Orford Mining Corporation (Orford) (TSXV: ORM) has identified over 50 high priority targets with lithium pegmatite potential across its 455 km2 of lithium exploration properties in Nunavik, Quebec. In advance of its summer lithium exploration program beginning in early July, Orford has used available government geochemical data, rock mapping and its recent multispectral remote sensing data analysis to identify over 50 high-priority target areas that show compelling indicators for lithium bearing pegmatites (Figure 1).
David Christie, President and CEO of Orford, commented, “As we embark on our first field program on Orford’s Nunavik Lithium ground we have added powerful tools to aid our exploration efforts from our recently completed remote sensing project. The remote sensing together with in-depth analysis of the available government data has increased the number of lithium bearing pegmatite targets substantially. We look forward to reporting on our findings as the summer field season gets under way in the coming weeks.”
These properties have never been explored for lithium or other minerals, despite showing very anomalous geochemistry in grab samples from government mapping data and lake bottom sediment data.
More than 50 areas with lithium pegmatite potential area were identified using:
Enriched lake bottom sediments 95th percentile or higher in lithium and pathfinder elements, proximal to first order drainage features (indicates proximity to source)
Mapped Pegmatites from government of Quebec mapping programs
Grab sample rock anomalies and lithium (up to 218ppm) and pathfinder elements 27 ppm Ta, 67 ppm Cs, and Rb up to 560 ppm[1]
a regional remote sensing study focusing on Orford’s Nunavik Lithium properties using, ASTER, Airbus SPOT, Sentinel-2 and Polar DEM Satellite data (“remote sensing”).
Example of Targets Generated – Radiant Property
The Radiant Property is one of Orford’s largest lithium exploration properties in Nunavik (Figure 2). On the Radiant property “The Mica_Peg_SAM” remote sensing product used a resampled spectral signature, from a known hard rock lithium pegmatite complex, and then mapped the Radiant property using the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) algorithm. Areas with a spectral response similar to the known hard rock lithium pegmatite complexes are represented by hot colors and may potentially represent additional pegmatite targets. The results are encouraging in that these spectral anomalies are proximal to known pegmatite occurrences. On the radiant property alone, this remote sensing study has identified an additional 15 target areas which now totaling 23 (figure 2). The same product along with other remote sensing products and government data has identified more than 50 high priority target areas for the 2023 prospecting program across Orford’s Nunavik Lithium properties. Orford is still reviewing the many products generated from the remote sensing study and will continue to add additional targets to the list as they are generated.
The Lithium Pegmatite targets generated from the remote sensing study will be field validated along with ground truthing of known lithium and path finder occurrences (Figure 1). Field teams will mobilize in early July and will be equipped with portable analyzers to obtain instantaneous lithium and pathfinder element determinations and work towards the rapid discovery of Nunavik’s first lithium bearing pegmatites. Orford has the capability to bring the drill it will have on its Qiqavik property to any of its Nunavik Lithium properties if early results warrant drill testing.
