Drilling delivered highly anomalous caesium, which is a pathfinder for lithium pegmatites.
PERTH, Australia, Nov. 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading lithium, gold, and base metals exploration company Golden State Mining (ASX:GSM) has raised the profile of its Nomad prospect with the highly encouraging drilling results at Yule South, Western Australia.
Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling of conceptual targets at Nomad, previously named Target 2A, commenced in late July as a follow-up to the identification of lithium and gold targets in air-core intercepts last year.
Last week, the drilling program successfully delivered highly anomalous caesium – an encouraging and proximal pathfinder element for lithium pegmatites – at significant grades as high as 6m at 440 ppm (parts per million).
The presence of pathfinder elements boosted Golden State's confidence in the Nomad prospect, so much so that the company renamed it as a reflection of increased priority.
Preferred mafic host rocks
Golden State Mining's 10-hole program at Nomad spanned 1478m and delivered robust Li-Cs-Rb (Lithium-Caesium-Rubidium) anomalies with high levels of associated arsenic. The discovery of arsenic as an accessory mineral is considered highly, significant as it has also been documented at the giant Greenbushes pegmatite mine in Western Australia, as well as at the Goulamina deposit in Mali – both projects of global significance.
Initial drilling efforts at the Nomad prospect, that ended in August with two abandoned holes recorded an eight-metre intersection at 21 parts per billion (ppb) gold from 63 metres downhole, and three metres at 128 ppm lithium from 91 metres.
The best interval in subsequent drilling at Nomad was six metres at 440 ppm (parts per million) caesium and 88 ppm lithium, along with 5290 ppm arsenic from 103 metres in a structure consisting of ferruginous saprock interpreted to represent oxidised micaceous fault gouge.
The company's bedrock and structural interpretation of the Yule South site have also indicated the presence of preferred mafic host rocks, along with a major antiform cross-cut by faulting and a refolded hinge zone.
The location of the hinge zone is similar to that seen proximate to major lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites, including Wodgina and Mt Cattlin in Western Australia and Tanco in Canada.
A vast and exciting project
Golden State's Managing Director, Michael Moore, commented: "The recent results from the RC drilling have been subject to a significant level of scrutiny by the company's own technical team in cooperation with our external consultants."
"The renaming of the Nomad prospect reflects a marked upgrade in priority, which has narrowed Golden State's focus on the interpreted hallmark of a pegmatite source in this prospect area. Each drill program at Yule delivers increasing encouragement and understanding of a vast and exciting project with battery metal and gold potential within a world-class jurisdiction."
The results increased the company's confidence in lithium, caesium, tantalum, and pegmatite hallmark indicators. This boosts the exploration priority which led to the change of name from Target 2A to Nomad. Further reverse circulation and air-core drilling are planned at Nomad.
Payne's Find
Exploration activities are ongoing at another of Golden State's lithium projects – Payne's Find – with soil sampling and rock chipping currently underway. This work is part of an initial geochemical strategy to narrow down suitable targets for drill testing early in 2023.
About Golden State Mining
Incorporated in Western Australia in 2017 and headquartered in West Perth, Golden State Mining (ASX:GSM) is leading the charge to explore WA's geological frontiers, by employing and engaging the best people to challenge conventions.
The company has other projects such as the Four Mile Well Project in a world-class area with numerous gold and nickel deposits, as well as other 'greenfields' pipeline projects. They include various tenement application packages in regional Western Australia with a multi-commodity focus reflecting increasing demand in the evolving commodity market.
Website: https://goldenstatemining.com.au
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