Kula Gold Limited announced in November 2022 the acquisition of a 70% interest in the Lithium and related minerals in a key tenement, E70/5452 – The Kirup Lithium Project – located within 25km of the world’s largest hard rock lithium mine, Greenbushes Lithium Mine in Western Australia. The acquisition was completed in early 2023, with drilling underway at Kirup in late 2023.

Drilling at the Cobra Lithium Prospect – within Kirup – in November/December 2023

Kirup complements Kula’s existing Brunswick Lithium Project – also located within 45km of Greenbushes (see Figure 1) – 200km south of Perth and has an area of 117km².

The Company commenced exploration activities on the multiple pegmatites already mapped within the tenement in 2023, and has identified four main prospects at Kirup.

• ⛏️  Cobra Prospect

  • The Cobra Lithium Prospect sits in the central part of E70-5452, on a regional NE magnetic lineament in a mapped mafic sequence. Pegmatites with high lithium content (up to 240ppm) containing muscovites, tourmalines and garnets (fractionated minerals) have been mapped and have increased to ~4km in strike length and up to 500m wide. Mapping continues to increase the potential dimensions of this prospect. The mineralogy of pegmatites is composed of predominantly quartz, feldspar, tourmaline, muscovite, garnet, others (to be determined). Generally, poorly foliated and with a grainsize – locally very coarse, up to 10cm crystals of feldspars, and muscovite crystals up to ~5cm.

  • Rock chipping and mapping programme at the Cobra Lithium Prospect has resulted in samples being submitted for geochemical analysis. Significant results were released in an ASX release dated 16th August 2023, most notable are the results being high in beryllium (Be) and niobium (Nb) and tin (Sn), all excellent LCT mineralisation pathfinders. Most significant results of 714.4ppm Be and 126.6ppm Nb were recorded in separate samples.

  • Cobra drilling program in November/December 2023 has intersected multiple pegmatites with 11 holes logged with visual pegmatites¹ in multiple intervals varying from 3m to interpreted 55m thick. Recent rock chipping and mapping has increased the strike of the Cobra Lithium Prospect to 4.2km
  • In February 2024, the Company has identified substantial epithermal gold prospectivity at both the Cobra and Mustang Prospects during recent drilling within its Kirup Project, with rock chip results to 3.5g/t gold. Kula reports the recent RC drilling program at the Cobra Prospect failed to intercept economic lithium mineralisation with the best result being in hole 23CPRC002 with a composite interval of 4m @ 178ppm from 116m.
    

    Figure 3: Rock chip for the Cobra Prospect, noting the vuggy texture in the quartz host. No visual sulphides are evident in this surface sample, but relic textures are present, and this has not been assayed. (as it is a vector to drilling deeper below surface to the precious metals horizon- ref fig 6).

    

    Figure 1: Location of Cobra Prospect over regional TMI_RTP magnetics

• ⛏️  Mustang Prospect

  • Mapping and soil sampling programme has increased the size of the pegmatite zone drill target for Kula to test for LCT mineralisation below the weathered zone estimated at 30-50m, similar to the nearby Greenbushes Mine.

  • The Mustang Lithium Prospect in an area of NNW trending magnetic lineaments, comprises a series of NNW striking pegmatitic bodies that occur within intercalated felsic gneiss and amphibolite sequences. Preliminary mapping has identified several pegmatite bodies with probable width increased to approximately up to 200m.

  • In February 2024, the Company has identified substantial epithermal gold prospectivity at both the Cobra and Mustang Prospects during recent drilling within its Kirup Project, with rock chip results to 3.5g/t gold.
    

    Figure 7: Rock chip sample KI000154 with a gold assay of 3.5g/t for the Mustang Prospect, note the vuggy texture in the quartz host. No visual sulphides are evident, but relic textures are present.

• ⛏️  Falcon Prospect

  • A consequence of mapping at the Cobra Lithium Prospect was the identification of the Falcon Lithium Prospect, on a different orientation and separate structure to Cobra. Mapped and interpreted dimensions show a strike length of approximately 2km and up to 300m wide.

