1. Patriot confirmed a large cesium discovery at Shaakichiuwaanaan. 2. Cesium mineralization supports high-grade lithium and tantalum deposits. 3. Discovery presents value-add opportunity alongside lithium production. 4. Cesium is critical, scarce, and used in various high-tech applications. 5. Potential increases PMETF stakeholder value and market position.
The significant cesium discovery enhances PMETF's growth potential and market attractiveness. Historically, successful mineral discoveries lead to price increases, evident in other mining companies' performance.
The article indicates a significant advancement in PMETF's project, directly affecting its valuation and market perception. This is critical in a competitive lithium and rare minerals market.
The ongoing evaluation and development of cesium alongside lithium may yield substantial returns over time, particularly as demand for cesium grows in various industries.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - April 10, 2025 – Sydney, Australia
Darren L. Smith, Patriot Executive and Vice President of Exploration, comments: "With the receipt of overlimit assay results, we have now confirmed a large cesium discovery at Shaakichiuwaanaan, supported by wide and well-mineralized drill intercepts. Cesium mineralization of this scale and grade, often combined with high-grade lithium and tantalum, is exceptionally rare globally and underscores the extraordinary endowment of the mineral system at Shaakichiuwaanaan in high-value critical minerals.
"While our primary focus remains steadfast on advancing the CV5 Deposit to production based on its world-class lithium endowment, the discovery of cesium presents a compelling value-add opportunity for the Company. Cesium is a high-value and rare commodity which has the potential to become a meaningful by-product to future lithium operations, complementing our core business."
"Given the strategic importance and scarcity of cesium in global markets - and its growing use in key industrial and specialized applications – this discovery has the potential to significantly enhance stakeholder value and re-affirms Shaakichiuwaanaan as one of the top LCT pegmatite assets in the world. For this reason, the Company intends to further evaluate the cesium opportunity as we advance Shaakichiuwaanaan towards development," added Mr. Smith.
Patriot Battery Metals Inc. (the "Company" or "Patriot") (TSX: PMET) (ASX: PMT) (OTCQX: PMETF) (FSE: R9GA) is pleased to announce the results of cesium (Cs) assay overlimit analysis, which reaffirm the discovery of two (2) distinct zones of cesium mineralization at the CV13 Pegmatite. The CV13 Pegmatite forms part of the Company's 100% owned Shaakichiuwaanaan Property (the "Property" or "Project"), located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec.
The Shaakichiuwaanaan Property hosts a consolidated Mineral Resource Estimate1 ("MRE") of 80.1 Mt at 1.44% Li2O Indicated and 62.5 Mt at 1.31% Li2O Inferred. The CV5 Spodumene Pegmatite, which forms the bulk of the MRE, is accessible year-round by all-season road and is situated approximately 14 km from a major hydroelectric powerline corridor. The CV13 Pegmatite is located <3 km along geological trend from the CV5 Pegmatite, and hosts additional lithium and tantalum resources, as well as recently discovered zones of cesium mineralisation (see news release dated March 2, 2025).
The initial discovery of two (2) distinct zones of cesium enrichment at CV13 was first announced in the Company's news release dated March 2, 2025, and was based on drill hole pegmatite intercepts which had returned analytical results for cesium that exceeded the detection limit – >10,000 ppm Cs (i.e., >1% Cs or >1.06% Cs2O) – of the analytical package. With the overlimit analytical results now received, the final grade-width calculations for the intervals >1% Cs2O are reported in this news release (see Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4, Table 1, and Table 3).
The largest of the two (2) cesium zones at CV13 is coincident with the high-grade (lithium) Vega Zone (Figure 1) and can be traced through drilling over an extensive area of ~600 m x 400 m, ranging in thickness from 1-2 m to >10 m. The cesium mineralization at the Vega Zone sits ~125 m to 150 m from surface and remains open to the northwest. Additionally, the cesium zone at Vega is commonly accompanied by high-grade lithium and tantalum (Table 1).
The newly named "Rigel Zone" is situated coincident with the apex of the structural flexure at CV13 and is estimated through drilling to have a high-grade footprint of approximately 200 m x 80 m at up to ~5 m thick. This zone includes the highest cesium grades reported to date from the Property – 1.1 m at 26.61% Cs2O (CV23-204) and 2.0 m at 22.90% Cs2O (CV23-255) – which imply intervals of near-massive pollucite and represent some of the highest known cesium grades reported globally in recent years.
The Rigel Zone is present at shallow depth (~50 m from surface) and, while it appears to be smaller in scale than the Vega Zone, it also appears to be higher grade. Additionally, similar to Vega, the cesium zone at Rigel may be accompanied by high-grade lithium and tantalum (Table 1).
In addition to CV13, the CV5 Pegmatite also returned multiple cesium mineralized intercepts (see Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7, Table 2, and Table 3). Initial review indicates a wider distribution of cesium across the pegmatite, with distinct zones less apparent compared to the Vega and Rigel cesium zones at the CV13 Pegmatite. However, given the density of drilling, further review and modelling is required to determine continuity and distinct zonation, especially given that cesium zones are relatively small but very high-value.
Pollucite, the principal and preferred ore mineral for cesium, has been identified by XRD mineralogical analysis at Shaakichiuwaanaan and is interpreted to be the primary source of the cesium enrichment at the Property based on cesium grades and logging. The high-grade cesium intercepts indicate that semi-massive to massive pollucite is present, especially in the Rigel Zone where several 10% to 20+% Cs2O intercepts are present.
Cesium (Cs) is a specialty metal and is listed as a critical and strategic mineral by Canada, the province of Quebec (Canada), Japan, and the United States. The principal use of cesium, which is almost exclusively recovered (in its primary form) from the mineral pollucite, is in the form of cesium formate brine. Due to its high-density, low toxicity, biodegradable nature, and recoverability, cesium is used to support the completion of oil and gas wells at high pressure and temperature.
Cesium is also used in atomic clocks, GPS, aircraft guidance, and telecommunications. Its compounds have various applications; cesium carbonate in fuel cells, cesium chloride in chemistry and nuclear medicine, cesium hydroxide in batteries, cesium iodide in X-ray equipment, cesium nitrate in pyrotechnics and scintillation counters, and cesium sulfates in water treatment and scientific instruments.
This news release has been approved by the Board of Directors.