Power Metals Corp. [PWM–TSXV; PWRMF-OTC; OAA1-FSE] announced the strategic review committee has decided to focus on our cesium mineralization in the spodumene pegmatites at the Case Lake Project located 130 km northeast of Timmins, Ontario.
In late trading on Friday February 14, Power Metals gained 9 cents up to 27 cents on a volume of 4,736,000 shares traded.
Cesium is incredibly valuable as there are only three cesium mines in the world and Power Metals owns three of the five cesium occurrences in Ontario: the 100%-owned West Joe, Tot Lake and Marko’s pegmatites. Power Metals’ West Joe Dyke at Case Lake was discovered in August 2018. The 2018 drill program intersected high-grade cesium mineralization in six drill holes at West Joe: PWM-18-111, 112, 116, 123, 124 and 126 with up to 14.70 % Cs2O over 1.0 metre in drill hole PWM-18-126. The 2018 drill program was targeting lithium mineralization and Power Metals was encouraged when cesium mineralization was intersected in the same drill holes.
Cesium is extremely rare – the United States Department of the Interior included lithium, cesium and tantalum on its list of Critical Minerals.
West Joe Dyke contains Cesium (Cs) mineralization as shown by the presence of pollucite in drill core and exceptionally high-grade Cs intervals:
- 70 % Cs2O over 1.0 m, 13.0-14.0 m, PWM-18-126
- 40 % Cs2O over 1.0 m, 10.0-11.0 m, PWM-18-112
- 74 % Cs2O over 5.0 m, 11.0-16.0 m, PWM-18-126
The Cs grades at West Joe are comparable with that at Pioneer’s Sinclair Mine which has been exporting their high-grade cesium at > 10% Cs2O to Sinomine Specialty Fluids, but also has low grade material at ~3.5% Cs2O stockpiled.
Cesium is used as cesium formate brines to act as heavy mud for high pressure, high temperature offshore oil drilling to lubricate drill bits and prevent blowouts. The cesium formate mud is rented to oil companies and recycled after use. Cesium isotopes are also used in atomic clocks which are important in cell phone networks, internet, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and aircraft guidance systems.
Cesium bromide is used in infrared detectors, optics, photoelectric cells, scintillation counters, and spectrophotometers. Cesium is also used in the glass for night vision googles.
Power Metals Marko’s pegmatite is located on its Paterson Lake property, 60 km north of Kenora, northwestern Ontario. In 2001, cesium was also identified in drill hole SR-12 with 6.37 % Cs2O over 1.0 and 7.35 % Cs2O over 1.0 metre. Marko’s pegmatite is open to the west along strike of the dyke with the potential to find more cesium mineralization.
Power Metals’ Tot Lake pegmatite is located 30 km northeast of Dryden, northwestern Ontario. Pollucite was found in outcrop at Tot Lake in 1964, but it has not yet been drilled. Tot Lake pegmatite is underexplored with three drill holes drilled in 1964 for lithium and three drill holes drilled in 1978 for tantalum.