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James Bay Minerals reports elevated lithium readings across 2.5km of Aero property

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By Imelda Cotton - 
James Bay Minerals ASX JBY elevated lithium readings Aero property La Grande
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James Bay Minerals (ASX: JBY) has reported further elevated lithium readings during a maiden field exploration program at the prospective Aero property within its flagship La Grande project in Canada.

Using a portable SciAps LIBS Z-9031 analytical device, the company’s field exploration team was able to test a green mineral identified in outcrop and rock and channel samples taken from multiple points across the Hawker and Gauntlet pegmatites.

All samples had been taken from breaking pegmatite rock at surface and freshly-exposed rock up to 200 millimetres deep.

The elevated readings relate to spot analyses which targeted the mineral within the pegmatite and returned values showing strongly-anomalous lithium.

Initial observations ranged from 2% to 10% of the whole rock composition.

Visual identification

Organic coverage across the pegmatites (such as moss and lichen) meant the exploration team was unable to provide a visual identification of the mineralisation at surface or accurately estimate the percentage of lithium content.

The samples will now be subject to petrography and xray diffraction work to confirm if the green mineral identified is spodumene and if other less obvious lithium minerals are present.

Assay work will be used to determine actual lithium content.

Additional readings

James Bay said additional LIBS readings would explore other lithologies and exposed minerals around the Hawker pegmatite.

Anomalous but lower lithium values have already been recorded in accessory minerals within the pegmatite and in the wall rock material.

Comparative LIBS results of the green mineral have been reported to be much higher overall, indicating it to be the primary lithium mineralisation in the pegmatite.

The LIBS device is used for preliminary observations of lithium-bearing minerals, while petrographic analysis confirms grades and identifies all lithium minerals present.

Potential of Aero

Executive director Andrew Dornan said the new results point to the potential of the Aero property.

“These LIBS results represent another exciting development for our company,” he said.

“We now have lithium mineralisation confirmed across three separate pegmatites spanning a strike length of 2.5 kilometres [and] this is only the beginning… we look forward to building on these fantastic results over the coming year across all three of our properties at La Grande.”

The La Grande project is located along trend from the Cancet lithium project owned by Winsome Resources (ASX: WR1) and the world-class CV5 deposit owned by Patriot Battery Metals (ASX: PMT).