Mining Intelligence and News
Canada

PAK Project

Click for more information

Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
Study CompletedFeasibility
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Lithium
  • Spodumene
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Project Timeline... Lock
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe PAK Project consists of two premium spodumene-bearing lithium deposits: the PAK and Spark deposits, which are located 2.3 km apart.

The Spark and PAK open pits will be mined sequentially (Spark first, then PAK).

The Project has been streamlined to produce a single, high-quality chemical grade (6.0% Li2O) spodumene concentrate (SC6).

While Frontier Lithium Inc. announced on March 4, 2025, that it intends to construct a lithium conversion plant in Thunder Bay, ON, to process spodumene concentrate produced at the PAK Lithium Mine into lithium chemicals, that project and analysis is outside the scope of the FS report with an effective date of May 28, 2025. For the purposes of the FS Report, it is assumed that SC6 sales will be undertaken via off-take agreements with third parties with the domestic market.

Frontier has engaged qualified professionals to advance the longer lead/key milestone permits concurrently with feasibility studies. This work is underway.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Mitsubishi Corp. 7.5 % Indirect
Frontier Lithium Inc. (operator) 92.5 % Indirect
The PAK Lithium Project is operated as a joint venture between Frontier Lithium Inc. (92.5%) and Mitsubishi Corporation (7.5%).

Contractors

Lock

- subscription is required.

Deposit type

  • Pegmatite

Summary:

The five (5) mineralized zones identified on the Property to date are the PAK, Spark, Bolt, Pennock and Ember pegmatites. Mineral assemblages in these zones consist predominantly of K-feldspar, Na-feldspar, spodumene-quartz intergrowths and lithium-rich muscovite.

The 2025 FS study focuses on the PAK and Spark lithium deposits. Continued efforts are eventually required for all mineralized pegmatite bodies identified to date (incl. Bolt, Pennock and Ember) as well as any new discoveries. The FS includes a maiden Inferred resource for the Bolt deposit.

The PAK Project deposit is a highly evolved rare-element lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) bearing complex type, petalite subtype granitic pegmatite similar in nature to the operating Tanco pegmatite mining complex in Manitoba.

PAK Pegmatite
Upper Intermediate Zone The Upper Intermediate Zone (UIZ) represents a lithium-focused zone within the pegmatite and is dominated by spodumene-quartz intergrowths (SQUI), a term used to describe an isochemical reversion resulting in the replacement of primary petalite by oriented spodumene + quartz (London, 1984). Lesser grey K-feldspar and primary white spodumene in quartz are also present, along with other common accessory minerals such as montebrasite and apatite (phosphates), as well as lithian mica.

Central Intermediate Zone
The Central Intermediate Zone (CIZ) is located in structurally higher portions of the pegmatite and is enriched in tantalum and rubidium. The CIZ is in contact with both the UIZ and Upper Wall Zone and persists to the southeast edge of the outcrop where it is believed the pegmatite continues under the till cover. To the southeast, the CIZ is intersected by channels CH-1 and CH-7 where it consists of similarly sized fragments of randomly oriented coarse K-feldspar (variably altered) + mica + quartz. Blue apatite prisms up to 1 cm wide and several cm long accompany the mica-rich zones. In the adjoining area to the northeast of CH-7, the K-feldspars are strongly altered to lithian mica + quartz. In this area, veinlets and patches of lepidolite are common. Channel 1 (CH-1) contains the highest tantalum grades found to date in the exposed pegmatite, which persists in the subsurface in drill holes PL-13-001 and PL-13-006, in addition to high rubidium and elevated cesium grades. To the northwest, channels CH-8 and CH-19 intersect the central portion of the exposed CIZ where it consists of predominantly grey K-feldspar with minor lithian mica + quartz alteration.

Lower Intermediate Zone
The Lower Intermediate Zone (LIZ) comprises the bulk of the exposed pegmatite and is considered an intermediate stage zone with significant lithium, tantalum and rubidium. The zone comprises predominantly K-feldspar, Na-feldspar, SQUI and lithian muscovite.

Wall Zones
The wall zones (upper and lower) of complex LCT-type pegmatites are generally characterized by the occurrence of brick-red K-feldspar (perthite) and simple mineralogy.

The Upper Wall Zone found in the southwest portion of the pegmatite exposure is in contact with the lithium-rich UIZ and is composed of quartz with lesser pale-red coloured K-feldspar, minor phosphates and accessory beryl and lithian mica. The exposure of this zone is limited. The Lower Wall Zone is mineralogically similar to the Upper Wall Zone. A common feature of the footwall Wall Zone in the more complex LCT-type pegmatites is the presence of bands of sodic aplite (footwall aplite). These sodic bands are generally not common in the Upper Wall Zone.

