TORONTO, Jan. 3, 2024
/CNW/ - Orford Mining Corporation ("Orford") (TSXV: ORM) is pleased
to announce that it has identified 12 new exploration targets for
lithium, cesium, and tantalum bearing pegmatites ("LCT pegmatites")
on its Nunavik lithium properties based on newly reported glacial
till geochemistry results. These results also generated two
potential exploration targets within the properties for gold. Till
sampling as a geochemical targeting tool has been successful in
generating successful exploration targets and making discoveries in
the Nunavik region of Northern
Quebec and globally.
- Results from the 2023 till sampling program have confirmed
the prospectivity of the area with the identification of 12
new target areas that are anomalous in lithium, cesium, and
tantalum on the Nunavik lithium properties, which are 100% owned by
Orford and have never previously
been explored for economic minerals, including lithium.
- Till prospectivity mapping, along with anomalous grab
samples have also highlighted the potential for gold on both the
kWatt and Wire properties with two exploration target areas
identified.
- Survey lines were planned in areas known to host strong
positive lithium lake bottom sediment anomalies and associated
pathfinder elements for LCT pegmatites based on previous
regional government surveys. 550 widely spaced till samples were
collected for the purpose of detecting anomalies typical
of LCT pegmatites on the Radiant, kWatt and Wire properties
(Figure 1). These anomalies may reflect LCT pegmatites covered by
glacial till deposits that would therefore not be exposed at
surface.
- Follow-up of the results will be a high priority for the 2024
field mapping and prospecting program (Figures 2 and 3).
David Christie, President and CEO
of Orford commented, "Orford's lithium exploration efforts in
Nunavik are in their infancy but have already yielded very
promising results. The target areas recently identified by the
glacial till samples together with the previously reported LCT
pegmatite discoveries will drive exploration efforts in the
upcoming 2024 field season on our Nunavik lithium properties. The
new gold in-till anomalies on the kWatt property are also
significant targets in this unexplored terrain and will be part of
the 2024 exploration program."
Radiant
146 glacial till samples were collected
(100 m x 1.5 km) over the western
half of the Radiant property (~50 km2). Of these
samples, 11 were anomalous in lithium and indicated enrichment in
cesium and tantalum (Figure 2, Table 1). The results have
delineated five new prospective target areas, some of which are
proximal to known enriched pegmatites that were discovered during
the 2023 field program.
kWatt
352 glacial till samples were collected in the
northern part of kWatt. Sites were sampled every 80 m at
800 m-line spacing covering ~35
km2 of the property. Initial results identified 15
samples with elevated values in lithium, cesium and tantalum
(Figure 3, Table 1) with six new prospective target areas outlined
that are locally spatially associated with enriched pegmatites.
Wire
52 glacial till samples were collected on the
Wire property. Of these samples, one sample was anomalous in
lithium (Figure 3, Table 1). The survey has identified one new
prospective target area.
Table 1: Summary of Till Anomalies for LCT Elements of
Interest
|
Property
|
#
Samples
|
Li Max
(ppm)
|
# Anomalies
Li
|
Cs Max
(ppm)
|
Ta Max
(ppm)
|
|
Radiant
|
146
|
43
|
11
|
4.14
|
1.03
|
|
Kwatt
|
352
|
33.3
|
15
|
2.96
|
0.98
|
|
Wire
|
52
|
28.9
|
1
|
2.28
|
0.75
|
|
|
_____________________________________
1 Ice directions as determined by Daigneault, R.A, 2008.
Geologie du Quaternaire du Nord de Peninsule d'Ungava, Quebec.
Commission Geologique du Canada Bulletin 533.
|
|
2 The
vectoring anomalies identified are based on the classifications
proposed by A. Müller et al. 2022, taking into consideration
potential for anatectic and granitic derived chemical signatures.
