Clean Air Metals Launches 2,000M Drill Program at Thunder Bay North Project
By Kevin Vincent
Clean Air Metals Inc. has announced the launch of a 2,000-metre drilling program at its Thunder Bay North Critical Minerals project, 40 kilometers northeast of Thunder Bay, Ontario. This initiative targets near-surface, high-grade zones at the Current deposit and follows on positive results from its 2024 exploration campaigns.
The program, which will begin next week, includes 12 planned holes focusing on newly identified geophysical targets and near-surface high-grade pods within the Current deposit.
Mike Garbutt, President and CEO, expressed optimism about the program’s potential:
“This initiative is a critical step toward advancing Thunder Bay North into a high-margin, mid-tonnage mining project. The additional funding provided by the Ontario Junior Exploration Program enables us to further delineate key targets, showcasing Ontario’s commitment to advancing critical mineral development.”
Exceptional Results Driving Exploration
The drilling campaign builds on 2024 results, which demonstrated strong high-grade potential, including highlights such as:
• 51.79 m grading 4.92 g/t Pt, 4.66 g/t Pd, 1.07% Cu, and 0.55% Ni.
• 31.40 m grading 4.22 g/t Pt, 4.04 g/t Pd, 0.95% Cu, and 0.56% Ni.
• 50.7 m grading 4.52 g/t Pt, 4.38 g/t Pd, 0.99% Cu, and 0.53% Ni.
Lionnel Djon, VP of Exploration, remarked on the program’s technical focus:
“This follow-up drilling program is designed to delineate additional high-grade pods and refine our understanding of the resource potential. Utilizing downhole EM surveys will allow us to better constrain the size and grade of these high-grade zones.”
Support from Ontario Junior Exploration Program (OJEP)
The Ontario government is contributing up to $200,000 in non-dilutive funding through the Ontario Junior Exploration Program. This funding will be directed at advancing the Escape down-plunge target, leveraging recent seismic survey results to guide future drilling.
Ontario Minister of Mines, George Pirie, commented:
“This $200,000 investment through OJEP underscores our commitment to building a resilient critical minerals supply chain in Ontario. Clean Air Metals’ Thunder Bay North project holds great promise for the future of our mining sector.”
Advancing Toward Production
Clean Air Metals is simultaneously advancing its permitting processes to move the Thunder Bay North project toward “Advanced Exploration” status. The company is preparing for the potential extraction of a bulk sample while awaiting approval to convert some property claims into a mineral lease—a critical step in its long-term development strategy.
About Clean Air Metals
Clean Air Metals Inc. is advancing the Thunder Bay North project, a 100% owned development-stage critical minerals asset. The project hosts two deposits—Current and Escape—situated just 2.5 kilometers apart. Together, these deposits hold a 13.8 Mt indicated resource with 2.4 million Pt eq. ounces (as per an NI 43-101 Technical Report dated June 19, 2023). As one of the rare platinum resources outside South Africa, the project is strategically positioned in a stable, mining-friendly jurisdiction with established infrastructure and strong community relationships.
This latest drilling campaign represents another milestone in Clean Air Metals’ commitment to unlocking the full potential of the Thunder Bay North project.
Tags: Northern Ontario / Exploration / Gold / All Articles