North Arrow Minerals Inc. (NAR: TSXV) is pleased to provide additional assay results from recent drilling at its wholly owned Beaverdam lithium project. The Beaverdam project is located in the Tin-Spodumene Belt of North Carolina, historically the most important lithium producing region in the world. The past producing Kings Mountain and Bessemer City lithium mines are located 19 km and 6 km south of the project area, and the respective owners of these mines, Chemetall Foote Corporation and FMC Lithium Inc., continue to maintain and operate lithium processing and research and development facilities in the area.
The Beaverdam project is situated in an area that has a rich history of lithium mining and continues as an important global location for the production and manufacturing of downstream lithium compounds. The initial drilling results reported today, combined with its advantageous location and numerous untested targets, highlight the Beaverdam project's potential for the discovery of an American domestic lithium source.
North Arrow's 2009 drilling program at the Beaverdam project consisted of twelve drill holes (1,235 m), the results for five of which are reported in this release. Results for three holes have been reported previously (North Arrow News Release #09-26) and assays for three more holes are pending.
Drill holes 09-BD-01 and 09-BD-02 were drilled on the same section at -45 degrees and -70 degrees to the southeast, respectively. Drill hole 09-BD-01 encountered two intervals of mineralized pegmatite, including 8.0 m grading 1.04% Li2O (starting at 27.7 m downhole) and 2.6 m of 1.07% Li2O (starting at 41.07 m downhole). Drill hole 09-BD-02 encountered three intervals of mineralized pegmatite including 3.4 m grading 1.08% Li2O (starting at 25.7 m downhole). Interpretation of drill logs and bedrock mapping suggests the encountered pegmatites dip steeply to the southeast and further drilling towards the northwest is required to properly test this target.
Drill hole 09-BD-03 tested a separate target 1.0 km northeast of 09-BD-01/-02 and was drilled at -45 degrees to the southeast, perpendicular to a historic trench from which the Lithium Corporation of America (predecessor to FMC Lithium) mined lithium rich pegmatite in the 1950's. Drill hole 09-BD-03 encountered ten intervals of mineralized pegmatite including 12.0 m grading 1.18% Li2O (starting at 28.8 m downhole) and 4.0 m grading 1.26% Li2O (starting at 56.7 m downhole). Evaluation of the Lithium Corporation of America trenches and geological mapping indicates a minimum strike length of 300 m for this pegmatite trend, which is located parallel to, and approximately 150 m to the southeast of, an adjacent pegmatite trend that was tested by previously reported holes 09-BD-05 and 09-BD-06.
Drill holes 09-BD-07 and -08 were drilled along the same pegmatite trend tested by holes 09-BD-05/-06. Relative to holes BD-05/-06, hole 09-BD-07 was located 40 m to the southwest and hole 09-BD-08 was located 100 m to the northeast. Drill hole 09-BD-07 (-45 degrees) was drilled to the northwest and encountered four intervals of mineralized pegmatite, including 6.1 m of 0.83% Li2O (starting at 34.4 m downhole). Drill hole 09-BD-08 was drilled at the same orientation and angle and encountered six intervals of mineralized pegmatite including 7.7 m of 1.04% Li2O (starting at 23.6 m downhole).
A detailed ground magnetic geophysical survey has been completed over the project area and defines several linear magnetic low signatures that coincide with known pegmatite occurrences as well as a number of similar magnetic low signatures in overburden covered areas. These overburden covered lows, combined with several mapped but untested pegmatite trends constitute at least 8 additional target areas with the project area that require further drilling. Bedrock mapping surveys are ongoing and, combined with the geophysics, will aid in prioritizing additional drill targets.
North Arrow's exploration programs are conducted under the supervision of Gordon Clarke, P.Geol (NT&NU), Vice President, Exploration for North Arrow and a qualified person under NI 43-101. Samples were analyzed at Acme Analytical Laboratories Ltd's, Vancouver British Columbia Lab. Each sample was crushed and a 250 g split collected. The crushed split was pulverized to 200 mesh, split and a 5 gram sample collected. The sample was subjected to a four acid digestion and analysis for 40 elements using a combination of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectrometry and ICP mass spectrometry methods. Field duplicates and laboratory inserted duplicates and standards provided optimum precision and accuracy.
North Arrow Minerals Inc.
/s/ "D. Grenville Thomas"
D. Grenville Thomas
President and CEO
For further information, please contact:
D. Grenville Thomas
President and CEO
Tel: 604-668-8355
Email: [email protected]
Gordon Clarke
Vice President, Exploration
Tel: 867-873-8483
Website: www.northarrowminerals.com
The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed, and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of this release.
