Case spodumene pegmatite swarm is located 80 km east of Cochrane and 100 km north of Kirkland Lake, NE Ontario. It is accessible year-round by road via the Translimit Road which connects Ontario and Quebec.

In addition to the lithium potential at Case Lake, Power Metals has received significant interest in its Cesium mineralization discovered at the West Joe spodumene pegmatite in August 2018. Pollucite (Cesium’s ore mineral) is rare in pegmatites in Ontario, as it has only been identified in five pegmatite localities in the province: Power Metals owns 3 of the 5 - its 100% owned Case Lake Property, and its 100% owned Tot Lake and Marko’s pegmatites. The presence of pollucite in drill core at West Joe is spatially associated with high-grade Lithium (Li) and Tantalum (Ta) mineralization and should indicate very low Iron contents in the spodumene.

West Joe Dyke contains Cesium (Cs) mineralization as shown by the presence of pollucite in drill core (Figure 1) and exceptionally high-grade Cs intervals:

  • 14.70 % Cs2O over 1.0 m, 13.0 to 14.0 m, PWM-18-126
  • 12.40 % Cs2O over 1.0 m, 10.0 to 11.0 m, PWM-18-112
  • 6.74 % Cs2O over 5.0 m, 11.0 to 16.0 m, PWM-18-126

Additional Cs assays from the West Joe Dyke are given in Power Metals press release dated Nov. 13, 2018.

Figure 1 Pale pink to grey pollucite with white veining next to pale green spodumene at 49.5 m, PWM-18-116, West Joe Dyke

Cesium is rare globally. The United States Department of the Interior included Lithium, Cesium and Tantalum on its list of Critical Minerals (USGS website: https://www.usgs.gov/news/interior-releases-2018-s-final-list-35-minerals-deemed-critical-us-national-security-and, dated May 18, 2018). These “commodities qualify as “critical minerals” because each has been identified as a non-fuel mineral or mineral material that is essential to the economic and national security of the United States, that has a supply chain vulnerable to disruption, and that serves an essential function in the manufacturing of a product, the absence of which would have significant consequences for the economy or national security” (USGS website: https://www.usgs.gov/news/interior-releases-2018-s-final-list-35-minerals-deemed-critical-us-national-security-and, dated May 18, 2018).

There are only 2 pegmatite mines globally that produce cesium:

  • Bitika, Zimbawe (currently not producing)
  • Sinclair, Australia

There is a limited number of companies in the cesium supply chain. Pioneer Resources Limited entered into an offtake agreement with Cabot Specialty Fluids Ltd to sell 100% of the cesium ore extracted from the Sinclair Zone Cesium Deposit to Cabot (Pioneer press release dated June 20, 2018). The Cabot Corporation’s Specialty Fluids business including the Tanco mine was sold to Sinomine Resource Group Co., Ltd. (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190628005482/en/Cabot-Corporation-Completes-Sale-Specialty-Fluids-Business, dated June 28, 2019). Following the sale of Cabot’s Specialty Fluids business to Sinomine, Pioneer Resources has been shipping its pollucite stocks to Sinomine Specialty Fluids Limited (Pioneer press releases dated Aug. 15, 2019 and Sept. 11, 2019).

Other highlights of Power Metals exploration on our flagship Lithium (Li), Tantalum (Ta) and Cesium (Cs) Case Lake Property to date include:

  • 5405.08 m, 50 drill holes on the Main Dyke
  • 3020.0 m, 33 drill holes on Northeast Dyke
  • 4571 m, 44 drill holes on Main, new dykes, East Dykes and including 18 holes on West Joe Dyke
  • Discovery of West Joe Li-Ta-Cs spodumene pegmatite
  • Discovery of spodumene on Dome 9