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Cygnus Metals Limited (ASX:CY5)is pleased to announce highly promising results from a desktop study on its Auclair project in Canada’s lithium-rich James Bay region.
Highlights
- Initial desktop studies have already identified 67 pegmatites which have never been sampled for lithium and a further 14 pegmatite intervals across five historic drill holes which have never been assayed
- Identified pegmatites measure up to 1.6km in strike and 60m in width (Figure 1)
- Partial assays* received from sampling of historic drill hole AC-2010-004 returned:
- 9.8m @ 0.8% Li2O from 212.8m, including 5.1m @ 1.0% Li2O and 1m @ 1.2% Li2O
(*Assays are partial as the full pegmatite interval could not be recovered due to winter conditions)
- 9.8m @ 0.8% Li2O from 212.8m, including 5.1m @ 1.0% Li2O and 1m @ 1.2% Li2O
- Cygnus has an exceptional first mover opportunity to conduct the first ever lithium exploration at Auclair, with mineralisation in drill hole AC-2010-004 completely open and never followed up
- Exploration is about to commence with geophysics (including LiDAR), mapping and rock chip sampling in June. Diamond drilling is scheduled to commence in July to follow up the spodumene-bearing pegmatites in hole AC-2010-004
- Through strategic acquisition, Cygnus has already increased its ground position at Auclair to a belt scale 337km2
- The project boasts excellent infrastructure with year-round road access and high-voltage transmission lines running through the project as well as being located within 80km of the Nemiscau AirportThe project is located in the same greenstone belt and just 60km due east of Critical Elements Resource Corp’s Rose Deposit (34.2Mt @ 0.9% Li2O), and just 50km northeast of Whabouchi (55.7Mt @ 1.4% Li2O), which is owned and operated by Nemaska Lithium1
Cygnus Managing Director David Southam said: “These results highlight Auclair's immense potential. To have so many pegmatites and known spodumene in an area never explored for lithium is a remarkable start and puts Cygnus in a prime position to make a discovery in the region. Given what we already know about Auclair, we are wasting no time ramping up exploration, with drilling scheduled to start in July.”
The study identified 67 pegmatites which require immediate follow-up. Cygnus has also received assays which confirm previously reported visuals of spodumene mineralisation from sampling of historic gold exploration core at Auclair (refer ASX release dated 28 February 2023).
Figure 1: Unsampled pegmatites across the Auclair Project both in drilling and outcrop. – Background regional geology interpretation from SIGEOM.
Auclair is a recent addition to the Cygnus lithium project portfolio in James Bay and was acquired due to its immense potential to host significant spodumene-bearing lithium pegmatites. The Company has since grown the project to 337km2 through two separate acquisitions and now has a dominant land position across the highly prospective Eastmain greenstone belt (EGB).
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This article includes content from Cygnus Metals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Cygnus Metals
Investor Insight
Cygnus Metals is advancing high-grade copper-gold and lithium projects in Quebec, Canada. Through asset consolidation and substantial exploration funding, the company is primed for scalable growth in a premier mining jurisdiction.
Overview
Cygnus Metals (TSXV:CYG) is a copper-gold and lithium exploration and development company focused on becoming a near-term producer in the highly prospective Chibougamau region of Québec, Canada. Leveraging a strategic portfolio of high-grade, brownfield copper and gold assets, the company is rapidly advancing toward production by capitalizing on existing infrastructure, including the centrally located Copper Rand mill. Operating in a mining-friendly jurisdiction, Cygnus Metals is executing a hub-and-spoke development model, intending to become Québec’s next significant copper producer.
Following its strategic merger with Dore Copper, Cygnus Metals has consolidated a significant 282 sq km land package in prolific mining regions in Quebec - Chibougamau (copper-gold) and James Bay (lithium) - boasting a high-grade copper and gold resource of 10.8 million tons (Mt) @ 3.5 percent copper equivalent, and existing infrastructure that includes a 900 ktpa processing facility. Doré Copper completed a preliminary economic assessment on a hub and spoke operation in June 2022.
Cygnus Metals is currently advancing its flagship Chibougamau Project, located in a region with a rich history of copper and gold production within the world-renowned Abitibi Greenstone Belt of Québec.
