Green Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:GT1) has uncovered a shallow-dipping LCT pegmatite system with exceptional lithium grades up to 1.73% Li2O during drilling at the Root Bay Prospect at its 100%-owned Root Project in Ontario, Canada.
The Canada-focused multi-asset lithium explorer has so far identified 13 stacked lithium-bearing pegmatites that are up to 18 metres thick from a 35-hole diamond drill program totalling 8,806 metres.
The pegmatites have been drilled to over 200 metres deep along an initial 1.3 kilometre strike on the Root Bay trend.
The latest assays from 13 diamond holes have been received, with highlights including:
- RB-23-088: 17.8 metres at 1.73% Li2O from 99.4 metres;
- RB-23-085: 16.0 metres at 1.58% Li2O from 181.4 metres;
- RB-23-091: 14.3 metres at 1.52% Li2O from 33.1 metres;
- RB-23-014: 13.3 metres at 1.37% Li2O from 8.5 metres, including 11.7 metres at 1.50% Li2O from 9.4 metres; and
- RB-23-016: 11.3 metres at 1.52% Li2O from 57.8 metres.
Assays from the remaining 15 holes are pending.
Root Bay stacked pegmatites looking north.
More hits
Separately, GT1 has completed the 32-hole, 5,400-metre second phase of diamond drilling at the Morrison Prospect.
Drilling has confirmed a pegmatites strike of up to 1.6 kilometres and trending east-west, with the western-most pegmatites appearing to be connected to the McCombe deposit.
Assays from 15 diamond holes have been received, with standout results including:
- RB-23-347: 7.63 metres at 1.64% Li2O from 81 metres;
- RB-23-362: 5.46 metres at 1.21% Li2O from 44 metres; and
- RB-23-366: 7.58 metres at 0.72% Li2O from 94 metres, including 3.0 metres at 1.64% Li2O from 95 metres.
Eyes on Root Bay
Drilling at the Root Project has now been paused to allow GT1 to undertake a large-scale field program to identify new drill targets.
The program will focus on the northern tenement area that has had no previous exploration to date and will include prospecting, mapping and sampling.
When drilling continues, Root Bay will remain the primary focus, followed by McCombe, Morrison and Root Lake, as GT1 gears up on upgrading its current JORC resource base of 14.4 million tonnes at 1.03% Li2O.
Planned exploration at the northern Root Bay project ground.
Well pleased
“We are very pleased with the pegmatite intercepts and high-grade lithium results received from Root Bay and are eagerly awaiting further assay results to determine the size of the potential maiden resource at the Root Bay prospect,” GT1 chief executive officer Luke Cox said.
“Our drilling and exploration focus is now centred on the 20 kilometre-long Root Bay lithium corridor, and we are excited to be undertaking extensive exploration activities over this highly prospective area to add to our current 14.4 million tonnes JORC resource base.”
Larger than expected
The project comprises several pegmatite deposits with varying degrees of exploration development and hosts a maiden Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 4.5 million tons at 1.01% Li2O from its most advanced prospect area McCombe at the western end of the project.
GT1 believes McCombe, and the entire Root Project, has significant potential for further mineral resource growth along strike and down dip across the project area.
Initial exploration had focused on priority targets mainly at the McCombe prospect area, however, drilling has now expanded to include priority targets at both the Morrison and Root Bay prospects, which have returned successful results, indicating the project is bigger than anticipated.