Cadence Minerals plc (LON:KDNC) has announced that a comprehensive surface sampling campaign has been undertaken by Castillo Copper (LON:CCZ) at the Litchfield Lithium Project in Australia’s Northern Territory. Castillo is the only third-party to date which has reviewed extensive site visit reports on the Litchfield Lithium Project that were arranged by Cadence’s geology consultant.
The reports have highlighted four target zones where comprehensive surface sampling was undertaken, primarily along the western boundary which is contiguous to Core Lithium’s Finniss Lithium Project1 and coincident with government mapped pegmatite occurrences2.
Due diligence
Reviewing historical data, as well as the extensive site visit reports, has provided considerable insight into the Litchfield Lithium Project’s exploration potential. With satellite imagery3 already confirming there is comparable geology between the Finniss and Litchfield Lithium Projects, assay results for 657 surface samples are likely to have a key bearing on the due diligence process, especially if the lithium mineralisation proves to be contiguous.
Castillo’s Managing Director Simon Paull commented: “The depth of the surface sampling programme conducted by the Vendor Group’s geology consultant is impressive, especially as it covers our main area of interest within the tenure. Favourable assay results should make the case for the Litchfield Lithium Project significantly more compelling and hasten our due diligence efforts.”
Overview
Lithium Technologies Pty Ltd (“LT”) and Lithium Supplies Pty Ltd (“LS”), in which Cadence owns a 29% shareholding, each own 50% of Synergy Prospecting Pty Ltd (“Synergy”) and have granted , as announced on 29 September 2021, Castillo a 90-day option to acquire 100% of the outstanding shares of LT and LS and by implication 100% of Synergy.
During this 90-day period, Castillo will be conducting due diligence on all three entities to ensure the underlying assets are in good standing and there are no material adverse issues. Under the terms of the option agreement, Castillo can exercise its right to acquire LT, LS and Synergy at any time during the 90-day period.
Castillo Copper Limited is an Australian-based explorer primarily focused on copper across Australia and Zambia. The group is embarking on a strategic transformation to morph into a mid-tier copper group underpinned by its core projects:
· A large footprint in the in the Mt Isa copper-belt district, north-west Queensland, which delivers significant exploration upside through having several high-grade targets and a sizeable untested anomaly within its boundaries in a copper-rich region.
· Four high-quality prospective assets across Zambia’s copper-belt which is the second largest copper producer in Africa.
· A large tenure footprint proximal to Broken Hill’s world-class deposit that is prospective for zinc-silver-lead-copper-gold.
· Cangai Copper Mine in northern New South Wales, which is one of Australia’s highest grading historic copper mines.
The primary assets of Synergy, which are wholly-owned, comprise the Litchfield Lithium Project (EL31774) in NT and Picasso Lithium Project (E63/1888) in WA. In addition, Synergy has an application in NT – EL31828 – known as the Alcoota Lithium Project, which comprises ground proximal to Alice Springs. Castillo will need to undertake further geological due diligence on this application.
LT and LS also hold applications for six lithium properties in San Luis Province, Central Argentina. Again, Castillo will need to undertake further geological due diligence on these applications.
Further details on these assets and all the applications and permits are contained on our website here
Option terms & consideration
The terms of the 90-day option are as follows:
· A$50,000 non-refundable deposit in cash on formally granting the option that will go directly to Synergy for working capital purposes.
Upon exercising the option within the 90-day period, the binding consideration terms are as follows:
· A$1m script payment in CCZ shares will become payable to the Vendor Group based on the 14-day WVAP calculated from the date of which the option agreement is announced to the ASX. Note, the Vendor Group will be subject to a 6-month voluntary escrow period for 50% of the shares and 12-months for the 50% balance from the date of settlement. In addition, both parties agree to sign off on a binding term sheet.
Incremental consideration terms are applicable if the following milestones are achieved:
· A$1m script payment in CCZ’s shares to the Vendor Group based on the 14-day WVAP if two drill-holes produce assayed intercepts greater or equal to a true width of at least 10m @ 1.3% Li2O.Note, the two holes will be at least 100m apart, but not greater than 200m.
· A$1m script payment in CCZ’s shares to the Vendor Group based on the 14-day WVAP if a JORC compliant total inferred resource of at least 7Mt @ 1.3% Li2O is modelled by SRK Consulting.
· In the event of commercial mining operations commencing a 2% NSR will be payable to the nominees of the facilitator.
Cadence Minerals CEO Kiran Morzaria added: “We are pleased to note the progress announced today by Castillo as it advances its due diligence programme. The data review undertaken once again bears out the initial findings announced by Cadence to the market on March 4th 2019. We look forward to the assay results.”
References
1. CXO ASX Release – 21 September 2021 (Annual Report) & CCZ ASX Release – 29 September 2021
2. Frater, K. (2005). Tin-Tantalum Pegmatite Mineralisation of the Northen Territory – Report 16 ISSN 0814-7477. Northern Territory Geological Survey; and, Rawlings, D. (2017, March). Lithium-rich pegmatites of the Bynoe Field. AGES 2017 Proceedings, NT Geological Survey (p. 3pp). Northern Territory Government.
3. Satellite imagery from Geological Survey of Western Australia. Available at: https://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Geological-Survey/Geological-Survey-262.aspx & CCZ ASX Release – 29 September 2021
