New Spodumene Pegmatite Cluster Discovered ~20 km from the CV5 Deposit
PR Newswire
VANCOUVER, BC, March 25, 2025
Highlights further substantial discovery upside at Shaakichiuwaanaan
Highlights
- Significant new spodumene pegmatite cluster discovered from surface exploration within the Shaakichiuwaanaan Property in Quebec, Canada.
- The new discovery, named "CV15", sits along geological trend from the CV9-CV10-CV14 spodumene pegmatites and ~20 km west of the cornerstone CV5 Deposit:
- Outcrop sample assays of 2.11% Li2O, 1.55% Li2O, and 1.02% Li2O.
- Multiple pegmatite outcrops identified over a 400 m x 200 m area to date.
- Discovery extends the prospective "Mickel Trend" by ~1.9 km to ~5.5 km in length, which is longer than the CV5 Pegmatite (4.6 km).
- The ~5.5 km long Mickel Trend starts ~9.5 km west of the CV13 Pegmatite, demonstrating the enormous scale and prospectivity of the Shaakichiuwaanaan Property.
- New LCT pegmatite outcrop also discovered ~525 m along strike from the CV8 Spodumene Pegmatite with sample assays including 2,282 ppm Ta2O5, significantly extending the local prospective LCT pegmatite trend.
- Additional subangular spodumene pegmatite boulders discovered to the northwest and southeast of the CV5 Deposit, highlighting the potential for additional spodumene pegmatites to be discovered under glacial till cover proximal to the currently known CV5 Deposit footprint.
- The 2024 outcrop and boulder discoveries, demonstrate the considerable discovery upside that remains over significant parts of the Shaakachiuwaanaan Property.
Darren L. Smith, Patriot Executive and Vice President of Exploration, comments: "The 2024 surface campaign at Shaakichiuwaanaan has delivered significant results which continue to demonstrate that we have still only scratched the surface in terms of the Property's broader exploration potential. The discovery of another new spodumene pegmatite occurrence at CV15 – along the prospective Mickel Trend, which encompasses CV9, CV10, CV14, and CV15 – represents another exciting opportunity for the Company."
"We are eager to follow-up this discovery with systematic surface exploration, including channeling and mapping, as the Mickel Trend has now been extended by ~1.9 km, from ~3.6 km to ~5.5 km. Coupled with the numerous spodumene pegmatite boulders over the Property, these discoveries highlight the extensive nature of the spodumene mineralized system at Shaakichiuwaanaan. There remains strong potential for additional discoveries," added Mr. Smith.
VANCOUVER, BC, March 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - March 26, 2025 – Sydney, Australia
Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Patriot") (TSX: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) is pleased to announce the discovery of a new spodumene pegmatite cluster, CV15, from its 2024 surface exploration campaign at the wholly-owned Shaakichiuwaanaan Property (the "Property" or "Project"), located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec.
The Shaakichiuwaanaan Property hosts a consolidated Mineral Resource Estimate1 ("MRE") of 80.1 Mt at 1.44% Li2O Indicated and 62.5 Mt at 1.31% Li2O Inferred. The CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite, which forms the bulk of the MRE, is accessible year-round by all-season road and is situated approximately 14 km from a major hydroelectric powerline corridor. The CV13 Pegmatite is located <3 km along geological trend from the CV5 Pegmatite, which hosts additional lithium and tantalum resources, as well as a recently discovered zone of cesium mineralisation (see news release dated March 2, 2025).
The 2024 surface exploration campaign included geological mapping, regional prospecting, and surface sampling and was focused on discovery of new lithium pegmatite occurrences across the Property outside of the existing deposits. A total of 647 surface rock grab/chip samples were collected during the course of the program.
CV15 Spodumene Pegmatite Discovery & the Mickel Trend
The 2024 program resulted in the discovery of a significant new spodumene pegmatite cluster at surface, named CV15, with outcrop grab sample assays including 2.11% Li2O, 1.55% Li2O, and 1.02% Li2O. Additionally, grab sample assays from nearby boulders returned grades of 3.10% Li2O and 3.02% Li2O. The CV15 discovery is situated approximately 1.9 km southwest and along geological trend from CV14, and collectively now forms part of a larger ~5.5 km long prospective trend extending from the CV9 spodumene pegmatite cluster to CV15, now referred to as the Mickel Trend (Figure 1 and Figure 2).
