Wildcat Resources Limited announced additional mineralogical results, an updated target model and exploration plan to drill 100,000m over the next six months at its Tabba Tabba Lithium Project, near Port Hedland, WA. Wildcat has received quantitative XRD results for 21 RC samples collected at Tabba Tabba in September 2023. The XRD results, combined with other geological and mineralogical data, highlight Leia as a spodumene-dominant pegmatite with simple mineralogy.

Tabba Tabba is near some of the world's largest hard-rock lithium mines, 47km from Pilbara Minerals' 414Mt Pilgangoora Project, 87km from Mineral Resources' 259Mt Wodgina Project and is only 80km by road to Port Hedland. The Leia Pegmatite is one of six significant pegmatite prospects within the 3.2km long LCT pegmatite field. All the pegmatite prospects at Tabba Tabba remain open and the Company is continuing with an aggressive exploration campaign.

Wildcat's RC drilling began in July 2023 and initially targeted the northernmost part of the leases because the northernmost pegmatite ("The Hutt" Prospect) was previously the only area outside of the high-grade Tabba Tabba tantalum deposit (318Kt at 950ppm Ta2O5 for 666,200lbs Ta2O5,) to have been drilled historically (comprising four fixed depth, vertical, sterilisation drill holes). The sterilisation drilling had returned intercepts including 8m @ 1.42% Li2O. Furthermore, initial rock chip data collected by Wildcat identified surface lithium grades >3.5% Li2O and the Company was aware of FMG's discovery of lithium mineralisation to the north.

By mid-September 2023, Wildcat had drilled 87 RC holes for 15,142 metres, with the majority of this targeting the northern (The Hutt and Han prospects) and central (Leia and Chewy prospects) pegmatite clusters. On 17th September, Wildcat received assay results for the first batch of 21 RC holes and announced a major lithium discovery at Tabba Tabba with thick and high-grade intersections from both the northern and central pegmatite clusters. Wildcat continued to intensify its exploration efforts by mobilising additional rigs to Tabba Tabba.

Exploration drilling focused on the central cluster due to the greater size of the mineralised pegmatite bodies demonstrating potential for a large-scale lithium deposit (Leia Prospect). Wildcat completed nearly 43,000 metres of drilling at Tabba Tabba by the end of 2023. In 2024, RC and diamond drilling of the Leia deposit continues, and as the Company adds more rigs, it will recommence exploration at other pegmatite targets.

Very limited mineralogical work had been completed at Tabba Tabba due to the past focus on the high-grade tantalum mineralisation. Wildcat's initial mapping and geochemical sampling identified possible spodumene pseudomorphs at Leia and limited surface occurrences of lepidolite proximal to the Tabba Tabba open pit. On commencement of RC drilling, little to no lepidolite was logged at any of the major pegmatite prospects.

Due to the difficulty identifying lithium minerals in RC chips, a handheld Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analyser was used to help prioritise samples for chemical analysis. In early September 2023, 21 RC samples were selected from across the project for quantitative XRD analysis. The XRD samples from early drilling at Leia (10), Boba (5), the Hutt (10) and Han (1) were selected mainly based on geological observations of RC drill chips and supported by assay data (where available).

The XRD sampling was undertaken to identify the dominant ore and gangue mineral species and to validate geological logging, including observations of fluorescence under ultra-violet light, and to build on the geological knowledge for the Project. Results from a test of the Fourier-transform infra-red (FTIR) analysis method on samples of pegmatite from an RC drill hole at Leia confirmed spodumene as the dominant lithium mineral. Although the FTIR method has much faster turnaround times than XRD analysis and is substantially cheaper, there was limited reporting of its application in LCT pegmatites.

Therefore, FTIR was trialled on samples from just one hole (TARC131, 52m at 1.3% Li2O from 117m) until the reliability of the technique could be checked via comparison with the XRD results. The XRD and FTIR compare favourably and the Company has commenced FTIR analysis on assay pulps to obtain a high-resolution mineralogical model of all the pegmatites at Tabba Tabba. Of the 10 XRD samples taken from Leia, which ranged in grade from 0.67% Li20 to 4.27% Li20, the only significant lithium mineral species identified was spodumene.

After the typical gangue mineral of quartz (average of 32% across the samples), spodumene was the next most abundant mineral averaging 30% across the Leia samples. This was followed by Na-feldspar plagioclase (average of 29% across the Leia XRD samples). The remaining 9% of rock mass on average is comprised of K-feldspar orthoclase, biotite, muscovite and amphiboles.

The XRD results at Leia are very positive given the abundance of spodumene, simplicity of mineralogy (>90% of the rock mass in just three mineral groups) and less than 5% muscovite in all samples. This supports other data (FTIR) and observations (UV light and geological logging) that the lithium at Leia is predominantly hosted by simple, spodumene mineralised pegmatites. Five samples were selected for XRD analysis from the initial drilling at the Boba Prospect to the south of Leia.

Assay data was not available at the time of sample selection and three of the five samples were selected in non-mineralised material. In the two Boba pegmatite samples that were associated with significant lithium grade, spodumene was the dominant lithium-bearing mineral. It confirms that the extensive but poorly tested pegmatite outcrops in the south of the lease package appear to be of similar mineralogy to the pegmatites that comprise the Leia deposit.

The Boba area is a priority target for further exploration drilling. A further 11 samples were collected from the northern pegmatite clusters, with 10 samples from RC drilling at The Hutt, and one sample from an RC hole into Han, sent for XRD analysis. The XRD results identify both spodumene and petalite as the lithium-bearing minerals present at the Hutt.

At Han, assays were not available at the time of sample selection for the XRD analysis, and the selected interval was of low-grade material. The XRD results are inconclusive on lithium mineralogy at Han and further work is planned. Although the current XRD data does not form an extensive dataset, the additional mineralogical information has helped to refine the pegmatite fractionation model for Tabba Tabba.

It highlights that lithium mineralisation in the giant Leia pegmatite is spodumene dominant and it appears Boba is related and may have similar mineralogy to Leia.