Pivotal’s new electromagnetic conductor could boost Alotta mineralisation at depth

• FLTEM survey finds large conductor extending Alotta deposit’s potential by an additional 150m
• New drilling angle from the northeast could intersect the conductor that was missed by historical holes
• Additional FLTEM conductors at Lac Long North and Lac Kirwan West await drill testing

Special Report: Electromagnetic surveying at Pivotal Metals’ Midrim project within the Belleterre project area in Quebec has discovered a new, untested conductor below the Alotta high-grade deposit.

The fixed-loop time domain electromagnetic surveying delineated a large conductive plate directly below the known zone of massive magmatic sulphide mineralisation at Alotta which hosts very high-grade copper, nickel, platinum and palladium values from surface to about 90m depth.

It extends the deposit’s potential by an additional 150m down-plunge with the plate remaining open to the east due to seasonal limitations in survey coverage.

However, what’s more important for Pivotal Metals (ASX:PVT) is the indication that drilling from the northeast is the optimal drill orientation, which contrasts with historical holes that were completed from the southwest.

Notable assays from this shallow drilling include hits such as:

• 24.2m grading 2.3% copper, 1.2% nickel and 1.9g/t 3PGE (platinum group elements); and
• 15.7m at 3.1% copper, 1.6% nickel and 2.9g/t 3PGE.

With the plate left untested by previous drilling, a new orientation is expected to more effectively evaluate the depth and lateral extensions of the system.

Likewise, FLTEM surveys at Lac Long North and Lac Kirwan West confirm untested conductors associated with gabbroic intrusions indicating a similar setting as at Alotta.

Results also demonstrate the effectiveness of FLTEM in mapping known sulphide accumulations and demonstrate the strong potential for the method to define new drill target across the large property position.

“The previously discovered Alotta deposit hosts some of the most sensational magmatic sulphide mineralisation seen globally,” managing director Ivan Fairhall said.

“This new conductor at Alotta potentially unlocks the feeder source of the deposit, because we now know prior drilling was incorrectly orientated.

“This represents a very exciting opportunity to substantially expand this high-grade deposit.

“This adds to our suite of conductors that significantly expand the exploration potential of the entire Midrim Project and supports the systematic application of modern geophysics across our wider Belleterre land package.

“These are high conviction targets for new discovery within a well-established mineralised environment.”

Belleterre project area

The 157km2 Belleterre land package sits within Quebec’s Abitibi region, which possess world-class infrastructure, including access to clean, low-cost hydropower and significant milling capacity within 100km.

Low hydropower costs – estimated at 5.5c per kilowatt hour – and close proximity to Glencore’s ‘Horne’ copper and ‘Sudbury’ nickel smelters, further underscore the structural cost advantages for new discoveries made in this region.

The land package also grants the company a dominant position on the Belleterre-Angliers Greenstone Belt, which forms part of the Archean Superior Province of the Canadian Shield – one of the most productive mineral systems in the world.

Belleterre hosts a number of magmatic copper-nickel-PGE and gold deposits such as Midrim, Alotta, LacCroche, Delphi-Patry, Zulu Blondeau, and LaForce as well as the past producing Lorraine mine.

Not only are these deposits not closed off, they also represent evidence of a strong and widespread high-grade polymetallic mineralising event.

Multiple regional anomalies combined with the known occurrences infer a very large system covering several kilometres which remains extremely under-explored.

Alotta itself is a gabbro hosted accumulation of disseminated to massive magmatic sulphide mineralisation.

It has been the subject of several drill campaigns since discovery that provided consistent high-grade intercepts from a mineralised envelope interpreted to be lens shaped, steeply dipping, and located at the base of the gabbro intrusion.

Disrupted contacts among the sulphide indicate multiple intrusive events while the newly identified conductive anomaly demonstrates significant economic potential based on the overlying high-grade drill intercepts.

FLTEM has defined bedrock anomalies as far north as Lac Long North and east to Midrim East, which extends the area of interest to a broad 15km by 8km area.

These are thought to represent multiple sulphide accumulations potentially formed along feeder conduits that channelled mafic and ultramafic magmas from depth.

PVT’s geological model considers a deep-seated plumbing system feeding multiple high-grade sulphide accumulations across the property, opening the possibility of a much larger sulphide body at depth.

Listen: Pivotal Metals raising the bar on critical Quebec commodities

Next steps

The company will now complete follow-up FLTEM over an unsurveyed area adjacent to Alotta and extend FLTEM coverage to additional Belleterre copper-nickel-PGE occurrences to investigate beneath and adjacent to these known high-grade deposits for drill testing.

It will also implement FLTEM surveys over remaining airborne electromagnetic anomalies interpreted to represent possible magmatic sulphide accumulation for drill testing.

Induced polarisation will be carried out over the Lorraine gold corridor to target the extension of copper-gold vein systems identified underground at the Lorraine mine and in surface trenches.

Additionally, PVT will prioritise existing conductor plates for drill testing to evaluate depth and strike extensions of mineralisation.

This article was developed in collaboration with Pivotal Metals, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.