Patriot Battery Metals (ASX: PMT)has made a new lithium discovery at its emerging Corvette property in the James Bay Region of Canada.
Inaugural drilling results from the CV9 pegmatite target has so far confirmed around 100 metres of near-continuous spodumene-bearing pegmatite.
Three of the holes drilled at CV9 have identified continuous pegmatite intersections of more than 60m and the company has now defined a strike length of approximately 450m.
The company’s vice president of exploration Darren Smith said geological modelling suggests that the CV9 pegmatite significantly thickens to at least 80m width at one location and remains open in multiple directions.
CV5 comparisons emerging
Patriot is already drawing comparisons to the nearby world class CV5 discovery at Corvette, due to the magnitude of variably mineralised pegmatite blow-out where there is similar depth and scale.
The CV9 spodumene pegmatite is located approximately 14 km west of CV5, where Patriot recently unveiled a maiden mineral resource estimate of 109.2 million at 1.42% lithium oxide inferred.
“This is a very strong start to the drill exploration at the CV9 pegmatite. Although no core assays have been received yet, the presence of spodumene and the length of pegmatite encountered in multiple holes, highlighted by an approximate 100m near-continuous spodumene-bearing hit in the final hole of the program, are very positive in terms of potential of this pegmatite to hold significant scale,” Mr Smith said.
Summer-fall campaign
Patriot’s northern summer-fall inaugural drill program at CV9 successfully completed 18 holes for approximately 4,000m of nomination quill coring.
The program was designed to obtain a better understanding of the geometry and orientation of the pegmatite system, with drill holes completed at a variety of directions from multiple collar locations.
Patriot noted that results consistently improved over the course of the program as its understanding of the pegmatite geometry improved.
This was reflected with the final eight holes all returning continuous core-length pegmatite intercepts of around 10m, including three intersections of more then 60m.
Single principal dyke
In its initial assessment, Patriot believes CV9 is a single principal dyke which outcrops at surface, has a steep northerly dip, and is moderately plunging to the east-southeast.
The width of the dyke is considered to be variable, however preliminary geological modelling indicates the pegmatite significantly thickens to at least 80m width at one location and remains open in multiple directions.
The thickening has been delineated by three wide, variably mineralised spodumene-bearing pegmatite intersections at different orientations.
Patriot says the variably mineralised pegmatite blow-out is significant and suggests a strong potential for significant scale to be present.
The company aims to further refine the geological model for CV9 upon the receipt of assays with the information to help formulate a follow-up drill program.
Further success
Ten days ago Patriot announced it had drilled the widest mineralised pegmatite intersection to date at Corvette with further success at the CV5 deposit.
The highlight hit returned from infill drilling assayed at 172.4m at 0.93% lithium oxide, including 34.5m at 1.85% lithium oxide and 26.1m at 1.81% lithium.
Those core assays were from the first series of drill holes completed at CV5 as part of the ongoing 2023 summer-fall drill program.
While drilling at the property is anticipated to be paused shortly due to the onset of winter conditions, the company continues to work on the completion of its exploration camp and all-season exploration access road to the CV5 pegmatite.
With core processing continuing into December, Patriot is accelerating plans to expand to having ten drill rigs in operation beginning in early January 2024.
Significant lithium trend
The CV lithium trend has been identified as an emerging spodumene pegmatite district which was initially discovered by the company in 2017 and is interpreted to span more than 50km across the Corvette property.
To date, seven distinct clusters of lithium pegmatite have been discovered.
Patriot believes it is probable that some of the outcrops may reflect a discontinuous surface exposure of a single, larger pegmatite “outcrop” subsurface given the proximity of some pegmatite outcrops to each other.
The high number of well-mineralised pegmatites along the trend also indicate a strong potential for a series of relatively closely spaced/stacked, sub-parallel, and sizable spodumene-bearing pegmatite bodies with significant lateral and depth extent.
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