The three-day campaign set out to obtain preliminary site-specific information on geology and infrastructure to inform the design of a larger fieldwork program scheduled for the northern summer.

It was carried out in conjunction with lithium geological consultant IOS Services Géoscientifiques Inc.

During the campaign, Pioneer’s site team identified nine outcrops at the LaGrande East and West claims.

They confirmed the area could be accessed for prospecting activities using existing roads using a combination of hiking and all-terrain vehicles.

The LaGrande Riviere property is also reported to be accessible by helicopter, however snowfall is currently hampering any exploration efforts.

Newly-appointed managing director Clinton Booth said his team had made good progress despite the weather.

“We are pleased to have been able to complete this three-day campaign at LaGrande given the weather and logistical challenges… fieldwork at this time of year is typically hampered by weather and the snowfall meant conditions on the ground were difficult,” he said.

“Our team applied a flexible approach to prospecting and scouting activities which allowed them to complete the campaign effectively and obtain valuable information for our next fieldwork campaign.”

Mr Booth was assigned the new role of managing director in October after previously holding the role of chief executive officer.

He has more than 20 years’ experience in the mining and energy sectors including senior positions with Fortescue Future Industries and Galaxy Resources (now Allkem, ASX: AKE).

During his time at Fortescue, Mr Booth contributed to early-stage project development activities such as global land and tenement acquisition and global permitting and approvals.

Mr Booth is now charged with leading the LaGrande project from exploration into development phase.

The exploration potential of LaGrande has been highlighted by recent pegmatite discoveries in neighbouring claims held by Champion Electric, Winsome Resources (ASX: WR1) and Patriot Battery Metals (ASX: PMT).