Li-FT Initiates 45,000 Meter Drill Program at the Yellowknife Lithium Project, NWT
Li-FT Initiates 45,000 Meter Drill Program at
the Yellowknife Lithium Project, NWT
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - June 7, 2023) - Li-FT Power Ltd.
(CSE: LIFT)
(FSE: WS0)
("
LIFT
" or the "
Company
") is pleased to report the start of a 45,000 meter drill program
that began June 2, 2023 at its Yellowknife Lithium Project located to the east of Yellowknife, Northwest
Territories. The current drill program is targeting seven outcropping spodumene-bearing pegmatite dyke
complexes that are within 10 kilometers of an all-season highway (Figure 1, Road Access Group).
Drilling will begin by targeting areas that, based on historic trench sample results, returned the highest
lithia grades from outcropping pegmatites. The Fi Southwest and Fi Main pegmatites will be the first
targets to be drilled (Figure 2). The Company plans to drill each pegmatite target at 100 meter by 100
meter centers to a vertical depth of 300 meters. This is expected to provide sufficient sample density to
enable estimates for inferred resources by mid-2024.
Francis MacDonald, CEO of Li-FT, comments, "We are thrilled to have started the drill program at our
Yellowknife Lithium Project. This is one of the largest exploration drill programs for lithium globally, which
we believe is justified by the impressive outcropping exposures of spodumene-bearing pegmatites
across the portfolio that have been reported to have potentially economic grades at surface from work
completed in the 1970s and 1980s. We believe that this drill program will show the scale and potential of
the Yellowknife Pegmatite Province and put us well on our way to delivering a maiden resource
estimate."
Fi Southwest & Fi Main Pegmatite Dyke Targets
LIFT plans to drill 16,075 meters over 79 diamond drill holes to a vertical depth of 300 meters at the Fi
targets.
The Fi area is comprised of two northeast trending dykes that have a cumulative strike length of 3,300
meters (Figure 4a).
The Fi Southwest dyke is the shorter and wider of the two dykes, with a total strike
length of 1,100 meters and an average outcropping width of 21 meters.
The dyke has a 540 meter-long
central segment that dips steeply to the southeast and contains 5-30% spodumene (Figure 4b).
In 1975,
fourteen trenches were completed across the dyke, as shown in Figure 4a below.
The Fi Main dyke is
located 250 meters to the northeast of Fi Southwest and crops out over a total distance of 2,200 meters.
The pegmatite dips steeply to the west-northwest and consists of two branching dyke segments each
averaging 10 meters in width.
In the central part of the dyke, where it branches, there is a 440m-long
section with 5-30% spodumene (Figure 4b).
Here, the dykes widen to 15m.
In 1956, ten trenches were
excavated in the area covering 440m of the dyke's strike length.
The trenches returned up to 21.9 meters
of 1.34% Li
2
O (average of 1.3% Li
2
O over 14.8 meters)
1
.
A bulk sampling program for metallurgy was completed in 1987 by Equinox Resources. Five 230
kilogram samples were taken from the Fi area which returned an average head grade of 1.33% Li
2
O
1
.
Figure 1 - Location of LIFT's Yellowknife Lithium Project. Drilling will focus on the Road Access Group
of pegmatites which are located to the east of the city of Yellowknife along a government-maintained
paved highway.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8766/169067_68808c96848d59ef_002full.jpg
Figure 2 - Road Access Pegmatites drill plan for 2023. 45,000 meters of drilling is planned on the 7
target dykes. The drilling will be completed on 100m-spacing to a vertical depth of 300m.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8766/169067_68808c96848d59ef_003full.jpg
Figure 3 - Fi Southwest pegmatite with diamond drill set up. The first drill hole at Fi Southwest is
targeting the extensions of high-grade spodumene recorded in historic channel sampling data
1
.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8766/169067_68808c96848d59ef_004full.jpg
Ki Pegmatite Dyke Target
LIFT plans to drill 5,545 meters over 32 diamond drill holes to a vertical depth of 300 meters at the Ki
pegmatite.
The Ki pegmatite is a steeply dipping set of dykes that trends on surface for 1,400 meters and has an
average outcropping width of 12 meters (Figure 5a). Spodumene is abundant where detailed mapping
has occurred within a 350 meter long segment (Figure 5b). In 1978 two diamond drill holes tested the Ki
dyke to a depth of 50 meters below surface.
