Spodumene pegmatite exploration pdf

Extracting lithium from its ore the problems of spodumene mineral dressing depend on the. World production of lithium via spodumene is around 80,000 metric tonnes per annum, primarily from the greenbushes pegmatite of western. There has been no historic exploration around west joe dyke. Pdf overview of lithium pegmatite exploration in the kaustinen. Key geological features that are common to pegmatites in the superior province of ontario and manitoba, canada, and in other large tantalum deposits. Whereas no lifemn phosphates are recorded from the wellknown spodumene pegmatite on donkerhuk cameron, 1955, a small pegmatite termed donkerhuk no. Granitic rareelement pegmatites host several economic commodities, such as lithium spodumene and petalite, tantalum taoxide minerals, tin cassiterite, rubidium lepidolite and.

Medcalf spodumene deposit western australia in april 2019, the company announced that it had identified strongly mineralised lithiumbearing pegmatite swarms within its medcalf prospect, near lake johnston. The occurrence of spodumene and associated columbitegroup minerals in the kaustinen area of western finland has been known since 1960 lonka 1971, but until recently, there has been limited exploration of this pegmatite, whereas detail mineralogical and geochemical studies are lim. Pegmatite lithium deposits, also known as hard rock. Four new spodumene pegmatites matoneva, paivaneva, heikinkangas and rapasaaret were discovered.

Mining and concentrating spodumene the black hills, south dakota. Apr 15, 2015 miarolitic pegmatites emplaced at shallow levels under low pressure retain a vapor phase in the melt upon ascent through the earths crust. Much to the satisfaction of the lucky gem or specimen miner, these ultimately form miarolitic cavities large crystallined pockets, in which spectacular crystals of beryl, tourmaline, spodumene, topaz, and accessory minerals can occur. Spodumene typically contains about 1% iron oxide, giving the mineral a light green color. The hard rock minerals pegmatite and spodumene are found mainly in australia. Zircon lamcicpms upb dating of the twomica granite, muscovite albite granite, albite pegmatite and albite spodumene pegmatite give crystallization ages of 219. Rareelement pegmatite exploration ontario prospectors. Pdf overview of lithium pegmatite exploration in the. Spodumene is a lithium aluminum silicate mineral usually found in pegmatite veins. The blue lines show the magnetic profiles, whereas the red polygons mark the spodumene pegmatite. Tantalum mining corporation of canada limited abstract the exploration for rareelement pegmatite bodies requires a combined geological and geochemical approach. Rareelement pegmatites may host several economic commodities, such as tantalum taoxide minerals, tin cassiterite, lithium ceramicgrade spodumene and petalite, and cesium pollucite. Power metals announces cesium exploration plans at west. Neither lithiumcesiumtantalum pegmatites nor their.

The dike is 170 m long, 525 m wide, and contains 0. Spodumene rich pegmatite intersections confirmed from. Phillips, president and chief executive officer, commented. These deposits are an important link in the worlds supply chain of rare and strategic elements, accounting for about onethird of world. Mining and concentrating spodumene the black hills, south. Spodumene is recognized by its prismatic cleavage, crystal habit, striated prisms, color, fracture, and by its pegmatitic occurrence. A look at pegmatite classifications skip simmons department. Geological survey of finland report of investigation 220. Power metals discovered west joe spodumene pegmatite dyke at the end of the 2018 drill program.

Overview of lithium pegmatite exploration in the kaustinen area in 20032012. Spodumene is worked as an ore of lithium, but it is most highly prized as a gem material the varieties kunzite pink and hiddenite green are especially sought after. One of the main targets of the industrial mineral mapping projects by the geological survey of finland gtk during 20032012 was to. Reporting exploration results and mineral resources for lithium mineralised pegmatites aig journal paper n2016001, october 2016. This zonation is expressed both in cross section and map view. Overview of lithium pegmatite exploration in the kaustinen a rea in 20032012 fig. Lithium is extracted from spodumene by fusing in acid. Exploration and assessment for lct pegmatites are guided by a number. This years soil sampling program followed by rock chip sampling has led to the discovery of five new spodumenebearing pegmatites on piedmont exploration properties. Core exploration ltd pegmatite zonation contact zone quartzmicaalbite margin 0. Reporting exploration results and mineral resources for.

Exploration update important zones of spodumene lithium. Reporting exploration results and mineral resources for lithium mineralised pegmatites 3 aig journal paper n2016001, october 2016. Spodumene is rarely seen on a matrix as it easily pops out of the host rocks. Power metals drilled 18 drill holes for a total of 1195. Exploration for beryllium at the helen beryl, elkhorn and tin. Himalaya pegmatite mine of the mesa grande district of southern california.

The occurrence of lifemn phosphate minerals in granitic. Some experience of spodumene pegmatite exploration about 20 years ago. Oct 19, 2016 for personal use only spodumene bearing pegmatite dykes within two pegmatite swarms have been traced to outcrop for over 5km in total strike lengths at widths of up to 18m. A preliminary deposit model for lithiumcesiumtantalum. Mineralogy of spodumene pegmatites, kaustinen, western finland.