The Copper Rand mill is the only processing facility in the area designed for a capacity of 1,350 tonnes per day. This infrastructure is expected to significantly reduce upfront capital costs and may offer future revenue-generating opportunities through toll milling arrangements with third-party operators.
Cygnus Metals is led by a seasoned management team with a proven track record in the mining sector. President and managing director Ernest Mast brings over 30 years of experience, including senior leadership roles at Primero Mining and Minera Panama (Inmet Mining). His background in guiding junior and mid-tier mining companies through key growth stages aligns well with Cygnus Metals’ development strategy. The broader team includes experienced professionals with deep expertise in exploration, project development, and mining operations, both in Canada and internationally.
Company Highlights
- Cygnus Metals has consolidated a significant land package within the prolific mining regions of Quebec, Canada: Chibougamau and James Bay.
- The company’s focus are the copper gold projects in the Chibougamau mining camp.
- The principal deposit is the Corner Bay deposit is known for high copper grades and strong exploration potential, with the latest resource estimate of 2.7 million tonnes of indicated resources at 2.9 percent CuEq, 5.9 million tonnes of inferred resources at 3.6 percent CuEq. In addition to Corner Bay there are numerous past-producing mines that could fit into a hub and spoke operating plan.
- The 100 percent owned Copper Rand mill will be refurbished for future production and will be the only operating mill in the Chibougamau region. The mill will have extra capacity and provide the ability to process its own ore while potentially offering toll milling services to other nearby mining projects.
- Cygnus Metals is led by an experienced and highly skilled management team.
Key Project
Location of the Chibougamau Project relative to other major deposits and processing facilities
Cygnus Metals' assets are located within two well-known mining regions in Quebec, with a long history of production. The company’s current strategy revolves around a hub-and-spoke model, with the Copper Rand mill serving as the processing hub, fed by multiple satellite deposits.
Chibougamau Copper Gold Project
Located within a historic, high-grade mining camp, the Chibougamau copper gold project spans 187 sq km and includes a 900 ktpa processing plant and existing major infrastructure. The project consists of seven exploration targets, three of which have an existing mineral resource 10.8 million tons @ 3.5 percent copper equivalent.
The Chibougamau region has a rich mining history dating back to the early 1900s. With 16 historic mines, the district has produced some 53.5 Mt @ 3.4 percent copper equivalent (1.8 percent copper and 2.1 grams per ton gold) for 945,000 of copper and 3.5 Moz of gold.
Metallurgical testing at Corner Bay has yielded positive results, with copper recoveries ranging from 96.8 percent to 98.2 percent, and the concentrate is of high commercial quality, making it highly attractive to smelters.
Cygnus is focused on growing the mineral resources base at the Chibougamau project and concurrently work on aspects of the project supporting a move towards a feasibility study. The resource base, which currently stands at 3.6 Mt of measured and indicated mineral resources at 3 percent copper equivalent and 7.2 Mt of inferred mineral resources at 3.8 percent copper equivalent, for a total of 10.8 Mt at 3.5 percent copper equivalent for 306 kt copper and 314 koz gold. Recent exploration results focused on the Golden Eye deposit located only 3 km from the mill with an intercept of 7.4 meters of 4.7 g/t gold, 0.9 percent copper and 5.6 g/t silver demonstrating the deposit being open down dip. Currently Golden Eye does not have a 43-101 Mineral Resource and represents a tremendous growth opportunity.
The Corner Bay deposit is the cornerstone of Cygnus Metals’ development strategy, recognized for its exceptional copper grades and significant exploration upside. The most recent resource estimate outlines 2.7 million tonnes of Indicated resources grading 2.9 percent CuEq, 5.9 million tonnes of Inferred resources at 3.6 percent CuEq. Continued drilling success is expanding mineralized zones, supporting future resource growth and extended mine life.
Devlin hosts 660,000 tonnes of indicated resources at 2.3 percent CuEq and 480,000 tonnes of inferred resources at 2 percent CuEq. While smaller in scale, Devlin offers strategic flexibility and early production potential. Ore will be transported to Corner Bay for pre-concentration, then hauled to the Copper Rand mill for final processing. Mining is expected to use room-and-pillar and drift-and-fill methods, with operations commencing shortly after Corner Bay comes online.