The samples classified as "High" are greater than 3 standard
deviations from the mean (> 98th percentile), and those
classified as "Moderate" are between 2 and 3 standard deviations
from the mean (94th to 98th percentile) where n = 640.
|
Gold
The glacial till results indicate gold
prospectivity at kWatt with samples returning significant values
(e.g., 0.18 and 0.2 g/t Au) that are spatially associated with a
larger, lower-grade, multi-sample anomalies including a subcrop
grab sample of quartz vein in metasediment that returned 0.7 g/t Au
(Figure 4). Till geochemistry specifically for gold has been very
successful in the region based on Orford's previous work on its camp scale
Qiqavik gold property and has led to several discoveries across the
Qiqavik Belt. The magnitude of the gold values obtained in till on
Kwatt and Wire are in the 99.5th percentile of
Orford's regional till database of
5,650 till samples that have been analyzed for gold. The location
of the higher-grade till samples on kWatt appear to be coincident
with a regional NNW-trending structure previously identified by
government mapping. Orford's next
field season will aim to map and prospect all newly generated gold
targets.
|
_____________________________________
3 Ice directions for Wire as determined
by Daigneault, R.A, 2008. Geologie du Quaternaire du Nord de
Peninsule d'Ungava, Quebec. Commission Geologique du Canada
Bulletin 533. Ice Directions for KWatt as measured by Orford
Geologists in 2023.
|
|
4 The
vectoring anomalies identified are based on the classifications
proposed by A. Müller et al. 2022, taking into consideration
potential for anatectic and granitic derived chemical signatures.
The samples classified as "High" are greater than 3 standard
deviations from the mean (> 98th percentile), and those
classified as "Moderate" are between 2 and 3 standard deviations
from the mean (94th to 98th percentile) where n = 640.
|
About Orford Mining Corporation
Orford
Mining is a gold and critical mineral explorer focused on highly
prospective and underexplored areas of Northern Quebec. Orford's principal assets are the Qiqavik,
West Raglan and lithium exploration projects comprising a land
package totaling over 111,000 hectares in the Cape Smith Belt of
Northern Quebec. The Qiqavik
Project hosts several new high-grade gold discoveries along a
mineralized trend in excess of 40 km. The West Raglan Project hosts
a number of high-grade Raglan-style nickel/copper/platinum group
metal discoveries along a 55 km mineralized trend. In early
2023 Orford acquired large claim blocks targeting lithium in
the Nunavik Region. These lithium claim blocks have been carefully
selected as having promising lithium potential after an exhaustive
compilation of available data. Orford also has four property positions in the
Joutel region of the Abitibi District of Northern Quebec, which hosts historical
deposits such as the Eagle/Telbel, Joutel Copper, Poirier Copper, and Vezza deposits. Orford continually seeks new gold exploration
opportunities in North America.
Orford's common shares trade on
the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol ORM. This information
from neighbouring properties is not necessarily indicative of the
mineralization on Orford Mining's properties.
To view further details about Orford's exploration
projects please visit Orford's website,
www.orfordmining.com.
Qualified Person
The disclosure of scientific and
technical information contained in this news release has been
approved by Alger St-Jean, P.Geo., Chief Geoscientist of
Orford, a Qualified Person under
NI 43-101. The technical information presented in this release
which was obtained from historical work reports filed with the
Quebec Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and has not been
independently verified by a Qualified Person as defined by NI
43-101.
Sample shipments were sealed and shipped to AGAT Laboratories,
Val-d'Or, Québec. All assays
reported for till samples were obtained by standard fire assay
method with an atomic absorption spectrometry finish on a nominal
30g sample weight for the gold analysis (method 202-051) and by
standard 4-acid digestion method with an ICP-OES/ICP-MS finish for
the multi-element analysis (method 201-071) at AGAT Laboratories,
Mississauga, Ontario. Standards
were inserted at a minimum rate of 3% for till samples for QA/QC
purposes in addition to those inserted by the lab. A subset of
samples has not yet been sent for a verification assay at another
lab. Nine grab samples were selected during the lithium exploration
program to be analyzed for gold by standard fire assay method with
an atomic absorption spectrometry finish on a nominal 30g sample
weight (method 202-051). No internal standards were inserted for
grab samples. AGAT Laboratories are accredited by the Standards
Council of Canada and found to
comply with the requirements of ISO/IEC 17025:201.
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attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual
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SOURCE Orford Mining Corporation