Hiddenite is much rarer than kunzite, and can is highly valued, especially the deeper green color forms. May 01, 2017 vancouver, british columbia, may 01, 2017 filing services canada via comtex exploration update important zones of spodumene lithium mineralization confirmed at thompson bros lithium project. Alteration of spodumene, montebrasite and lithiophilite in. Multiple spodumenebearing pegmatites intersected at. Nov, 2017 various pegmatite layers from close to surface down to depth, including refer to table 1 for a full list. Lit identified lithium pegmatite swarms at the medcalf prospect, part of the lake johnston project figure 1 in 2018. Spodumene is one of the most critical minerals nowadays, due to its high lithium content and high rate of extraction. Spodumene has a chemical composition of lialsi 2 o 6 but small amounts of sodium sometimes substitute for lithium throughout most of the 20th century, spodumene was the most important ore of. Spodumene pegmatite swarm discovered at lithium australia.

For personal use only spodumene bearing pegmatite dykes within two pegmatite swarms have been traced to outcrop for over 5km in total strike lengths at widths of up to 18m. Original paper a geological, geochemical and textural study of a lct pegmatite. Pdf reporting exploration results and mineral resources for. It is unacceptable to only report lithium contents e. Mineralogy of spodumene pegmatites, kaustinen, western. One of the main targets of the industrial mineral mapping projects by the geological survey of finland gtk during 20032012 was to evaluate the li ta, nb, be. Image of the drill rig at sa1810 just north of the central aubry prospect. Spodumene is a fairly prevalent mineral, but mostly dull and uninteresting in its most common forms.

It is usually associated with other lithium minerals such as lepidolite, eucryptite, and petalite. In 2016 archer cathro carried out channel sampling across the various main pegmatite zones on behalf of equitorial exploration figure 9. Alteration products of spodumene, montebrasite, and lithiophilite in pegmatites of the white picacho district. A new spodumenerich pegmatite was recently discovered on the north side of plumbago mountain, oxford county, western maine. Forty years of industrial minerals experience including exploration, product development and qc laboratory management. Page 1 asx announcement raw materials 19 march 2020 lithium australia exploration progress summary drilling planned for metcalf spodumene deposit. A new spodumene rich pegmatite was recently discovered on the north side of plumbago mountain, oxford county, western maine. Since then, several companies have carried out li exploration in the area. Original paper a geological, geochemical and textural study. Thick mineralised zones containing large spodumene crystals were intersected with a downhole of up to 21. We emphasize practical aspects of pegmatite geology that might directly or indirectly help in exploration for lithiumcesiumtantalum lct pegmatites, or for assessing regions for pegmatiterelated mineral resource potential. Exploration techniques for rareelement pegmatite in the bird.

Spodumene is an important source of lithium for use in ceramics, mobile phone and automotive batteries, medicine, pyroceram and as a fluxing agent. Unfortunatelyl these and most other giant crystals are not of gem quality. Lithium mineralogy is as important as li 2 o content and, consequently, must be discussed when reporting exploration results to follow the requirements of the jorc code jorc, 2012. Exploration results and mineral for lithium mineralised. Three years experience since graduation, mainly in greenstone hosted gold. Tenement acquisition completed for mt deans east north lode. Suomen mineraali oy started the first studies in the early 1960s, continued by paraisten kalkki oy in the 1980s, while keliber oy started in 1999 and gtk in 2003. It focuses on the production of lithium compounds from spodumene minerals. Montreal, quebec lemare spodumene pegmatite extended by 250 m sw extension returns wide intercepts of spodumene mineralisation. Geological survey of finland, report of investigation 220, 28 pages, 14 figures and 7 tables. Aug 17, 2017 montreal, quebec lemare spodumene pegmatite extended by 250 m sw extension returns wide intercepts of spodumene mineralisation. Hirvikallio was drilled by gtk in 1958 and later studied by lohja oypartek oy in 19741996.

Muscovite contains 12 wt% feo and a trace of sodium 0. A preliminary deposit model for lithiumcesiumtantalum lct. Abundant coarsegrained spodumene was discovered in surface outcrop on west. Power metals built a drill trail to access claims on the west side of little joe lake which led to the discovery. Additional spodumenebearing pegmatite outcrops have been uncovered during trail and drill site preparation, suggesting significant exploration upside ore profiling and initial metallurgical test work underway with nagrom and primero results expected in the coming weeks. Drilling indicates that the pegmatite swarm is potentially connected across the three separate aubry. Spodumene pegmatite swarm discovered at lithium australias medcalf prospect lake johnston, wa lithium australia nl asx. The largest and bestknown li pegmatites are the hirvikallio petalite pegmatite and the kietyomaki spodumene pegmatite. The fa mous harding pegmatite in new mexico contains spodumene crystals that are 5 m long figure 6. Clarke d uring recent years the use of lithium has ex panded greatly in industrial, chemical, and metallurgical fields, while at the same time mod ernized methods of mining and refining lithium have increased production.

