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Lithium exploration and project developer Critical Resources Limited (ASX:CRR) (“Critical Resources” or “the Company”) is pleased to report highly encouraging workstreams underway over the northern prospects at its flagship 100%-owned Mavis Lake Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada.
Highlights
- Multiple exploration techniques being deployed to refine future drill targets surrounding the large spodumene-bearing outcrops in the northern prospects of the Mavis Lake Project Area (Gullwing and Tot).
- Comprehensive Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) soils program completed by CRR field crews, with 1,356 soil samples collected proximal to the outcropping Tot Pegmatite.
- UAV-Borne Magnetometry Survey commenced flying in late October, at low elevation, with tight 25m line spacing to deliver granular detail for structural delineation.
- Capture of LiDAR survey and orthometric imagery completed with data analysis ongoing.
- District-scale potential highlighted with up to 8km in length of known LCT-Type pegmatite clusters identified.
- Active drilling program continues to test and extend the significant Swell Zone at Mavis Lake.
High-Confidence Target Development
Since acquiring the Gullwing and Tot properties in late 2022, the Company has been diligently developing and refining drill targets around this large-scale prospect. Fieldwork has continued during the month of October, following on from successful highly encouraging litho-geochemical results from the earlier 2023 spring field program and taking advantage of the final fieldwork window before snowfall sets in.
Combining and layering multiple exploration techniques and outputs – including geological mapping, litho-geochemical sampling as well as LiDAR and airborne-magnetometry surveys – will help to refine higher-confidence drill targets around the already known large-scale spodumene- bearing outcrops.
The results of the current programs are pending and will be used to produce geological, geochemical and geophysical overlays, which in combination with previous field work programs, will be extremely useful to determine high priority, high-confidence drill targets.
Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) Soil Survey
An MMI survey was chosen to be carried out as it has a track record of success with identifying LCT pegmatite deposits, specifically when overlain by the glacial lacustrine overburden.
The Company engaged highly-credentialed lithium exploration company Coast Mountain Geological Ltd. to provide field personnel and equipment for the MMI program, which was completed over a two week period.
The MMI orientation survey consisted of 1,356 glacial lacustrine overburden samples being collected. A depth of 40-50cm below the organic-horizon was targeted, with each sample weighing approximately 300g.
Samples have been shipped from Critical Resource’s Dryden Core Facility to an SGS Laboratory located in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. A 53 element Standard package – Mobile Metal Ion (MMI) leach, ICPMS will be conducted on the samples with results expected in 6-8 weeks.
Figure 1 – MMI Sample labeled and ready for shipment for MMI analysis.
UAV Magnetometry
Critical Resources also scheduled a UAV-Magnetometry survey, at a tight 25m line spacing with 250m tie lines pattern, to be flown at low altitude across the entirety of the prospective LCT-Type pegmatite corridor of the Gullwing and Tot Prospects (see Figure 2).
The survey commenced in late October and is expected to conclude in early November with results expected in December 23/January 24.
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This article includes content from Critical Resources, 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.
CRR:AU
Spodumene Pegmatite Discovery at Esperança Project in Brazil Yields LIBS Results up to 4.04% Li2O
The discovery has been made during early-stage exploration programs which include project scale geological mapping, ground reconnaissance, and soil sampling. These early-stage programs remain ongoing with further results to come over the coming weeks. The discovery supports the Company’s exploration thesis and uplifts the remaining prospectivity across all three project areas: Canabrava, Caraíbas and Esperança projects.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Artisanal excavations reveal a lithium bearing pegmatite with elongate crystalline spodumene crystals up to 50cm in length
- LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) results of spodumene crystals return up to 18,800 ppm Lithium, or 4.04% Li2O
- Discovery provides walk up drill target for fully funded drilling campaign to begin Q1 2025
- Soil sampling and geological mapping continues across the Esperança, Canabrava and Caraíbas projects with further results due over the coming weeks
Lightning Minerals Managing Director Alex Biggs said, “I am highly encouraged by these results from Brazil. As I have spoken about, as a team we are committed to discovery and completing our works in a diligent and structured manner, the proof of which is in these results. The Company is progressing its projects in Brazil quickly and cost effectively and generating significant results for the business which we feel will be transformational. I am proud of and congratulate our geology teams both in Australia and Brazil who have conducted themselves in a professional and astute manner which has been crucial in making a discovery such as this. This is a great first step for us in Brazil and is testament to the prospectivity of the region as I have discussed previously. We look forward to drilling in Q1 2025 and further results to come imminently from all three project areas in Brazil. I would also like to thank our shareholders who have supported our vision and exploration strategy. As a Company we are firmly committed to the lithium thematic and firmly committed to Brazil where we see significant potential moving forwards”.
Lithium Discovery at Esperança Project
During geological mapping fieldwork conducted in mid-November 2024 field geologists encountered a previously unknown historical artisanal mine within the Esperança project area. The site presented with a small access which opened into a set of sub vertical shafts sunk several meters into schists of the Salinas formation. Upon investigation the geology team has discovered pegmatitic lithologies in the walls of the excavations, of which the suite of minerals indicates inclusion of macro crystalline (up to 50cm) elongate crystals of spodumene as shown in Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b).
Figure 1a (left): Brazilian geologist Vitor Araujo Alves showing the spodumene rich portion of the zoned pegmatite discovered at the Esperança Property. Figure 1b (right): Large elongate spodumene crystals (Spd) up to 50cm in length showing homogeneous growth patterns amongst a quartz (Qtz) and Feldspar (Fdsp) rich matrix
The Company’s geologists have collected selective mineral specimen grab samples in sample VLM207 (Figure 2). Six separate minerals have been analysed via a SciAps Z-903 hand-held LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) device which has returned lithium endowment of up to 18,800 ppm lithium, which equates to a lithium oxide percentage of 4.04% Li2O.
The SciAps Z-903 handheld LIBS device is considered a qualitative analysis technique only and is used as an in-field preliminary check to establish if a mineral is lithium-bearing. Certified laboratory assays are required to provide accurate, quantitative analysis. A table of the six SciAps Z-903 handheld LIBS results testing the spodumene crystals is shown in Table 1. A full table of results are presented in Appendix 2, Table 2.
While the current field observations indicate that the mineral identified is a lithium-bearing mineral, the percentage of lithium produced from the LIBS analyser does not correlate to an accurate quantitative measurement of the lithium concentration of the mineral itself, or to the overall grade of the pegmatite.
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This article includes content from Lightning Minerals, 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.
