'Highly encouraging' results during lithium testing at two Carlow locations

Lithium prospecting at two sites in county Carlow has been described as "highly encouraging" by the company carrying out the geochemical exploration. 

Technology Minerals Plc reports high-grade lithium pegmatite results from field geochemical exploration programme on its Leinster lithium property at two locations in Carlow. 

Technology Minerals Plc, the first listed UK company focused on creating a sustainable circular economy for battery metals, said it was pleased to announce that results from detailed lithogeochemical sampling has yielded high-grade spodumene pegmatite samples in float ranging up to 3.75% lithium oxide (“Li2O") at the Prospecting Licence Area in County Carlow.

A total of 56 rock samples are reported, all of which were analysed at ALS Laboratories in Ireland.

Two prospects are reported at: 
Knockeen: Out of a total of 56 samples, 41 samples graded above 1% Li2O, of which 20 graded above 2% Li2O and of which two graded above 3% Li2O (Sample AES 63003 - 3.63% Li2O and Sample AES 63033 - 3.75% Li2O) 

Carriglead: Out of a total of 10 samples, six samples graded above 1% Li2O of which one sample analysed above 2% Li2O (sample AES63504 - 2.09% Li2O). 

The programme of intensive prospecting has consolidated the extent of the spodumene pegmatite boulder train at surface as well as significantly enhancing the resolution of the dispersion zone

The known extent of the boulder train is now over 1km in length from NE to SW and 0.5km from NW to SE and is still open in all directions at Knockeen and Carriglead

The ongoing work is helping to refine specific areas for targeted drilling.

The licence, which was awarded to Technology Minerals’ wholly owned subsidiary LRH Resources Limited on 22 March 2022, forms part of the Company’s Leinster Property exploration block.

The current phase of detailed exploration work is centred on an area where a forty-year-old historical company report described a trench excavated at Knockeen Townlands which uncovered in bedrock, a 1.8m wide spodumene-bearing pegmatite vein.

Historical prospecting around the trench also reported the occurrence of up to 10 large boulders of spodumene-bearing pegmatite at surface.

The current exploration programme carried out under LRH Resources management by Aurum Exploration Services Limited included an initial reconnaissance in July 2022 totalling six samples followed by a more detailed prospecting and lithogeochemical survey on two areas at Knockeen and Carriglead Townlands in December 2022 and totalling 56 samples.

Two areas at Knockeen and Carriglead Townlands were targeted with an initial reconnaissance visit in July 2022.

In December 2022, an extensive prospecting and lithogeochemistry survey was completed covering the two areas identified during the reconnaissance programme.

A total of 56 samples were collected at Knockeen and 10 at Carriglead.

"The results were highly encouraging with coherent boulder trains of spodumene-bearing lithium pegmatites mapped out across the prospects," a statement from Technology Minerals Plc said.

It said the current results focused on the two areas and considerably enhanced the area of boulder trains and significantly shows the high-grade nature and size of the boulders in the material being sampled.

Alex Stanbury, CEO of Technology Minerals, said: "These latest assay results from the Leinster Project in Ireland are highly encouraging and build on previous reconnaissance work which displayed significant grades of Li2O in all samples. The results announced today continue to demonstrate the high-grade nature and size of the boulders in the material being sampled as well as expanding the known extent of the spodumene pegmatite boulder train at Knockeen and Carriglead. Today’s results and ongoing work will help us to determine specific areas for targeted drilling as we progress with the exploration campaign”.