This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Property
Mia Lithium Property Eeyou Itschee Territory, James Bay, Quebec
The Mia Lithium Property is comprised of 171 mineral claims, located 62 km East of Wemindji Community in the Eeyou Itschee Territory, James Bay, Quebec. The target areas are located approximately 10 kilometres from the nearest highway.
Geology
The Property is part of the Yasinski Group of rocks, characterized by narrow “greenstone” volcanic and related sedimentary rocks. The Property is situated in the western extremity of this geological trend, known to host spodumene-bearing pegmatites.
JUNE 2023 EXPLORATION WORK
A two-day mapping and sampling work of the historically known lithium pegmatites at the Mia Property resulted in the collection of 28 pegmatite samples. Six (6) samples were collected from spodumene-mineralized pegmatite and the remaining twenty-two (22) from non-mineralized pegmatite to broaden the understanding of the source-rock relationships, geochronology, and/or zonation of the pegmatite. A summary of the spodumene-mineralized samples is provided in the table below.
At the herein named “Mia Zone”, the historically mapped spodumene-pegmatite was sampled and returned 2.73, 2.05 and 0.55% Li2O. This successfully verified the 2021 and 2022 work by the property vendors of 18 grab samples averaging 2.65% Li2O.
The Mia Zone now measures a mapped extent of approximately 370 metres and is up to 140 metres wide. This represents an extension of approximately 130 metres to the north of the previously mapped extent. There are some inclusions of the host rock within these dimensions and there are unclear contacts in all directions leading to the inability to precisely report the true size of the pegmatite.
The Company’s priority will be to undergo drill testing of the Mia Zone in order to understand its true dimensions. The preliminary IP/Resistivity data suggest that the mineralized zone extends beneath overburden to the north, south and east.
At the herein named “Carte Zone”, the historically mapped spodumene-pegmatite was sampled and returned three spodumene-mineralized samples of 2.01, 1.57 and 1.04% Li2O. This successfully verified the 2022 work by the property vendors of 3 grab samples averaging 1.65% Li2O.
The Carte Zone measures a mapped extent of approximately 110 metres and is up to 30 metres wide. Like the Mia Zone, the contact relationship between the host rock and the pegmatite is unclear and additional work is needed to determine the true dimensions of the pegmatite. Additionally, the next pegmatite located approximately 250 metres to the west was sampled and returned 160 ppm Ta2O5.
September 2023 Exploration Work
Due to the extreme wildfires in northern Quebec this past summer, the Company completed an abbreviated prospecting, mapping and rock sampling program from September 1 to September 15 at the Property. Two (2) new spodumene occurrences were discovered, in addition to the previous four (4) spodumene occurrences which were announced on September 13, 2023. With the previously known occurrences at Mia and Carte, there are now total of nine (9) separate spodumene pegmatite zones within the Mia Exploration Trend.
A total of 192 individual pegmatite outcrops have been mapped along the Mia Exploration Trend. Rock samples have been collected at these sites to confirm the presence of lithium or indicator elements which may suggest the presence of lithium nearby. The majority of the pegmatite outcrops along the Mia Exploration Trend exhibit a similar mineralogy and texture compared with the outcrops that have confirmed spodumene.
219 rock samples were collected on the Property since re-mobilization and have been received by the SGS Canada preparation laboratory located in Val-d’Or, QC.
The Results:
A total of 219 samples were collected during the two weeks and the field work resulted in the discovery of eight (8) new mineralized zones.
The Mia Trend continues to remain the Company’s primary focus with 11 defined mineralized zones (Figures 1 and 2). Table 1 summarizes the results collected from each zone for samples that contain greater than 100 ppm Li.
The mineralized Mia Trend now includes:
- The new MIA-3 Zone with six (6) samples averaging 1.50% Li2O and 131 ppm Ta2O5.
- The new MIA-5 Zone with three (3) samples averaging 0.78% Li2O and 126 ppm Ta2O5.
- The new MIA-8 Zone with nine (9) samples averaging 2.07% Li2O and 30 ppm Ta2O5.
- The new MIA-9 Zone with three (3) samples averaging 1.90% Li2O and 66 ppm Ta2O5.
- The previously known MIA-1 Zone with six (6) samples averaging 1.8% Li2O and 40 ppm Ta2O5.
- The previously known MIA-2 Zone with eight (8) samples averaging 1.17% Li2O and 31 ppm Ta2O5.
- The previously known Carte Zone with two (2) samples averaging 1.68% Li2O and 51 ppm Ta2O5.
Minimal field work was completed at the Bruce Trend to the north and a new high-priority trend (the “Lady Trend”) located to the south of the Mia Zone during the program. The geochemical results (tantalum, rubidium and cesium) from both the Bruce Trend and the Lady Trend affirm each trend as being prospective for lithium-bearing LCT-style pegmatite mineralization.
The Bruce Trend contains three (3) samples with background lithium, but elevated tantalum (up to 70.2 ppm Ta2O5), rubidium (2,470 ppm Rb) and cesium (64.7 ppm Cs). One pegmatite sample contains a potassium-rubidium ratio of 16.2.
