MONTREAL, Sept. 12, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Midland Exploration Inc. (“Midland”) (TSX-V: MD) is pleased to give an overview of its exploration activities in Quebec, including on its several projects in partnership for lithium in James Bay. Following the complete lifting of access bans to James Bay caused by the forest fires of the summer of 2023, several exploration programs have recently begun.
In 2023, Midland continued to apply its business model as a “Project Generator” with the recent acquisition of several new high-quality properties and the formation of several new partnerships across Quebec, including new partnerships for lithium exploration in the James Bay region. With an exploration budget of more than $15M, Midland and its partners will have completed nearly 20,000 metres of drilling.
Midland is very busy working to advance several projects in partnership with major companies such as BHP Canada Inc. (“BHP”), Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc. (“RTEC”), Barrick Gold Corporation (“Barrick”), SOQUEM Inc. (“SOQUEM”), Brunswick Exploration Inc. (“Brunswick”), Probe Gold Inc. (“Probe”), Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd. (“Wallbridge”) and Cosmos Exploration Limited (“Cosmos”).
Highlights:
- Commencement of exploration programs for lithium (“Li”) in James Bay with Rio Tinto, Brunswick and Cosmos following the complete lifting of access bans;
- Work for lithium focussing near Corvette (Patriot Battery Metals), Adina (Winsome Resources) and James Bay lithium (Allkem);
- Work in progress (ZTEM, lakes, prospection) in Nunavik with BHP for Ni-Cu;
- Drilling to come with RTEC to follow-up Santos Ni-Cu discovery on Tête Nord;
- Drilling ongoing with Probe on La Peltrie on the 2022 Cu-Au-Ag-Mo discovery;
- Commencement of a program with SOQUEM on the 2022 Cu-Au discovery at Nachicapau.
Lithium Projects (Li) - James Bay
Corvette, Chisaayuu and Mythril East Projects – 100% Midland, in option agreement with RTEC
A first exploration program including LiDAR surveys as well as prospecting and mapping work is in progress. This work will cover the properties located east and south-east of Corvette deposit held by Patriot Battery Metals (“Patriot”) with an estimated inferred resources of 109.2 Mt at 1.42% Li2O. (Source: NI 43-101 technical report on the maiden mineral resource estimate for the CV5 spodumene pegmatite prepared by BBA Engineering Ltd, effective date June 25, 2023).
These projects contain amphibolite formations, which are regionally the most common host rock for lithium pegmatites, and a compilation of historical work by Midland revealed strong indications of potential for Li-Be-Ta enriched pegmatites. During exploration work for copper in 2022 on Chisaayuu, a pegmatite outcrop had returned two strong lithium anomalous values in selected samples: 0.12 % Li2O and 0.04 % Li2O. In addition, new lithium anomalies in lake-bottom sediments have been identified on Chisaayuu and Corvette following a regional statistical treatment of more than 23,000 analysis and completed by Midland (see Midland press release of March 6, 2023).
Galinée Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with RTEC
The Galinée Project is located approximately 4 kilometres directly east of Adina showing held by Winsome Resources. This Adina showing is at the contact between amphibolites of the Trieste Formation to the south and felsic intrusives to the north. This contact is marked by a major structure that most likely controlled the emplacement of pegmatites on the Adina showing. This same highly favourable contact is present on Midland’s Galinée property over more than 7 kilometres and has never been explored for lithium in the past. This suggests that the Galinée project shows potential for lithium exploration. The maiden exploration program for lithium will target this structure by helicopter supported prospecting and geological mapping as well as a high-resolution LiDAR survey.
Komo Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with RTEC
The Komo Project is located approximately 20 kilometres west of James Bay lithium deposit (Allkem) which contains a mineral resource of 110.2 Mt at 1.30 % Li2O, consisting in an indicated resource of 54.3 Mt at 1.30% Li20 and an inferred resource of 55.9 Mt at 1.29% Li20. (Source: Mineral Resource Estimate by SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. dated May 19, 2023).
Komo and James Bay lithium deposit are both located at the contact between the La Grande and Nemiscau geological subprovinces. This contact is a major structure that likely play a critical role in the emplacement of the James Bay lithium host pegmatite. This major lithotectonic contact is present over nearly 30 kilometres on the Komo project and had never been explored for lithium. A LiDAR survey was completed in the summer of 2023, and prospection and geological mapping is planned for a second field phase later in 2023.
Mythril and Elrond Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Brunswick
Initially, the program will mainly focus on the southern part of the Mythril project, near Corvettes’ lithium discoveries by Patriot. Several important structural trends were oriented north-east and share the same orientation as Patriot’s CV13 spodumene pegmatites and will be targeted by a helicopter-supported prospecting and mapping exploration program, as well as a LiDAR survey.
Furthermore, two new lake bottom lithium anomalies were identified south on the project, following a regional statistical treatment of more than 23,000 analysis, and completed by Midland.
Lasalle Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Cosmos
An interpretation of a high-resolution magnetic surveys as well as the analysis of imagery data, LiDAR and hyper-spectral data were completed and made it possible to identify three (3) new target areas characterized by the possible presence of pegmatites for a field follow-up which was recently completed. The results of this program are pending.
