Scotia Metals (CSE:SMC) has identified 32 ‘high-grade’ spodumene boulders grading up to 3.40% lithium oxide (Li2O) at its Acadia Lithium Project in Nova Scotia, Canada.
The company also reports five discrete boulder trains across a 3km by 1km area at the Green Wolf target, located less than 8km up-ice of Brazil Lake.
The 32 samples assayed between 1.0–3.40% Li2O, with seven samples returning between 2.0–3.40% Li2O. Scotia Metals reports individual spodumene crystals show salmon-pink ultraviolet fluorescence, consistent with fresh, largely unweathered, ‘high-grade’ spodumene.
Chairman Brian Talbot says the geological signature matches other projects he has been involved in, particularly at Grota do Cirilo and Bandeira.
“Coarse, angular spodumene in surface float has been the first evidence of pegmatite swarms that later supported operating mines at systems I have worked on,” Talbot says.
“What matters at Green Wolf is the behaviour right next door: glacial transport at Brazil Lake is documented from as far as 50m to less than 1km, and Green Wolf’s boulders sit less than 8km up-ice, on the same regional trend as Brazil Lake, in five separate aligned trains rather than one.
“It points to multiple bedrock sources, typical of LCT [lithium-cesium-tantalum] pegmatite swarms, and it points to them being on our ground.”
The boulder trains reportedly align with north-northeast structural trends, matching both the regional structural fabric and the Brazil Lake pegmatite trend.
Scotia Metals controls 43 exploration licences covering 37,268 hectares and 2,320 mineral claims, spanning more than 80km of prospective LCT pegmatite strike north and south of Brazil Lake.
CEO Rodrigo Roso says the team’s focus over the coming months is converting boulder trains into ranked bedrock targets using till sampling and geophysics before drilling commences.
Regionally, Scotia Metals continues infilling high-resolution geophysics and conducting first-pass mapping and prospecting.
The company notes lithium prices have recovered, with 6% Li2O concentrate trading at US$2,240 ($3,111) per tonne on 18 August, sustaining an upward trend above US$1,800 per tonne since January.
Scotia Metals is a Canadian explorer focused on the acquisition and advancement of lithium and battery metals projects, with its principal asset Acadia located in southwestern Nova Scotia.
Write to Paula Fabe at Mining.com.au
Images: Scotia Metals
