PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Lithium Australia has reported a maiden vanadium resource of 185-million tonnes, at 0.33% vanadium oxide for its Youanmi project, in Western Australia.
Lithium Australia said that the maiden resource estimate comprised an oxide resource of 96-million tonnes, at 0.34% vanadium oxide, and a fresh resource of 88-million tonnes, at 0.33% vanadium oxide.
The company on Wednesday noted that while vanadium was not considered a core part of the Lithium Australia business, the company has taken prospective ground near the Coates vanadium deposit, some 35 km from Perth, where it is undertaking regional regolith sampling along the Darling Range.
The company will also evaluate the potential to form partnerships to leverage its current vanadium position.
In the meantime, Lithium Australia would evaluate the metallurgical characteristics of the oxide mineralisation at Youanmi, initially focusing on the potential for direct leaching of the vanadium and associated base metals, with a drilling programme planned to recover some of this material over the full depth of the oxidized profile.
A primary evaluation of the fresh material will also be undertaken, with drilling of the nearly lithium pegmatites to start in September, weather permitting.