The 100% owned Ruth Well project area contains a historic nickel deposit. Recent reconnaissance rock chip sampling has confirmed multiple high-grade lithium bearing pegmatites. Assays have reported up to 1.65% Li2O with the mineralisation confirmed as spodumene. The pegmatite bearing zone is up to 200m wide, has been traced for 7.5km strike and remains open in all directions.
The Ruth Well project area comprises four exploration licences (E47/3340, E47/3341, E47/3390 and E47,3487) and a prospecting license (P47/1929) located approximately 15km south of Karratha in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia, covering an area of approximately 58km2 within the West Pilbara Mineral Field. Access to the Ruth Well project area is via the sealed road to Tom Price heading south from Karratha then eastwards on exploration tracks.
Figure 1: Ruth Well project location
The Ruth Well nickel-copper deposits were discovered by Whim Creek Consolidated NL (Whim Creek) in 1971. Mineralisation comprises violaritised pentlandite, pyrrhotite, gersdorffite, niccolite, chalcopyrite, and magnetite within serpentinised extrusive peridotite of the Ruth Well Formation. This association suggests that the deposits are of a similar type to the extrusive Kambalda nickel deposits of the eastern Yilgarn Craton. The mineralisation however probably lies within a tectonic slice of the Andover Intrusion that has been faulted into the Ruth Well Formation of the Roebourne Group on the northern side of the major, approximately 300 kilometres long Sholl Shear Zone.
Figure 2: Local geology of the Ruth Well project area
The most significant work to have been completed in the Ruth Well project area was by Westfield NL between 1969 and 1975, Titan Resources NL (Titan) between 1989 and 2002 and Fox Resources NL (Fox) between 2004 and 2015. These companies carried out a series of open hole percussion, RAB, RC and diamond drilling programs.
Titan completed a TEMPEST AEM survey in 2000 and Fox completed an airborne VTEM HEM survey in 2006. These surveys provided coverage over the broader Ruth Well Project area, however given the high base frequency utilised (25 Hz) these surveys were unable to resolve highly conductive EM targets amongst broader, more extensive stratigraphic/formational conductive units. Fox completed a ground-based SQUID EM survey in 2007.
Previous drilling in and around the Ruth Well project area comprised 426 drill holes including open hole percussion, RAB, RC and diamond drilling for a total of approximately 18,827 metres. Artemis Resources (ASX:ARV) drilled another 37 RC drill holes and one diamond drill hole for an additional 2,923 metres in 2018.
Reconnaissance rock chip sampling conducted in 2023 has confirmed the presence of a new high-grade lithium trend (Kobe Trend) with assays returning up to 1.8% Li2O pegmatite hosted mineralisation, with mineralisation confirmed as spodumene. The pegmatite bearing zone is up to 200m wide, has been traced for 7.5km strike and remains open in all directions.
GreenTech Metals is continuing to research and review historic datasets with a view to potentially identifying new lithium pegmatite trends, and extensions to the known trends. GreenTech Metals has mobilised field crews to site who are currently undertaking the following exploration activities in the lead up to a maiden drilling programme:
Preparations relating to regulatory requirements to the undertaking of a maiden drilling programme are well advanced. GreenTech Metals has submitted and had approved multiple programs of work which will facilitate the commencement of drilling once heritage clearances are completed.
Figure 3: Soil sampling anomalies and outcrop mapping to date in the Ruth Well project area