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Chubb Lithium Project

Project Overview

The Chubb Lithium Project is strategically located in the heart of the world-class lithium province of Quebec, Canada, which hosts major lithium projects including Sayona Mining Ltd (ASX: SYA) and Piedmont Lithium Inc’s North American Lithium (NAL) mines, operations, and Mineral Resources totalling 119Mt @1.1% Li2O (Refer Sayona Mining Ltd ASX release dated 23 May 2022).

The NAL Joint-Venture Project located 10km North-East of the Chubb Lithium Project, is currently recommissioning the first hard-rock spodumene concentrator Plant in the Quebec Province with first production scheduled this Quarter (refer Sayona Mining Ltd ASX release dated 16  January 2023).

The Project represents a significant opportunity for Burley Minerals Ltd to develop multiple lithium and/or rubidium Project(s) that host known spodumene-bearing pegmatites in the Abitibi sub-province of Quebec.

The Chubb Lithium property is located 25 km north of the mining community of Val d’Or, within the province. The Project area covers 15 km2 of tenure and is located in a strategic and prolific lithium province with significant lithium Projects surrounding the tenement. The spodumene is hosted within the La Corne Pegmatite Field.

The Chubb Lithium Project is represented by 35 contiguous mineral claims in a single block totalling 1,509 ha in the Val-d’Or Quebec region in Canada. Drilling has confirmed the presence of spodumene-bearing lithium pegmatites in shallow, multiple parallel dykes extending along a strike of 560m and a corridor width of 240m.

The Chubb Lithium Project is extremely well-positioned with supporting infrastructure including excellent sealed road access (route 111) just 3 kms east of the tenement, operating rail networks within the district, multiple port export options and established towns, mines, and hydro-generated power network systems.

Figure 1: Location of the Chubb Lithium Project and location respective of other significant lithium mines, concentrators, Infrastructure (road and rail) and ports

The Chubb Lithium Project is located within the Manneville Deformation Corridor, host to the North America Lithium Mine (Sayona Mining Limited ASX: SYA, Piedmont Lithium ASX: PLL Joint Venture), with a (Measured, Indicated and Inferred) resource totalling 101.9Mt at 1.06% Li2O.

The Chubb Lithium Project is likewise very proximal to the Authier Lithium Deposit of Sayona Mining Limited which is estimated to contain Measured and indicated resources of 17.18 Mt grading 1.01%

Figure 2:  Location map of the Chubb Lithium Project with respect to the North America Lithium Mine and Processing Plant currently being recommissioned by Sayona Mining Ltd and Piedmont Lithium Ltd

Li2O and Inferred resources of 3.76Mt grading 0.98% Li2O.

Figure 2 displays the location of the Chubb Lithium project with respect map to developing mines within the southern Quebec provincial region. The new mineralisation interpretation at the Chubb Lithium Project Area demonstrates a substantial exploration target with potentially a minimum of 5 parallel stacked lithium-bearing pegmatite dykes, which remain open in both directions along strike and at depth

The Authier Project and North American Lithium (NAL) Project are referred to as the Abitibi Lithium Hub, with an Inferred, Indicated and Measured resource of 119.1 Mt @ 1.1 % Li2O.

The Chubb Lithium property consists of 35 contiguous mineral claims for a total area of 1,509 hectares – as shown in Figure 3.

Significant outcropping mineralisation has been identified as spodumene bearing lithium pegmatites across multiple targets within the 35 Mineral Claims. The orientation of the outcropping pegmatites and geological mapping suggests the contiguous nature of the pegmatite is similar to that of the NAL deposit, approximately 10 km NE of the tenement boundary.

Figure 3: Location and orientation of the 35 Mineral Claims within the Chubb Lithium Project Area

There are three mapped and drilled pegmatite dykes containing abundant spodumene (Main Dyke, Dyke #2, and Dyke #3. Drilling from previous owners has confirmed the presence of multiple parallel and oblique targets, as confirmed by historic drill hole analyses and geological mapping.  In total 43 diamond drill holes for 5,460m of drilling has been completed to date across the Project.

Chubb Lithium Drill Rig – Winter 2022 –  Drilling Programme

Drilling and clearing permits have been lodged to test all 5 lodes over a strike potential of 1,200m to vertical depths of up to 250m.  The new and extended Program of Works (PoW) Application is forecast to see drilling approvals granted this month and drilling to commence in March 2023.

Location and Infrastructure

The Project is strategically located in the developing Abitibi lithium hub district of Val d’Or in the province Quebec. Established lithium mines, and a processing concentrator are within a 20 km radius of the Chubb Lithium Project.

The Project is situated only 32 km North-west of the mining town of Val d’Or and 15km South-East of the town of Amos. The property is only 3 km from the fully sealed Route 111 highway –  linking Amos with Quebec City, Ottawa  and Montreal.

Val d’Or has an airport and railway system that connects directly with the rail networks of southern North America, and directly to coastal ports such as Montreal, Trois-Rivieres and Quebec City.  Major development Projects for current and future Critical and Strategic Metals (CSM) Projects persist within the immediate district and further north in the James Bay District.

The tenement is in close proximity to hydro-generated power grids and distribution systems. Localised work forces can be secured for drilling programmes and future logistical work scopes.

Proposed lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide refineries are being considered within a 100 km radius of the Chubb Lithium Project, as part of the SYA/PLL Joint Venture Development Plan2

Mineral Resources and Exploration Project

The Chubb Lithium Project is regionally located in the Val-d’Or – Malartic area, situated in the southern part of the Archean Abitibi sub-province of Quebec.  The geology of the area consists of a succession of Archean quartz monzo-diorite and metasomatized quartz diorite (tonalite) with a minor quartz monzonite and granodioritic rocks.  The pegmatites, that are the target for lithium mineralisation, are later highly fractionated felsic intrusions into the host rocks.  Figures 7 and 8 show the relationship of the pegmatites and the host rocks.  The lithium mineralisation is directly associated with the pegmatites containing spodumene  with very low lithium assay results away from the spodumene pegmatites.  Several different generations of pegmatite intrusions have been intersected in the drilling with the pink pegmatites having elevated rubidium and low lithium, the source and significance of the rubidium is at this stage unknown.

Figure 7: Typical assemblage of spodumene-quartz-feldspar-muscovite observed in granitic pegmatite at the Chubb Project

Figure 8: Core Samples from Main Dyke -showing large crystal structure of the spodumene-bearing pegmatites

Figure 9: Topographic View overlaid with Pegmatite dykes, drill collar locations and rock-chip sampling

Future Activities

The Company proposes to spend approximately $500,000 in exploration expenditure during FY2023 on the Chubb Lithium Project in accordance with:

  • reprocessing of the geophysical data and developing a geological model from the previous drilling results
  • conducting a LIDAR survey to obtain high resolution digital terrain model and imagery data, to assist with the identification of further areas of outcropping pegmatites, or areas that may retain pegmatites, under cover
  • undertaking soil, rock chip and trenching to identify further potential lithium targets and formulate drilling programmes
  • develop a 3D geological model of known mineralisation and interpreted extensions
  • commence drilling of the key lithium targets in the Canadian Winter, Q1CY2023; and
  • prepare for the commencement of a Scoping and Pre-feasibility study to advance the Project’s effective viability
  • determine, prepare and coordinate a second stage drilling programme for new areas of interest