First Energy Metals Cuts 1.04 Percent Lithium Oxide Over 4.5 Meters in Channel Samples from Augustus Lithium Property
Vancouver, B.C. (April 1, 2021) – First Energy Metals Ltd. (CSE: FE) ("First Energy" or the “Company) is pleased to announce another round of assay results from channel sampling program at its Augustus Lithium Property in Quebec, Canada. The channel samples intersected 4.5 meters of spodumene pegmatite with 1.04 percent lithium oxide. The Company is also pleased to share the news that its field exploration team has discovered another wide lithium pegmatite zone (the “Beluga Pegmatite”) with surface exposures mapped to a width of 50-80 metres and an east-west strike length of over 215 metres. Little historical exploration work has been documented for this spodumene pegmatite dyke/sill which will be a main target of the Company’s ongoing exploration program of prospecting, mapping, trenching and channel sampling.
Highlights of Assays (see Table 1 for details)
- Lithium (Li) values are in the range of 51 ppm (parts per million) to 6,290 ppm.
- Lithium oxide (Li2O) values are in the range of 0.01 percent (%) to 1.35% Li2O with an intersection of 1.04% Li2O over 4.5 m.
- Beryllium values are in the range of 36 ppm to 334 ppm, barium is from 6 ppm to 213 ppm, and cesium is from 5.1 ppm to 75.4 ppm.
- Niobium is in the range of 45.8 ppm to 108.5 ppm, rubidium 19.3 ppm to 3,110 ppm, strontium 19 ppm to 136 ppm, and tantalum 22.7 ppm to 89.2 ppm.
The ground exploration work has been continuous since February 2021 and its purpose is to locate and confirm historical lithium pegmatite occurrences on two lithium prospects (Augustus and Canadian Lithium Prospects), to locate historical drill holes on the Property completed in 1950’s, and to prepare for the upcoming drilling program planned as soon as a drill contractor is available. The pegmatite outcrops were exposed using an excavator due to heavy cover of snow and some overburden. Several historical drill hole casings were located which will provide useful guidelines for placing future drill holes and mapping lithium pegmatites on surface. The field exploration is continuous, and more channel sampling is being carried out on the exposed outcrops. The weather is expected to warm up in the coming weeks which will help thawing of frozen ground to continue sampling.
Gurminder Sangha, CEO of First Energy Metals stated that, “The Company is excited for the progress made to date, especially with the discovery of a new lithium pegmatite zone. First Energy is diverting most of its available resources to explore and develop Augustus project as soon as possible to bring it at par with other developed lithium projects in the Abitibi area. The Company is looking forward to add more lithium resource in the inventory of Quebec Province”.
Each channel sample from this program represents about 38 to 76 cm long, 5 cm wide and 3-5 cm deep cut in bedrock. The samples were bagged and tagged using best practices and were delivered to Activation Laboratories (“ACTLABS”), Ancaster, Ontario for sample preparation and analyses using laboratories code Ultratrace 7 as summarized below. ACTLABS is an independent commercial, accredited ISO Certified Laboratory.
Code Ultratrace 7 – Peroxide Fusion – ICP and ICP/MS
Samples are fused with sodium peroxide in a Zirconium crucible. The fused sample is acidified with concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids. The resulting solutions are diluted and then measured by ICP-OES and ICP-MS. All metals are solubilized.
ICP-MS
Fused samples are diluted and analyzed by Agilent 7900 ICP-MS. Calibration is performed using five synthetic calibration standards. A set of (10-20) fused certified reference material is run with every batch of samples for calibration and quality control. Fused duplicates are run every 10 samples.
ICP-OES
Samples are analyzed with a minimum of 10 certified reference materials for the required analytes, all prepared by sodium peroxide fusion. Every 10th sample is prepared and analyzed in duplicate; a blank is prepared every 30 samples and analyzed. Samples are analyzed using a Varian 735ES ICP and internal standards are used as part of the standard operating procedure. Source: https://actlabs.com/geochemistry/lithogeochemistry-and-whole-rock-analysis/peroxide-total-fusion/
Afzaal Pirzada, P.Geo., Geological Consultant of the Company, and a “Qualified Person” for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.
