Encounter dials in on +4km long pegmatite swarm at Junction lithium project

Encounter Resources now has two juicy lithium targets to test at the Junction project in the NT, after initial field work supported the potential of a +4km long collection of pegmatites called Crawford.

Junction sits within the lithium-rich North Arunta pegmatite province, home to companies like near term producer Core (ASX:CXO).

Encounter (ASX:ENR) has, so far, delineated two targets to test – Crawford and Nelson.

The priority is Crawford, which is defined by the intersection of two important LCT-controlling structures, the Barrow Creek and Neutral Junction Fault Zones:

Junction Lithium Project location highlighting ENR’s Crawford and Nelson targets.

Encounter says there’s at least 4km of outcropping and sub-cropping pegmatites here, which could extend further under shallow cover.

It is also just 4km west of Core’s Ringing Rocks target, a lithium-in-soils anomaly coincident with the outcrop position of two large pegmatite bodies and surface rock chips assaying up to 0.6% Li2O.

Upcoming lithium exploration at Junction

Outcropping pegmatites at Crawford have been sampled, with assay results expected in February 2023.

A systematic 200m by 50m-spaced soil sampling program is planned in early 2023, which will test for a range of elements including lithium, caesium, tantalum, tin, tungsten and rubidium.

Following the results of this sampling, RC drill testing of defined targets will be completed.

Hunting elephants

Encounter has many strings to its bow.

It recently completed a magnetic-radiometric survey which identified new, and upgraded existing, drill targets at its Aileron copper-REE project in WA’s West Arunta region.

A fire has been lit under exploration in the West Arunta region by the two recent mineralised carbonatite discoveries by WA1 Resources.

Managing director Will Robinson said the use of modern geophysics has revealed exceptional targets in the West Arunta critical minerals province.

“At this stage, the first drill program of the 2023 field season is planned to include the Worsley, Crean and Caird targets,” he says.

The company intends to secure expanded gravity coverage early in the 2023 field season before drilling starts in April-June 2023.

Meanwhile, a ~2,000m diamond drill program was recently completed at the Elliott copper project in the NT, where BHP is paying for exploration via $25m earn-in.

Eight drill targets defined at the Jessica and Carrara copper-zinc project, also in the NT – subject to a $25m farm-in with South32 (ASX:S32) — are set to be drilled commencing in April-May 2023.

This article was developed in collaboration with Encounter Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

The post Encounter dials in on +4km long pegmatite swarm at Junction lithium project appeared first on Stockhead.

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