Summary:
The primary target and deposit model for the Shaakichiuwaan Property are lithium-cesium-tantalum ("LCT") pegmatites.
The LCT pegmatites on the Property, including those at CV5 and CV13, are hosted predominantly within amphibolites, metasediments, and ultramafic rocks of the Guyer Group within the principal claim group.
The geological setting is primarily prospective for gold, silver, base metals, platinum group elements, lithium, caesium, and tantalum over several different deposit styles including orogenic gold (Au), volcanogenic massive sulphide (Cu, Au, Ag), komatiite-ultramafic (Au, Ag, PGE, Ni, Cu, Co), and LCT pegmatite. Additionally, in recent years, LCT pegmatites have been targeted as a potential primary or by-product source for Rb and Ga.
The LCT mineralization discovered on the Property has been confined to the CV Trend. The Consolidated Mineral Resource Estimate (Consolidated MRE) for the Project, which includes the CV5 and CV13 pegmatites, represents the principal area of the trend. The CV5 and CV13 pegmatites are situated along the same geological trend, with strike lengths of approximately 4.6 km and 2.5 km, respectively, as defined by drilling to date. Both pegmatites remain open and are separated by a distance of roughly 2.6 km. The Consolidated MRE covers approximately 6.9 km of the ~7.1 km defined pegmatite trend, which also remains open along strike.
Mineralization
The lithium-caesium-tantalum mineralization at the Property is observed to occur within quartz-feldspar LCT pegmatites, which may outcrop as high-relief ‘whale-back’ landforms as well as low-relief landforms.
CV5 Pegmatite
The CV5 Pegmatite is the largest single occurrence of LCT pegmatite at the Property identified to date. It is located centrally to the Property. It had been delineated to within approximately 1.5 km of the CV4 Spodumene Pegmatite cluster to the east, and to within approximately 2.6 km of the CV13 Spodumene Pegmatite cluster to the west.
At surface, CV5 is exposed as a series of discontinuous spodumene pegmatite outcrops spanning a corridor of approximately 2.25 km long x 0.5 km wide. Outcrops range in size from ~1-3 m in size to ~175 m long x ~15 m to 30 m wide (CV1 outcrop) and ~220 m long x 20 m to 40 m wide (CV5 outcrop). Spodumene mineralization at CV5 is comprised of decimetre- to metre-scale crystals, typically off-white to grey in appearance.
A portion of the known CV5 Pegmatite is situated beneath an unnamed shallow glacial lake (labelled Lake 001 in this Feasibility Study). This lake is typically <3-10 m deep with a maximum lake depth of ~18 m to 20 m in the very eastern areas of CV5.
To date, at the CV5 Pegmatite, multiple individual spodumene pegmatite dykes have been geologically modelled. However, a vast majority of the CV5 Mineral Resource is hosted within a single, large, principal spodumene pegmatite dyke, which is flanked on both sides by multiple, subordinate, sub-parallel trending dykes. The CV5 Pegmatite, including the principal dyke, is modelled to extend continuously over a lateral distance of at least 4.6 km and remains open along strike at both ends and to depth along a large portion of its length. The width of the currently known mineralized corridor at CV5 is approximately ~500 m, with spodumene pegmatite intersected at depths of more than 450 m in some locations (vertical depth from surface). The pegmatite dykes at CV5 trend west-southwest (approximately 250°/070° using the right-hand rule), and therefore dip northerly, unlike the host amphibolites, metasediments, and ultramafic rocks, which dip moderately in a southerly direction.
The principal spodumene pegmatite dyke at CV5 ranges from <10 m to more than 125 m in true width, and may pinch and swell aggressively along strike, as well as up and down dip. It is primarily the thickest at near-surface to moderate depths (<225 m), forming a relatively bulbous, elongated shape, which may flare to surface and to depth variably along its length. The pegmatites that define CV5 are relatively undeformed and very competent, although they likely have some meaningful structural control with several structures and faulting documented.
The CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite displays internal fractionation along strike and up / down dip, which is evidenced by variation in mineral abundance, including felspar, quartz, spodumene, and tantalite. This is highlighted by the high-grade Nova Zone, which has been traced over a strike length of at least 1.1 km and includes multiple drill intersections ranging from 2 m to 25 m (core length) at >5% Li2O, within a significantly wider mineralized zone of >2% Li2O.
CV13 Pegmatite
The CV13 Pegmatite, discovered in 2022, is located near the centre of the Property at the apex of an interpreted regional structural flexure. It is situated approximately 2.6 km from the CV5 Pegmatite to the northeast and approximately 1.9 km and 2.4 km, respectively, from the CV8 and CV12 Spodumene Pegmatites to the northwest.
The two (2) largest outcrops are approximately 70 m long by 12 m wide and 100 m long by 15 m wide, situated approximately 300 m apart, with the largest outcrop coincident with the apex of the regional structural flexure. The pegmatite outcrops define two (2) contiguous trends, totalling approximately 2.6 km in combined strike length.
At the CV13 Pegmatite, surface mapping and drilling completed to date interpret a series of flat-lying to moderately dipping (northerly), sub-parallel trending LCT pegmatite bodies, of which three (3) appear to dominate. The pegmatite bodies are coincident with the apex of a regional structural flexure, whereby the pegmatite manifests a west arm trending ~290° and an east arm trending ~230°. Drilling to date indicates the east arm includes significantly more pegmatite stacking compared to the west and also carries a significant amount of the overall CV13 Pegmatite tonnage and lithium grade. The Rigel and Vega caesium zones are nested entirely within the CV13 Pegmatite and are marked by significant occurrences of pollucite.
The CV13 Pegmatite ranges in true thickness from <5 m to more than 40 m and extends continuously over a collective strike length of approximately 2.6 km, along its west and east arms. The CV13 Pegmatite, which includes all proximal pegmatite lenses, remains open along strike at both ends and to depth along a significant portion of its length. Spodumene mineralization has been traced more than 400 m down-dip; however, due to the typically shallow dips in the pegmatite bodies, it is only ~200 m vertical depth from the surface.
The CV13 Pegmatite displays internal fractionation along strike and up / down dip, similar to CV5. This is highlighted at CV5 by the high-grade (lithium) Nova Zone and at CV13 by the high-grade (lithium) Vega Zone, each situated at the base of their respective pegmatite lenses, and traced over a significant distance with multiple drill hole intercepts (core length) ranging from 2 m to 25 m (CV5) and 2 m to 10 m (CV13) at >5% Li2O, respectively, each within a significantly wider mineralized zone of >2% Li2O. The Vega Zone is situated approximately 6 km south-west and along the geological trend of the Nova Zone. Both zones share several similarities, including lithium grades and very coarse decimetre to metre-sized spodumene crystals. However, both pegmatite zones have distinct orientations, whereby the Vega Zone is relatively flat-lying to shallow dipping, covering an area of approximately 380 m by 220 m, while the Nova Zone is steeply dipping to vertical with a strike length of at least 1.1 km.