Both holes intercepted spodumene-bearing dykes with an
average grade of 1.58% Li
2
O over 13.7 meters (Figure 5c)
1
.
The Ki dyke extends to the northwest for
another 600 meters; this portion has not received any systematic sampling, but recent mapping by LIFT
confirms the presence of spodumene within the dyke for at least 400 meters.
Figure 4 - Fi-Southwest and Fi-Main pegmatites. a) shows the segments of the SW and Main dykes
trenched in the 1950's. The dyke has not been drilled. No follow-up drilling was completed on the
target. b) Spodumene crystal counts c) Prioritized 100m-spaced drill plan testing dike extents to 300m
below the surface.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8766/169067_68808c96848d59ef_005full.jpg
Shorty Pegmatite Dyke Target
LIFT plans to drill 4,445 meters over 25 diamond drill holes to a vertical depth of 300 meters at the
Shorty pegmatite.
The Shorty pegmatite is a steeply dipping dyke that is exposed for 800 meters and has an average
outcropping width of 25 meters (Figure 6a).
Spodumene is most abundant over a 400m segment of the
central part of the pegmatite where it makes up to 30% of the dyke (Figure 6b).
In 1975, ten closely
spaced trenches along a 330 meter segment of the central part of the dyke returned up to 7.8m of 1.67%
Li
2
O (average of 1.1% Li
2
O over 21m). In 1987, diamond drilling below the trenches intercepted
pegmatite dykes 170m below surface with intersects of up to 25.85 meters at 1.15% Li
2
O
1
.
Figure 5 - Ki pegmatite a: Historical drilling. No historical trenching was conducted on the dyke. Two
holes were drilled at the southeast end of the Ki dyke averaging 1.58% Li
2
O over 15m
1
. b:
Spodumene crystal counts. c: Prioritised drill plan. Drilling will follow-up on historical drilling intercepts
testing over 1,000m of strike-length where dyke is widest and highest grade.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8766/169067_68808c96848d59ef_006full.jpg
Figure 6 - Shorty pegmatite. a: Historical drilling and trenching. b: Spodumene crystal counts c:
Prioritised drill plan Drilling will test 700m of strike at 100m-spacing to a depth of 300m.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8766/169067_68808c96848d59ef_007full.jpg
Big-East Pegmatite Dyke Target
LIFT plans to drill 7,790 meters over 46 diamond drill holes to a vertical depth of 300 meters at the Big-
East target.
The Big-East dyke swarm is 1,200 meters long within a corridor that is 120 meters wide. It consists of 2
principal dykes that average 6m in width (Figures 7a-b)
1
.
The pegmatite has a 350m long central section
where spodumene makes up 5-30% of the dyke (Figure 7b).
In 1956-57, thirty-three trenches covering
this section returned up to 12.7m of 1.72 Li
2
O (avg. of 1.4% Li
2
O over 7.3m for each of the dykes;
Figures 7b). In 1978, three holes were drilled across the dyke swarm to confirm the mineral potential
estimate from the 1950's.
Figure 7 - Big-East pegmatite. a: Big-E Pegmatite shows historical trenching and drilling. A single
hole has been drilled over 1,200m of strike length intercepting pegmatites dikes up to 14.5m
1
. b:
Spodumene crystal counts map. c: Prioritised drill plan will drill will test below best trenches and
spodumene crystal counts over 1,200m to vertical depth of 300m.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8766/169067_68808c96848d59ef_008full.jpg
Although there is no surviving assay data, the logs show that wide spodumene-bearing dykes (up to
14.5m) are present to 122m below surface
1
. The drilling has been prioritised to start in areas where
dykes are widest and highest grade on surface (Figure 7c).
The drill plan is designed to test the
continuity of the dykes over 1,000m, and to a vertical depth of 300m below the surface.
Big-West Pegmatite Dyke
LIFT plans to drill 6,240 meters over 45 diamond drill holes to a vertical depth of 300 meters at the Big-
West target.
The Big-West dyke swarm is 1,300 meters long within a corridor that is 120 meters wide. It is made up
of two principal subparallel dykes each averaging 6m in thickness (Figure 8a).