Green Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:GT1, OTC:GTMLF) has lifted its conceptual exploration target for the Root Lithium Project in Ontario, Canada, and has received final assay results from exploration drilling at Root Bay East and West prospects.
Exploration target increased
After drilling the lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites at Root Bay over the past 18 months, GT1 has increased the project’s exploration target by around 11 million tonnes to 25-35 million tonnes with a grade estimate of 1.0-1.5% lithium oxide.
The target revision was influenced by two downdip extension holes at the Root Bay deposit that demonstrated thick, high-grade pegmatites 300 metres downdip of the current mineral resource estimate base and by recent exploration at Root Bay East.
Root Lithium Project delineating defined mineral resources and exploration target areas.
Assay results are in
Exploration at GT1’s 100%-owned Root Lithium Project has so far revealed multiple stacked LCT pegmatites and a mineral resource estimate of 14.6 million tonnes at 1.21% lithium oxide.
This comprises 9.4 million tonnes at 1.30% lithium oxide in the indicated category, and 5.2 million tonnes at 1.03% lithium oxide inferred from the McCombe and Root Bay deposits.
GT1 completed a 33-hole, 7,290-metre diamond drill program last October, focusing on the underexplored Eastern and Western extensions to the Root Bay deposit.
Final assay results from the exploration drilling program at Root Bay East have now been received, revealing a further significant mineralised drill intercept along strike to the east of 11.6 metres at 1.18% lithium oxide from 120.9 metres ( RBE-23-030).
This builds on previously announced results, which include 23.3 metres at 1.16% lithium oxide from 197 metres and 3.9 metres at 2.17% lithium oxide from 188.7 metres.
These results show similar strong mineralisation characteristics to those of Root Bay, with seven stacked pegmatites identified to date along an 800-metre east-west trend, 1.3 kilometres to the east of the Root Bay mineral resource
The trend remains open and is highly prospective since it can be traced over the entire length of GT1’s tenement through the magnetic BIF unit that runs along the northern boundary of the Root Bay deposit.
Root Bay East and west completed drill holes, including Root Bay East significant diamond drill results.
Potential for resource expansion
"We are pleased with the ongoing success of our exploration efforts at Root Bay, which have led to an expansion of the exploration target to 25-35 million tonnes, highlighting the project's promising potential for further resource expansion,” said GT1 CEO Luke Cox.
“Final assay results from exploration drilling at Root Bay East have validated significant potential for the repetition of the Root Bay deposit along strike, particularly with the discovery of potentially seven pegmatites along an 800-metre trend, similar to the Root Bay system.
"We are now looking forward to returning to the field to conduct further testing at Root Bay East."
Looking ahead
GT1 is now planning for a further 10,000 metres of diamond drilling, which is set to resume in the coming months. Drilling will test the Root Bay East system as well as the Root Bay ‘Deeps’ extensions.
Upon successful exploration results at Root Bay deep extension and Root Bay East, GT1 intends to undertake further infill drilling to convert the advanced exploration results to an inferred mineral resource, adding to the company’s global resource base of 24.9 million tonnes at 1.13% lithium oxide, and to be subsequently incorporated into the life of mine pipeline.