ASX-listed Kairos Minerals has identified several extensive pegmatite outcrops within a previously defined major lithium-caesium-tantalum, or “LCT” anomaly, less than 3 kilometres from Mineral Resources and Albemarle Corporation’s revered Wodgina lithium project in the Pilbara.
A recent soil sampling program undertaken at the Wodgina project returned significant assays including 238 parts per million lithium, 293ppm caesium and 582ppm rubidium. Additionally, a historical rock chip in the area come back with a solid 1.6 per cent lithium.
A rock chip sampling program consisting of 15 samples that targeted outcropping pegmatites was undertaken following up the LCT soil anomalies identified in the area. Assays from the latest program are pending with results expected early next year.
According to the company, additional high-resolution drone surveying has confirmed the presence of pegmatites and validated the soil geochemistry as an in-situ anomaly.
Most of the major lithium deposits within WA, including the world leading Greenbushes mine some 250km south of Perth, are hosted within LCT pegmatites.
Importantly, Kairos’ LCT pegmatite project is in good company with two world-class lithium deposits on its doorstep, namely ASX-listed Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora lithium mine that is also only about 30km from Wodgina, both of which are leading lights in the lithium mining market.
Pilbara Minerals, with a market cap north of $8 billion, sits to the east of Kairos’ Wodgina project and has defined a 309 million tonne resource grading 1.14 per cent lithium oxide at its producing Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum mine.
The MinRes Wodgina mine sits just 3km southwest of Kairos’ tenure and houses a massive 259 million tonne resource going 1.17 per cent lithium.
Kairos’ now plays the waiting game with a flood of assays due to come back early next year from a range of exploration activities undertaken over recent months on its Pilbara tenure.
They include soil geochemistry sampling results taken across the company’s Mt York, Kangan, Skywell and Croydon projects within its Pilbara tenement package. Additionally, RC drill results from Mt York and AC infill drilling analysis from its Kangan deposit are still pending.
Kairos Minerals Executive Chairman, Terry Topping said: “In terms of lithium exploration, you don’t get a much better address than our Wodgina Project, which sits between the world-class Wodgina Lithium Mine, owned by Mineral Resources, and the Pilgangoora Project, owned by Pilbara Minerals. These are two of only a handful of genuinely Tier-1 hard rock lithium deposits in Australia, indeed the world – so this is elephant country in terms of its potential for world-class spodumene deposits.”
Kairos has entered the land of the giants with its Wodgina lithium project and even a sniff of lithium below surface will set a few pulses racing.
Throw in a soaring lithium price and a market that is becoming insatiable for lithium powered electric vehicles and the stars might just align for Kairos if its pegmatites turn out to be anywhere near as mineralised as those over the fence at Wodgina and Pilgangoora.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: matt.birney@businessnews.com.au
By Matt Birney
