Bit of background of the Moolyella area, taken from the LTX website. Reminds me of the approach CXO is taking with looking for lithium in previous tin fields
The Moolyella Project (90-100% LTX) is located in the East Pilbara Goldfield region, within the highly mineralised Achaean Pilbara Craton. It is approximately 23km east-north-east of the township of Marble Bar.
The tenements cover the Moolyella Tin Field – an area discovered in 1898 and known to contain deposits of rare metals (tin, tantalum and lithium) and rare earths (lanthanides). In the period between initial discovery and 1986, mining activity at Moolyella was focused and ongoing, but since then, only small-scale intermittent mining has been carried out.
A comprehensive exploration program is required to prove up the known deposits of rare metals and rare earths, to locate new alluvial deposits and to explore for the primary hard rock deposit from which these alluvial minerals have originated.
History of the Moolyella region
Tin mining operations at Moolyella were largely continuous from 1898 to 1986. Endeavour Resources Ltd carried out exploration for alluvial, eluvial, deep lead and pegmatite-hosted tin/tantalum mineralisation between the years of 1965 and 1985. Several substantial alluvial and eluvial tin/tantalum deposits were identified.
The first large-scale mining operation occurred after Endeavour Resources Ltd purchased all of the Moolyella tenements and the treatment plant in 1978. These large-scale mining operations continued till 1986, but where then closed due to the fall in tin prices in late 1985."
