The company has mobilised two exploration rigs at the CV13 spodumene pegmatite where step-out drilling will target extensions of the high-grade Vega zone discovered earlier this month.
Highlights to date are 34.4 metres at 2.9% lithium oxide and 33.4m at 2.4% lithium oxide including 1.7m at 7.01%, with the mineralisation reported to be relatively flat-lying to shallow dipping and open in multiple directions.
Another two rigs are conducting an expansive geotechnical and hydrogeological campaign to support advanced development and economic studies through to the feasibility stage.
Patriot said the geotechnical work would test rock and overburden characteristics at various proposed infrastructure locations to support development including targeted areas for the mine camp, waste rock piles, process plant and ancillary buildings.
The company has already commissioned the first phase of the 80-person Shaakichiuwaanaan exploration camp, which supported the majority of its activities during the winter program.
An all-season road has also been built from the camp to the CV5 pegmatite, reducing travel time and potentially increasing exploration efficiencies and costs.
The camp is being expanded to accommodate up to 150 persons and is expected to be completed before year-end.
The hydrogeological program will see the installation of monitoring wells and down-hole equipment plus packer testing within Corvette’s conceptual open pit and other proposed infrastructure locations.
Three large-diameter holes will also be completed around CV5 to conduct long-duration pumping tests for operational water supply and pit de-watering design.
Patriot said the data would help to build on a preliminary hydrogeological model developed last year.
Surface exploration activities are underway at CV5 and CV13 including detailed mapping, channel sampling and exploration of prospective trends.
Additional rigs are expected to be added to the field program in July, focused on continued infill and geomechanical drilling at CV5.
Patriot will target inferred blocks from a planned resource update in August, with the objective of delineating coherent indicated blocks to underpin a feasibility study in late 2025.
Drill holes will be completed at various orientations proximal to CV5 and the conceptual pit and will target specific host rock types and structures.
Exploration has also been planned across the pit to test for mineralised pegmatites where waste rock has been modelled due to a lack of drill data.
Earlier this week, Patriot reported the final batch of CV5 assays ahead of the resource update.
Continued strong lithium mineralisation over wide intervals returned the best results of 124.9m at 1.72% lithium oxide including 13.4m at 4.04%; 135.7m at 1.02% including 44.7m at 2.03% and 112.7m at 1.20% including 21.7m at 1.93%.
CV5 has a maiden mineral resource estimate of 109.2 million tonnes at 1.42% inferred lithium oxide.
Patriot’s vice-president of exploration Darren Smith said the results would strengthen the update.
“These final holes from our winter program at CV5 continue to impress and demonstrate the scale of mineralisation over a significant strike length,” he said.
“Our focus has been on upgrading the resources from inferred to indicated and we are confident in a meaningful conversion for our pending update in August.”