The CV15 discovery consists of multiple pegmatite outcrops spread over an approximate 400 m x 200 m area, with the largest measuring ~7 m x 6 m in size (Figure 3), and remains open in all directions. Like other spodumene pegmatite occurrences on the Property, spodumene crystals at CV15 are large and hosted in a smoky-quartz and feldspar groundmass (Figure 4). The discovery significantly enhances the prospectivity of the Mickel Trend – now ~5.5 km long – which also includes the CV9, CV10, and CV14 spodumene pegmatites.
Of the four (4) lithium pegmatite clusters situated along the ~5.5 km long Mickel Trend, only the CV9 Pegmatite – demarcating the currently known northeastern end of the trend (which remains open) – has been drill tested (see news release dated April 7, 2024). Results include 99.9 m at 0.39% Li2O, including 30.6 m at 0.80% Li2O (CV23-345), 10.8 m at 1.00% Li2O (CV23-267), and 7.7 m at 1.35% Li2O (CV23-333). The drilling confirmed the presence of widespread spodumene mineralization, which remains open along strike and to depth, while also demonstrating the potential for significant volumes with a thick (up to ~80 m true thickness) pegmatite dyke present.
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1 Shaakichiuwaanaan (CV5 & CV13) Mineral Resource Estimate (80.1 Mt at 1.44% Li2O and 163 ppm Ta2O5 Indicated, and 62.5 Mt at 1.31% Li2O and 147 ppm Ta2O5 ppm Inferred) is reported at a cut-off grade of 0.40% Li2O (open-pit), 0.60% Li2O (underground CV5), and 0.80% Li2O (underground CV13) with an Effective Date of August 21, 2024 (through drill hole CV24-526). Mineral Resources are not Mineral Reserves as they do not have demonstrated economic viability.
The Company intends to follow-up at CV15 in 2025 with targeted prospecting and channel sampling.
The photographs shown in this announcement are to illustrate the results which form the basis of the Exploration Results reported and are not intended to provide any visual disclosures of mineralisation. The presence of spodumene crystals within the pegmatite shown in Figure 4 has been confirmed as indicative of lithium mineralisation based on the outcrop assays summarised in Figure 2 for CV15. These results are from initial sampling of multiple pegmatite outcrops spread over an approximate 400m x 200m area which there is variations in spodumene content and lithium mineralisation. Further work will determine the representivity of the sampling.
Other Mineralized Outcrops and Boulders
The 2024 program was also successful in locating several other anomalous to mineralized outcrops and boulders of strong interest for follow-up. These include:
- A new Li-Cs-Ta ("LCT") pegmatite outcrop discovered approximately 525 m west along geological trend of the CV8 Spodumene Pegmatite with a grab sample assaying 0.01% Li2O and 2,282 ppm Ta2O5. The discovery is significant and extends the local CV8 pegmatite trend to nearly 800 m (Figure 1). Additionally, another LCT pegmatite outcrop was discovered east of CV12 with a grab sample of 0.01% Li2O and 172 ppm Ta2O5, extending the prospective CV12 trend by ~250 m eastward towards CV13 (Figure 6 and Figure 7). The presence of high-grade tantalum is an excellent indicator for lithium, which may be present in close proximity. Additionally, the expansion of the CV8 and CV12 spodumene pegmatite trends indicate that these systems are larger than previously recognized and suggest a potential sub-surface connection with CV13.
- A highly anomalous and altered paragneiss outcrop with pockets of tourmaline (grab sample assay of 0.20% Li2O and 1,074 ppm Cs2O) discovered west of CV8, and outside of the currently understood extent of the CV Lithium Trend (Figure 1 and Figure 2). The discovery is interpreted to be related to the altered LCT pegmatite2 found in drill holes CF21-008A and 009, where significant holmquistite mineralization is present in the host rocks, indicating the pegmatite had been mineralized and then altered resulting in a reduction in lithium content. This is significant as altered LCT pegmatite may be present in close proximity to mineralized LCT pegmatite.