Spark Pegmatite
Two (2) predominant lithologies occur within the Spark Pegmatite including an early aplite phase that occurs ubiquitously throughout the pegmatite and an apparent later overprint phase of coarser- grained feldspar-quartz-spodumene-muscovite. The aplite ranges from grey to greenish-grey to purplish-grey and is dominated by fine albite and quartz. Intervals containing abundant fine- to coarse-grained muscovite are common, and mm-scale pink garnets are commonly associated with quartz-rich phases. Coarse to megacrystic K-feldspar occurs locally within the aplite, and spodumene abundance ranges from common to absent. Aplite exposed at the surface and intersected in drill core in the eastern portion of the Spark pegmatite are conspicuously purple owing to lithian mica. Common accessory minerals include black prismatic tourmaline, fluoroapatite, and rare coarse-grained loellingite.

The later phase that appears to overprint the aplite at Spark has similar lithology and texture to the Lower Intermediate Zone at PAK and has been geologically classified as such. The LIZ at Spark consists of coarse to megacrystic grey to tan K-feldspar up to 20 cm in size (typically 2 to 5 cm), common to abundant fine to coarse-grained white to light grey spodumene with varying textures, muscovite, and quartz. K-feldspar and quartz exhibit graphic texture in some intersections. Intervals of aplite up to a few metres thick also occur in the LIZ at Spark. Accessory minerals include beryl, black tourmaline, fluoro-apatite and locally arsenopyrite and rare loellingite. Contacts between host metavolcanic rocks and both the aplite and LIZ commonly display a deformed biotite- tourmaline- holmquistite-arsenopyrite contact zone. Greyish white to light grey spodumene occurs throughout the pegmatite varying from fine-grained laths (1-3 mm) to coarse-grained “jackstraw” texture with crystal laths up to 3 cm in length. Grey megacrystic feldspar crystals are typically ~2 to 5 cm in size but can reach up to 20 cm locally. This later phase has been geologically logged as LIZ due to similarities in texture and composition with the LIZ at the PAK Deposit.

There is a narrow interval (~3 m thick) present at the surface and in the subsurface of the western portion of the Spark Pegmatite consisting of dark-coloured muscovite, dark grey quartz, grey megacrystic K-feldspar, and common blue apatite. The mineralogy and texture of this interval are considered similar to the CIZ at PAK.

Both aplite and LIZ at Spark are weakly to moderately deformed with a preferred foliation and/or flow textures that are steeply dipping to sub-vertical and trending 070° to 100°. Locally, surface exposures of aplite tend to display tight folds with vertical axial planes.

Bolt Pegmatite
The Bolt Pegmatite has not yet been mapped in any detail other than the geological logging of the channels and 2023 diamond drill holes. Fine to medium-grained, light grey to pale greenish-grey aplite is present throughout the channelled and intersected pegmatite with coarse-grained grey feldspar phenocrysts up to 5 cm occurring locally with lesser amounts of muscovite and black tourmaline. Spodumene crystals, typically less than 3 mm and up to 8 mm, occur ubiquitously throughout the pegmatite. The composition and textures are similar to those at Spark.

Drilling thus far has confirmed a subvertical emplacement and a “pinch and swell” nature of the pegmatite along its length. Numerous thin (<1 to 5 m) mafic sheets of host rock are incorporated within portions of the pegmatite body.

Reserves

Lock

- subscription is required.

Mining Methods

Lock

- subscription is required.

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

Lock

- subscription is required.

Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Lock

- subscription is required.

Processing

Lock

- subscription is required.

Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Spodumene Concentrate kt 2016,064

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily processing rate  ....  Subscribe
Daily processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Stripping ratio  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Total tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2025 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Total cash costs (sold) Spodumene USD  ....  Subscribe
All-in sustaining costs (sold) Spodumene USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Spodumene USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2025 study / presentation.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Closure costs $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
OP OpEx $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M CAD 975
Transportation (haulage) costs $M CAD 934.2
G&A costs $M CAD 737
Total OpEx $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Mining Taxes $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Income Taxes $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 5% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
$M CAD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 5% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M CAD  ......  Subscribe
$M CAD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 28, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 28, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required May 28, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 27, 2025
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Aug 27, 2025

Workforce

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2025

Aerial view:

Lock

- subscription is required.