Patriot Battery Metals (ASX:PMT) has expanded the ‘high-grade’ Nova Zone with new assays recorded at the Corvette Property in Quebec, Canada.
The company reports 16 holes completed as part of the 2023 winter drill program have returned lithium oxide (Li2O) grades up to 3.13%. The purpose of this drill program is to further delineate the extent of the CV5 pegmatite culminating in an initial Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), which is scheduled for Q2 2023.
The company reports extensions of the ‘high-grade’ Nova Zone include, drillhole CV23-105 with 83.7m @ 3.13% lithium oxide (Li2O), including 19.8m @ 5.28% Li2O and 5.1m @ 5.17% Li2O; CV23-106 with 132.2m @ 1.22% Li2O, including 11.2m @ 2.99% Li2O and 6.0m @ 2.92% Li2O.
Additionally, the company reports further ‘significant’ intercepts include drillhole CV23-110 with 85m @ 1.04% Li2O, including 39.4m @ 1.51% Li2O; CV23-115 with 22.6m @ 2.13% Li2O, including 6.5m @ 3.44% Li2O; and CV23-116 with 23.8m @ 1.61% Li2O.
Commenting on the drill results, Patriot Battery Metals Vice President of Exploration, Darren L. Smith, says: “The first core sample assays of our winter drill program have confirmed the extension of the high-grade Nova Zone to the east, including a 20m intersection at greater than 5% Li2O in CV23-105.
The lithium grades found in this zone are very significant, and include a 3m to 25m thick band of greater than 5% Li2O over a significant strike length of more than 200m.
“The lithium grades found in this zone are very significant, and include a 3m to 25m thick band of greater than 5% Li2O over a significant strike length of more than 200m”
The size of the CV5 pegmatite has grown substantially through the winter drill program completed to date and the results announced today further affirms Corvette as a globally significant hard rock lithium pegmatite project.”
Based on the drillholes completed, the CV5 pegmatite has now been traced continuously by drilling over a lateral distance of at least 3.15km, remaining open along strike at both ends and to d¸epth along most of its length.
Patriot reports 6 drill rigs are actively coring at the CV5 pegmatite and will continue to operate until 20 April. Drilling activities will pause as requested by the local communities to accommodate the goose harvesting season.
Exploration activities will resume at Corvette in late May for the summer-fall portion of the 2023 drill campaign. Additionally, core samples for 27 drillholes have arrived at the analytical lab with core processing ongoing at the site.
Patriot Battery Metals is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition and development of mineral properties containing battery, base, and precious metals. The company’s flagship Corvette Property is located in the James Bay Region of Quebec.
Images: Patriot Battery Metals Inc