These studies have led to the discovery of dozens of spodumene pegmatite dikes and hundreds of ore boulders. Modes of spodumene pegmatites rounded to nearest percent. It is an albitequartzspodumene pegmatite containing gigantic crystals of spodumene and montebrasite. Gem varieties of spodumene can be distinguished by their strong pleochrism and by their higher refractive index from similar appearing pegmatite minerals such.

Some spodumene crystals are more than 11 m in length. In 2019 we increased our mineral resource estimate from 16. New 10 15m wide spodumene rich dyke has been located in the northern pegmatite swarm highlighting further potential for extensions to the pegmatite swarms. Based on field observations, approximately one third of each pegmatite is spodumene bearing, giving a potential grade range of up to 1. Original paper a geological, geochemical and textural. May 04, 2017 additional spodumenebearing pegmatite outcrops have been uncovered during trail and drill site preparation, suggesting significant exploration upside ore profiling and initial metallurgical test work underway with nagrom and primero results expected in the coming weeks. A look at pegmatite classifications skip simmons department of geology and geophysics, university of new orleans, new orleans, louisiana 70148 usa modern pegmatite classification schemes are strongly influenced by the depthzone classification of. Many of the worlds largest crystals come from granite pegmatites such a spodumene crystal from the etta pegmatite in keystone, south dakota, that was 47 feet long. During the 2016 field program, a total of 81 channel samples were cut across dyke swarms in two cirques 3 and 4 on the lnpg property.

Spodumene is also used as a gemstone, and in that use the color variety names of the mineral are used. Processing spodumene by froth flotation for lithium extraction. Piedmont reports new spodumene pegmatite discoveries and. The regional data continues to highlight the overall size and continuity of the carolina tsb and its importance as a domestic source for the critical element, lithium. Multiple spodumenebearing pegmatites intersected at flagship. During the 2016 field program, a total of 81 channel samples were cut across dyke. It is usually found as a constituent of lithiumrich pegmatites. A mnbearing fluorapatite altered to lowf and lowmn apatite and triphylite altered to fairfieldite occur within the pegmatite fabric and appear to be primary phosphate.

However, its two distinctly colored transparent varieties, kunzite pink and hiddenite green are very aesthetic and valued as gemstones. Spodumene pegmatite swarm discovered at lithium australias. Vancouver, british columbia, may 01, 2017 filing services canada via comtex exploration update important zones of spodumene lithium mineralization confirmed at thompson bros lithium project. They are host to spectacular gem crystals of the beryl group and their varieties aquamarine, morganite, heliodor, the tourmaline group elbaite, schorl, liddicoatite, and. Map showing the location of the white picacho district in the arizona pegmatite belt stippled area as defined by jahns r95d. It is an albitequartz spodumene pegmatite containing gigantic crystals of spodumene and montebrasite. Wide spodumene intercepts at lemare lithium project. Although lithium is in high demand, hardrock mining of lithiumbearing pegmatite and spodumene is a costly and timeintensive endeavor, most lithium is produced by the evaporation of highly concentrated lithium brine, an easier and more profitable method. Spodumene rich pegmatite intersections confirmed from surface. Wholerock and mineral geochemistry as exploration tools for rare. Pegmatite is a coarsegrained intrusive igneous rock formed from crystallized magma below the earths crust. Pink to purple spodumene is known as kunzite, green spodumene is known as hiddenite, and yellow spodumene is known as triphane. The upcoming exploration programs will be testing the broader potential of the project.

Among those minerals, spodumene lialsi2o6 is the most common and the most studied. Spodumene triphane introduction to meaning and uses of spodumene. Spodumene observed along the total strike length the new area is located 5 kilometres east of the discovery pegmatite swarm that has returned rock chip grades up to 3. Report of investigation 220 geologian tutkimuskeskus. The largest single crystal found is a wellcrystallized, 42 foot 12. Exploration techniques for rareelement pegmatite in the bird river greenstone belt, southeastern manitoba galeschuk, c. Pdf reporting exploration results and mineral resources. We are excited by the continued positive news on the exploration front. Pwrmf is pleased to announce the discovery of west joe dyke spodumene pegmatite on the case lake property, 80 km east of cochrane, northeastern ontario. Spodumene is a pyroxene mineral that is typically found in lithiumrich pegmatites. Mining and concentrating spodumene in the black hills, south dakota by gerald a.

The dominant lithium mineral is spodumene see asx announcement dated 15 april 2019. Recent exploration confirms significant extent of pegmatite swarms. Granitic pegmatites as sources of strategic metals introduction strategic elements, generally metals, are those that are of greatest risk to supply disruptions or are important to a countrys economy or defence. Even the transparent gem forms can come in huge gemmy water clear crystals so large that need to be held with both hands. Key geological features that are common to pegmatites in the. Mineraldeposit model for lithiumcesiumtantalum pegmatites. The list varies with country but includes ta, nb, be, sb, w, rare earth elements rees, and co. Sya sayona or the company is pleased to report the. Li 2 o % without specifying which lithium minerals are present and the form in which they occur in the deposit.