Grid Metals drills high-grade lithium at maiden Falcon West Drill Program, Manitoba
Grid Metals Corp. [TSXV-GRDM; OTCQB-MSMGF] reported results from its maiden drill program at the 100%-owned Falcon West Lithium Property located approximately 110 km east of Winnipeg, Manitoba and 100 km south of the company’s Donner Lake Lithium Property. Drilling (26 drill holes completed) occurred at two locations approximately 750 metres apart. The drill program was the first to focus on lithium mineralization since the 1950s. Drilling intersected significant values of lithium, tantalum, cesium and rubidium, confirming the presence of a highly fractionated, rare metal-enriched pegmatite system.
Highlights: Several holes, drilled in two areas (ArtDon and Lucy targets) that sit 750 metres apart, intersected multiple intervals of lithium-enriched, highly fractionated LCT-type pegmatite within a few metres to tens of metres from surface.
Very coarse white spodumene is associated with the highest-grade lithium intersections. High-grade lithium intersections contain percent levels of cesium and rubidium and highly anomalous tantalum, reflecting the presence of a Tanco-type, highly fractionated pegmatite system.
These intersections occur within a >100 metre wide and up to 100-metre-deep complex pegmatite unit that is traceable along strike with magnetics for >3 km. The complex pegmatite unit encountered at the target area occupies the western portion of a major, craton-scale tectonic boundary zone that has seen very limited, previous lithium exploration. Grid Metals’ Falcon West claims cover over 90 km of strike of this highly prospective boundary zone.
At the ArtDon target (west area), notable intersections include: 3.7 metres grading 2.83% Li2O in hole ADL24-21 (from 4.4 metres depth); 4.3 metres grading 2.82% Li2O in hole ADL24-22 (from 1.25 metres) including 1.7 metres grading 4.69% Li2O, followed by a second interval of 6.0 metres grading 1.17% Li2O (from 20.3 metres).
At the Lucy target (east area), highlights include 13.9 metres grading 0.73% Li2O (from 5.8 metres) and 3.6 metres grading 1.11% Li2O (from 34.1 metres) in drill hole ADL24-01; 5.0 metres grading 1.07% Li2O in hole ADL24-02 (from 13.2 metres); 5.8 metres grading 1.32% Li2O in drill hole ADL24-09 (from 19.9 metres); 5.1 metres grading 1.07% Li2O in drill hole ADL24-11 (from 29.0 meters).
The drill results from the ArtDon and Lucy areas include a number of shallow (i.e., 1 to 30m deep), high-grade intercepts of lithium, cesium, tantalum and rubidium hosted in highly fractionated, complex pegmatites
Drill highlights include multiple intersections in the 1-2% Li2O range over several metres in both areas with maximum Li2O grades of 4.69% Li2O over 1.65 metres in hole ADL24-22 from the ArtDon area.
In addition, local strong cesium enrichment that is generally coincident with Li-and spodumene-rich complex pegmatite intervals was seen in several of the new Grid drill holes including peak values of 4.56% Cs2O over 3.20 metres including 7.04% Cs2O over 1.25 metres in hole ADL24-09. Historical hole LU12-02 drilled in the same area also intersected Cs-enriched complex pegmatite including 3.3 metres averaging 3.0% Cs2O.
The new drill results are in general agreement with an undulating, gently dipping complex pegmatite ‘sheet’ model first presented by Avalon Ventures Ltd. Owing to the presence of extremely coarse spodumene crystals, additional work would be required to better understand the distribution of spodumene within this complex pegmatite system.
Importantly, the Li- (+/- Cs, Ta, Rb) enriched complex pegmatite unit(s) intersected at both the ArtDon and Lucy areas appears to be open in both directions along strike with more drilling required Future exploration programs will focus on identifying additional near-surface LCT-type pegmatites along the 90 km long prospective lithium/cesium/tantalum corridor occurring on Grid’s Falcon West property.
The Falcon West belt has excellent access and location and the majority of the favourable geological contact at Falcon is unexplored for lithium. Grid expects that with improved lithium prices and sentiment, it will devote more exploration dollars to establishing mineable zones of near surface lithium mineralization at Falcon West.
Falcon West is a belt scale exploration opportunity for lithium located in Grid Metals’ area of focus in southeastern Manitoba. The ADL target is approximately 110 km from Winnipeg and is transected by the Trans-Canada Highway and a major rail line giving the Property direct access to critical infrastructure. Falcon West is part of Grid’s strategic goal of building a large lithium (spodumene) resource base in the southeastern Manitoba region.
Grid Metals is focused on both lithium and copper/nickel projects in the Bird River area, approximately 150 km northeast of Winnipeg Manitoba. The Donner Lake lithium project is a 75% owned property subject to a joint venture agreement. Grid has a lease agreement on the True North mill where it plans to process feed from Donner Lake. Grid also has an MOU with Tantalum Mining Corporation of Canada Limited who operates the nearby producing Tanco Mine. The Makwa Mayville copper/nickel project is a resource-stage project that is undergoing exploration and development work in the Bird River greenstone belt.