Nickel-Copper Projects (Ni-Cu) - Nunavik and Grenville
Nunavik Nickel Project – Strategic Alliance with BHP
The 2023 exploration program, which began in July 2023, is focused on a major crustal-scale structure that has been identified in the regional magnetotelluric (“MT”) surveys performed in 2022. This structure, previously poorly recognised is potentially favorable for nickel-copper mineralization. The 2023 program consisted of a 1,534 samples lake sediment survey and an airborne Z-Tipper axis electromagnetic survey (“ZTEM”) as well as two phases of mapping and prospecting completed during July and August. Results of the program are pending.
Tête Nord Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with RTEC
A first drilling program was completed in the spring of 2023 by RTEC on Tête Nord, located in Grenville, this program included a total of sixteen (16) drill holes totaling 3,450 meters. During this program, a new Ni-Cu mineralized zone named Santos was discovered about 8 kilometers north of the former Lac Édouard Ni-Cu mine along a north-south trending structure.
The drill hole MDLD0015 had intersected between 20.11 and 22.79 meters an interval grading 1.10% Ni and 0.71% Cu over 2.68 meters. Further down, between 33.02 and 43.39 meters, a mineralized interval graded 0.45% Ni and 0.18% Cu over 10.37 meters (see Midland press release of April 27, 2023). These mineralized gabbro zones generally display sulphides with mesh and disseminated textures and alternate with non-mineralized metric gabbro horizons.
Following this survey, the results of the electromagnetic surveys completed on the surface and in the borehole, indicate the presence of an unexplained conductor that dips to the southeast. The Santos zone therefore remains entirely open in this direction. A gravity geophysical survey has also been completed and a second phase of drilling of 1,900 meters at Santos, Palmeiras and Savane began in July 2023 and will continue later this fall, when deforestation permits to access the drill sites will be obtained.
Copper-Gold Projects (Cu-Au) - Abitibi and Labrador Trough
La Peltrie Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Probe
In December 2022, a large copper-gold-silver-molybdenum (“Cu-Au-Ag-Mo”) mineralized system was announced on La Peltrie, Abitibi. The mineralization intersected in LAP-22-012 was present throughout the entire drill hole, identifying a thicker interval mineralized in Cu-Au-Ag-Mo grading 0.21% CuEq over 345.5 metres from surface with potential to continue laterally and at depth.
A 2,700-metre follow-up drilling program on the 2022 discovery is currently underway following the delays of more than two months due to forest access bans caused by the 2023 summer forest fires.
Nachicapau Project – Strategic Alliance with SOQUEM
During prospecting carried out in the summer of 2022, Midland-SOQUEM team had discovered several new high-grade copper and gold mineralized horizons at the surface which had been observed over a minimum area of 160 metres by 170 metres. A grab sample returned up to 25.6 % Cu, 4.9 g/t Au and 162 g/t Ag. Copper mineralization is dominated by digenite and bornite.
A first exploration program has just started and will target the Cu-Au-Ag mineralized horizon sector and its extensions along the Murdoch volcano-sedimentary formation. This sector of Nunavik has been the subject of very little exploration work in the past. Ongoing work includes soil and rock sampling in anticipation of completing stripping and channeling.
Gold Projects (Au) - Abitibi
Patris Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Barrick
Since the option agreement with Barrick announced in June 2023, a VTEM helicopter-borne electromagnetic survey has been completed to cover the entire Patris property. The resistivity component is being used to map overburden thicknesses and variations in preparation for an upcoming till drilling campaign in the winter of 2024.
Casault Project – 100% Midland, in an option agreement with Wallbridge
During 2023, Wallbridge completed a high-resolution magnetic survey on select areas over the western portion of the property, as well as a till sampling program (Sonic drill-for-till survey) in the eastern part of the property. The final results and interpretations of the programs are pending but will help develop drill targets for testing in future programs. Additionally, several quality drill targets remain to be tested on the entire Casault property, several of which are located in the area surrounding the Vortex showing discovered in 2017, which is open at depth, and along a NW- SE structure that returned 6.85 g/t Au over 2.0 meters in hole CAS-21-123.
Cautionary statements
Grab samples are selective by nature and reported values are not necessarily indicative of mineralized zones.
The true thickness of reported channel and drilling intervals cannot be determined with the information currently available; intervals are thus reported in core length and channel length.
Mineralization occurring at deposits and former mines mentioned in this press release is not necessarily indicative of mineralization that may be intersected on projects held by Midland described in this press release.
About Midland
Midland targets the excellent mineral potential of Quebec to make the discovery of new world-class deposits of gold and critical metals. Midland is proud to count on reputable partners such as BHP Canada Inc., Rio Tinto Exploration Canada Inc., Barrick Gold Corporation, Wallbridge Mining Company Ltd, Probe Gold Inc., Agnico Eagle Mines Limited, Osisko Development Corp., SOQUEM INC., Nunavik Mineral Exploration Fund, Cosmos Exploration Limited and Abcourt Mines Inc. Midland prefers to work in partnership and intends to quickly conclude additional agreements in regard to newly acquired properties. Management is currently reviewing other opportunities and projects to build up the Company portfolio and generate shareholder value.
This press release was prepared by Mario Masson, VP Exploration for Midland, certified geologist and Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
For further information, please consult Midland’s website or contact:
Gino Roger, President, and Chief Executive Officer
Tel.: 450 420-5977
Fax: 450 420-5978
Email: info@midlandexploration.com
Website: www.midlandexploration.com
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to vary materially from targeted results. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Midland’s periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Midland from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.
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