{"id":27667,"date":"2022-11-24T09:40:13","date_gmt":"2022-11-24T09:40:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/?p=27667"},"modified":"2022-12-01T14:53:34","modified_gmt":"2022-12-01T14:53:34","slug":"new-lithium-mineralisation-discovered-in-newfoundland-pegmatite-dykes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.innovationnewsnetwork.com\/new-lithium-mineralisation-discovered-in-newfoundland-pegmatite-dykes\/27667\/","title":{"rendered":"Discovering a new lithium-caesium-tantalum district in Newfoundland"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Benton\/Sokoman Alliance has confirmed the first lithium occurrence in Newfoundland, Canada, and continues to expand a new field of dyke swarms.<\/h2>\n

The Benton\/Sokoman Alliance, initially formed by Benton Resources and Sokoman Minerals to explore gold deposits in Newfoundland, Canada, is now making progress in lithium exploration after discovering the presence of lithium-bearing pegmatite dykes. Discovery was just over a year ago and, since then, ground reconnaissance, limited soil sampling, and two diamond drilling campaigns have been completed. Results to date are highly encouraging and a new lithium district could be emerging.<\/p>\n

The Newfoundland lithium occurrences exhibit all the characteristics of a known major lithium-rich corridor observed from Ireland to the Carolinas. There are key indicators (lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) geochemical signatures) that point to target areas with a high probability for the discovery of additional LCT-rich pegmatites.<\/p>\n

Benton\/Sokoman Alliance<\/h3>\n

Benton Resources Inc.<\/a> is a mineral exploration company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. Following a project generation business model, Benton holds a diversified, highly prospective property portfolio in gold, silver, nickel, copper, and platinum group elements and currently holds large equity positions in other mining companies that are advancing high-quality assets.<\/p>\n

Sokoman Minerals Corp.<\/a> is a discovery-oriented company with projects in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, with primary activity focused on its portfolio of gold projects: the flagship, 100%-owned Moosehead, with Fosterville-style mineralisation, and the district-scale Fleur de Lys project that is targeting Dalradian-type orogenic gold mineralisation similar to the Curraghinalt and Cavanacaw deposits in Northern Ireland, and Cononish in Scotland.<\/p>\n

In May 2021, Sokoman, together with Benton, formed the Benton\/Sokoman Alliance (\u2018the Alliance\u2019) \u2013 a 50\/50 joint venture targeting district-scale gold opportunities in Newfoundland. The Alliance completed the acquisition of the Grey River Gold Project in southern Newfoundland; the Golden Hope joint venture in south-central Newfoundland, one of the largest gold properties on the island; and the Kepenkeck Project, located near the northeast extension of the Hermitage Flexure, the predominant geological feature of the south Newfoundland Appalachians. Heliborne High-Resolution Aeromagnetic & Matrix Digital VLF-EM Surveys were commenced on all three projects by July 2021.<\/p>\n

Key exploration results<\/h3>\n

An initial reconnaissance mission at the Golden Hope joint venture was intended to identify extensions of known gold-bearing structures, as well as any previously unrecognised structures on the property and to obtain samples in as many areas as possible. During this effort, field personnel discovered a swarm of lithium-bearing pegmatite dykes collecting three grab samples over a 110m width across the dykes. Two of the samples returned 1.95% Li2<\/sub>O and 0.49% Li2<\/sub>O, believed to be the first discovery of significant lithium mineralisation on the island of Newfoundland, although lithium occurrences in the Appalachian belt are well known.<\/p>\n

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Fig. 1: Drill-core sample in the recent drilling programme<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Follow-up samples were quickly collected over a 1km2<\/sup> area covering the swarm of poorly exposed pegmatite and aplite dykes. This sampling analysis has confirmed that:<\/p>\n