Cedar Bay, a past-producing mine near the Copper Rand mill, historically produced 3.9 million tonnes at an average grade of 1.63 percent copper and 3.21 g/t gold. Updated resources now include 130,000 tonnes of Indicated material grading 8.9 percent CuEq and 230,000 tonnes of inferred material at 8.5 percent CuEq. These standout grades underscore Cedar Bay’s potential as a valuable high-grade feed source and a near-term contributor to the production pipeline.
The Joe Mann deposit, located 60 kilometers south of the Copper Rand mill, adds further scale and upside. Over its mine life, Joe Mann produced 1.2 million ounces of gold and 28 million pounds of copper, with average grades of 8.26 g/t gold and 0.25 percent copper. The current resource includes 610,000 tonnes of inferred resources at 5.5 percent CuEq.
Across its portfolio, Cygnus Metals has outlined 3.6 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources at 3.0 percent CuEq and 7.2 million tonnes of inferred resources at 3.8 percent CuEq. Together, these deposits provide the foundation for a scalable, high-grade copper-gold operation centered on the refurbished Copper Rand mill, with a phased, multi-source production strategy unlocking long-term value in Québec’s historic Chibougamau mining district.
Board and Management
David Southam - Executive Chairman
David Southam is highly experienced in operations, project development and capital markets across the resources and industrial sectors. He was previously the managing director of Mincor Resources. Southam is non-executive director of Ramelius Resources and a non-executive chair of Andean Silver Limited.
Ernest Mast – President and Managing Director
Ernest Mast is a mining executive with over 30 years of global experience across operations, development, and corporate leadership. He has held senior roles at Primero Mining, New Gold, Copper Mountain, and Inmet Mining, where he led development of the $6B Cobre Panama project. Mast began his career at Noranda and serves on the board of Scottie Resources and other firms. He holds engineering degrees from McGill University and business credentials from Henley College and Universidad Catolica.
Mario Stifano – Non-executive Director
Mario Stifano is a mining executive and CPA with over 16 years of experience across exploration, development, and production. Currently CEO of Galantas Gold, he has held senior roles at Cordoba Minerals, Mega Precious Metals, Lake Shore Gold, and Ivernia. Stifano has raised over $700 million for mining projects, including $500 million to develop three gold mines now producing 180,000 oz annually as part of Pan American Silver.
Kevin Tomlinson - Non-executive Director
Kevin Tomlinson is a structural geologist and investment banker. He is the non-executive chair of Bellevue Gold and of FireFly Metals. Tomlinson has a successful track record in base and precious metals project development.
Raymond Shorrocks – Non-executive Director
Raymond Shorrocks brings a wealth of experience in corporate finance, stockbroking and financial services in Ontario. He was the previous non-executive chair of FireFly Metals and Bellevue Gold. He is the executive chair of Alicanto Minerals.
Brent Omland – Non-executive Director
Brent Omland is the co-CEO of Ocean Partners providing a range of trading services for miners, smelters and refiners globally. He is a chartered accountant and has held CFO roles for publicly listed companies in the resources industry.
Copper-gold exploration and development in the Chibougamau area of Québec, Canada
Lithium Africa: Searching for Low-cost, Marquee Hardrock in Africa
Lithium Africa is a next-generation exploration company purpose-built to seize the opportunities of the coming lithium supercycle. With a focus on early-stage land acquisition, rapid drilling, and a landmark joint venture with Ganfeng Lithium, the company delivers maximum exploration efficiency, capital leverage, and de-risked discovery potential at scale.
Lithium Africa’s mission is to discover, de-risk, and monetize Tier 1 hard rock lithium assets through data-driven targeting, aggressive fieldwork, and disciplined exit strategies. Its partnership with Ganfeng—one of the world’s leading lithium producers—anchors its strategy with industrial expertise and financial strength from the earliest phases of project development.
Lithium Africa is the first company to implement a systematic, multi-jurisdictional discovery strategy across the continent, combining world-class geology with capital discipline and strategic focus to unlock the next generation of globally significant lithium deposits.
Company Highlights
- Exploration-focused Model: Lithium Africa focuses purely on discovery and value creation, with no intention to develop or operate a mine
- Strategic 50/50 JV with Ganfeng Lithium: Doubles exploration spending and provides access to processing expertise and long-term downstream offtake partners.
