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Benz Mining confirms LCT pegmatite outcrop and sub-outcrop at Ruby Hill

Oct 15, 2021


Benz Mining Corp. is providing an update on its activities at the Ruby Hill West Lithium Pegmatite project.

Benz's geologists confirmed the presence of outcropping and sub-outcropping LCT pegmatite at the Ruby Hill West project and collected multiple additional rock chips samples from the outcrop.

CEO of Benz Mining, Xavier Braud, commented: 

"Since identifying the strong potential for lithium at Ruby Hill West through an analysis of historical results, we have been eager to go and check for ourselves. The historical results included 1.10% Li2O and 4.72% Li2O indicating strong potential warranting follow up. Rubidium values up to 3660ppm in one sample (0.9% Li, Cs and Ta>1000ppm) indicated strong potential for a valuable by-product. 

"During the summer/fall field season, Benz managed to confirm the presence of the outcropping LCT pegmatite at Ruby Hill West. Like most of the region, the area is partly covered by vegetation and shallow glacial till and will require scraping and trenching, pending appropriate permits and favourable weather. Additional field work is planned before the end of October 2021.

"Several magnetic lows were observed in the detailed aeromagnetic survey of this area which could be related to other pegmatites and extend the known pegmatite occurrence. Our team at Eastmain will follow-up shortly.

"We will continue to execute our strategy of realizing the value for all of these opportunities through aggressive and well-structured exploration programs over all of our properties on the Upper Eastmain River greenstone belt.

"At Eastmain we are currently drilling D and E Zones and extensions to A and C zones following our successful methodology of using electromagnetics for targeting. 

"Our 50,000m program is on track for completion by December and we are looking forward to updating the market on assay results from this drilling as soon as we receive them. We are still facing extremely long delays from the laboratory, especially for metallic screens fire assays - used for core showing strong visual mineralisation."

Ruby Hill West Lithium Pegmatite occurrence

Spodumene bearing pegmatite occurrence at Ruby Hill West was sampled historically and recorded results from Eastmain Resources (2019 report of work), including:

  • 4.72% Li2O, 1720 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs)
  • 2.15% Li2O, 990 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs)
  • 1.97% Li2O, 3660 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs)
  • 1.10% Li2O, 710 ppm Rb (>100ppm Ta, >500ppm Cs)

At the time, samples had not been re-analysed for tantalum and caesium, which both reported values above the assay method's detection limit.

In addition, a rock saw sample was taken by government geologists in 2018 and is reported in the SIGEOM as sample 20180072998 with the following results: 2.59% Li2O, 1970ppm Rb, 1030 ppm Ta and 7530 ppm Cs.

Benz is also interested in the very high rubidium values present at Ruby Hill West from recent reports, it appears that Rubidium values above 1000ppm can be considered significant.

At Ruby Hill West, historical rock chip samples reported both high lithium and rubidium values; the lithium bearing mineral is spodumene, a recognised economic source of lithium. 

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Figure 2: Ruby Hill West Project Location

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Figure 3: Ruby Hill West Project with recorded historical mineral occurrences including RHW Lithium Pegmatite occurrence

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Pegmatite Magnetic Signature

Analysis of the detailed aeromagnetic survey conducted by Eastmain Resources over this area shown that the Ruby Hill West LCT pegmatite fall into a magnetic low. In addition, multiple magnetic lows may extend the known pegmatite occurrence. Those zones represent direct targets for pegmatites which usually have low magnetic signatures.

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Figure 4: Shaded first derivative magnetic map (schematic) of the area surrounding the Ruby Hill West Lithium Pegmatite area showing possible extensions to this pegmatite and other magnetic lows in the area

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Rock chips sampling at Ruby Hill West pegmatite

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Figure 5: Rock chip sampling site

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Figure 6: Rock chips sampling at Ruby Hill West Pegmatite

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Figure 7: Coarse spodumene (Lithium bearing pyroxene) in rock chip sample from RHW pegmatite

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Exploration trenching 

Benz deems relevant to display an example of this exploration technique for its Australian audience who is not necessarily familiar with exploration methods in areas with glacial till cover. It is possible to remove thin overburden using high pressure water and hand tools. The area uncovered can then be trench sampled. This methodology needs minimal equipment and can be conducted during helicopter supported campaigns for early exploration work in remote areas. 

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Figure 8: Example of exploration scraping and trenching - Suzanna Trench - Eastmain Gold Project

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Eastmain Gold Deposit

The Eastmain Gold Project, situated on the Upper Eastmain Greenstone Belt in Quebec, Canada, currently hosts a NI 43-101 and JORC (2012) compliant resource of 376,000oz at 7.9gpt gold (Indicated: 236,500oz at 8.2gtp gold, Inferred: 139,300oz at 7.5gtp gold). The existing gold mineralization is associated with 15-20% semi-massive to massive pyrrhotite, pyrite and chalcopyrite in highly deformed and altered rocks making it amenable to detection using electromagnetic techniques. Multiple gold occurrences have been identified by previous explorers over a 10km long zone along strike from the Eastmain Mine with very limited but highly encouraging testing outside the existing resource area.



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