- 01Maiden MRE: 6.7 Mt @ 1.2% Li2O Burmeister Lake Johnston.
- 02DSO-ready; upgrade 1.5% Li2O by sorting.
- 03In-pit target up to 14.5 Mt @ 0.9-1.2% Li2O; drilling planned.
TG Metals (ASX: TG6) has announced a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 6.7 million tonnes grading 1.2% lithium oxide at the Burmeister spodumene lithium deposit within its Lake Johnston project in Western Australia.
The MRE is focused on material suitable for direct shipping ore (DSO) comprising spodumene-rich pegmatite of sufficient grade and quality to support direct export and sale without the need for onsite beneficiation beyond basic crushing and screening.
Metallurgical test work has confirmed potential for a DSO spodumene upgrade to 1.5% lithium oxide via simple ore sorting processing methods.
TG has also defined an in-pit exploration target of as much as 14.5Mt at between 0.9% and 1.2% lithium oxide, illustrating significant resource growth potential for Burmeister which will be targeted in resource definition drilling before year end.
Developmental Foundation
Chief executive officer David Selfe said the MRE offered a strong foundation for the initial development of Burmeister.
“Burmeister is well-suited to an initial DSO operation with a low strip ratio and low levels of deleterious elements supported by a distinctive spodumene-dominant mineralogy,” he said.
“We continue to engage with interested third parties to progress the deposit towards first production while advancing important early workstreams including a mining lease application and water exploration activities required to support future development.”
Mr Selfe said examination of the DSO conceptual pit shells had shown the Burmeister mineralisation to be robust, suggesting it could have future depth potential accessible by open-pit mining.
Upcoming Lake Johnston Work
TG expects to re-commence drilling at Lake Johnston before year end, and will supply a proportion of drill core to potential offtake customers for product evaluations.
The company will also complete flora and fauna and Aboriginal heritage surveys along project access routes to enable the efficient transport of material offsite.
New studies will evaluate near-term open pit DSO potential at Burmeister, as well as an assessment of haulage roads, pit design, and crushing requirements.
Mr Selfe said the TG Metals team was “confident that further infill drilling can convert the current Exploration Target into additional mineral resources.”
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