- Pan-African Footprint: Over 8,000 sq km of tenure across Zimbabwe, Morocco, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and others – enabling diversification in discovery strategy.
- Contrarian, Countercyclical M&A: Well-capitalized and positioned to roll up distressed lithium juniors during a downcycle
- Rapid Permitting & Scalability: Target jurisdictions offer 3- to 4-year discovery-to-mine timelines versus 10 to 15 years in North America.
- RTO & Listing Expected by August 2025: Tight structure, early institutional support and significant near-term drilling catalysts
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Lithium Africa
Investor Insight
Leveraging early-stage land acquisition, accelerated drilling and a strong strategic partnership, Lithium Africa delivers maximum exploration efficiency, capital leverage and de-risked lithium discovery upside at scale.
Overview
Lithium Africa is an exploration company purpose-built to capitalize on the next cycle of lithium demand. Its strategic mission is to discover, de-risk and monetize Tier 1 lithium assets through data-driven targeting, aggressive fieldwork and value-driven exits. The company's unique 50/50 joint venture with Ganfeng Lithium is the cornerstone of its strategy, providing both financial leverage and industrial alignment at the earliest stages of project development.
Africa remains largely underexplored for lithium despite sharing geological similarities with major hardrock lithium belts in Canada and Australia. Lithium Africa is the first company to systematically deploy a multi-jurisdictional discovery strategy across the continent – combining top-tier geology with capital efficiency and strategic clarity.
At the heart of Lithium Africa’s model is its joint venture with Ganfeng Lithium, one of the top two lithium chemical producers globally. The 50/50 JV, established in 2023, enables Lithium Africa to double its capital efficiency, with $1 raised equating to $2 spent on exploration. The partnership provides unmatched advantages: access to Ganfeng’s downstream processing know-how, established customer relationships with Tier 1 OEMs, and a long-term offtake framework that allows Lithium Africa to retain flexibility and optionality on any asset monetization.
Lithium Africa does not intend to develop or operate mines. Instead, the business model is designed around efficient land acquisition, aggressive de-risking via trenching, sampling, and early drilling, and ultimately monetizing high-value discoveries through royalties, sales or carried interests. In a down market, the company is actively pursuing counter-cyclical M&A opportunities to acquire stranded or undercapitalized lithium assets. With this strategy, Lithium Africa provides shareholders exposure to world-class discovery upside with significantly reduced financing risk.
Company Highlights
- Exploration-focused Model: Lithium Africa focuses purely on discovery and value creation, with no intention to develop or operate a mine
- Strategic 50/50 JV with Ganfeng Lithium: Doubles exploration spending and provides access to processing expertise and long-term downstream offtake partners.
- Pan-African Footprint: Over 8,000 sq km of tenure across Zimbabwe, Morocco, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, and others – enabling diversification in discovery strategy.
- Contrarian, Countercyclical M&A: Well-capitalized and positioned to roll up distressed lithium juniors during a downcycle
- Rapid Permitting & Scalability: Target jurisdictions offer 3- to 4-year discovery-to-mine timelines versus 10 to 15 years in North America.
- RTO & Listing Expected by August 2025: Tight structure, early institutional support and significant near-term drilling catalysts.
Key Projects
Zimbabwe
Birthday Gift Project (Flagship)
The Birthday Gift project is Lithium Africa’s flagship asset and highest-priority exploration target. Located along a >12 km pegmatite corridor, the project hosts three parallel, flat-lying spodumene-bearing pegmatites within metasediments. Surface trenching has returned multiple significant intercepts, including 100 m, 67 m, and 55 m widths with true thicknesses averaging ~35 m. Rock chip samples from fresh spodumene zones have returned assays as high as 5.25 percent lithium oxide. More than 3,000 geochemical samples have been collected, and a 1,500-meter RC drill program commenced in January 2025 to test a 1,300-meter strike length.
The pegmatites remain open at depth and along strike. SGS South Africa is performing ICP assay analysis, and environmental permitting and trenching on the western trend are ongoing.
The Birthday Gift asset has strong potential to support an inaugural resource estimate by late 2025.
