure 1: Plan view of Kietyönmäki lithium deposit showing collar positions for KMDD001 - 006 in green. The red domains are the outcrop positions of spodumene bearing lithium pegmatites. The background image is topography. The Kietyönmäki North Fault is interpreted to offset the main pegmatite dyke to the west. Figures 2 and 3 are cross sections on the lines of holes KMDD001-003, and KMDD006.
Figure 2: Cross section showing the interpreted distribution of lithium pegmatite dykes in recently completed drill holes KMDD001 - 003, and in historical holes drilled by the Finnish Geological Survey (R307, 310-314).