Litchfield Minerals 35% manganese samples point to big NT hydrothermal system
- Doug Bright
- Sep 10
- 3 min read
Litchfield Minerals (ASX: LMS) has struck promising results at its Lucy Creek 2 project, about 250 kilometres northeast of Alice Springs, with laboratory assays from surface rock chip sampling revealing high-grade manganese and signs of a hydrothermal system.
The findings, confirmed by Bureau Veritas laboratories, point to a potentially large-scale manganese deposit, bolstered by barium and anomalous base metals such as lead, zinc, silver and cobalt.
The rock chip sampling program targeted surface exposures of manganese, iron and kaolinite across the Lucy Creek 2 prospect, which covers an 800 metre x 200m north-south trending zone, where historic rock chip samples returned manganese values as high as 52 per cent.
The best manganese grade of 35 per cent included 2.77 per cent barium, 6.8 grams per tonne (g/t) silver, 666 parts per million (ppm) cobalt, 64ppm copper, 423ppm lead, 276ppm strontium and 378ppm zinc.
The second-best manganese result of 27.8 per cent was accompanied by 0.94 per cent barium, 4.8g/t silver, 385ppm cobalt, 56ppm copper, 1050ppm lead, 125ppm strontium, and 334ppm zinc.
A third best manganese hit of 25.2 per cent was supported by 0.31 per cent barium, 0.8g/t silver, 139ppm cobalt, 44ppm copper, 613ppm lead, 156ppm strontium, and 322ppm zinc.
A final 24.6 per cent manganese result came with 2.95 per cent barium, 4g/t silver, 1260ppm cobalt, 206ppm copper, 198ppm lead, 518ppm strontium, and 216ppm zinc.
The results suggest a deeper hydrothermal origin for the manganese, a critical distinction from typically shallow supergene-enriched deposits or mere surficial manganese staining and encrustations through weathering.
The results help validate Litchfield’s interpretation that Lucy Creek 2 could represent a Bootu Creek-style manganese deposit. It’s an interesting and significant comparison considering that Bootu Creek’s historical mineral resource was a pretty handy 32.5 million tonnes at 22.6 per cent manganese before mining.
Hydrothermal systems such as the nearby Bootu Creek deposit can host multiple stacked mineralised zones, offering greater tonnage potential.
The geochemical signature highlighted by the accompanying consistent base metal pathfinders could open the door to a potentially significant system, with attendant structural controls that could also direct exploration.
Laboratory assays have upgraded Lucy Creek 2 to a highly compelling hydrothermal manganese opportunity with genuine base-metal credentials… A hydrothermal origin opens the door to a potentially larger tonnage system than what would be expected from supergene-enriched surface processes.
Litchfield Minerals Managing Director Matthew Pustahya
Litchfield has secured $48,059 from the Northern Territory Government’s geophysics and drilling collaboration grant for a high-resolution airborne magnetic and radiometric survey over the Lucy Creek exploration licence to advance the project.
The proposed geophysical survey will improve on existing 400m-spaced data, sharpening geological and structural insights.
A ground electromagnetic survey is also planned to map conductive zones tied to manganese and sulphide mineralisation and define any subsurface extensions of the manganese-rich outcrop.
The company’s next steps hinge on its ongoing share purchase plan, launched to fund exploration without excessive shareholder dilution. The plan aims to support the planned airborne geophysical surveys, borate-fusion assays to confirm manganese and barium grades and a first-pass reverse circulation drilling program next year.
The Lucy Creek 2 project spans almost 792 square kilometres and includes significant geological features, such as the Lucy Creek and Halfway Dam manganese outcrops.
Geologically, the project is in the Georgina Basin and is hosted in dolomitic siltstones of the Tomahawk Formation, with manganese occurrences mapped across about a one-kilometre-square area.
The site is near the Altjawarra Block, which is part of the North Australian Craton and is intersected by northwest and northeast-trending faults that may influence mineralisation.
Litchfield, a critical minerals explorer focused on base metals and uranium, is also progressing its Oonagalabi project, about 125km northeast of Alice Springs in the Harts Range area, where phase two reverse circulation drilling will test versatile time domain electromagnetics conductors and gold-bismuth targets.
With a mission to deliver sustainable exploration, the company is harnessing modern exploration technologies and government support to explore the territory’s mineral potential.
Litchfield is charging ahead at Lucy Creek 2, blending high-grade manganese results with its smart exploration strategies supported by government backing and share purchase plan funds.
The company looks poised to drill a promising hydrothermal system by 2026, potentially reshaping its critical minerals portfolio.
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