- Multiple mineralized boulders on the Property indicative of undiscovered spodumene pegmatite to the north and south of the primary CV Lithium Trend (Figure 6 and Figure 7). These include a cluster of large, angular to subangular spodumene pegmatite boulders measuring up to 7 m x 6 m (Figure 5). Samples collected from these boulders assayed 0.93% Li2O and 0.65% Li2O, and were discovered ~300 m up-ice of a 2019 mineralized boulder (1.00% Li2O). Similar to CV5, large light-grey to light-green spodumene crystals within a finer grained feldspar and smoky-quartz groundmass were discovered in these boulders (Figure 8). Collectively, the 2019 and 2024 mineralized boulders form a northern boulder train parallelling the boulder train southwest of CV5, with their angularity suggesting that there is an undiscovered spodumene pegmatite in close proximity.
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Additional mineralized pegmatite boulders were discovered south of CV5, with six (6) samples assaying >1% Li2O to a peak of 3.25% Li2O. Cumulatively, mineralized boulders sampled south of CV5 in 2023 and 2024 strongly suggest the presence of additional undiscovered spodumene pegmatite between CV5 and CV4, and to their immediate south.
The 2025 surface exploration campaign is currently being designed. It is anticipated to include follow-up mapping and channel sampling at the newly discovered CV15 Spodumene Pegmatite cluster, as well as continued follow-up prospecting and sampling of the various mineralized boulder trains. Surface mapping at the CV5 and CV13 spodumene pegmatites will also continue and feed into their respective geological models.
Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QAQC)
The Company has relied on internal laboratory checks and blank / certified reference material insertion for surface rock samples.
All surface samples collected were shipped to SGS Canada's laboratory in Val-d'Or, QC, or Radisson, QC, for sample preparation (code PRP90 special) which includes drying at 105°C, crush to 90% passing 2 mm, riffle split 250 g, and pulverize 85% passing 75 microns. The pulps were shipped by air to SGS Canada's laboratory in Burnaby, BC, where the samples were homogenized and subsequently analyzed for multi-element (including Li and Ta) using sodium peroxide fusion with ICP-AES/MS finish (codes GE_ICP91A50 and GE_IMS91A50).
Management cautions that prospecting surface rock samples and associated assays, as discussed herein, are selective by nature and represent a point location, and therefore may not necessarily be fully representative of the mineralized horizon sampled.
About the CV Lithium Trend
The CV Lithium Trend is a spodumene pegmatite district discovered by the Company in 2017 and is interpreted to span more than 25 kilometres across the Shaakichiuwaanaan Property. The core area includes the Shaakichiuwaanaan consolidated Mineral Resource Estimate3 of 80.1 Mt at 1.44% Li2O Indicated and 62.5 Mt at 1.31% Li2O Inferred. To date, nine (9) distinct clusters of lithium pegmatite have been discovered across the Property – CV4, CV5, CV8, CV9, CV10, CV12, CV13, CV14, and the recently discovered CV15. Of these, only three (CV5, CV9, and CV13) have seen meaningfull drill testing.
Qualified/Competent Person
The information in this news release that relates to exploration results for the Shaakichiuwaanaan Property is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr. Darren L. Smith, M.Sc., P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and member in good standing with the Ordre des Géologues du Québec (Geologist Permit number 01968), and with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (member number 87868). Mr. Smith has reviewed and approved the technical information in this news release.
Mr. Smith is an Executive and Vice President of Exploration for Patriot Battery Metals Inc. and holds common shares and options in the Company.
Mr. Smith has sufficient experience, which is relevant to the style of mineralization, type of deposit under consideration, and to the activities being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as described by the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code). Mr. Smith consents to the inclusion in this news release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
About Patriot Battery Metals Inc.
Patriot Battery Metals Inc. is a hard-rock lithium exploration company focused on advancing its district-scale 100%-owned Shaakichiuwaanaan Property (formerly known as Corvette) located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, Canada, which is accessible year-round by all-season road and is proximal to regional powerline infrastructure. The Shaakichiuwaanaan Mineral Resource3, which includes the CV5 & CV13 spodumene pegmatites, totals 80.1 Mt at 1.44% Li2O Indicated, and 62.5 Mt at 1.31% Li2O Inferred, and ranks as the largest lithium pegmatite resource in the Americas, and the 8th largest lithium pegmatite resource in the world.
A Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") was announced for the CV5 Pegmatite August 21, 2024, and highlights it as a potential North American Lithium Raw Materials Powerhouse. The PEA outlines the potential for a competitive and globally significant high-grade lithium project targeting up to ~800 ktpa spodumene concentrate using a simple Dense Media Separation ("DMS) only process flowsheet.
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For further information, please contact us at info@patriotbatterymetals.com or by calling +1 (604) 279-8709, or visit www.patriotbatterymetals.com. Please also refer to the Company's continuous disclosure filings, available under its profile at www.sedarplus.ca and www.asx.com.au, for available exploration data.
This news release has been approved by the Board of Directors.
"KEN BRINSDEN"
Kenneth Brinsden, President, CEO, & Managing Director
Disclaimer for Forward-looking Information
This news release contains "forward-looking information" or "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are included to provide information about management's current expectations and plans that allows investors and others to have a better understanding of the Company's business plans and financial performance and condition.
All statements, other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, regarding the Company's strategy, future operations, technical assessments, prospects, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "upside", "prospective", "to follow-up", "additional", "to be", "continue to", "potential", "opportunity" and similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements in this release include, but are not limited to, statements on the 2025 surface exploration campaign and the potential for discovery of additional spodumene pegmatites.
Forward-looking information is based upon certain assumptions and other important factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such information or statements. There can be no assurance that such information or statements will prove to be accurate. Key assumptions upon which the Company's forward-looking information is based include, without limitation, that proposed exploration and mineral resource estimate work on the Property will continue as expected, the accuracy of reserve and resource estimates, the classification of resources between inferred and the assumptions on which the reserve and resource estimates are based, long-term demand for spodumene supply, and that exploration and development results continue to support management's current plans for Property development and expectations for the Project.
Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which may have been used. Forward-looking statements are also subject to risks and uncertainties facing the Company's business, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects. Some of the risks the Company faces and the uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the ability to execute on plans relating to the Company's Project, including the timing thereof. In addition, readers are directed to carefully review the detailed risk discussion in the Company's most recent Annual Information Form filed on SEDAR+, which discussion is incorporated by reference in this news release, for a fuller understanding of the risks and uncertainties that affect the Company's business and operations.
Although the Company believes its expectations are based upon reasonable assumptions and has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. As such, these risks are not exhaustive; however, they should be considered carefully. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results may vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements found herein. Due to the risks, uncertainties and assumptions inherent in forward-looking statements, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements contained herein are presented for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Company's business plans, financial performance and condition and may not be appropriate for other purposes.
The forward-looking statements contained herein are made only as of the date hereof. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by applicable law. The Company qualifies all of its forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.
Competent Person Statement (ASX Listing Rule 5.23)
The mineral resource estimate in this release was reported by the Company in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.8 on August 5, 2024. The Company confirms that, as of the date of this announcement, it is not aware of any new information or data verified by the competent person that materially affects the information included in the announcement and that all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that, as at the date of this announcement, the form and context in which the competent person's findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.
The production target referred to in this release was reported by the Company in accordance with ASX Listing Rule 5.16 on August 21, 2024. The Company confirms that, as of the date of this announcement, all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the production target in the original announcement continue to apply and have not materially changed.
Appendix 1 – JORC Code 2012 Table 1 (ASX Listing Rule 5.7.1)
Section 1 – Sampling Techniques and Data
Criteria | JORC Code explanation | Commentary |
Sampling techniques |
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Drilling techniques |
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Drill sample recovery |
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Logging |
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Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation |
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Quality of assay data and laboratory tests |
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Verification of sampling and assaying |
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Location of data points |
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Data spacing and distribution |
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Orientation of data in relation to geological structure |
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Sample security |
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Audits or reviews |
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Section 2 – Reporting of Exploration Results
Criteria | JORC Code explanation | Commentary |
Mineral tenement and land tenure status |
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Exploration done by other parties |
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Geology |
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Drill hole Information |
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Data aggregation methods |
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Relationship between mineralization widths and intercept lengths |
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Diagrams |
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Balanced reporting |
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Other substantive exploration data |
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Further work |
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SOURCE Patriot Battery Metals Inc.