  • Kula’s exploration team undertook a rock chipping and mapping programme at the Falcon Lithium Prospect. Results are in ASX Release dated 16th August 2023 with results being high in Beryllium (Be), an excellent LCT mineralisation pathfinder, with significant rock chips having, 191.4ppm, 99.4ppm, 124.6ppm and 90.8ppm Be.

• ⛏️  Thunderbird Prospect

  • The Thunderbird Lithium Prospect sits in the southern part of E70/5452, on a regional NE magnetic lineament.

  • Previously mapped pegmatites on the GSWA 1:250,000 Collie Sheet and WAMEX A10394 have been ground truthed and samples were submitted for LCT mineralisation potential, significant results released in ASX release dated 16th August 2023.

Figure 1: Kula’s Kirup and Brunswick Projects, location of Greenbushes Mine ($9.5B EBIT FY23) and Albemarle’s Kemerton Lithium Hydroxide Plant..

Kula Chief Executive Officer Ric Dawson spoke after the acquisition of Kirup:

“What an amazing time to join the Company and work on such a suite of projects as the Brunswick and Kirup Projects in near jurisdiction to the substantial Greenbushes Mine.

We are delighted to acquire a significant majority stake in a highly prospective lithium project in a world-renowned lithium district and increase our existing lithium exploration ground at Greenbushes in Western Australia.

We have secured an outstanding exploration opportunity near our existing Brunswick Project to add to our existing portfolio of assets in Western Australia. We will proceed to exploring these tenements in a methodological step-by-step manner.

We are pleased to joint venture with Sentinel Exploration Ltd and look forward to updating the market with our developments in due course.”

Drilling at the Cobra Lithium Prospect – November 2023

Kula’s exploration team on the ground at the Kirup Lithium Project – October 2023.

2023 Exploration Updates at the Kirup Project.

⛏️ In late November 2023, Kula Gold reports drilling has commenced at the substantial Cobra Lithium Prospect for approximately 1,000m with flexibility to extend based on visually encouraging rock types.

Kula’s Managing Director Ric Dawson comments:

“We are excited to have commenced the Cobra Lithium Prospect RC drill programme with a RC rig and booster, initially to 150m downhole but with capacity to drill to 250m if required. Three lines of drilling spaced across the 3km strike length of the mapped pegmatite is the initial test.”

“Recent mapping has delineated that the mapped pegmatite extends further southwest and rock chips are being submitted for analysis.”

⛏️ On November 27, 2023, Kula announced the program would be extended from 1,000m to 2,000m after the initial drillholes with the Kula Board approving the increase. On the technical team’s recommendation, the drilling program will provide better geological understanding and coverage of the 3.2km of surface mapped pegmatites.

Kula’s Managing Director Ric Dawson commented:

“With what we are intercepting, we have doubled the Cobra Lithium Prospect RC drill program, including Hole 23CPRC001 which will be re-entered and extended deeper.”

“The first RC hole went to a downhole depth of 168m and the second hole 23CPRC002, to 174m. The 4m composite samples for all of the first 252m of drilling have been submitted to the laboratory for analysis.”

⛏️ On December 12, 2023, Kula reported multiple stacked pegmatites to 55m intersected at Cobra Lithium Prospect near Greenbushes, with 11 holes logged with visual pegmatites¹ in multiple intervals varying from 3m to interpreted 55m thick. Recent rock chipping and mapping has increased the strike of the Cobra Lithium Prospect to 4.2km. Drill program now completed to 1,860m, assays in progress.

Kula’s Managing Director Ric Dawson commented:

“The maiden Cobra RC drill program intersecting the appropriate rock types that traditionally host LCT mineralisation is a positive start.

The combination of encouraging outcrop, geochemistry and geophysics is now evident in the subsurface drilling.”

⛏️  In November 2023, Kula Gold reported drilling was scheduled to commence at the substantial Cobra Lithium Prospect within Kirup, near Greenbushes.

