Green Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:GT1) has reported a major upgrade to the mineral resource estimate (MRE) at its 100%-owned Root Project in Ontario, Canada, to 12.6 million tonnes at 1.21% lithium oxide (Li2O) and 62 parts per million (ppm) tantalum oxide (Ta2O5).
The increase follows the publication of a maiden inferred MRE for the Root Bay deposit containing 8.1 million tonnes at 1.32% Li20. This adds to the reported 4.5 million tonnes at 1.01% Li2O from McCombe, another deposit within the Root Project.
GT1 now has 22.5 million tonnes of mineral resources across its 100%-owned lithium projects in Ontario, an achievement the Canadian-focused multi-asset lithium company described as “transformational”.
GT1's combined lithium mineral resources - 0.2% Li2O cut-off.
Diamond drilling underway
Root Bay’s maiden MRE includes results from the drilling of 36 holes for 9,174.70 metres that began in February.
GT1 estimates that there is potential to add to the deposit’s resource growth and as such, has commenced a Phase 2 diamond drilling program to test open trends.
Furthermore, a large-scale field exploration program over 29.9 square kilometres in the Lake St Joseph greenstone belt is underway to identify new priority drill targets within the larger Root Project.
Root Lithium Project exploration target area.
Critical mass reached
“This is just the beginning for our Root Lithium Project and we are very pleased with ongoing drilling indicating further extension potential along the East-West trend,” GT1 chief executive officer Luke Cox said.
“We still have a lot of untested ground to cover and with time we hope to continue to grow our quality hard rock spodumene lithium resource base in Ontario.
“The mineral resource base at Root has now reached critical mass and is transformational for GT1, as it allows us to assess the potential for Root to become a standalone project hosting its own concentrator in line with our corporate strategy.”
Growth potential
Diamond drilling at the Root Project began only nine months ago and initially focused on the McCombe deposit, which has generated a 4.5-million-tonnes maiden resource.
Drilling has more recently expanded to include Morrison and Root Bay, which has returned high-grade intercepts and is demonstrating significant potential for ongoing resource growth.
A large area surrounding these targets remains underexplored and is highly prospective for new LCT pegmatite targeting.