Patriot Battery Metals Inc. [PMET-TSX] said it has confirmed that its Shaakichiuwaanaan lithium property in Quebec hosts the world’s largest pollucite-hosted caesium deposit.
The announcement comes the company declared a maiden Ceasium mineral resource estimate (MRE) in two zones. It said the Rigel Caesium Zone hosts an estimated indicated resource of 163,000 tonnes at 10.25% Cs2O, 1.78% Li20 and 646 ppm Ta205. The Vega Caesium Zone contains an indicated resource of 530,000 tonnes at 2.61% Cs02, 2.23% Li20, and 172 ppm Ta205. On top of that is an inferred resource of 1.7 million tonnes at 2.40% Cs20, 1.81% Li20 and 245 ppm Ta205.
The caesium zone MRE for Rigel and Vega is hosted within the open-pit resource component of the CV13 pegmatite – which forms part of the company’s consolidated MRE for the project (including both the CV5 and CV13 pegmatites) – has a total contained caesium metal content of 30,500 tonnes of Cs20, indicated and 40,800 tonnes of Cs20 inferred. Coincident with the pollucite-hosted caesium at Rigel and Vega is high-grade lithium and tantalum, respectively, which may be co-recovered as separate concentrates.
Caesium is a specialty metal and is listed as a critical and strategic metal by Canada, the province of Quebec, Japan and the United States. Due to its high density, low toxicity, biodegradable nature, and recoverability, it is used to support the completion of oil and gas wells at high pressure and temperature. Caesium is also used in atomic clocks, GPS, aircraft guidance and telecommunications.
Patriot Battery shares were unchanged Monday at $3.38. The shares trade in a 52-week range of $and 5.17 and $1.68.
The company said the consolidated MRE at the The Shaakichiuwaanaan property has been updated and restated with the inclusion of caesium reporting as part of the overall resource for the CV5 and CV13 pegmatites. It said the restated MRE includes a minor adjustment to the tonnage and tantalum grade at the CV13 pegmatite. The consolidated MRE is as follows:
- Indicated 108 million tonnes at 1.40% Li20, 0.11% Cs20, 166 ppm Ta205 and 66 ppm Ga
- Inferred 33.4 million tonnes at 1.33% Li20, 0.21% Cs20, 155 ppm Ta205, and 65 ppm Ga
The CV13 Pegmatite is located over 3.0 kilometres along a geological trend from the CV5 Pegmatite.
The footprint of the caesium mineralization at Rigel has been traced over a general area of at least 200 metres by 100 metres, and consists of a single, shallow dipping lens at a depth of over 50 metres with a true thickness of 2.0 metres to 6.0 metres. At the Vega Zone, the footprint of the caesium mineralization has been traced over a general area of at least 800 metres by 250 metres and consists of two proximal flat-lying lenses, at a depth of 110 metres, with a true thickness of 2.0 metres and up to 80 metres and six metres, respectively.
