Pioneer Lithium strikes high-grade spodumene at new Benham project in Ontario

Pioneer Lithium’s (ASX: PLN) confidence in the significance of its spodumene discovery at the Benham project in Ontario has been enhanced by the receipt of “outstanding” channel sample assay results at the newly-acquired site.

Benham has proven an instant hit for Pioneer with its exploration team already discovering numerous pegmatite outcrops including a 40-metre long mineralised prominence.

“This is a great way to start the year, with laboratory assays confirming the visual estimates reported by our team late last year,” executive chair Robert Martin said.

“The rapid discovery of up to 60 pegmatite outcrops last year in the narrow exploration window in November was a tremendous result in itself.”

“The fact that we now have confirmed high-grade spodumene mineralisation in channel samples vindicates our decision to expedite exploration at the project.”

“Rock-chip sampling has also provided favourable indicators of the right pathfinder elements and geochemical ratios to support the presence of highly fractionated lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites in the vicinity of these mineralised outcrops,” he added.

“This supports the potential of the Benham project and we look forward to obtaining further data to help us plan the next steps.”

Assay results have now confirmed visual estimates of spodumene mineralisation at this pegmatite including best assay results of up to 4.61% lithium oxide in the north-west corner of the project area.

Maiden field work program

Mr Martin said these latest results confirm the outstanding discovery potential at Benham after Pioneer wrapped up a short initial field work program in November that identified spodumene-bearing pegmatite outcrops in the project’s north-west section.

The outcrop includes multiple mineralised veins exposed over a length of approximately 1.5m to 2m and contains cream, euhedral and very coarse-grained unaltered spodumene.

This mineralogy is aligned with that reported on Beyond Lithium’s neighbouring Victory project.

Inclement weather restricted the program to just five days’ field work, meaning the team was only able to conduct activities over approximately 50% of the project area.

However, it still managed to identify a total of 61 pegmatite outcrops including the mineralised sections.

Benham comprises 30 claims covering approximately 1,245 hectares located immediately south of the boundary between the Winnipeg River and Western Wabigoon sub-provinces of the Archaean Superior Craton, straddling a narrow greenstone belt proximal to the peraluminous, two-mica Ghost Lake Batholith and its smaller satellites.

The project is located approximately 70km west of Critical Resources’ (ASX: CRR) Mavis Lake lithium project, which comprises over 20 LCT pegmatites genetically related to the Ghost Lake Batholith.

Strong lithium footprint

Earlier this month, Pioneer received approval from the Ministry of Mines for a recently-submitted early exploration permit that complements the existing early exploration permit at its Root Lake lithium project located in the north-west region of Ontario.

A maiden field work program at Root Lake identified further exploration targets within the existing exploration permit area and located new areas outside of the existing zone, leading to the application for the second permit.

Mr Martin said the receipt of the key statutory approval complements the existing early exploration permit and supports Pioneer’s approach of multi-phase drilling campaigns.

The company is finalising plans for its maiden drilling program at Root Lake, incorporating the enlarged area covered by this second early exploration permit.