RARE EARTH METALS: Expanding efforts for rare metals

Houston Lake Mining Inc. of Val Caron, Ont., says it is now advancing its exploration efforts for rare metals lithium, tantalum, rubidium and cesium at its 100%-owned PAK Lithium Project in Northwestern Ontario.. The PAK Lithium Project lies close to the boundary between two geological sub-provinces of the western Superior geologic province in Northwestern Ontario and hosts a rare metals pegmatite deposit. The deposit is an LCT (lithium- cesium- tantalum) type pegmatite. These types of pegmatites have been the principal source of hard rock lithium, tantalum, rubidium and cesium ores mined in the world but there are comparatively few commercially viable deposits. The HLM deposit is one of the higher grade lithium deposits in North America which has a current Measured and Indicated Resource of 7.89 million tonnes of 1.73% Li2O Eq. and Inferred Resource of 295,600 tonnes of 1.35% Li2O Eq. which has a technical/ceramic grade spodumene with low inherent iron (below 0.1% Fe2O3). The deposit has adjacent zones that are enriched in rubidium and tantalum. HLM is also evaluating the phased co-production of tantalum and mica-product concentrates once lithium mineral production has been commercialized. The deposit now has a known 500m strike length with an estimated true width varying from 10m to 125m with a sub-vertical orientation. The resource remains open to depth and along strike to the northwest and southeast.