MGX Minerals Inc has said it will commence exploration for in-demand nuclear and space metals at its wholly-owned GC lithium, caesium, tantalum (LCT), and rubidium property, located in southern British Columbia.
The news comes less than a week after the diversified metals company reported a strategic review for the versatile metals. The purpose of the aforementioned exploration is to further identify nuclear and space metals potential.
According to MGX, in 2013, two rock samples (48193 and 48194) of the pegmatite dike assayed up to 0.111% caesium and greater than 0.2% lithium and rubidium, respectively. Two years later, rock sampling from the dike zone yielded values up to 1.72% lithium, 0.124% caesium, and greater than 0.2% rubidium. The dike is known to be at least 65 meters (m) in length and 3m to 6m wide.
READ: MGX Minerals says strategic review for space and nuclear metals is underway
“Tantalum, niobium, titanium, and rubidium metals are generally known for their high melting point and ability to withstand extreme heat and have direct applications in nuclear and space flight,” the company said. “Caesium is a liquid metal similar to mercury and is currently used in space applications including as a propellant in small ion thrusters.”
The company’s flagship GC property claims are on the south flank of the Frenchman's Cap gneiss dome in the Shuswap Metamorphic Complex.
“Locally, the area is underlain by calc-silicate metamorphic and paragneiss units of the Proterozoic to Lower Paleozoic Monashee complex,” said MGX. “Granitic pegmatite bodies of the rare metal LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) variety occur on the GC property.”
LCT pegmatite deposits can contain a number of elements, including; lithium, cesium, tantalum and niobium. The most well-known granitic LCT pegmatite in Canada is the highly fractionated Tanco Pegmatite, located 180 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg. the deposit consists of a subhorizontal saddle-shaped body measuring 1,500m long by 1,000m wide by up to 100m thick.
Moving ahead, MGX plans to perform detailed geological mapping and geochemical sampling of the GC pegmatite, and subsequent core drilling in order to understand potential for tantalum, niobium, titanium, caesium and rubidium.
Contact the writer at georgia@proactiveinvestors.com