Results from a reconnaissance exploration campaign on the Niemi Pegmatite Project, completed in the autumn of 2022, have been made available to the public by Spod Lithium Corp. These results verified the presence of lithium-bearing pegmatites close to the famous Niemi Occurrence.
Figure 1 shows the North Nipigon—Niemi Project with Rock Tech and Imagine Lithium’s developing deposits. Image Credit: Spod Lithium Corp.
A site inspection and geological investigation were completed in preparation for a future NI 43-101 technical report that will concentrate on the Niemi and North Nipigon. Grab samples from the project collected during the site visit yielded up to 0.38% Li20. The NI 43-101 report will be submitted for evaluation in the upcoming weeks since it is almost finished.
Three pegmatite projects in northwest Ontario—North Nipigon-Niemi, Ferdinand Lake, and the Byron Pegmatite—are earning SPOD a 100% interest. The Georgia Lake Deposit of Rock Tech and the Jackpot project of Imagine Lithium are nearby the North Nipigon-Niemi Project.
The Ferdinand Nos. 1 and 2 mineral occurrences, located in the Birch-Uchi Sub-province and have not seen major exploration activity since 1982, are part of the Ferdinand Project. The Byron Pegmatite project, a highly promising land package on Highway 17, is next to International Lithium’s Raleigh Lake project, west of Thunder Bay, Ontario.
For all three projects, effective from the spring of 2023, SPOD will hire DCX Geological Consulting to develop and carry out a vigorous exploration campaign. The exploratory program will comprise bedrock stripping, diamond drilling, geological mapping, geophysical interpretation and targeting, and geochemical sampling.
Highlights
- Major strategic land position in prospective lithium pegmatite regions.
- Large, underexplored property portfolios include a total of 11,086 hectares in three projects:
- North Nipigon - Neimi Project totaling 8,679 hectares adjacent to the Georgia Lake Deposit and Jackpot Pegmatite.
- Ferdinand Project totaling 506 hectares hosts the Ferdinand No. 1 and No. 2 occurrences (Ontario Geological Survey MDI52O04NW00006 & MDI52O04NW00007).
- Byron Project totaling 1,901 hectares of underexplored pegmatite-bearing and potentially lithium-bearing ground.
- MPASS Geophysical data interpretation and targeting exercise underway on North Nipigon-Niemi Project.
- Significant potential for lithium mineralization adjacent to two lithium pegmatite projects in the prolific Georgia Lake Pegmatite Field (Rock Tech and Imagine Lithium).
- Excellent stakeholder relationships.
- Aggressive boots on the ground exploration programs to commence in the spring of 2023.
- Surface stripping and diamond drilling exploration permits are anticipated by the second quarter of 2023.
North Nipigon-Niemi Project
Granites and metasediments from the Archean age, along with diabase from the Keweenawan age, are the foundation of the North Nipigon-Niemi Project. The surroundings of and inside the granitic plutons are home to pegmatites. The Georgia Lake Lithium Project by RockTech Lithium and the Jackpot Lithium Project by Imagine Lithium sits adjacent to the project.
A NI-43-101 compliant indicated resource of 10.6 Mt at 0.88% Li20 and a NI43-101 compliant inferred resource of 4.2 Mt at 1.00% Li2O are involved in the RockTech’s Project.
Several known pegmatite occurrences exist in the area, and many have been successfully drill-tested. Historical grab samples of boulders made from pegmatite on the North Nipigon Project yielded test results of 0.764% Li2O and 0.685% Li2O.
It should be noted that estimations of mineralization, mineral resources, and mineral reserves on surrounding and/or adjacent properties are not always representative of mineralization on the North Nipigon-Niemi Project.
We are excited to have confirmed LCT-type pegmatites on our recently acquired Niemi project. The recently flown geophysical survey on our North Nipigon – Niemi Project will outline high priority targets areas for geological mapping and prospecting. West of our Niemi claim block, Imagine Lithium recently reported drill intercepts of 1.21% Li2O over 25.46 m and we are optimistic that our exploration strategy will lead to new lithium-bearing pegmatite discoveries. We look forward to the upcoming exploration campaign which will launch as soon as the snow clears on the project.
Chris Cooper, Chief Executive Officer, by Spod Lithium Corp.