Power Metals Corp. has announced the production of a high-grade cesium concentrate at its 100%-owned Case Lake Project (CLP) in northeastern Ontario. The concentrate, resulting from Phase I X-ray transmission (XRT) ore sorting, graded 19.97% Cesium Oxide (Cs₂O), positioning Case Lake as a potentially world-leading cesium mine. The company's 2024 Phase III drill program is currently underway.
High-Grade Concentrate Production
Test work conducted by SGS Lakefield on three products from XRT sorting confirmed the high-grade concentrate. Key samples included:
- Sample 24-036-01P: 23.50% Cs₂O, 0.43% Li₂O, and 41 ppm Ta
- Sample 24-036-02P: 4.80% Cs₂O, 2.11% Li₂O, and 589 ppm Ta
- Sample 24-036-03P: 15.20% Cs₂O, 1.03% Li₂O, and 276 ppm Ta
These results underscore the potential of the Case Lake Project to meet the increasing demand for high-grade cesium oxide.
Phase II Drilling Results
Final assay results from the 2024 Phase II drilling program continue to demonstrate consistent high-grade mineralization of cesium, lithium, and tantalum. Targeted drilling at the West Joe and Main Zone confirmed additional high-grade cesium oxide (Cs₂O), lithium, and tantalum mineralization. Exceptional shallow intercepts reached concentrations of up to 15.37% Cs₂O, including:
- Hole PWM-24-227: 3.00 meters averaging 10.61% Cs₂O in a pollucite-rich zone
XRT Ore Sorting Details
The Phase I XRT ore sorting utilized a 60 kg bulk sample from HQ drill holes PWM-24-203 to PWM-24-206. Mineralized intervals produced 48 quarter core samples with average grades of 3.72% Cs₂O, 1.04% Li₂O, and 412ppm Ta over a 5.10-meter interval.
The primary and secondary XRT analysis used 21.60 kg of material from 14 drill core samples, crushed and screened at 8 to 32 mm. The feed grade for these samples averaged 6.27% Cs₂O, 1.09% Li₂O, and 548ppm Ta across a 2.70 meter interval.
The primary XRT analysis produced a high-density concentrate (Sample 24-036-01P) with 23.50% Cs₂O, 0.43% Li₂O, and 41 ppm Ta. The secondary analysis (Sample 24-036-02P) yielded a concentrate with 4.80% Cs₂O, 2.11% Li₂O, and 589 ppm Ta.
The tertiary XRT analysis, using 22.00 kg of material, produced a high-density concentrate (Sample 24-036-03P) that reported 15.20% Cs₂O, 1.03% Li₂O, and 276 ppm Ta. The feed grade for these samples averaged 2.67% Cs₂O, 1.02% Li₂O, and 355ppm Ta across an interval of 8.13 meters.
Management Commentary
Johnathan More, Chairman and Founder of Power Metals, commented, "The recent assay results from our Phase I ore sorting test work confirm the production of a high-grade cesium concentrate for our world-class Case Lake Project... The Case Lake Project is developing into potentially the world's highest grade cesium mine."
Haydn Daxter, CEO of Power Metals, added, "The production of a high-grade cesium concentrate from our recent test work is a major achievement in the viability of our Flagship Case Lake project... The use of XRT has been integral in the production of cesium oxide at both Sinclair and Tanco and has performed exceptionally well at Case Lake as part of our Phase I analysis."
Next Steps
The concentrate is currently undergoing chemical conversion with SGS Lakefield to produce cesium formate. Phase II ore sorting will commence shortly at Tomra Germany with a 200kg sample from West Joe, followed by conversion to cesium carbonate and cesium hydroxide.
