Lodestar Minerals Limited Provides Exploration Update
1000m RC drilling has been granted under the condition of a flora survey which has been scheduled and will be performed by Western Botanical in March. Following the survey and the results of the report, the clearing of access tracks and drill pads will commence. The clearing, which will be supervised by the Traditional Owners is expected to start in late April, with the drilling to commence shortly afterwards. An ultrafine (UFF+) soil sampling programme completed in conjunction with CSIRO was focussed on the 30 EM conductors defined by the previous AEM survey conducted by Lodestar. These targets were grid sampled and the samples were sent to LabWest for ultrafine analysis. This analysis takes the smallest fraction of the samples (<2 µm) and runs it for multi-element analysis. The results are then processed by CSIRO's methodology which incorporates machine learning to define landscape maps which are then used to help in the interpretation of the results. To identify new targets, it is important to classify the regolith landscape (or clusters) which will then allow them to map anomalous concentration within the same unit. Base level concentrations vary depending on the origin of the regolith unit. Analysing the results of this study, they have identified four high priority targets with potential for Cu, Zn-Pb-Ag and Au within 30 targets identified by the AEM. These targets will be the focus of next year's exploration. In parallel, a review of the data, a comparison with the Rumble Resources Zinc-Lead-Silver Sulphide deposits, has identified the northern contact of the Frere Formation as a Zn-Pb-Ag-Cu prospective horizon. A full review of the available geophysical and geochemical data has started to identify highly prospective areas which will be explored in parallel with the Imbin Prospect drilling. These areas haven't been sampled through the first program of the ultrafine project and are at this stage conceptual. Coolgardie West (100% Lodestar): Soil sampling at Coolgardie west has identified a Li, Cs, Nb, Rb, Tl soil anomaly and gold target zones which are planned to be drilled during the First Quarter 2023 following heritage clearances and PoW approval. Neds Creek (JV with Vango Mining earning 51% interest) Three holes were completed at Neds Creek to a maximum depth of 218m for a total of 594m. There were no significant intersections. The magnetic anomaly that was targeted is attributed to a less altered diorite unit. At Jubilee Well, nine holes for a total of 1,312m were completed, over a strike distance of 150m. Best results included 12m @ 1.2 g/t Au from 64m in LJWC005 from the silica-sericite alteration with fine grained disseminated sulphide mineralisation which has been the indicator of the mineralisation in the area as described by PosGold and Acacia. The mineralised shear remains open and a further study of the results will decide of the next targets. Auroch Minerals Limited announced 3 a planned 3,000m drilling programme at the Nepean project to pursue extensions to the high-grade Lithium (Li) results recently intersected by their RC exploration drilling. Auroch have mapped pegmatites close to the mineralised drillholes which will be tested at depth to evaluate the Lithium mineralisation potential of these pegmatites. NPRC084 intersected 6m @ 1.38% Li2O, including 2m @ 3.26% Li2O from 198m and NPRC058 intersected 1m @ 0.88% Li2O from 78m3. Coraline Blaud has been appointed as Exploration Manager for Lodestar Minerals. Coraline has been working as a geologist in the junior mining sector across multiple commodities (Li, K, Au, Pb, Ag, Cu, Ni) within Western Australia as well as in Europe and Africa. Coraline has significant experience in Greenfields exploration and Resource Definition including the Abra Base Metal Deposit (Galena Mining) and the Menzies Gold Project (Kingwest Resources).