ENERGY MINERALS

High-grade lithium hit at Kodal's Bougouni

Kodal Minerals (AIM:KOD) has identified further high-grade lithium mineralisation intersections at the Sogola-Baoule prospect of its Bougouni lithium project in Southern Mali.

Staff reporter
Kodal is continuing drilling at the Bougouni project's Sogola-Baoule prospect

Kodal is continuing drilling at the Bougouni project's Sogola-Baoule prospect

It said the intersections from follow-up and extension drilling were deeper than previously seen, but were likely to come to or near the surface.

The intersections included 21m at 1.6% lithium from 87m, 14m at 1.53% Li2O from 92m, 11m at 1.42% Li2O from 151m, and 10m at 1.59% Li2O from 189m.

The company noted the pegmatite veins intersected were spodumene rich, (20-30% content) low mica pegmatite bodies, with spodumene the main lithium bearing mineral in most hard rock lithium deposits. 

Kodal said the intersections had been estimated using a 1% Li2O lower-cut and had consistently high mineralisation throughout the pegmatite bodies.

"The high-grade lithium mineralisation returned in the assays compares favourably with other hard rock spodumene mineralised pegmatite veins under development around the world where grades range from 1.1% Li2O through to 1.4% Li2O," it said. 

The drilling also confirmed and extended previous intersection and the mineralisation remained open at depth and along strike.

Kodal was waiting for results from the next 25 drill holes that are pending assay.

Kodal CEO Bernard Aylward said the intersections continued to highlight the potential of the Sogola-Baoule prospect. 

"We are awaiting the assay results of drill holes testing the eastern extension that has initially outlined a consistent, wide pegmatite vein on multiple sections and we will report these as soon as received," he said.

SP Angel said further drill holes of over 5m intersection showed consistently good grades and indicated the project's economic potential when compared with other hard-rock pegmatite lithium projects globally.

Kodal has returned the exploration drill rig to Sogola-Baoule and Aylward said its was remaining active on site with step-out drilling continuing and maximising the time left of the field season to complete drilling of key prospects.

It is targeting the eastern extension of the main pegmatite vein with drilling in 50m intervals over another 400m of strike length.

"This work will be very important in our assessment of future development potential as we look to develop our maiden resource estimate over the wet season," he said.

Kodal previously reported that tests by large lithium carbonate producer by Shandong Ruifu Lithium had produced a high-quality, low impurity battery grade lithium carbonate from Bougouni's spodumene concentrate.

 

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