Building on our popular weekly TNM Drill Down feature ranking the best gold assays of the week, The Northern Miner has compiled the top 10 drill results for major metals year to date. Today, we present the best lithium assays for the year to Aug. 1, 2023. Drill holes are ranked by lithium grade x width, as identified by data provider Mining Intelligence.
Avalon at Separation Rapids
Topping the ranking is Avalon Advanced Materials (TSX: AVL) and its Separation Rapids project in northwestern Ontario.
On June 1, Avalon reported that hole SR23-93 returned 564.8 metres grading 1.51% lithium oxide (Li2O) from 1.3 metres depth for a width x grade value of 852.92.
Avalon’s 2022-2023 drilling program consisted of 4,179 metres across 13 holes, with SR23-93 drilled vertically to test the depth of the deposit.
“These drill results truly demonstrate what our team has always believed — the resource at Separation Rapids is potentially much larger than what is currently understood,” said Avalon COO Rickardo Welyhorsky.
Avalon updated the Separation Rapids resource in August, with measured and indicated resources coming to 10.1 million tonnes grading 1.35% Li2O, a 20% increase over the 2018 estimate. Inferred resources total 2.8 million tonnes at 1.38% Li2O, an increase of 57%.
The project, about 70 km north of Kenora, is a joint venture with Antwerp-based-SCR-Sibelco NV.
AVZ Minerals at Manono
The second-best lithium result comes from AVZ Minerals’ (ASX: AVZ) Manono project in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. On June 30, the Perth-headquartered company reported that hole MO22DD040 drilled 459.8 metres grading 1.48% Li2O from 100 metres depth for a width x grade value of 680.5.
The result is from a set of 53 holes of the extension drilling program at Roche Dure, which along with Carriere de l’Este, are the two major pegmatites at Manono.
“The current drilling information at Roche Dure now extends over 1.8 km… and to a nominal depth of about 300 metres below ground surface. This remarkable orebody remains open along strike in both directions as well as down dip,” said managing director Nigel Ferguson.
Roche Dure hosts proven and probable reserves of 93 million tonnes grading 1.58% Li2O for 1.5 million tonnes of Li2O, according to a 2019 estimate. In the measured and indicated categories, the project hosts 269 million tonnes grading 1.65% Li2O and inferred resources of 131 million tonnes at 1.66% Li2O.
AVZ holds a 75% interest in Manono, with state-owned enterprise La Congolaise d’Exploitation Minière SA holding 25%.
Patriot Battery at Corvette
The third-best lithium result comes from Patriot Battery Metals’ (TSXV: PMET; ASX: PMT) flagship Corvette project in the James Bay region of Quebec.
On Jan. 18, the explorer reported that hole CV22-083 drilled 157 metres grading 2.12% Li2O from 176.4 metres depth, for a width x grade value of 332.84. The intercept, at Corvette’s main CV5 pegmatite, also returned 25 metres grading 5.04% Li2O.
“[The hole] has raised the bar ever higher with respect to the considerable potential at CV5 as we continue to delineate it, and by extension, the rest of the CV lithium district held by the company that has yet to be drill tested,” said vice-president of exploration Darren Smith.
This year also brought Patriot’s highly anticipated initial resource for CV5, released on July 30. It outlined a deposit hosting 109.2 million inferred tonnes grading 1.42% Li2O and 160 parts per million tantalum, for 1.6 million tonnes of contained Li2O, or 3.8 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent, using a 0.4% lithium cut-off grade.
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