Pan Asia Metals has drill spinning at Reung Kiet Lithium Project in Thailand

Pan Asia Metals Limited (ASX:PAM) has started drilling the first-ever hole at the highly prospective Bang I Tum prospect within Reung Kiet Lithium Project (RKLP) in southern Thailand. RKLP is a hard rock project with demonstrated potential for lithium hosted in lepidolite-rich pegmatites chiefly composed of quartz, albite, lepidolite with minor cassiterite and tantalite - as well as other accessory minerals including some rare earth. Drilling is underway beneath an old pit where lepidolite pegmatites were previously mined for tin. The program is mainly targeting lithium-rich pegmatites up to 25 metres wide and associated dyke swarms at the Bang I Tum pit, which is around 650 metres in length. “Lepidolite style mineralisation” Pan Asia Metals managing director Paul Lock said: “We are excited to not only be drilling the first-ever holes at Bang I Tum but at the overall potential of the Reung Kiet Lithium Project. “This is particularly after Lepidico Limited (ASX:LPD) released its definitive feasibility study (DFS) results for the Karibib Lithium Project in May 2020, which positioned Karibib at the bottom of the CAPEX and OPEX cost curves on a per tonne LiOH and equivalents basis. “Like Karibib, PAM’s Reung Kiet Lithium Project has lepidolite style mineralisation but PAM’s drilling and trenching results to date have generally produced considerably higher Li2O grades than the Karibib ore reserve, and the Reung Kiet Lithium Project is in close proximity to all required processing inputs and our end markets.” Bang I Tum Lithium Prospect  The Bang I Tum prospect was a relatively large open cut tin mine, with the old pit about 650 metres long and up to 125 metres wide. Soil and rock-chip sampling has defined the Main trend and an Eastern trend, and the prospective Main trend is about 1.5 kilometres long. Rock chip sampling has yielded 14 of 24 samples >0.5% Li2O, with an average grade of 1.23% Li2O plus accessory tin and tantalum. A lepidolite pegmatite dyke swarm can be observed on a hill about 400 metres south of the pit and this swarm is up to 100 metres wide with individual dykes up to 7 metres wide. The drilling at BIT is planned on 100-150 metres spaced sections along the pit length and extending southwest to ‘Lepidolite Hill’. PAM has four priority one drill holes planned, with additional drilling contingent on positive results from these holes. The Bang I Tum Lithium Prospect with proposed drill hole locations. Forward planning Following the completion of the priority one holes at BIT, PAM intends to relocate the rig to the nearby Reung Kiet prospect to conduct additional drilling that will target lepidolite-rich pegmatites identified in previous trenching and mapping programs. Results of the priority one holes at BIT will be assessed and further drilling may be conducted.