The Conversation (0)
Centenera Mining Corporation (TSXV:CT; OTC:CTMIF), reports that it has received assay results from initial reconnaissance work at the Company’s El Quemado Pegmatite Project (the “El Quemado Project”). The El Quemado Project includes a former tantalum-bismuth-producing mine site where lithium minerals were formally identified in 2012. This work provides the first recorded confirmation of lithium mineralization occurring beyond the historic pits. Having confirmed the viability of its exploration model, Centenera will now systematically test the remaining targets within the project area.
Centenera Mining Corporation (TSXV:CT; OTC:CTMIF), reports that it has received assay results from initial reconnaissance work at the Company’s El Quemado Pegmatite Project (the “El Quemado Project”). The El Quemado Project includes a former tantalum-bismuth-producing mine site where lithium minerals were formally identified in 2012. This work provides the first recorded confirmation of lithium mineralization occurring beyond the historic pits. Having confirmed the viability of its exploration model, Centenera will now systematically test the remaining targets within the project area.
Sampling Results
Initial sampling focused on the area surrounding the historic El Quemado and Santa Elena mine sites where lithium mineralization is hosted in pegmatites. A total of eleven other targets have been identified within the El Quemado Project through analysis of high resolution satellite imagery, which allows areas of outcropping pegmatite to be easily identified (Figure 1).
A total of 13 rock chip surface samples were taken during the initial reconnaissance field campaign (Figure 2). The results confirm lithium mineralization in pegmatites surrounding the historical El Quemado and Santa Elena pits. Outcrop samples returned results ranging from below detection to a high of 0.94% lithium. In total, three samples returned lithium values grading between 0.56% and 0.94%, with an additional 5 samples returning values grading between 0.24% and 0.42% lithium. Samples were collected as chip channel samples across outcropping pegmatite veins and sample widths are reported together with grade in Table 1.
Table 1. Samples showing sample length and Lithium assay value
| Sample ID | Channel Length (m) | Lithium (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 403409 | 1.5 | 0.94 |
| 403411 | 1.6 | 0.72 |
| 403413 | 1.5 | 0.56 |
| 403516 | 1.4 | 0.42 |
| 403514 | 1.1 | 0.40 |
| 403506 | 1.1 | 0.38 |
| 403515 | 0.3 | 0.32 |
| 403507 | 1.6 | 0.24 |
| 403414 | 2.0 | 0.16 |
| 403412 | 0.3 | 0.09 |
| 403416 | 10.0 | 0.03 |
| 403517 | 1.7 | 0.03 |
| 403401 | 0.4 | 0.00 |
Planned Work
Academic workers in the area have reported that outcrop is rare and that most of the pegmatites are concealed by shallow cover. As a result the Company may need to employ soil geochemistry as well as outcrop mapping and sampling in order to define the full potential of the area. Individual outcropping pegmatite veins occur over a mapped strike length of up to 1.0km, but it has not been confirmed that pegmatites are continuous under cover or if lithium mineralization continues to occur throughout the belt. The next phase of work will seek to establish continuity and grade.
With lithium mineralization confirmed through the initial sampling, Centenera will move forward to fully assess the El Quemado Project. Planned work will include:
- Systematic mapping of all outcropping pegmatite targets identified from high resolution satellite imagery.
- Geochemical orientation sampling of selected pegmatite veins to quantify the impact of mineral zonation and to establish where lithium mineralization is focused within the pegmatites.
- Systematic channel sampling of each identified pegmatite to establish baseline grade and continuity of grade.
- Systematic soil sampling and analysis on areas where known pegmatites disappear under cover.
Figure 1: Overview of Centenera’s tenements relative to surface samples collected and
target areas for future work. Target areas are defined by probable cropping out of pegmatite rock.
Figure 2. Location of Samples, the Santa Elena Pit, and El Quemado Pit.
About Lithium – Lithium is produced from both brines and hard-rock sources (pegmatites). Estimates from 2015 put global lithium production from conventional hard-rock mining of lithium minerals as high as 44% (source: Macquarie research 2016). Lithium pegmatites are a viable source of the metal because of their high concentration in the ores relative to brines, and production from these deposits mitigates global concerns about dependence on supplies from dominant brine producers in Chile and Argentina. As a grade comparison, moderate to high brine grades of 400ppm lithium equate to 0.04% lithium, whereas initial sampling at the El Quemado Project has returned grades as high as 9,400ppm or 0.94% lithium. Chemical-grade lithium refers to spodumene that is converted to lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide. Pegmatites are a source of technical-grade lithium, where spodumene is used directly in the ceramics or glass industries without processing.
About Pegmatites – Pegmatites are igneous rocks that form during the final stage of a cooling magma’s crystallization. To be called a pegmatite, a rock should be composed almost entirely of crystals that are at least one centimeter in diameter. Most pegmatites have a composition that is similar to granite with abundant quartz, feldspar and mica. Pegmatites can be sources of valuable minerals such as spodumene (a lithium-bearing mineral) that are rarely found in economic amounts in other types of rocks. In the early stages of crystallization, the ions that form high-temperature minerals are depleted from the melt. Rare ions that do not participate in the crystallization of common rock-forming minerals become concentrated in the melt and in the excluded water. These ions can form the rare minerals that are often found in pegmatites. Examples are small ions such as lithium and beryllium that form spodumene; or large ions such as tantalum that form tantalite. Rare elements concentrated in large crystals make pegmatite a potential source of economic concentrations.
PDAC Conference
Centenera management will be attending the PDAC Conference in Toronto from March 5 to March 8 2017. Management looks forward to meeting shareholders at the Investors Exchange Booth 3346.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Rock chip samples from the initial reconnaissance work referred to herein were collected under the supervision of Company geologists in accordance with standard industry practice. Samples were dispatched via commercial transport to the SGS laboratory in Callao, Peru, an ISO 9001:2000 accredited laboratory, for analysis. Quality assurance and quality control procedures include systematic laboratory insertion of blanks, standards, and duplicates.
Qualified Person
Tyler Caswell, P.Geo., the Company’s Exploration Manager and a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Caswell is not independent of the Company, as he is an employee and holds incentive stock options.
About Centenera Mining Corporation
Centenera is a mineral resource company trading on the TSX Venture Exchange, under the symbol CT and on the OTCQB exchange under the symbol CTMIF. The Company is focused 100% on Argentina with one copper-gold porphyry asset, three precious metals assets, a pegmatite asset and extensive exploration datasets. The Company’s strategy is to acquire more high-quality mineral resource assets in Argentina. For more information on the Company’s board of directors, management and assets, please refer to the Company’s website at www.centeneramining.com.
Click here to connect with Centenera Mining Corporation (TSXV:CT; OTC:CTMIF)to receive an Investor Presentation.