International Lithium Corp. has released the results from the company's recent drill program on the lithium and rare metals pegmatite field spanning the company's contiguous Mavis Lake and Fairservice claim blocks near Dryden, Ont.
Key Highlights:
Recent discovery of 78m pegmatite intersection in hole MF11-12 reveals multi-rare metal mineralization; 1,924 ppm Rb2O over the entire 78 metres in conjunction with 1.86% Li2O over 26.25m and 1.22% Li2O over 28.45m; Additional 31 metre pegmatite intersected in hole MF11-12 returns 1,779 ppm Rb2O; Tantalum highlights include 165 ppm Ta2O5 over 23.0m and 182 ppm Ta2O5 over 10.8m; Tantalum and Rubidium are more widely distributed on the property than previously thought; and Caesium highlights include 2.15m averaging 571 ppm Cs2O.
"The preliminary drill results revealed more extensive pegmatite intersections and more widely distributed multi-element rare metal mineralization than anticipated; highlighted by the discovery of a lithium, rubidium and tantalum enriched 78 meter interval situated outside of the area of past exploration" states Mike Sieb, President of the Company. "These new results provide strong evidence for a highly evolved and prospective pegmatite field on the Property".
Recent Drill Program
The 20-hole, 1,753 metre drill program carried out on the Fairservice / Mavis Lake project in August- September 2011 revealed more extensive pegmatite intersections than anticipated, a previously unknown near-surface pegmatite and lithium grades on par with or exceeding historical lithium results (see news release dated January 10, 2012).
Another objective of the program was to determine the distribution of rare metal mineralization within the pegmatites since their presence can improve the prospectivity of the property and form an important part of an economic assessment.
The drilling revealed that several elements, including Be, Cs, Rb, Sn and Ta, exhibit systematic zonation in and around the pegmatites on the Mavis-Fairservice property. The presence of significant quantities of these elements contributes to the advancement of exploration on the Property, both as potential commodities and by providing geochemical zonation in and adjacent to targeted lithium mineralization.
Two wide pegmatite intervals (30.7 and 78.0 metres in hole MF11-12) exhibit distinctive geochemical characteristics typical of highly evolved pegmatites. Highly evolved pegmatites, similar to those found at multi-commodity pegmatite mines in Canada and Australia, are the Companys primary exploration target.
The upper 30.7 meter pegmatite interval is enriched in tantalum and rubidium while the lower 78.0 metre pegmatite interval has significant lithium mineralization including 1.86% Li2O over 26.25m and 1.22% Li2O over 28.45 and the entire 78.0 metres grades 1,924 ppm Rb2O including 23.3m grading 2,853 ppm Rb2O. Hole MF11-11 returned 4.10m averaging 3,030 g/t Rb2O.
Caesium (Cs) highlights include 2.15m averaging 571 ppm Cs2O (MF11-12 from 112.0m to 114.15m), 2.0m averaging 201 ppm Cs2O (MF11-09 from 22.0m to 24.0m) and 1.0m averaging 657 ppm Cs2O (MF11-08 from 25.0 to 26.0m).
Caesium enrichment is more sporadically distributed than lithium or rubidium and tends to have highest values immediately adjacent to the pegmatites in the metavolcanic wall rock.
The vast majority of the drill holes were oriented perpendicular to the surface trace of mapped pegmatites and parallel to historical drilling in order to confirm historic grades and widths. Most pegmatite targets were scissored by drilling from both north and south directions to provide a valuable structural interpretation for future exploration programs. Holes MF11-01 through MF11-16 were drilled on the Fairservice claim block primarily covering a 650 metre long trend defined by the outcrops historically identified as Pegmatite #1 and
Pegmatites #3 to #6. Holes MF11-17 through MF11-20 were drilled on the Mavis Lake claim block with holes MF11-17 through MF11-19 drilled 2kms to the northeast in the vicinity of Pegmatite #18 and hole MF11-20 drilled 600m to the southeast of the Fairservice drill holes. The limited drilling has not provided the Company with sufficient information to determine the true thickness, shape and orientation of the intersected pegmatites.
Hole MF11-12 was noteworthy due to its long pegmatite intersections and the identification of a previously unknown pegmatite body lower in the hole. The two major pegmatite intersections contain geochemically different characteristics and indicate two potentially distinct pegmatite populations. The upper intersection is enriched in Rb+Ta+Cs and Li poor compared to the lower intersection enriched in Li+Rb+Ta+Cs.
Laboratory work was conducted by Activation Laboratories Ltd of Ancaster, Ontario with the samples being submitted by Company staff to their Dryden prep facilities. Activation Laboratories is an accredited laboratory with ISO 17025:2005 and CAN-P-1579 certification. Analysis was conducted using sodium peroxide fusion followed by ICP-MS. The Company uses industry recognized practices to ensure quality control.
Mavis Lake - Fairservice Property Area - General
The Mavis Lake Fairservice property is located 15 km Northeast of Dryden, Ontario. The property is easily accessed via the Trans-Canada Highway and a series of logging roads. The claim blocks comprise a total of 2,624 hectares and straddle a continuous pegmatite field exhibiting high-grade, well-evolved, lithium and tantalum zonation as well as significant levels of cesium and rubidium.
Regional pegmatite mineralization is directly associated with the strongly peraluminous Ghost Lake Pluton and related pegmatitic granite dykes. Rare metal mineralization in the Mavis Lake area occurs in zoned pegmatites hosted by mafic metavolcanic rocks. Rare metal mineralization occurs in four zones: internal beryl zone within the parent of the Ghost Lake pluton that evolves to the east within the Fairservice and Mavis Lake claim blocks into external zones of beryl-columbite, spodumene-beryl-tantalite and albite-type pegmatites.
John Harrop, P.Geo, is the companys qualified person on the project as required under NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information contained in this press release.
