Frontier Lithium expands PAK with first Spark resource

Frontier Lithium's PAK project in northwestern Ontario. Credit: Frontier Lithium

Fourteen months after its discovery, Frontier Lithium has released a maiden resource for its Spark deposit, part of its PAK lithium project in northwestern Ontario.

The pegmatite deposit contains 3.3 million indicated tonnes grading 1.59% Li2O and 12.2 million inferred tonnes grading 1.36% Li2O. The estimate used a cutoff grade of 0.65% Li2O and spodumene concentrate prices of $700 per tonne. (The resource also contains niobium, cesium, tantalum, rubidium and tin)

The resource adds to proven and probable reserves delineated at the PAK deposit, 2.3 km southwest, totalling 5.8 million tonnes grading 2% Li2O. The PAK project is located 175 km north of Red Lake.

The Spark estimate was prepared by WSP Canada based on 2,500 metres of drilling in 9 holes and 288 metres of channel cuts in 12 channels.

"Located in Ontario's premium lithium jurisdiction, the Electric Avenue, this second deposit on the PAK lithium project supports our exploration model and highlights the resource upside potential for any required expansion in the future," said Trevor Walker, president and CEO of Frontier Lithium in a release. "The management is focused on Phase I development plans under an advanced exploration program to confirm the project's economic viability through the construction and operation of a demonstration concentrator plant."

The Spark deposit is currently around 300 metres long, 50 to 100 metres wide, and 250 metres deep; it is open in all directions. The resource model shows a pit shell of 700 metres by 660 metres and 240 metres would be required for open pit mining.

PAK hosts a rare, low-iron (below 0.1% Fe2O3) spodumene. Preliminary electron microsprobe data from Spark indicate iron levels consistent with technical grade concentrates.

(This article first appeared in the Canadian Mining Journal)