High-Grade Lithium Discovery at Red Mountain Raises Stakes Amid Pending Assays
Astute Metals has reported its highest-grade lithium intercept to date at the Red Mountain Project in Nevada, extending mineralisation over a 5.6-kilometre strike length and reinforcing the project's growing significance in the US lithium landscape.
- Drill-hole RMDD003 returns 32.4m at 3,260ppm lithium including 8.6m at 5,060ppm
- Lithium mineralisation extended 630m north beyond previous limits
- Strike length now spans over 5.6 kilometres with mineralisation open along strike and down-dip
- Assays pending for five additional drill holes from April 2025 campaign
- Project advancing towards maiden JORC Mineral Resource Estimate later this year
Exceptional Drill Results Highlight Growing Potential
Astute Metals NL (ASX: ASE) has delivered a significant boost to its Red Mountain Lithium Project in Nevada, USA, with the announcement of outstanding assay results from drill-hole RMDD003. This latest hole has produced the highest-grade lithium intercept recorded at the project, featuring multiple substantial zones of mineralisation, including an ultra high-grade segment grading 5,060 parts per million (ppm) lithium over 8.6 metres.
The results not only confirm the presence of thick, high-grade lithium-bearing claystone but also extend the known mineralised strike length by 630 metres to the north, pushing the total strike length to an impressive 5.6 kilometres. This extension underscores the scale and continuity of the lithium system at Red Mountain, which remains open for further expansion both along strike and down-dip.
Context Within the Nevada Lithium Landscape
Situated in a region known for prolific lithium deposits hosted in tertiary lacustrine sediments, Red Mountain benefits from geological similarities to major projects such as Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass and American Battery Technology’s Tonopah Flats. Astute’s exploration has identified widespread lithium anomalism, with previous drilling consistently intersecting mineralisation. The RMDD003 results mark a step-change in grade, particularly in the northern part of the project, suggesting a locally enriched zone that could enhance the project's economic potential.
Importantly, the lithium mineralisation is hosted in clay-rich mudstones and sandstones, which have demonstrated high leachability in metallurgical testwork, up to 98% lithium recovery, indicating promising processing characteristics for future development.
Looking Ahead: Resource Definition and Further Drilling
With assays pending from five additional drill holes completed in the April 2025 campaign, Astute Metals is poised to refine its understanding of the deposit’s extent and grade distribution. The company aims to integrate these results with surface geochemistry data to optimise drilling plans for the remainder of the year.
Chairman Tony Leibowitz highlighted the significance of these findings, noting that the project is on a clear trajectory toward delivering a maiden JORC Mineral Resource Estimate later in 2025. This milestone will be critical in attracting further investment and advancing Red Mountain through the development pipeline.
As the global demand for lithium intensifies, particularly for battery production in electric vehicles and energy storage, Red Mountain’s expanding high-grade footprint positions Astute Metals as a noteworthy player in the North American lithium sector.
Bottom Line?
Astute Metals’ breakthrough drill results at Red Mountain set the stage for a pivotal resource update that could reshape its lithium project’s market standing.
Questions in the middle?
- How will the pending assay results from the other five drill holes impact the overall resource model?
- What are the implications of the high-grade northern zone for project economics and mining strategy?
- How might evolving lithium market dynamics influence Astute Metals’ development timeline and partnerships?
