Green Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:GT1) has delivered further encouraging results from the Root Bay deposit at its 100%-owned Root Project, about 200 kilometres west of the flagship Seymour Project in Ontario, Canada.
Lithium assays were returned for a further 39 infill holes, with results continuing to demonstrate the consistency of high-grade lithium mineralisation across the deposit.
Significant high-grade results include:
- RB-23-1099 - 18.2 metres at 1.43% Li2O from 336.1 metres;
- RB-23-1080 - 16 metres at 1.52% from 297.6 metres;
- RB-23-1008 - 17.6 metres at 1.36% from 46.7 metres;
- RB-23-1005 - 13.3 metres at 1.27% from 16.2 metres;
- RB-23-1216 - 16.3 metres at 0.93% from 105.3 metres;
- RB-23-1053 - 9.3 metres at 1.55% from 214.8 metres;
- RB-23-1177 - 11.9 metres at 1.21% from 46.8 metres; and
- RB-23-1102 - 11 metres at 1.18% from 85.6 metres.
Significant diamond drilling assays from the Phase 1 infill diamond drill program at the Root Bay prospect by metal content.
GTI has now completed its Phase 1, 20,939-metre, 119-hole infill drilling campaign, which has allowed it to upgrade the confidence level of the maiden inferred mineral resource estimate of 8.1 million tonnes at 1.32% Li2O, part of GT1’s global resource of 22.5 million tonnes at 1.14% Li2O.
“We are excited to see consistent high-grade results from the Root Bay infill drill program, which will enable us to increase the confidence level in our maiden inferred resource estimate to indicated and measured categories. The updated Root MRE is due to be released in Q4 2023,” GTI CEO Luke Cox said.
“Having successfully completed the Root Phase 1 infill drill program which will greatly benefit to the upcoming project preliminary economic assessment, we are now commencing phase 2 extensional drilling campaign at Root on an untested 3-kilometre extension of the pegmatite.
"We will then move to a Phase 3 drill test of potential extensions identified by field exploration underway at Root Bay.
“Given we have defined a quality maiden 8 million tonnes lithium resource at Root over the first 2 kilometres, we are anticipating a large increase in this number as we step out drilling to the east and west.”
Root Lithium Project exploration target area.
GTI has a lot on its plate
Green Technology Metals will now turn its attention to an expedited updated mineral resource estimate (MRE) for Root Bay to be released early Q4 2023, prior to release of a preliminary economic assessment (PEA).
The company has embarked on an ambitious two-phase field exploration program at the Root Project, including ongoing diamond drilling at Root Bay. The initiative aims to bolster the confidence level in the existing maiden resource estimate and identify new drilling targets.
New priority drill targets are focused in regions immediately east and west along the ridge from the existing drilling area at Root Bay.
Significantly, the geological trend remains open and is categorised as highly prospective. This is substantiated by its traceability throughout the length of GT1's tenement via the highly magnetic Banded Iron Formation (BIF) unit, which runs along the northern boundary of the Root Bay deposit.
Stacked LCT pegmatites at Root Bay with mineralised defined from surface to 300m depth, and open.
A Phase 2, 46-hole, 8,440-metre extensional program along a highly prospective, untested three-kilometre extension of the Root Bay deposit will start soon.
GTI is also currently drill testing pegmatite number 6 and down dip extensions from the Root Bay deposit through existing diamond holes to determine continuation at depth.
Paving the way for upcoming MRE update
Phase 1 has wrapped up with assays for 39 new drill holes now available, strengthening the company's confidence in the forthcoming MRE. The completion of this drilling stage allows for the anticipated release of an updated MRE, pending the assays from the remaining 53 drill holes.
Significant findings from the latest assays continue to reveal consistent high-grade mineralisation, substantiating the current geological interpretation.
Additional deeper drilling around the western pegmatite RB006 is on the agenda to explore potential depth extents surrounding this high-grade pegmatite deposit.
Moreover, preliminary metallurgical samples, obtained from one-quarter diameter core, have been dispatched to SGS Lakefield Ontario for Heavy Separation test work. The results of these tests are anticipated to arrive in October 2023.
The completion of Phase 1 infill drilling at Root Bay opens up avenues for further geological exploration and metallurgical testing.
About Phase 2
The new drilling phase aims to investigate the unexplored 3-kilometre extension of the Root Bay deposit, as well as a recently discovered lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite 1.4 kilometres along the strike.
This second phase of drilling will initially target the eastern side of the highly prospective Root Bay deposit, focusing on the untested 3-kilometre extension. Subsequently, the rigs will move to the western side where a new LCT pegmatite has been identified.
Root Bay, phase 2 extensional drill plan.
Currently, the diamond drilling rig is assessing the potential expansion of Pegmatite #6 at Root Bay by extending three existing diamond holes for down-dip testing. Additional holes may be included to confirm the expansion of other pegmatites within the sequence.
Current drill data, confined within evaluated pit shells, indicates further economic depth potential, and these extra holes aim to potentially add tonnage to the existing resource.
The company intends to drill five HQ core diameter geotechnical holes, geared towards aiding in the design of pit walls.
About GTI
GT1 is a North American-focused lithium exploration and development business with its main 100%-owned Ontario lithium projects comprising high-grade, hard rock spodumene assets (Seymour, Root and Wisa) and lithium exploration claims (Allison, Falcon, Gathering, Junior, Pennock and Superb) located on highly prospective Archean Greenstone tenure in northwest Ontario, Canada.
All sites are proximate to excellent existing infrastructure (including clean hydropower generation and transmission facilities), readily accessible by road, and with nearby rail delivering transport optionality.
The Seymour Project has an existing MRE of 9.9 million tonnes at 1.04% Li2O (comprised of 5.2 million tonnes at 1.29% Li2O indicated resource and 4.7 million tonnes at 0.76% Li2O inferred resource), and the Root Project has an inferred resource of 12.6 million tonnes at 1.21% Li20.
Accelerated, targeted exploration across all three projects has strong potential to grow resources rapidly and substantially.
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