This article is a sponsored feature from Mining.com.au partner Pivotal Metals. It is not financial advice. Talk to a registered financial expert before making investment decisions.
There exists a region in Canada equally as prospective as the more widely recognised parts of the mineral-rich Abitibi, but that has long been overlooked and remains wide open for discovery.
Known as the Belleterre-Angliers Greenstone Belt (BAGB), this offshoot of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt is the youngest and southernmost greenstone belt in the Archean Superior Province of the Canadian Shield.
But Ivan Fairhall, Managing Director of explorer Pivotal Metals (ASX:PVT), says despite its proximity, the BAGB has “simply flown under the radar” compared to the more famous parts of the Abitibi like Rouyn-Noranda or Val-d’Or.
“Historically, exploration efforts were sporadic and focused on small, high-grade copper and gold showings rather than systematic belt-scale programs,” he tells Mining.com.au. “It remains remarkably underexplored”.
“The majors have been active in the broader region, but the BAGB hasn’t seen the same modern geophysics, drilling density, or investment that other belts have enjoyed.
“That lack of systematic work is precisely what makes it exciting today – there’s a tremendous amount of ground still wide open for discovery.”
“There’s a tremendous amount of ground still wide open for discovery”
Pivotal Metals has consolidated a 160km2 landholding within the BAGB in Québec which hosts a number of magmatic copper, nickel, platinum group metals (PGM) and gold deposits, occurrences and a past producing mine.
This ground, collectively known as the Belleterre Project, was added to the company’s portfolio through a combination of direct staking and strategic acquisitions, which has given Pivotal control of the largest coherent position in the belt.
Fairhall says that first-mover advantage means Pivotal can explore systematically for the first time, rather than being constrained by fragmented ownership.
Rubbing shoulders with the majors
Pivotal’s landholding is near major operations including Agnico Eagle Mines’ (NYSE:AEM) +24-million-ounce Kirkland Lake Mine and jointly owned 14-million-ounce Malartic Mine, as well as Canada’s only copper smelter – Glencore’s (LSE:GLEN) Horne complex.
“The Abitibi is renowned for tier-one scale discoveries,” Fairhall notes.
“The majors are already active in Québec because they understand the scale of opportunity the province offers and enjoy the tier-one regulatory and operating environment that Québec provides.
“People in Australia probably don’t appreciate that the Abitibi has hosted over 100 mines that have collectively produced not just 200 million ounces of gold, but also 7 million tonnes of copper and 15 million tonnes of zinc. It’s prolific.”
The company is attacking this discovery potential on two fronts by advancing known targets as well as stepping out to explore untested ground.
Pivotal’s Belleterre Project comprises three main areas – Midrim, Lorraine and Laforce, where multiple discoveries of high-grade copper, nickel and platinum group elements have already been made.
Historical intercepts from the Midrim-Alotta prospect include 9.4m @ 4.3% copper, 3.5% nickel and 4.6 grams per tonne platinum, palladium and gold (3E) from 56.6m; 4.3m @ 5.2% copper, 6.6% nickel and 7.2g/t 3E from 57.2m; and 18.9m @ 2.1% copper, 1.5% nickel and 2.4g/t 3E from 17.6m.
Individual results show grades of up to 7.06% copper, 7% nickel and 11.6g/t PGM at Midrim and up to 23.8% copper, 3.72% nickel and 10.3g/t PGM at Alotta.
Pivotal says it is a proven large-scale copper-nickel-PGM system with only a narrow historical exploration focus.
“Known showings give us a foundation to build resources and demonstrate grade,” Fairhall tells this news service.
“At the same time, we’re applying modern electromagnetic and structural targeting across the broader belt to generate new, high-impact discoveries.
“That dual strategy maximises our chances of delivering both near-term results and longer-term, district-scale upside.”
Surveys undertaken by Pivotal have defined a number of drill ready targets, including Midrim East, the Lorraine Mine and Shanty Lake.
“Our geophysical program is in full swing and we hope to announce additional drill targets as those surveys complete,” Fairhall says.
The Midrim ‘M1’ prospect is a drill ready target and proof of concept for Pivotal.
There are also undrilled conductors at the Lorraine Mine that show strong growth potential beyond the 600,000 tonnes @ 1.4% copper, 0.6% nickel and 0.6g/t gold historically mined.
Lorraine’s gold upside largely untouched by past miners
Meanwhile, with past mining at Lorraine focused on the copper and nickel, the gold potential has been largely unexplored.
Very high gold grades have been encountered, including 28m @ 45.2g/t gold and 3.2% copper and 1m @ 56.2g/t gold. Visible gold was also encountered in historical drilling.
And it seems Pivotal is in good company. “Our neighbours, TSX-V listed Vior (VIO), are completing a 100,000m drill program targeting bonanza grade gold not dissimilar to the Lorraine Mine structure on Pivotal’s Belleterre Project,” Fairhall explains.
Additionally, a recent soil program expanded the Lorraine gold target to 1.5km with the discovery of a new high-grade soil anomaly.
Pivotal is now looking to build on this early success with expanded surveys at Lorraine and several other highly prospective gold targets such as Kelly Lake East and Roy.
These programs will feed into a drill program aimed at testing the high-priority targets.
In total, 19 target areas across Belleterre are being prioritised for additional surveys and ultimately drilling of the best targets.
Fairhall says the Belleterre projects represent a significant opportunity for new discovery.
“The Abitibi hosts a number of well-publicised mills who are short feed,” he notes.
“This means the hurdle for discovery could be significantly lower to a typically greenfields environment where a large standalone operation needs to be built.
“With critical metals, gold, and a district-scale opportunity, we believe this is a story with all the ingredients for discovery success – and we’re just getting started.”
Write to Angela East at Mining.com.au
Images: Mining.com.au & Pivotal Metals