The newly discovered pegmatite on the Lady Trend, located approximately 1.2 km south and parallel to the Mia Zone, contains three (3) samples with anomalous geochemistry. One (1) sample contains elevated lithium (214 ppm Li), and another contains elevated tantalum (up to 75.3 ppm Ta2O5), rubidium (582 ppm Rb) and cesium (32.6 ppm Cs). One pegmatite sample contains an anomalous potassium-rubidium ratio of 40.3.
Immediately beside the Carte Zone, five (5) spodumene-bearing boulders were discovered (Figure 2). With the understanding that the glacial transport direction is from the northeast- to the southwest, the preliminary interpretations of these boulders are that:
- They are sourced from MIA-10, being the only known other mineralized zone to the northeast; or
- There is a new and as-yet to be discovered zone present to the northeast.
Elevated cesium (Cs), rubidium (Rb) and tantalum (Ta) are considered indicator elements that the pegmatites are highly fractionated and thus likely to contain lithium nearby. Potassium-rubidium (K/Rb) ratios have also been an effective tool to map out the level of fractionation of pegmatites. Together, these indicator elements (Cs, Rb, Ta) and K/Rb ratios have been an incredibly useful tool to vector towards lithium mineralized zones in spodumene-pegmatite districts.
Follow-up work will be conducted on the Bruce Trend, the Lady Trend and the spodumene bearing boulders adjacent to the Carte Zone during the spring/summer 2024.
Sampling, Analytical Methods and QA/QC Protocols
All rock samples collected were shipped to SGS Canada’s preparation facility in Val D’Or, Quebec, for standard sample preparation (code PRP89) which includes drying at 105°C, crush to 75% 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 (code GE_ICM91A50).
Management cautions that prospecting surface rock samples and associated results, as discussed herein, are selective by nature and therefore may not necessarily be fully representative of the mineralized horizon sampled.
Inaugural drill program – Fall 2023
The inaugural drill program began on October 23, 2023 and concluded in mid-December 2023. A total of 31 drill holes were completed on the Mia Trend for approximately 5,601 metres (Figure 1). One drill rig was used to test the main MIA 1, 2 & 3 zones (17 holes) while the other rig tested the Carte Zone (eight holes) and the greater Mia Trend (six holes at zones MIA 7,8 & 9).
The work completed at the MIA 1 Zone (Figure 2) successfully traced the shallowly-dipping pegmatite between the southern fence of holes (MIA23-003/005/006/001) and the northern fence of holes (MIA23-021/024), for a north-south distance of 250 m and an east-west distance of approximately 90 m. Initial interpretations suggest that the same pegmatite bodies may extend eastward toward holes MIA23-014/016A at the MIA 2 Zone for an east-west distance of 300 m. The other mineralized bodies located vertically above will require additional work to model.
Drilling at the Carte Zone, which is at the eastern end of the 10 km Mia Trend, has defined two shallowly-dipping pegmatite bodies (Figure 4). The near-surface pegmatite body ranges in thickness between 3.4 and 7.3 m (core length).
The geological team has completed the processing of all 2023 drill holes, and the samples have been dispatched to the lab for analysis. The preliminary pegmatite intervals of each drill hole are reported in Table 1 and the basic location and dip/azimuth details are also included below in Table 2.
The presence of spodumene in drill core is based primarily on visual identification, and a portable LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) analyzer was used to confirm the presence of lithium, which strongly suggests the presence of spodumene. There are drill holes that have intersected pegmatite without visual identification of spodumene however, analytical results will ultimately confirm the presence of lithium mineralization.
Initial mineralogical work by SGS Canada Inc. in the form of X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) from the MIA 1 and Carte zones collected during the June 2023 sampling program has confirmed that lithium mineralization is 100% and 99.4%, respectively, dominated by the mineral spodumene.
Core sample analytical results for the Fall 2023 drill program are anticipated to be received over the next 2-3 months, subject to laboratory turn-around times.
2024 winter drill program
The Winter Drill Program commenced on January 18th at the west end of the more than 10-kilometre-long Mia Lithium Exploration Trend (the “Mia Trend”) which is located 22 km from the Billy Diamond Highway, proximal to major hydro-powerline and all-season road infrastructure. A total of 20 drill holes were completed on the Mia Trend for approximately 3,085 Metres (Figure 1).
The work completed at the Mia Zones 1-3 at the western end of more than 10-kilometre-long Mia Trend consisted of 11 drill holes (Tables 1 and 2, Figures 1-4). Several drill holes intersected visual spodumene-bearing pegmatite intervals. Drill holes MIA24-033 and 036, located in the centre of the mineralized zone, highlight the potential with aggregate lengths of spodumene-mineralized core intervals of 19.0 and 23.7 metres, respectively.
A total of 9 additional drill holes were completed along the remainder of the more than 10-kilometre-long Mia Trend.
The geological team has completed the processing of all 2024 drill holes, and the samples have been dispatched to the lab for analysis. The preliminary pegmatite intervals of each drill hole are reported in Table 1 and the basic location and dip/azimuth details are also included below in Table 2.
The presence of spodumene in drill core is based primarily on visual identification, and a portable LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) analyzer was used to confirm the presence of lithium, which strongly suggests the presence of spodumene. There are drill holes that have intersected pegmatite without visual identification of spodumene however, analytical results will ultimately confirm the presence of lithium mineralization.