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Home > News > International Lithium...

International Lithium Announces drilling returns 3.46% Lithium Oxide over 7m at Raleigh Lake Lithium Project

Jun 27, 2022


International Lithium Corp. has announced assay results for Phase 1 of the diamond drilling program at the Raleigh Lake Lithium project near Ignace.

Further to Company news releases dated February 9, March 21, and May 17, 2022; ILC is conducting a minimum of 5,000 metres core drilling at the Raleigh Lake project in two phases. Phase 1 ran during the winter months of March and April 2022 where ten (10) holes were drilled for a total of 2,053 metres (Table 1 and Figure 1). Eight holes targeted Pegmatite 1 in Zone 1 and two holes targeted Pegmatite 2 in Zone 2. All drill holes in Zone 1 encountered spodumene bearing pegmatites.

Drilling Highlights

  • All holes testing Pegmatite 1 in Zone 1 cored spodumene-bearing pegmatite demonstrating confidence and continuity in the body (see Figure 2).
  • Pegmatite 1 shows a distinct zonation with an accumulation of rubidium enriched monocrystalline megacrystic microcline occurring in the roof portion of the modelled pegmatite (see Photos 1 -3).

Pegmatite 1 Spodumene Zone Intersection Highlights*

  • RL22-09: 10.15 metres (estimated true thickness of 8.5 metres) grading 2.4% Li2O (from 89.95 metres) including 7.05 metres (5.9 metres true thickness) averaging 3.46% Li2O in the spodumene core zone (from 93.05m);
  • RL22-10: 21.45 metres (estimated true thickness of 13 metres) grading 1.29% Li2O (from 127.12 metres) including 9.05 metres (estimated true thickness of 5.48 metres) averaging 2.46% Li2O in the spodumene core zone (from 131.95m);
  • RL22-11: 13.08 metres grading 1.09% Li2O (from 119.38 metres) including 6.56 metres averaging 1.51% Li2O in the lower spodumene core zone (from 125.9m);
  • RL22-14: 3.46 metres grading 1.53% Li2O (from 26.11 metres) in Pegmatite 3 and 7.07 metres averaging 1.08% Li2O (from 132.73 metres) in Pegmatite 1.

Pegmatite 1 Rubidium Bearing Microcline Intersection Highlights*

  • RL22-09: 4.2 metres (estimated true thickness of 3.52 metres) grading 0.81% Rb2O (from 89.45 metres);
  • RL22-12: 5.9 metres grading 1.38% Rb2O from 116.5 metres;
  • RL22-13: 6.83 metres grading 0.87% Rb2O from 88 metres;
  • RL22-15: 3.1 metres grading 0.36% Rb2O from 107.81 metres;
  • RL 22-16: 3.96 metres grading 0.197% Rb2O from 124.39 metres.

* True thickness, where reported, is based on the interpreted geometry of the pegmatite bodies, the orientation of the drill holes and structural measurements from oriented drill core, otherwise the reported intervals are drill intercept widths.

Phase 1 Drilling

All eight holes from the 2021 maiden drilling campaign were cored in Zone 1 and tested the up-dip and eastern extent of Pegmatites 1 and 3. Zone 1 is a stacked set of shallow dipping pegmatite dykes that make up the main target of the Raleigh Lake project. Eight holes from Phase 1 were cored into Zone 1 and and all eight intersected spodumene-bearing pegmatites with holes DDH22-09 and DDH22-10 intersecting 8.5 metres and 13 metres true thicknesses of spodumene-bearing pegmatite respectively; at an approximated vertical depth of less than 100 metres (see Company news release dated March 21, 2022).

Zone 1 pegmatites have been defined by drilling and surface exposures in an area exceeding 600 metres x 400 metres for Pegmatite 1. The Phase 1 drill holes were drilled interstitially to historic drill holes at step outs of 50 metres or more (if possible) to provide quantifiable data that can be used in a maiden resource calculation.

The first holes to be drilled at Zone 2 were targeting the down dip extension of Pegmatite 2, a small surface exposure of spodumene bearing pegmatite approximately 750 metres northwest of Pegmatite 1 with a similar structural orientation. Drilling locations were limited by topography resulting in a large step-out relative to the Pegmatite 2 outcrop. Encouragingly both holes DDH 22-17 and DDH 22-18, separated by a strike length of approximately 125 metres, intersected multiple metre and sub-metre scale pegmatite veins including a one metre scale vein (interpreted to be Pegmatite 2) containing moderate, patchy spodumene.

A summary of the analytical results for Phase 1 is given in Table 2.

Phase 2 Drilling

As reported on May 17, 2022 The focus for Phase 2 was to test numerous lithogeochemical anomalies and alteration corridors identified in Zones 2, 3, 5 and 6 while continuing to test the extents of Pegmatite 1 and 3 in Zone 1. The Company is experiencing longer than anticipated wait times for the drilling permit to test targets defined in Zones 3, 5, and 6. As a result, drilling has remained within Zone 1 and 2.

At writing, the program has surpassed its targeted 5000 metres of drilling and will likely pause drilling for a few weeks while the permit process runs its course. The Company has re-prioritized drilling in the Zone 1 area where the high grade-spodumene and rubidium core can be traced closer to surface between the large gaps in the historic drilling. This will provide a much clearer picture of the mineralized zones to be used in an upcoming maiden resource estimate scheduled for later in 2022.



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