International Lithium Corp. Begins Reconnaissance Program and Renames Blackstairs Litihum Project, Ireland
Vancouver, B.C. / TNW-ACCESSWIRE / September 17, 2014: International Lithium Corp. (the "Company" or "ILC") (TSX VENTURE:ILC.V) is pleased to announce the commencement of the first phase of a EUREUR1,600,000 (approximately CAN$2,300,000) exploration program on the newly named Avalonia Lithium project located in Leinster province of southeastern Ireland. Pursuant to the Option Agreement announced on March 19, 2014 and Company News Release dated July 30, 2014, strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. ("Ganfeng or "GFL") has advanced EUREUR500,000 (approximately CAN$725,000) for the first phase of the program.
The first cash advance of the multi-phase program will be used to conduct regional scale geological mapping and geochemical surveys in preparation for drill target selection. Crews are now on-site. The newly acquired results will be compiled with existing data and known mineralized occurrences to prioritize exploratory drilling and resource delineation drilling in subsequent phases. ILC is manager of the project and will receive a management fee of up to 10% of the exploration expenditures.
In respect of the expanded scale of the target area, the Company has elected to choose a name for the project that better reflects the potential for a significant lithium discovery within the over 50 kilometre strike length of the East Carlow Deformation Zone and the associated Leinster granites that host the lithium bearing pegmatites. The project will now be known as the Avalonia Lithium project.
The name is derived from an ancient micro-continent called Avalonia which, during the closing of the Iapetus Ocean (the Caledonian orogeny), collided with the European continent (Baltica) and the North American continent (Laurentia). The collision created a deep extensive suture zone (Iapetus suture zone) well recognized as an excellent structural domain to produce Li and Rare Metal enriched pegmatite bodies. The suture extends from Norway to the British Isles, Southeast Ireland, Newfoundland, and the Eastern USA where the suture zone is known to host the Kings Mountain and Bessemer City lithium mines.
The Avalonia Lithium project's Li and Rare Metal enriched pegmatite field is situated along the highly prospective Southeast Ireland segment (the East Carlow Deformation zone) of the Iapetus suture zone.
About the Avalonia Lithium Project
The Avalonia Lithium project, is comprised of eight mineral exploration licenses totalling 292 square kilometres, is located 65 to 100 km south of Dublin in the Counties of Carlow and Wicklow in Leinster, southeast Ireland. The Property encompasses an extensive NE-SW oriented 30 to 50 kilometre long rare metals pegmatite belt situated within the East Carlow Deformation Zone along the eastern side of the Leinster Granites. Approximately 19 significant lithium pegmatite occurrences have been discovered within the Property to date, primarily through boulder mapping with five buried pegmatites known through past trenching and drilling.
Lithium bearing pegmatite occurrences were first reported in the area in 1970. In the period through to 1977, Irish Base Metals carried out a preliminary exploration program comprising prospecting, sampling, trenching and geophysical surveys culminating in 47 short boreholes totalling 2,300 metres at 4 of the 19 lithium pegmatite occurrences over a number of seasons.
Due to the prevalent overburden cover and scarcity of outcrop, prospecting for lithium pegmatite boulders was the most successful exploration method utilized to identify priority target areas. The relative location, size and quantity of pegmatite boulders within the dry stone field boundaries provided a reliable indication for the approximate position of buried pegmatites. Deep overburden geochemical sampling has since been successfully used to follow buried pegmatites along stike.
Thirty-three short drill holes totalling 1,703m were drilled at Aclare. An historical resource of 570,000 tonnes grading 1.5% Li2O was reported in 1976 by Irish Base Metals. (A Qualified Person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources and the Issuer is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources. The historical estimate is included here for illustrative purposes only and should not be relied upon. Mineral exploration is by nature a highly speculative endeavour and there is no guarantee that further exploration work will result in the discovery and/or definition of a mineral resource at Avalonia.)
Five drill holes were drilled at the Stranakelly occurrence situated proximal to the northeast Property boundary. Lithium-bearing pegmatite mineralization was intersected in four of the holes with hole STK3 grading 1.85% Li2O over 5.3 metres.
Five drill holes were drilled at the Moylisha occurrence situated approximately 10 km northeast of Aclare. One hole reported 1.66% Li2O over 9.4 metres.
The recent discovery of a high concentration of pegmatite boulders reporting grades exceeding 4% Li2O at Moylisha only serve to highlight the exploration potential of the Property.
International Lithium conducted preliminary drill testing on two of the six main prospects at Avalonia (NR dated June 25, 2013). The drill program confirmed historical drill results at the Aclare prospect 85 kilometres southwest of Dublin and successfully intersected lithium bearing spodumene pegmatites in a previously untested area, below a spodumene bearing boulder field at the Moylisha prospect.
Pegmatite intersected at Aclare returned 2.23% Li2O over a drilling width of 23.3m including 3.43% Li2O over 6.0m drill width.
At Moylisha drilling intersected 1.50% Li2O over 5.60m drill width which is consistent with historical results and confirm the prospectivity of the area.
John Harrop, P.Geo, FGS, is the Company's Qualified Person on the project as defined under NI 43-101 and has reviewed the technical information contained in this press release.
About International Lithium Corp.
International Lithium Corp. is an exploration company with an outstanding portfolio of projects, strong management ownership, robust financial support and a strategic partner and keystone investor Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd., a leading China based lithium product manufacturer.
The Company's primary focus is the Mariana lithium-potash brine project, within the renowned South American "Lithium Belt" that is the host to the vast majority of global lithium resources, reserves and production. The 160 square kilometre Mariana project strategically encompasses an entire mineral rich evaporate basin that ranks as one of the more prospective salars or 'salt lakes" in the region.
Complementing the Company's lithium brine project are rare metals pegmatite properties in Canada and Ireland. These projects reported highly encouraging lithium mineralization in drill holes targeting pegmatites that are unexposed at surface (news releases dated April 3,2013 and June 25, 2013).
With the increasing demand for high tech rechargeable batteries used in vehicle propulsion technologies and portable electronics, lithium is paramount to tomorrow's "green-tech" economy. By positioning itself with solid development partners and acquiring high quality grass roots projects at an early stage of exploration, ILC aims to be the green tech resource explorer of choice for investors and build value for its shareholders.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
Kirill Klip
President, International Lithium Corp.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this press release other than purely historical information, historical estimates should not be relied upon, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, are forward-looking statements. News release contains certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company's business, including risks inherent in resource exploration and development. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
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