Intra Energy Corporation Ltd (ASX:IEC) has found spodumene at its recently acquired Maggie Hays Hill (MHH) Lithium Project in Western Australia during a comprehensive mapping and rock sampling program.
Prospectivity confirmed
Intra Energy has snapped up an 80% interest in the mining tenement E63/2039 at the MHH Project, which will no doubt bolster its foray into the lithium market.
The spodumene, observed in outcropping pegmatite rock samples, constitutes around 5-10% of the samples and presents as crystals of 1-2 centimetres embedded within a crystalline groundmass alongside larger quartz and feldspar crystals.
The find comes on the heels of a preliminary rock sampling program conducted in December, as part of due diligence for the acquisition.
This sampling revealed highly anomalous levels of tantalum at up to 390 parts per million (ppm) and niobium at up to 82 ppm.
Further investigations into the outcrop, prompted by the elevated levels of pathfinder elements in the previous program, led to the identification of spodumene crystals.
The crystals, ranging from translucent to off-white in colour, exhibit a unique property under ultraviolet light.
The translucent crystals emit a weak orange glow, while the off-white spodumene shines brightly orange under 365nm ultraviolet light – a characteristic previously reported by Wildcat Resources when it discovered the Tabba Tabba lithium deposit in September 2023.
Mass of spodumene crystals glowing orange under 365nm ultraviolet light below reddish glowing translucent spodumene crystal.
Areas still to be explored
In addition to the spodumene discovery, Intra Energy's field mapping campaign has identified several more pegmatite outcrops across the project area, with significant portions still to be explored.
The company has also made progress with its soil geochemical surveys, currently 50% complete, with 591 samples already dispatched for laboratory analysis.
IEC is keen to receive the preliminary assay results from these surveys, which are expected by mid-March.
“The identification of spodumene at surface on an outcropping pegmatite vein is tremendously exciting and validates the acquisition of the Maggie Hays Hill Project,” IEC managing director Ben Dunn said.
“We are very excited by the prospectivity of the MHH Project and with the exploration program in full swing under the supervision of Todd Hibberd, our principal geologist, we believe there is more good news for IEC shareholders in the near future.”
Main image: Translucent spodumene displaying cleavage above a mass of off-white spodumene crystals.