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Murray Ward
Critical Resources is set to pull the trigger on a lithium exploration blitz across a five-kilometre corridor at its Corona pegmatite field in Ontario, Canada.
The field campaign has been designed to prepare the way for new resources that could bulk up its flagship Mavis Lake project and fast-track it into a district-scale lithium powerhouse.
In particular, Critical will be looking to sniff out concealed spodumene systems within the same prime corridor that already hosts Mavis Lake’s standout mineral resource of 8 million tonnes at 1.07 per cent lithium oxide.
Systematic mapping previously identified the Corona pegmatite bodies, some up to a whopping 70m wide, just 4km north of the Mavis Lake main zone, hinting that a hefty mineralised system may be lurking beneath the surface cover.
‘Mavis Lake has the potential to evolve from a single deposit asset into a multi-deposit lithium district.’
Critical Resources managing director Tim Wither
The work builds on historical data that show all the hallmarks of fertile lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite systems with the scale to deliver significant commercial value.
Limited outcrop exposure from overburden and wetlands makes Corona especially intriguing, given its proximity to Mavis Lake and the fact the ground remains barely tested.
As soon as the snow melts, the geos will move to identify the targets within the spodumene–beryl–tantalite zonation corridor using strategic mapping as the primary driver of the upcoming drill campaign. It will leverage a strong geochem and aeromagnetic dataset to pinpoint hotspots ahead of a drill program later in the year.
Critical Resources managing director Tim Wither said: “Mavis Lake has the potential to evolve from a single deposit asset into a multi-deposit lithium district.”
Critical expects to have a picnic basket of new drill-ready targets identified by the time they finish integration of all the data sets and complete the strategic mapping due in quarter two. The timeline ensures the company can pounce on the best targets during the upcoming northern summer.
The company says its exploration strategy is all about unlocking the full potential of its 400-square-kilometre land holding in Canada, as global demand for battery metals heats up.
Management says it has now inked in an operational program, and crews are ready to mobilise in late April to begin the mapping phase.
Regionally, the project’s credentials stack up well. Just 10 kilometres from the infrastructure hub of Dryden, Mavis Lake sits in the heart of Ontario’s emerging “Electric Avenue” lithium corridor.
It also shares the neighbourhood with some serious players. Nearby, Frontier Lithium is developing its PAK and Spark projects alongside Mitsubishi Corporation, expected to be one of North America’s largest high-grade hard rock lithium operations – a clear signal the district is heating up fast.
Elsewhere, Critical has been stepping up exploration activities in New Zealand, notably at its exciting Cap Burn gold prospect, whilst also flagging high-grade tungsten potential at its Croesus project.
If the upcoming field program can convert its early geological promise into drill-ready targets, Critical Resources may be on the cusp of adding another key chapter to its Mavis Lake growth story – and taking a meaningful step toward building a district-scale lithium play in one of Canada’s most prospective regions.
Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact: mattbirney@bullsnbears.com.au
