24 Lithium Bearing Pegmatite Intersects Recorded Across Nine Completed Holes; Drilling Confirms New Bedrock LCT Pegmatite System with Grades Up to 2.57% Li2O
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 15, 2023) - Global Battery Metals Ltd. (TSXV: GBML) (OTCQB: REZZF) (FSE: REZ) (the "Company" or "GBML" or "Global Battery Metals"), an international critical mineral exploration company focused on growth-oriented lithium and battery metal projects, is pleased to announce that the inaugural first phase of drilling has been completed on its Knockeen Lithium Pegmatite drill program in SE County Carlow, Ireland. Focussing on a Lithium-Cesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatite dike swarm, the first nine holes were completed in late October for a total of 2,022m. All nine holes successfully intersected lithium bearing Lithium LCT Pegmatites. Samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in County Galway and analyzed using the specific ME-MS89L Lithium Pegmatite analytical suite which are now reported.
Key Highlights:
Drilling has confirmed and further defined a swarm of pegmatite dikes within host granites to reveal a new, structurally controlled LCT pegmatite system of significance;
24 intervals of lithium bearing spodumene pegmatites were intersected across the nine holes drilled and show that the pegmatites are all broadly parallel with a strike of NE-SW;
The spodumene pegmatites range in width between 0.10m up to 0.63m (true width) with the highest values grading up to 2.57% Li2O in Intercept 15 in Hole 23-1597-06;
Values grading over 1% Li2O were recorded in five of the nine holes drilled (Hole 23-1597-01, Hole 23-1597-02, Hole 23-1597-06, Hole 23-1597-07 and Hole 23-1597-09) with a sixth hole (Hole 23-1597-03) just shy of the 1% mark reporting a 0.96% Li2O intersect; and
The project area is situated within the same tectonic zone and along strike to Blackstairs Lithium (Ganfeng / ILC joint venture) Avalonia Project.
Michael Murphy, CEO of Global Battery Metals, underscored the importance of these initial assays, stating: "Until now, Knockeen has been defined by surface mapping and sampling, along with its strategic location within the East Carlow Deformation Zone and close proximity to Ganfeng and ILC's exploration activity. Our expressed goal to confirm lithium mineralization in our first round of exploration drilling has been achieved, and hitting consistent, near-surface lithium intersects in a brand-new area has the entire team very excited. We've done our homework, including years of geological data collection and hands-on exploration to assess Leinster's lithium potential, and we're taking additional cues and clues from our first-round drilling to further evolve our exploration strategy. In this case, we plan to make calculated, district-scale moves. We've drilled into fingertips and intend to follow these fingers to a wider body."
Assay Results Interpretations and Next Steps
The drilling program defined a swarm of pegmatite dikes across the Knockeen zone with all holes (23-1597-01 to 09) intersecting lithium bearing spodumene pegmatites, seven of which reported multiple intersections. The drill holes were focused in three areas north-east (holes 1-4), central (holes 5-6) and south-west (holes 7-9). The drilled extension of the pegmatite dyke swarm is 500m on strike and extends about 200m vertically. The target area is still open in all directions and also at depth and these aspects will be the focus for the next stage of exploration activities.
Initial interpretation of the pegmatite dike intercepts show that the pegmatites are all broadly parallel with a strike of NE-SW with some minor degrees of inflection across the drilled strike length. The pegmatites are all dipping to the north west with slightly variable dips of between 35-50 degrees. The spodumene pegmatites range in width between 0.10m up to 0.63m (true width) with the best individual sample interval grading up to 2.57% Li2O in Pegmatite 15 (Sample AES65298) in Hole 23-1597-06.
This first phase of Knockeen drilling has been key in setting the scene to establish the geometry and nature of the pegmatites in an entirely new area where there is no surface outcrop, no historical drilling and a single short historical trench. The placing of the target area within the bounds of the interpreted East Carlow Deformation Zone is a key factor in developing the prospect further. Detailed structural and petrological studies will now commence at both the regional and drill core scale to interpret the structural regime of emplacement of the spodumene pegmatites and to determine the geometric model to guide the next phase of drilling. This work has already commenced with the creation of a 3D exploration model in Leapfrog utilizing the several thousands of structural readings collected from the orientated drill core.
The Company also intends to invite additional industry experts in the field of LCT pegmatites and structural geology interpretation to view the drill core at its core shed to help place all of the information collected to date in a detailed structural and lithological framework of the SE Leinster Massif. This will help develop strategies for further exploration work on both this license as well as the rest of the Company's license holdings.
Sampling and Chain of Custody
All holes were drilled by diamond coring at HQ drill core size (63.5mm diameter). The drill core retrieved from the core barrel was continuously measured for exact orientation by the driller using a Reflex EZ-Trac Single Shot down-hole core orientation tool on the drill rig. Once back at the core shed detailed structural measurements could then be measured in the drill core with an IMDEX STRUCTURAL-IQ? Solution tool as part of the core logging process. This approach means that the pegmatites and their exact orientations can be positioned with all of the other structural components relating to the emplacement of the pegmatite dike swarm.
