Canada-based mineral exploration company Patriot Battery Metals (ASX:PMT) reports assays for 12 additional drillholes have confirmed some of the ‘highest’ lithium grades recorded at the Corvette Property in Quebec, Canada.
The company says drillholes CV22-046, 055, and 057 through to 066 were drilled over a ‘significant’ strike length of the CV5 Pegmatite, targeting mineralisation at shallow to mid-level depths over a ‘significant’ strike length.
Patriot states darling continues to return wide and ‘well-mineralised’ intercepts, highlighting the results of CV22-066 with 113.4m @ 1.61% lithium (Li2O), including 38m @ 2.17% Li2O and 28.6m @ 2.31% Li2O.
Additionally, drillhole CV22-066 contains 20 individual samples over 3% Li2O including 2 adjacent samples grading over 6% Li2O, averaging 2m @ 6.41% Li2O which contains a single spodumene crystal of around 1.8m.
The company says it is the ‘largest’ spodumene crystal discovered to date in the drill core at the project.
Patriot Battery Metals President, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Director Blair Way says: The Corvette Property continues to deliver with these latest assay results, which include some of our highest grades to date.
In addition, the strike length of the CV5 Pegmatite system remains open in all directions with wide widths and strong grades encountered along its currently defined 2.2km length.
“In addition, the strike length of the CV5 Pegmatite system remains open in all directions with wide widths and strong grades encountered along its currently defined 2.2km length”
I am happy to be back on track with regular news releases of our assay results from the summer to fall drill program. With 38 holes yet to be received from the lab and re-commencement of drilling in January, we will have continuous news flow on the property for some time.”
Patriot reports the ‘high-grade’ pegmatite in hole CV22-066 is interpreted to continue to surface as evidenced by CV22-063 with 39.9m @ 1.30% Li2O from 69.9m. The pegmatite remains open at depth at this location with hole CV22-069 returning 45.3m of spodumene pegmatite at depth below CV22-066, with assays pending.
Strong grades of tantalum continue to be returned from drilling at the CV5 Pegmatite with individual 1m samples grading over 1,000ppm Ta2O5 returned from 6 of the 12 drillholes.
The company states the prevalence of tantalum is widespread at CV5 with its zonation to be more clearly defined upon the receipt of the remaining 2022 drill core assays. Tantalum continues to be a secondary commodity of strong interest at Corvette and Patriot notes recovery into a marketable concentrate will continue to be explored as flow sheet studies are advanced.
Patriot says the 2022 drill campaign at Corvette has ‘significantly’ expanded lithium mineralisation at CV5, with the principal spodumene pegmatite body currently defined over a distance of at least 2,200m remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length.
The company is currently planning to re-commence drilling at CV5 in January 2023, with 3 drill rigs currently onsite, which will increase to 5 rigs in February.
The primary objective of the drill program will be to further delineate the extent of CV5, infill drilling will also be conducted to improve the geological model to achieve indicated mineral resource confidence to support a subsequent Prefeasibility Study (PFS).
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 asset is the wholly owned Corvette Property located proximal to the Trans-Taiga Road and power line infrastructure corridor in the James Bay region of Quebec, the Pontax Lithium-Gold Property in Quebec and the Hidden Lake Lithium Property in the Northwest Territories in Canada.
It also holds 100% ownership of the Freeman Creek Gold Property in Idaho, US.
Images: Patriot Battery Metals Inc
