Brazil
Seven lithium exploration project areas covering 472km² in Brazil’s ‘Lithium Valley’ in mineral rich Minas Gerais State
Lastest Announcements:
- 8 April 2024 – Exploration Update – Copper-Gold in Utah & Lithium in Brazil
- 23 January 2024 – Alderan Identifies Lithium Indicator Minerals at Carai Brazil
- 5 December 2023 – Alderan Commences Exploration on Minas Gerais Lithium Projects, Brazil
- 13 November 2023 – Alderan Completes Acquisition of Minas Gerais Lithium Projects
Alderan completed the acquisition of Parabolic Lithium Pty Ltd (Parabolic) which has the right to acquire a 100% interest in seven lithium exploration projects in the mineral resource rich state of Minas Gerais, Brazil in November 2023. The Projects cover 472km2 and consist of 24 granted exploration licences in seven (7) project areas, Curral de Dentro, Minas Novas, Carai, Catuji, Itaipe, Itambacuri and Governador Valadares.
Location
The Projects are all located in and immediately to the south of the ‘Lithium Valley’ district in the Eastern Lithium Belt of Eastern Brazil. Lithium Valley is located approximately 650km north-northeast of Rio de Janeiro and 360km northeast of Belo Horizontale, the Minas Gerais State capital.
Parabolic Lithium’s project locations in Minas Gerais State plus lithium mines and deposits within Brazil’s Eastern Lithium Belt
Geology
The lithium deposits of the East Brazil Lithium Belt lie primarily within the Neoproterozic Aracuai Fold Belt which consists largely of metamorphosed sediments and volcanics which have been intruded by younger Neoproterozoic I-type granites and Neoproterozoic to Cambrian age peraluminous S-type granites commonly referred to as G1 to G5. The lithium deposits throughout the belt are typically associated with pegmatite intrusions in close proximity to G4 granites. Mineral occurrences associated with the deposits include spodumene, beryl, niobium, tantalum, tin and tourmaline, many of which have been identified by the Geological Survey of Brazil.
The Lithium Valley district is highly prospective for new lithium deposits. Lithium mines operating in Lithium Valley include Companhia Brasileire De Litio’s Mina da Cachoeira underground mine which has production capacity of 42,000t per annum of 5.5% Li2O spodumene concentrate and Sigma Lithium Corporation’s (NASDAQ: SGML; TSX: SGML) Grota do Cirilo Project which is ramping up Stage 1 production to 270,000t per annum of 5.5% Li2O concentrate. Latin Resources Ltd’s (ASX: LRS) and Lithium Ionic (TSX.V: LTH) have recently announced lithium resources at the Salinas and Itinga projects also within the Lithium Valley district.
Location plan of Parabolic’s projects plus the Grota do Cirilo, Salinas, Itinga and Mina do Cachoeira lithium projects and G4 granites in the Lithium Valley region of Minas Gerais
Exploration
The Projects, which have not undergone historical exploration for lithium, were targeted based on a number of key characteristics including:
- Located within the ‘Lithium Valley’ in Minas Gerais state in Brazil’s Eastern Lithium Belt;
- Proximal to G4 granites based on regional mapping by the Brazil Geological Survey and interpretation of regional airborne magnetic and radiometric geophysical data;
- Proximal to known lithium deposits, pegmatites and lithium pathfinder mineral occurrences;
- Proximal to major district and regional scale structures; and
- Presence of artisanal mining
Key outcomes from reconnaissance field inspections to the project areas include:
- Artisanal mine adits and trenches are located in Carai and Itaipe. The Carai project artisanal workings consist of trenching and pitting in an area immediately uphill of an 80m long highly weathered quartz-rich road cut. The area of the workings contains weathered coarse pegmatite, coarse white mica and tourmaline plus rose quartz float, all of which are potential indicators of lithium bearing pegmatite. The owner of the property indicated that emeralds and green tourmaline are recovered from the workings (this could not be verified by Alderan)
- Pegmatites were observed at Governador Valadares, Itambacuri, Carai, Itaipe and Curral de Dentro. The most significant outcrop is located at Itambacuri where an 8m wide pegmatite dyke occurs within fine grained metasediment host rock in a creek bed. Associated minerals include coarse white feldspar, quartz, black tourmaline and red garnet. Narrow pegmatite dykes (10-20cm wide) were observed in a second creek 250m along the trend. The Governador Valadares pegmatite is highly weathered and occurs over approximately 50m in a road cut
- Minerals commonly associated with lithium bearing pegmatites were observed at Governador Valadares, Itambacuri, Carai and Itaipe. These included coarse tourmaline, biotite and muscovite, rose quartz plus coarse quartz and feldspar. At Itambacuri, fist sized clusters of black to amber tourmaline occur associated with pegmatite in a road cutting, while at Carai the artisanal workings float of black tourmaline and white mica crystals range in size up to 3cm and 5cm respectively
- The geology of the project areas is consistent with the regional mapping carried out by the Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM) with the pegmatites observed commonly hosted within fine grained metasediments or fine-medium grained G3 granites
- All project areas are amenable for exploration. The topography is suitable for geochemical programmes consisting of stream, soil and rock sampling followed by drilling. The road network is good throughout the areas and the landowners met were consistently supportive of Alderan’s activities