Logging and sampling of the holes took place at the Company's core shed and all samples were run through a tightly controlled chain of custody and rigid QA/QC sampling process which included regular insertion of certified reference materials including standards, blanks and sample duplicates. All samples were submitted to ALS Laboratories in County Galway and analyzed using the specific ME-MS89L Lithium Pegmatite analytical suite offered by the laboratory.
Table 1: Table of results for pegmatite intervals intersected in the drilling
HOLE_ID
SPOD_PEG_ID
SAMPLE
FROM_M
TO_M
APPARENT THICKNESS
TRUE THICKNESS
Li20 %
PEG_Interval_Grade
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65102
33.26
33.69
0.43
0.06
0.22
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65103
33.69
33.93
0.24
0.03
0.35
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65105
33.93
34.20
0.27
0.04
0.95
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65106
34.20
34.59
0.39
0.05
1.43
0.38m @ 1.01% Li2O
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65107
34.59
34.95
0.36
0.05
2.95
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65108
34.95
35.59
0.64
0.09
0.72
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65110
35.59
35.79
0.20
0.03
0.97
23-1597-01
PEG-1
AES65111
35.79
36.05
0.26
0.04
0.39
23-1597-02
PEG-2
AES65123
19.65
20.01
0.36
0.36
0.18
0.36m @ 0.18% Li2O
23-1597-02
PEG-3
AES65127
23.33
23.61
0.28
0.27
1.52
0.27m @ 1.52% Li2O
23-1597-02
PEG-4
AES65136
31.46
31.85
0.39
0.39
1.59
0.39m @ 1.59% Li2O
23-1597-02
PEG-5
AES65178
81.14
81.40
0.26
0.14
0.20
0.14m @ 0.20% Li2O
23-1597-03
PEG-6
AES65212
20.93
21.15
0.22
0.22
0.16
0.22m @ 0.16% Li2O
23-1597-03
PEG-7
AES65221
46.94
47.03
0.09
0.09
0.79
23-1597-03
PEG-7
AES65222
47.03
47.53
0.50
0.48
0.13
0.63m @ 0.27% Li2O
23-1597-03
PEG-7
AES65223
47.53
47.59
0.06
0.06
0.65
23-1597-03
PEG-8
AES65229
68.33
68.60
0.27
0.23
0.57
0.23m @ 0.57% Li2O
23-1597-03
PEG-9
AES65230
77.96
78.16
0.20
0.18
0.96
0.18m @ 0.96% Li2O
23-1597-04
PEG-10
AES65266
83.39
83.74
0.35
0.34
0.59
0.34m @ 0.59% Li2O
23-1597-04
PEG-11
AES65274
125.01
125.16
0.15
0.15
0.37
0.15m @ 0.37% Li2O
23-1597-05
PEG-12
AES62404
35.05
35.22
0.17
0.13
0.12
0.13m @ 0.12% Li2O
23-1597-06
PEG-13
AES65285
42.57
42.89
0.32
0.17
1.14
0.17m @ 1.14% Li2O
23-1597-06
PEG-14
AES65289
44.28
44.65
0.37
0.23
1.12
0.23m @ 1.12% Li2O
23-1597-06
PEG-15
AES65298
64.12
64.30
0.18
0.14
2.57
0.14m @ 2.57% Li2O
23-1597-07
PEG-16
AES62450
56.55
56.84
0.29
0.24
1.26
0.24m @ 1.26% Li2O
23-1597-07
PEG-17
AES62457
69.63
69.77
0.14
0.12
0.26
0.12m @ 0.26% Li2O
23-1597-07
PEG-18
AES62460
72.24
72.55
0.33
0.24
0.62
0.24m @ 0.62% Li2O
23-1597-07
PEG-19
AES62470
107.49
107.58
0.10
0.08
0.32
0.10m @ 0.32% Li2O
23-1597-08
PEG-20
AES62503
68.58
69.69
1.11
0.12
0.35
0.12m @ 0.35% Li2O
23-1597-09
PEG-21
AES62522
33.81
33.99
0.18
0.12
0.62
0.12m @ 0.62% Li2O
23-1597-09
PEG-22
AES62527
42.34
42.7
0.36
0.26
0.53
0.26m @ 0.53% Li2O
23-1597-09
PEG-23
AES62536
65.73
66.14
0.41
0.25
1.18
0.25m @ 1.18% Li2O
23-1597-09
PEG-24
AES62540
78.17
78.56
0.39
0.22
0.74
0.22m @ 0.74% Li2O
About the Leinster Lithium Project
Located south of Dublin in the counties of Wicklow and South Carlow, the Leinster Lithium Project consists of 16 prospecting license areas covering approximately 525 km2 situated along strike to nearby Blackstairs Lithium's Avalonia Project (297 km2 joint venture between Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. and International Lithium Corp.). All of GBML's license holdings are located within or along the important East Carlow Deformation Zone, which is interpreted to control the emplacement of an existing LCT pegmatite field at the Blackstairs Mountains.
