Tawana reports maiden lithium resource in WA

PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Junior Tawana Resources has reported a maiden indicated and inferred mineral lithium resource at its Bald Hill lithium and tantalum project, in Western Australia, of 12.8-million tonnes, grading 1.18% lithium oxide and 158 parts per million tantalum pentoxide.

MD Mark Calderwood said on Wednesday that the 18.5-million tonnes of combined high-grade lithium and tantalum resource was an excellent start from initial drilling at Bald Hill, which has only tested 20% of the initial mineralised target area.

“Exploration drilling is continuing at Bald Hill, with the intention of providing resource upgrades over the next six months. We are also pleased to have met the resource condition precedent of the offtake early.”

Tawana is earning a 50% interest in the Bald Hill mine, and would see Tawana spend a minimum of A$7.5-million by the end of December, on exploration, evaluation and feasibility. It would also spend A$12.5-million by the end of December 2019 to upgrade and convert the plant for processing ore derived from the project.

Tawana in January launched a feasibility study at the Bald Hill project, which will look at a staged flow sheet to reduce the time and cost to initial production, allowing for a fast-tracked operation from the study to detailed design, construction, commissioning and concentrate production.

The feasibility study was due to be completed shortly and Tawana was targeting first lithium shipments in the first quarter of 2018.