About the Augustus Lithium Property
The Company owns 100% interest in Augustus Lithium Property in Landrienne & Lacorne-Townships, Quebec, Canada. The Property consists of 271 mining claims covering a total area of 14,155 hectares located approximately 40 kilometres northwest of the town of Val d’Or on map sheets 32C/05 and 32D08. The newly acquired Property claims are spread in several claim blocks optioned in 2021 from different vendors. The Company has prepared a well thought out work plan on the property which includes diamond drilling, metallurgical testwork to produce battery grade lithium carbonate, and resource estimation. To date, the Company has compiled historical drill hole data on the Property for 74 historical dill holes with a cumulative drilling of 12,123.14 m, out which 6,024 m drilling was completed on the Property during 1950s. Several drill hole results indicated intersections over 1% lithium oxide. All this data will help to develop future exploratory drill program and building a data base for NI 43-101 resource estimation”.
About First Energy Metals Limited.
First Energy Metals is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a primary focus of acquiring a multicommodity mineral property portfolio. Its goal is to identify, acquire and explore North American mineral prospects in the technology metals, precious metal, and base metal sector.
The company's strategy is to:
- Acquire and advance projects through prospecting and early-stage exploration;
- Source joint venture partners to finance future exploration and project development;
- Create shareholder value through exploration success.
First Energy will continue to add to its multicommodity portfolio through organic acquisitions of new projects and opportunities with the intention of adding value and projects over time.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF
FIRST ENERGY METALS LTD.
"Gurminder Sangha"
Gurminder Sangha
President & Chief Executive Officer
For further information, please contact the Company at: gsangha@firstenergymetals.com or (604) 375-6005
Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release.
Forward-looking Information
Except for the statements of historical fact, this news release contains “forward-looking information” within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. “Forward-looking information” in this news release includes information about the Company’s information concerning the intentions, plans and future actions of the parties to the transactions described herein and the terms thereon.
The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions about the Company’s ability to obtain required approvals. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of the Company's normal course of business. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.
Table 1: Sample assays highlights
Analyte Symbol
Location NAD 1983
Ba
Be
Cs
Li
Li2O
Nb
Rb
Sr
Ta
Unit Symbol
Sample Length (m) / Type
ppm
ppm
ppm
ppm
%
ppm
ppm
ppm
ppm
Detection Limit
UTM Zone 18
3
3
0.1
3
2.4
0.4
3
0.2
Analysis Method
Easting
Northing
FUS-MS-Na2O2
1387915
Grab
286710
5367973
213
214
39.6
62
0.01
70.9
1000
127
89.2
1387916
0.4
286713
5367972
15
107
71.7
120
0.03
108.5
3080
30
50.4
1387917
0.62
286714
5367973
11
157
72.4
1130
0.24
84
2330
29
64
CHANNEL 1 Mineralized Section
1387918
0.75
286715
5367973
6
176
35.2
4340
0.93
72.9
1150
19
36.7
1387919
0.7
286715
5367973
44
244
64.9
3830
0.82
73.7
2410
35
76.3
1387920
0.76
286717
5367974
7
222
55.9
5690
1.23
71.1
2000
20
67.8
1387921
0.6
286717
5367975
9
334
68.2
4760
1.02
73.9
2390
23
37
1387922
0.41
286715
5367977
18
273
63
2950
0.64
45.8
2490
27
22.9
1387923
0.57
286713
5367976
14
316
62
6290
1.35
58.1
2230
23
27.4
1387924
0.71
286713
5367979
10
295
47.7
5580
1.20
71.8
1440
22
52
Total
4.5 Meters at 1.04 percent Lithium Oxide
1387925
0.38
286715
5367979
35
248
39.7
1040
0.22
79.7
1210
39
86.7
1387926
Grab
286731
5367958
27
36
9.9
70
0.02
64.5
320
56
70.6
1387927
Grab
286732
5367958
9
194
37.1
1420
0.31
88
1120
20
43.7
1387928
Grab
286735
5367956
24
210
75.4
75
0.02
56
3110
35
40.1
1387929
Grab
286791
5367924
36
150
56.3
2650
0.57
66.3
2580
34
41
1387888
Grab
286769
5368025
23
262
5.1
51
0.01
81.1
19.3
136
68.1
Note: A standard conversion factor of 2.153 was used to report Li to Li2O values