Grid Metals Corp. (TSXV:GRDM) (OTCQB:MSMGF) has identified spodumene in all holes in its initial results from its 2022 lithium exploration programme at its Donner Lake lithium property in south-eastern Manitoba.
The company completed 11 drill holes targeting the Northwest Dyke – one of several known lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) -type pegmatite dykes on the property.
All holes at the Northwest Dyke intersected spodumene-bearing pegmatites over a strike length of 600m. Two drill holes were completed on the West Dykes and numerous smaller pegmatites were intercepted.
The new drilling at the Northwest Dyke was the first since 1955. The company is awaiting results on the other holes. The project is located in south-eastern Manitoba in the Winnipeg River pegmatite field, which hosts the world-class Tanco Pegmatite.
Overview of Initial Drillholes
- At the Northwest dyke, a LCT-type pegmatite, the first hole of the programme (GDL22-01) intersected 13.75 metres averaging 1.53% Li2O including a maximum grade of 2.06% Li2O starting at a downhole depth of 86 metres.
- GLD22-02 was drilled on the same setup at a shallower dip and intersected a 9.4 metre pegmatite with 1.47% Li2O over 8.0 metres and a maximum grade of 2.28% Li2O starting at a downhole depth of 57.0 metres.
- The pegmatite intersected in both holes contains visible spodumene quartz intergrowths (SQUI) and discrete spodumene crystals (see photographs, below).
- Both intersections also have elevated tantalum (Ta), cesium and rubidium.
- The estimated true width of the Northwest Dyke from the initial two drill holes reported is 7 to 8 metres.
- In total, 11 holes were completed on the Northwest Dyke and established a minimum strike length of 600 metres and a minimum vertical depth of ~200 metres.
- The Northwest Dyke remains open along strike in both directions and at depth.
About the Donner Lake Lithium Property
- The property is owned 75% by Grid Metals Corp. and 25% by Lithium Royalty Corp. (LRC), which is funding 25% of the current exploration programme. LRC holds an overriding 2% royalty on the property.
- The property was acquired by Grid from Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Limited (Tanco) which has the first right to acquire products produced from the property at commercial terms and holds a 2% royalty on certain claims.
- Tanco is currently operating a lithium spodumene circuit at the Tanco Mine – the mine is located approximately 35 km to the southwest of the Donner Lake Property.
- Donner Lake is only 180 km from the provincial capital of Winnipeg and accessible by all season roads and logging trails.
- Grid Metals has an exploration agreement in place with the Sagkeeng First Nation, whose Traditional Lands include the Donner Lake and Mayville properties.
- The project has the opportunity to access low-cost renewable power from Manitoba’s extensive hydro-electric grid.
- There are multiple LCT-type pegmatite dykes on the property including the Main Dyke that, in 2018, was drill tested by Grid over a ~1 km strike length. The dykes are located along a ~9 km long prospective geological contact between the Bird River greenstone belt and the Makwa Lake batholith and occupy obvious structural trends.
Vice President, Lithium, Carey Galeschuk, said the property is significantly under-explored with a large portion of the prospective geology having seen no prior lithium exploration.
“The strong and consistent grade from our initial drill intercepts of the Northwest dyke is encouraging,” Mr Galeschuk said.
“The Donner Lake Lithium Property remains prime hunting ground for additional LCT-type pegmatite discoveries. In this program at the Northwest Dyke we are looking to see additional, good lithium grades within the host pegmatite body along strike and to depth to enable us to build an initial NI 43-101 mineral resource.
“The vertical orientation, width and grade of mineralisation observed in the first two holes are certainly good indicators of the potential of the project” he added.
To date the company has completed 13 exploration drill holes totalling 2,779 metres on the Donner Lake lithium property. Eleven drill holes targeted the Northwest Dyke and two holes targeted the West Dykes, located to the south. The program represents the first phase of drilling at Donner Lake for 2022. Complete analytical results for the Northwest Dyke intersections reported here for holes GDL22-01 and GDL22-02 are provided in the Appendix.
The two best-defined dykes on the Property are the Main Dyke, which has been traced over strike length of approximately 1 km, and the Northwest Dyke, the subject of the recent drilling. A non-compliant historical resource of 3.8 million tons at a grade of 1.28% Li2O (Manitoba Mines Branch Assessment file 91769A) was calculated for the Main and Northwest dykes by ViolaMac Mines Ltd. based on drilling completed in 1955. This resource estimate cannot be independently verified by the company.
The company is looking to complete additional drilling over the coming months to establish a maiden NI 43-101 lithium resource on the Property.
For further information please visit: https://gridmetalscorp.com/
