Artemis Resources Ltd (ASX:ARV, AIM:ARV, OTCQB:ARTTF) is about to get boots back on the ground in the quest for lithium at its 100%-owned West Pilbara tenement areas in Western Australia with ground reconnaissance including rock chip and soil sampling.
The focus will be on Karratha Lithium Project tenements adjacent to the Osborne JV between Artemis and GreenTech Metals and less than 20 kilometres from Azure Minerals’ Andover Lithium Project which has a conceptual exploration target of 100-240 million tonnes at 1.0-1.5% lithium oxide (Li2O).
Artemis’ technical team has identified several areas of interest that were not quantified through previous exploration efforts.
Sampling programs
These areas are within the company’s 100% owned tenement areas, have been assessed and will be the subject of rock chip sampling in the first instance, followed closely by soil sampling if/where applicable.
The sampling program and methodology have been designed by the company’s new technical team.
Artemis will also be reviewing aerial imagery and utilising drones to access and fully understand the tenement areas to ensure that priority targets are the subject of first phase exploration.
“High potential”
“We are pleased that ground reconnaissance work will recommence shortly on our 100%-owned tenement areas,” executive director George Ventouras said.
"Given the exploration success of Azure Minerals via the Andover project together with the results to date at the Osborne JV we have with GreenTech Metals, we are confident that our 100%-owned tenements have high potential for positive exploration results for lithium mineralisation.”
Artemis Resources Karratha Lithium Project tenements.
Awaiting results
A short test program was undertaken before the end of 2023 and a small number of rock chip samples have been submitted for laboratory analysis. Results will be released once they have been received and relevant QA/QC protocols have been completed.
Further samples, when collected, will be delivered to the laboratory in Perth for analysis and results will be released accordingly.
“New methodologies”
"Our technical team is the same team which has successfully identified the positive lithium trends on the Osborne JV and GreenTech’s Ruth Well project and this work will be leveraging the team’s newly developed exploration methodologies,” Ventouras said.
"We are confident that should lithium-bearing pegmatites exist on 100% Artemis ground, they will be discovered through deploying this approach.”
The initial ground exploration phase is expected to be completed by late February with follow-up programs to be finalised post receipt of results.