A dual-listed lithium explorer with a highly prospective, albeit somewhat modest, land holding in Quebec is already starting to release exciting results from its first 2023 drilling program.
Vancouver-based Patriot Battery Metals Inc (PBM) is currently targeting the company’s wholly-owned 214 square kilometre Corvette project ‒ located in the Canadian province’s Eeyou Istchee/James Bay region ‒ and in particular the CV5 prospect, where some of the outcropping mineralised pegmatite is large enough for a helicopter to land on.
While the CV trend was discovered in 2017, it wasn’t drill tested until 2021, with five mineralised holes at CV5 found over 2200 metres of strike length.
PBM now views it as “an emerging spodumeme pegmatite district”, with CV5 spanning 25km across the Corvette property.
Earlier this month the explorer indicated its latest $20 million winter field campaign had gotten off to a good start when the rig returned 159m at 2.12 per cent lithium oxide (from 176.4m to 333,4m), including 25m at 5.04 per cent (or 5m at 6.36 per cent).
Other lithium oxide intersections included 45.3m at 1.72 per cent (205.8m to 251m), including 31m at 2.11 per cent; 31.2m at 1.95 per cent (163m to 194.2 m), with 9m at 2.78 per cent; 49.5m at 1.33 per cent (80.6m to 130.1m), and; 41.3m at 1.01 per cent (96.5m to 137.7m), including 12m at 1.59 per cent.
According to the company, the mineralisation remains open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of the pegmatite’s length.
When it announced this news on January 19, the junior also released the results for 14 additional holes included in its 2020 field campaign.
One of them returned the strongest lithium mineralised interval to date at CV5 – 159.6m at 2.12 per cent lithium oxide, including 25m at 5.04 per cent (or 5m at 6.36 per cent).
This interval was completed as part of a 100m step-out along strike of another hole, which intersected 113.1m at 1.61 per cent.
Ultimately, PBM said, Corvette’s 2022 field campaign had significantly expanded lithium mineralisation at CV5.
The drilling to date has largely been completed at around 100m spacing (down to about 50m in some places) with the principal spodumene pegmatite body (CV5) being flanked by several secondary lenses.
Throughout 2022 the company completed 95 NQ (a diametre of 60 millimetres) core size drill holes totalling 27,470m at targets along the CV trend, 80 holes made up of 24,709m at CV5 and proximal lenses, 14 holes comprising 2,647m at the CV13 pegmatite cluster and one hole, totalling 114m, at the CV12 cluster.
As at last November, PBM had identified in excess of 70 lithium pegmatites across 20 km of its tenure, with an additional 20km-plus trend remaining to be accessed.
To date, six distinct clusters of lithium pegmatite have been drill tested across the property – CV5 and associated lenses, CV4, CV8-12, CV9, CV10 and the recently discovered CV13.
Given the proximity of some pegmatite outcrops to each other, as well as the shallow till cover in the area, the junior believes it is probable that some of the outcrops may reflect a discontinuous surface exposure of a single, larger pegmatite outcrop subsurface.
Furthermore, the high number of well-mineralised pegmatites along the trend indicated a strong potential for a series of relatively closely spaced/stacked, sub-parallel, and sizable spodumene-bearing pegmatite bodies with significant lateral and depth extent to be present.
Additionally, the company has conducted some early scoping test work which indicates that a (plus) 5.5 per cent lithium oxide spodumene concentrate at a high recovery (over 75 per cent) is expected using a simple process flowsheet involving dense media and magnetic separation.
Because of this, no significant chemicals are required – only gravity and water ‒ while a low ferric oxide level of 0.65 per cent has been found in the concentrate, which is important as iron is a key impurity.
In terms of the junior’s current field program, it is targeting a minimum of 20,000m over the January to April period.
At least five rigs will be utilised – representing the largest single lithium drill program undertaken in Quebec for some time.
The objective is to extend CV5’s 2,200m strike length to the east and west and continue the delineation of the recent CV13 discovery, situated around 4.3km from CV5 along a geological trend to the west-south west.
In addition, the construction of a winter road, which is expected to improve efficiency and reduce helicopter costs, should be completed.
PBM listed on the Australian bourse last December with the ticker of PMT after starting life in 2007 on the Toronto venture exchange under a different name.