West Africa
Torakoura in Bougouni District, Mali
Lithium Africa controls six highly prospective licenses in Mali, located within the prolific Bougouni Basin, home to Leo Lithium’s Goulamina project, one of the world’s largest spodumene deposits. The Torakoura permit is situated along the same structural corridors and granitic host rocks. Surface exploration has identified spodumene-bearing pegmatites, supported by strong lithium and pathfinder anomalies from historic soil sampling.
Initial drilling at Torakoura began in 2024 but paused for LIBS-to-ICP calibration. A new RC drilling campaign resumed in Q4 2024. These permits offer substantial scale and proximity advantages in a well-established lithium district with proven permitting and development pathways.
Adzopé & Regional Licenses, Côte d’Ivoire
In Côte d’Ivoire, Lithium Africa holds four early-stage but highly promising permits totaling 1,254 sq km. The Adzopé license has returned rock samples with lithium oxide values up to 0.98 percent. Field mapping and lithological sampling have been completed, and a 21,700-meter auger drilling program is planned to refine targets for follow-up RC and core drilling. The region is emerging as a new pegmatite belt in West Africa, and Lithium Africa has first-mover status in building a pipeline of discovery-stage projects.
Kobikoro Project, Guinea
The Kobikoro project in southeastern Guinea consists of four licenses covering 376 sq km in the Archean Kinema-Man domain. This district is part of the underexplored Kissidougou pegmatite belt. Historical stream sediment geochemistry conducted by BRGM highlights multiple anomalous trends in lithium, tantalum and niobium. The standout feature is a 20 km-long lithium-tantalum-niobium anomalous zone aligned with regional structures and underlain by fractionated granite intrusions.
Morocco
Bir El Mami
In 2024, Lithium Africa acquired a 585 sq km, district-scale land package in the Bir El Mami region of Morocco, located on the northern extension of the Tasiast greenstone belt. The project is notable for its spodumene-bearing pegmatites confirmed by surface rock samples, which include lithium values up to 862 parts per million (ppm), and historic soil anomalies up to 363 ppm. The region is emerging as a key lithium district given Morocco’s favorable trade agreements and a growing domestic EV battery manufacturing base. Lithium Africa is currently Morocco’s only major lithium concession holder, and early-stage target identification is underway as of Q1 2025. The company is well positioned to be Morocco’s lithium sector leader and consolidator.
Management Team
Tyron Breytenbach - CEO
Tyron Breytenbach is a former Detour Gold resource geologist and leading equity analyst at Stifel Canada and Cormark. He blends deep geology with institutional capital markets acumen.
Carl Esprey - Executive Chair
Carl Esprey is a former M&A analyst at BHP Billiton and fund manager at GLG Partners. He is the founder of several resource ventures and current CEO of Waraba Gold.
Coulibaly Mamadou - Executive Director
Coulibaly Mamadou is a geologist with 12 years’ experience in mineral exploration. Coulibaly started his career with Randgold, and has extensive knowledge of and experience with the West African Birimian geology.
Ben Gelber - VP Exploration
Ben Gelber is a former VP at Gold Line Resources and exploration manager at Barrick in Guyana. He has more than 19 years of lithium and gold exploration experience.
Dr. Jeroen van Duijvenbode - Development Geologist
With a PhD in geometallurgy, Jeroen van Duijvenbode is an expert in lithium pegmatite targeting and geochemical data interpretation.
Jamie Robinson - CFO
Jamie Robinson is a chartered accountant with extensive mining CFO experience across private and public markets. Prior to his stint in the mining sector, he worked with Deloitte in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Chris O’Connor - General Counsel
Chris is a lawyer with over 19 years of private practice and in-house experience, focused on capital markets, corporate finance and M&A transactions in emerging markets throughout Africa, Eastern Europe and the CIS.
Toluwalase Seriki - Non-Executive Director
Toluwalase Seriki is Ganfeng Lithium’s head of business development in Africa. He possesses a strong M&A and finance background.
Roy Zhang - Advisor
Roy Zhang has nearly 10 years of experience in investment, M&A and corporate development, and is experienced and knowledgeable in lithium trading through his role at Ganfeng.
Dr. Tom Benson - Advisor
Tom Benson is a Stanford PhD volcanologist who leads global exploration at Lithium Americas. He is a widely respected authority on caldera-related lithium resources across the industry.
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