Arbor Metals Corp. [TSXV-ABR; FSE-432; WKN-A2PX21] reported assay results from its fall 2023 prospecting program at the Jarnet lithium project in the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James territory, northern Quebec. The southern extremity of the project is located 2.5 km northwest of the Patriot Battery Metals Corvette 5 spodumene-bearing giant pegmatite.
The exploration manager for the project, Grander Exploration, stated, “We are pleased to announce the assay results from the 2023 prospecting program, marking a significant milestone in Arbor’s exploration efforts.”
A total of 77 rock samples were collected, including 46 oriented channels totalling 41 metres. These samples were taken to crosscut known pegmatite and obtain a representative sampling, mainly from the central claim block. In addition, 31 chip samples were obtained from new pegmatite identified. The south block was briefly worked to note the absence of outcrops with the sampling of five large subangular boulders. The northeast block was not covered during the program.
On the central block, evidence of an extensive pegmatite field was identified despite of the scarcity of outcrops. One-to-three-metre-wide pegmatite outcrops were present associated with large boulder fields showing a usual muscovite-rich composition associated with corroded feldspars and intergrowth quartz and local minute amount of dark blue tourmaline. To the south of the block, pegmatites are hosted in gneiss derived from sediments. Southward, the same type of pegmatite is hosted in amphibolite.
Of particular note is the highest-grading sample in this program, which yielded 88 parts per million lithium from sample 351593. The pegmatite sample showing a zoned structure came from a metric boulder found on the south block. Otherwise, the whole samples population returned an average of 16 ppm lithium with local spikes in cesium (33.8 ppm in sample 267121), tantalum (55.3 ppm in sample 267122); samples shows a moderate rubidium enrichment with an average of 338 ppm Rb, all of which demonstrates the presence of lithium-enriched pegmatites, and confirms the company is on the right path to a significant discovery.
Arbor views these results with great encouragement, as they highlight the presence of an extensive pegmatite field located along regional lithological and structural contacts. The company is confident that lithium enrichment trends may be exposed on the property using a systematic exploration approach based on a combination of geochemistry and geophysics methods.
Mark Ferguson, president of Arbor, expressed his enthusiasm, stating: “The results from our fall 2023 exploration program are truly exciting. We’ve gained valuable insights into the formation of lithium mineralization on the Jarnet lithium project, laying a strong foundation for future exploration endeavours. Our commitment to responsible and informed exploration continues to drive our pursuit of discovering a significant lithium resource.”
The company is currently in the final stages of formalizing its 2024 exploration program. The Jarnet lithium project, located in the James Bay region of Quebec, comprises 47 map-designated claims, covering an area of approximately 3,759 hectares.
