Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (TSXV: PMET) (ASX: PMT) has obtained further high-grade lithium results in core assays for 16 holes completed as part of the 2023 winter drill programme currently underway at its wholly owned Corvette Property, located in the James Bay Region of Quebec.
The winter phase of the drill campaign is focused on the CV5 Pegmatite, located approximately 13.5km south of the regional and all-weather Trans-Taiga Road and powerline infrastructure.
“The first core sample assays of our winter drill programme have confirmed the extension of the high-grade Nova Zone to the east, including a 20m intersection at greater than 5% Li2O in CV23-105,” Vice President of Exploration, Darren Smith, said.
“The lithium grades found in this zone are very significant, and include a three – 25m thick (core length) band of greater than 5% Li2O over a significant strike length of +200m.
“The company continues to delineate the Nova Zone and the overall CV5 Pegmatite, which remains open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length.
“The size of the CV5 Pegmatite has grown substantially through the winter drill program completed to date, and the results announced today further affirms Corvette as a globally significant hard rock lithium pegmatite project.”
The 16 drill holes (NQ core size – 47.6mm inside diameter) targeted the eastward extension of the high-grade Nova Zone (25.0m at 5.04% Li2O in CV22-083) situated in the eastern area of the currently defined CV5 Pegmatite.
The recent drilling is interpreted to have extended this zone along strike by approximately 400m, through high-grade mineralized intersections in drill holes CV23-105 (83.7m at 3.13% Li2O including 19.8m at 5.28% Li2O), CV23-106 (11.2m at 2.99% Li2O and 6.0m at 2.92% Li2O), CV23-107 (37.1m at 2.09% Li2O or 3.0m at 5.43% Li2O), and CV23-108 (26.6m at 2.44% Li2O or 5.0m at 4.30% Li2O).
The Nova Zone has now been traced in multiple drill holes over a strike length of approximately 750m (CV22-017 to CV23-108), with geological modelling supporting a continuous spodumene mineralized zone of variable thickness, at grades of 2.0 – 5.0+% Li2O, occurring between vertical depths of approximately 125m to 325m. The high-grade Nova Zone includes an extremely high-grade sub-zone that is an approximate three – 25m thick (core length) band of 5+% Li2O spodumene pegmatite that has been traced (at 100m drill spacing) over a minimum 200m strike length between drill holes CV22-083, 093, and CV23-105.
The intersections in drill holes CV22-093 and CV23-105, located 100m along strike of each other, illustrates the swell and pinch nature of pegmatite intrusive systems. Drill hole CV22-093 returned an aggregate pegmatite intersection of 81m, including a continuous intersection of 52m, while drill hole CV23-105 returned an aggregate pegmatite intersection of 152m, including a continuous intersection of 84m.
Additionally, grades returned in drill hole CV23-109, which tested the pegmatite closer to surface above hole CV23-105, illustrate how relatively low to moderate grade lithium pegmatite (i.e., CV23-109 – 60.1m at 0.23% Li2O, including 6.5m at 0.90% Li2O) may be located in close proximity to very high-grade lithium pegmatite (i.e., CV23-105 – 83.7m at 3.13% Li2O including 19.8m at 5.28% Li2O). Both of these attributes are typical of lithium pegmatite intrusions (swelling, pinching, and zonation) and are applicable to the intersection in drill hole CV23-125 (29.8m at 0.14% Li2O) marking the eastern end of the current drilling to date, where, coupled with encouraging indicator mineralogy as is present, suggest strong potential for the system to continue at favourable grades.
Six drill rigs are actively coring at the CV5 Pegmatite and will continue to operate until approximately April 20th where drilling activities will be paused as requested by the local communities to accommodate the goose harvesting season. The exploration activities at Corvette will resume in late May for the summer-fall portion of the 2023 drill campaign. Drill core processing and sample shipments to the analytical lab (SGS) will continue without disruption.
The primary objectives of the 2023 drill campaign are to further delineate the extent of the CV5 Pegmatite culminating in an initial mineral resource estimate scheduled for Q2 2023, as well as infill drilling to refine the geological model to achieve indicated mineral resource confidence to support a Pre-Feasibility Study.
Based on drill holes completed through March 20, 2023, the CV5 Pegmatite has now been traced continuously by drilling (at ~50m-150 m spacing) over a lateral distance of at least 3.15km (CV22-074 to CV23-125), remaining open along strike at both ends and to depth along most of its length.
Core samples for 27 additional drill holes have arrived at the analytical lab (SGS) with core processing ongoing at site.
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