Canada

Frontier intersects 144 M of high grade lithium averaging 1.72% Li20 with significant cesium and tantalum zones at spark

August 3, 2022
Juan La Madrid
Juan La Madrid Avatar

Frontier Lithium is pleased to announce the results for four of the drill holes completed during the Phase XII drill program on the Spark pegmatite. Phase XII drill program that began in May 2022 and is currently in progress. The initial drill holes were designed to quickly convert inferred material to the indicated category for the planned open pit. The Spark pegmatite is one of the two delineated premium spodumene-bearing lithium deposits on the PAK Lithium Project.

  • Phase XII in-fill and delineation drilling with two drill rigs is currently being conducted, whereby, the Company has completed 7,000m of drilling in 22 holes at the time of this press release. 
  • DDH PL-057-22 intersected 10m of 2.54% Cs2O (assumed to be pollucite) within a high-grade (3.14% Li2O) spodumene zone from 149.5 to 159.5m.
    • A highly enriched 15m tantalum-rubidium zone was intersected beneath the Cs zone from 157.5 to 172.5m grading 1,335 ppm Ta2O5 and 0.9% Rb2O and remains open at depth.
    • Hole was collared in pegmatite intersecting 110.7m averaging 1.76% Li2O.
  • DDH PL-058-22 intersected 239.4m of pegmatite from 58.1 to 297.4 m grading 1.3% Li2O with 16 to 18m zones just over 2% Li2O
  • DDH PL-063-22 was collared in pegmatite intersecting 144m averaging 1.72% Li2O.
    • Hole ended at 248.5m with 68.5m of pegmatite averaging 1.58% Li2O.
  • DDH PL-064-22 intersected 132.9m of pegmatite from 114.1 to 247.0m grading 1.33% Li2O;
    •  Includes 7m of elevated Sn (440 ppm SnO2) and Rb (0.51% Rb2O) from 114 to 121m.
    •  Also includes elevated Ta (959 ppm Ta2O5) and Nb (602 ppm Nb2O5) from 170 to180m.

“The exciting presence of the cesium mineral pollucite in the lithium zone intersected in DDH PL-057-22 suggests the Spark pegmatite is well evolved mineralogically, and may be approaching the degree of fractionation attained by the prolific Tanco pegmatite at Bernic Lake, Manitoba where high-grade pollucite zones occur.” states Garth Drever, V.P. Exploration. “High fractionation could result in furthering the potential by-products beyond Lithium and Tantalum. During the remainder of the Phase XII drilling we intend to investigate this new pegmatite zone to the north and west with significant Li, Cs, Ta and Rb content”.
 
The initial objective for the Phase XII drill program was to focus on converting the Inferred resource lithium bearing material within the central portion of the Spark deposit at depth. DDH’s PL-57, 58, 63 and 64 were all terminated in pegmatite due to PFS time constraints requiring quick upgrading of some of the existing inferred resource. The holes will be extended later in the program. With this objective in mind, most May and June drill holes are steeply dipping (>-65) and designed to infill the Inferred area to a vertical depth of around 300-320m. These holes will be included in the upgraded Measured-Indicated Resource for Spark that will become part of the Prefeasibility Study (PFS) targeted for completion by the end of 2022.
 
Figure 1 is a location map showing the project area including Frontier’s land tenure and location of the three lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites and includes a plan map of the Spark pegmatite with drill hole traces highlighting the Phase XII drilling reported in this release. 

Figure 1 Compilation Map showing the project area and a plan map of the Spark Deposit

Currently Frontier has two drill rigs completing in-fill and delineation drilling defining the eastern part of the Spark deposit and defining the western extensions of the deposit. Several of the initial Phase XII holes that were terminated in mineralization will be extended. At the time of this press release Frontier had completed over 7,000m in 22 holes. Laboratory analysis were only complete for the four holes reported.
 
Table 1 details the drill holes with mineralized intersections while Table 2 summarizes all the Phase XII drill holes completed as of June 10th, 2022.

Table 1: Details of Mineralized Intersections

Table 2: Summary of Phase XII Drill Program (May to June10, 2022)

(Source: Press Releases – https://mailchi.mp/frontierlithium/sparkxii-parta)

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