With first phase drilling concluded at Knockeen, GBML has succeeded in identifying a new and structurally controlled LCT pegmatite system of significance, importantly recording 24 intervals of lithium bearing spodumene pegmatites intersected across nine holes drilled. The spodumene pegmatites range in width between 0.10m up to 0.63m (true width) with the highest values grading up to 2.57% Li2O. No drilling has ever been carried out at the Knockeen Prospect previously and intersecting lithium bearing pegmatites in all of the holes drilled so far is considered a major technical success for the Company. Prior surface exploration activities identified and confirmed expansive surface boulder trains of lithium pegmatite lithologies in a number of areas across the Company's property, with recent assay results of 66 rock samples analyzed by ALS Laboratories earlier this year returning Li2O% lithium contents ranging up to 3.75% Li2O / 17,410 ppm lithium.
Image 1: Spodumene pegmatite in drill core DDH 23-1597-01
All mineral exploration activities in Ireland take place under the auspices of the GSRO, a division within the Government Department of the Environment, Communications & Climate Change. Exploration is governed under the framework of both Irish and EU legislation that has been implemented to ensure that the environment is protected during exploratory work. Prospecting license holders must comply with all of the relevant legislation. The Company is pleased to confirm that it adheres to the highest standards of good practice in relation to its ongoing exploration activities having completed a detailed GSRO "Appropriate Assessment" process prior to commencement which was reviewed, approved and signed off by the appropriate oversight authorities. GBML's Directors understand that social license is key to unlocking positive exploration outcomes by following low impact / low sound / low disturbance exploration program best practice for environmental sensitivity.
Decision Made to Exit La Poile Exploration Program
GBML also announces that the Company has discontinued exploration activity at the La Poile Project in Newfoundland and has elected to terminate the property option agreement dated November 8, 2021. This decision was reached following the conclusion of a previously announced 2023 exploration program. Initial exploration of the La Poile Project began in 2022 during which several pegmatite dikes were discovered and sampled but were not found to be Li-bearing.
"Exploration activities at La Poile have not generated the type of results needed to shift any subsequent attention away from accelerating our Leinster Lithium Project expansion efforts. I want to also be very clear that drilling Lithium King this year remains a priority," Murphy added.
Competent Person
All scientific and technical information in this announcement has been prepared under the supervision of and reviewed and approved by EurGeol Vaughan Williams, M.Sc., P.Geo., (Principal of Aurum Exploration Services currently providing exploration services to GBML and to LRH Resources Limited), a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101.
Quality Assurance/Quality Control
Quality Assurance/Quality Control of drill core samples and associated assay results are monitored by GBML through a quality assurance/quality control ("QA/QC") protocol which includes the insertion of blind standard reference materials, blanks, and duplicates at regular intervals. Core is drilled in HQ core diameter and each 3 meters of core recovered is orientated by the drilling contractor on completion of each run drilled. Drill core is laid out in strong core boxes and transported by Company geologists from the drill rig to GBML's secure logging facility. Drill core is then logged using an established logging procedure capturing detailed lithological data as well as measuring all structural elements using a Reflex IQ Logger for accurate orientation of all contacts and structures. The core is marked up for sampling and sawn on site using a diamond core saw. Half core samples are then bagged and secured using plastic cable ties and the samples are then securely transported to ALS Laboratory ("ALS") facilities in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. Samples are analyzed for lithium as well as multi- elemental trace elements using the specific LCT pegmatite analytical suite ME-MS89L offered by ALS. ALS also performs its own internal QA/QC procedures to assure the accuracy and integrity of results. GBML is unaware of any drilling, sampling, recovery, or other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein.
About Global Battery Metals Ltd.
GBML is an international mineral exploration and development company with a focus on lithium and other metals that comprise and support the rapid evolution to battery power. GBML currently maintains economic interests in three battery metal projects: (1) an option to acquire up to a 90% interest in the Leinster Lithium Property and drill program currently underway in Ireland; (2) a 100% interest in the drill-ready Lithium King Property in Utah; and (3) a 55% stake in Peru-based Lara Copper Property, which has over 10,000 metres of drilling. As previously disclosed, Minsur S.A., a Peruvian mining company, entered into an option agreement with GBML and Lara Exploration Ltd. to acquire the Lara copper property for staged payments of USD$5.75 million. GBML will retain a 0.75% net smelter royalty. GBML's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV: GBML); Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: REZ); and are quoted on the OTC Markets (OTCQB: REZZF).
Global Battery Metals Ltd. Michael Murphy BA, MBA, MSc., ICD President & CEO T: 604-649-2350 E: [email protected] W: www.gbml.ca
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding "Forward-Looking" Information
This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, without limitation, statements relating to the future operations and activities of the Company, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to, among other things, the Company's exploration plans at the Leinster Lithium Project, including the drill program and results therefrom. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions, and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation, the ability to complete exploration work, the results of exploration, continued availability of capital, and changes in general economic, market and business conditions, and the receipt of any required regulatory approvals. Readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release concerning these items. Readers are urged to refer to the Company's reports for a more complete discussion of such risk factors and their potential effects, publicly available at SEDAR+, the Canadian Securities Administrators' national system that all market participants use for filings and disclosure, at www.sedarplus.ca. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements of beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by applicable securities laws.