Kula’s Managing Director Ric Dawson comments:

“The Cobra Lithium Prospect is our primary target for this RC drilling programme with a RC rig and booster initially planning to drill to 150m downhole but with capacity to drill to 250m if required. The programme has been designed to test the entirety of this large pegmatite for LCT mineralisation at depth (below the known weathered zone) in a mafic host country rock.”

“Kula has an option to acquire a new tenure directly abutting to the south of the existing Kirup Project which was eagerly sort and now increases our portfolio of lithium exploration potential in a regional area aggressively under focus by major local and international companies as evident by the recent Albemarle $30m purchase of tenements nearby.”

⛏️  In September 2023, Kula Gold reports that the first hole at the Mustang Lithium Prospect has been successful in intersecting pegmatites over four intervals to 132m.

The intervals ranged from 2m to 9m.

Kula’s Chief Executive Officer Ric Dawson said:

“It is fantastic to have commenced our reconnaissance drilling programme at Kirup with the first phase at the Mustang Lithium Prospect. The combination of some very encouraging outcrop, geochemistry and geophysics warrants subsurface drilling.”

Worth noting is that this is only the first hole in the Mustang Lithium Prospect.

This prospect (as per ASX release 29 May 2023) is up to 100m wide and up to 1km in strike and is one of an advanced set of lithium prospects within Kula’s portfolio.

Nonetheless the programme has been temporary suspended due to ground conditions and will recommence in a few weeks. We are eagerly anticipating getting back on the ground at the Mustang Lithium Prospect post intersecting these stacked pegmatites. The drill samples are on the way to the lab for assaying.

The rig is now heading to Kula’s JV Rankin Dome Project near Southern Cross where operating partner Australian Critical Minerals Ltd (ASX: ACM) is managing the maiden RC drill programme for Rare Earths and Lithium from targets generated by Kula in 2022.

Drilling at the Mustang Lithium Project within Kirup.

⛏️  In June 2023, Kula Gold CEO Ric Dawson joined Stockhead’s Explorers Podcast host Barry FitzGerald to talk about the Company’s Lithium hunt in Western Australia near Brunswick/Kirup and Southern Cross, and the range of Projects in the Company’s portfolio.

• Listen to the Podcast with Kula’s CEO below.

⛏️  June 2023 – ASX Release

• Kula Gold Limited announces strike length increases at the new Mustang and Cobra Prospects at its Kirup Lithium Project.
  • Mustang Prospect – recent mapping, rock chipping and soils programme confirms several pegmatites with strikes up to 1km and over 100m wide, drill planning in progress.
  • Cobra Prospect – recent mapping and rock chipping near anomalous lithium (Li) rock chip results up to 240.8ppm and 71.9ppm, 20km from Greenbushes has increased the strike to ~2km and greater than 300m wide.
  • New LCT suite mineralisation targeting for new drill prospects continues.

⛏️  May 2023 – ASX Release

• Kula Gold Limited announces the addition of the new Mustang and Cobra Prospects at its Kirup Lithium Project.
  • New Mustang Prospect– evidence of bladed spodumene crystals at surface, large up to 100m wide x 1-3km strike, drill planning in progress.
  • New Cobra Prospect – follow-up mapping and rock chipping near anomalous Lithium rock chip results up to 240.8ppm and 71.9ppm, 20km from Greenbushes. Large 100-200m wide x 1-3km strike.
  • New LCT suite mineralisation targeting for new drill prospects continues.
  • Drilling completed at the DBGM Prospect for 4 RC holes, results pending.

2022 Exploration Updates at the Kirup Project.

⛏️  December 2022 – ASX Release

• Kula Gold Limited – announces field reconnaissance work at Kirup has been completed – as part of the due diligence to acquire the Kirup Project to add to the existing Brunswick Project. Encouraging fractionation noted in pegmatites (tourmaline, white micas and massive feldspar).

