OD6 Metals Ltd. has confirmed the rediscovery of the historic Big Jim fluorspar lode at its Quinns fluorspar project in Nevada, US, revealing what it describes as spectacular, ultra-high-grade mineralisation at surface.
The find includes massive purple fluorspar veins and is the highest-grade discovery at the project to date. Field reconnaissance confirmed an extensive system with historical reports indicating grades as high as 98.6 per cent fluorite.
The workings span over 220 metres and remain open to both the north and south, suggesting a significant expansion of the project’s district-scale potential.
OD6 Managing Director Brett Hazelden said the Nevada team was able to narrow the search area for the Big Jim fluorspar lode through geological detective work.
“The visual estimates of size and grade are consistent with historic reports and Big Jim perhaps is our highest-grade target to date,” Hazelden said.
“This discovery validates our ambition to be a US-based high-grade fluorspar developer, coinciding with increasing strategic demand for US domestic supply.”
The US is currently 100 per cent reliant on fluorspar imports, making domestic discoveries an important priority.
The mineral is featured on the US Critical Minerals list due to its essential role in lithium-ion battery technologies, AI chip manufacturing, nuclear fuel, and defence applications.
The Big Jim lode complements the existing Mammoth and Horseshoe discoveries, where high-grade mineralisation has already been mapped over large areas.
The lode was discovered and intermittently exploited from 1934. A report from 1947 documented the Big Jim lode as a shallow dipping high-grade lode over two metres in width. Workings and grades up of 94.6 per cent, 96 per cent and 98.6 per cent were reported from the vein.
OD6 is now moving rapidly through its due diligence program, with multiple rock samples pending assay and metallurgical testwork currently underway to determine optical sorting and flotation characteristics.
The company is also digitising historic logs to build a modern geological model as it prioritises targets for a maiden drilling program.
