Patriot Battery Metals (ASX: PMT) has added high-value caesium to its growing Canadian critical minerals resource with wide, high-grade drill intercepts at the CV13 pegmatite zone in the James Bay region of Quebec.
Patriot has already identified world-class lithium resources in James Bay and, with the lithium market still down, has expanded its search for critical minerals that are attracting market attention.
Caesium demand is growing, driven by applications in cancer treatment, oil and gas exploration and other industries, with Technavio forecasting the global market will grow at an annual rate of 2.3% to around $5.3 billion between 2024 and 2029.
Patriot has intersected high-grade caesium in multiple zones at the Shaakichiuwaanaan project.
Notably, the largest zone of caesium enrichment is coincident with the company’s high-grade lithium Vega zone (CV13).
Elsewhere, the high-grade Rigel zone is coincident with the apex of the structural flexure at CV13 and the company’s drilling estimates it to be at least 200 metres by 80m in area and up to 5m thick.
Patriot executive and vice president of exploration Darren Smith said economically viable caesium deposits are very rare but of high value and typically on a smaller scale supported by drill intercepts of less than 10m.
This compares to lithium pegmatite deposits that typically range around 10 million tonnes, supported by much thicker drill intercepts.
“Caesium mineralisation 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,” Mr Smith said.
Mr Smith confirmed that, while the discovery of caesium presents a compelling value-add opportunity for the company, Patriot’s main focus is on advancing the CV5 lithium deposit.
“Given the strategic importance and scarcity of caesium in global markets — and its growing use in key industrial and specialised applications — this discovery has the potential to significantly enhance stakeholder value and reaffirms Shaakichiuwaanaan as one of the top LCT pegmatite assets in the world.”
Patriot plans to further evaluate the caesium opportunity as it advances Shaakichiuwaanaan towards development.
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