About The Kirup Project – Recent History

The Kirup Project is located 200km South of Perth, the capital of Western Australia. With an area of 117km², the Project was originally acquired by Merchant Ventures Pty Ltd, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Sentinel Exploration Ltd due to the proximity to the Greenbushes Lithium Mine and the numerous geological mapping and mineral occurrences and geophysical structures. The Project area commences approximately 25km West of the Greenbushes open pit mining operation (Figure 1).

Greenbushes is currently the largest hard-rock lithium mine in the world, operating since May 2014 by Talison Lithium Pty Ltd, an incorporated joint venture between Tianqi Lithium Corporation (51%) and Albemarie Corporation (49%). Greenbushes produces a concentrate of the lithium mineral, spodumene, to feed both China and Western Australia based mineral conversion plants or consumers of spodumene concentrates in Europe, North America and China. Australian mining company IGO Limited recently signed a deal to acquire a 24.99% stake in Greenbushes from Tianqi Lithium Corporation.

Reports of work by earlier explorers and the Geological Survey of Western Australia* within the Project record the presence of pegmatites – a rock that may host spodumene – and so provides immediate exploration targets. Much of this earlier work focused on the discovery of the minerals cassiterite (tin) and tantalite (tantalum), as Greenbushes was at different times mining for these minerals before spodumene (lithium) became the major driver of revenue.

Recent data review by Sentinel Exploration Ltd has involved desktop reviews of all available WAMEX historical reports as per Table 1 and 2 and georeferencing maps, collating geochemical, all augur, percussion/reverse circulation (RC) and diamond core drilling data into modern GIS format and, collating all historical geophysical data.

A prospectively target map has been created following both geological and geophysical interpretation from the data preparation, collation and review and is ready to start field work early in the new year upon settlement of the purchase agreement.

Minimal field work has been carried out until this precursory technical review had been performed.

Planned future work on the Kirup Project includes detailed and targeted pegmatite mapping and geochemical sampling over all the accessible pegmatites from the historical mapping a well as part of the due diligence process verification of historical mapped pegmatites.

Targets from geochemistry anomalies and possibly the planned geophysical survey and will then be priority ranked for drill testing.

Plans are proceeding to securing and targeting a new low-level magnetics and radiometric surveys, quotes have been requested and subject to availability and awaiting the purchase agreement being approved before agreeing to proceed subject to acceptable terms.

*Reference

Figure 2: U²/Th, Kirup Project E70/5452 within 25km West of Greenbushes.

As noted above in Figure 2, the very strong anomalous signature (red) and shear around the Greenbushes Mine provides a good target for Kula’s technical team to explore the similar strong anomalous signature (red) and shear in the acquisition tenement. The U2/Th ratio map above also highlights the Donnybrook-Bridgetown Shear Zone and note the structural juxtaposition of Pegmatites (red on this map) to the fault in the new Kirup Project tenement and the Greenbushes Lithium Mine.

Figure 3: Kirup Project, E70/5452 with mapped pegmatites from GSWA 1:250k Collie Geological Map.

As noted above in Figure 3, the mapped pegmatites provide a good target for Kula’s technical team to explore in the acquisition tenement.

Figure 4: RTP Magnetics overlaid by the Geological highlights from the GSWA 1:250k Collie Geological Map.

Figure 5: RTP 1 VD Magnetics overlaid by the Geological highlights from the GSWA 1:250k Collie Geological Map.

As noted above in Figures 4 and 5, the very strong magnetic signature and mapped pegmatites provides a good target for Kula’s technical team to explore both lithium suite (LCT) mineralisation.

Figure 6: KThU RG8 image overlaid by the Geological highlights from the GSWA 1:250k Collie Geological Map

As noted above in Figure 6, the anomalous KThU signature (pink) around the Greenbushes Mine provides a good target for Kula’s technical team to explore the similar anomalous KTHU signature (pink) in the acquisition tenement.

For the latest from the Kirup Project – refer to the News Releases located on this page.

Latest Kirup News