Few juniors move from acquisition to drill completion in a single quarter. Volta Metals Ltd. (CSE: VLTA | FSE: D0W) has—and President & CEO Kerem Usenmez says the results could redefine Canada’s place in the critical minerals map. “What’s particularly exciting about the Springer Rare Earth and Gallium Project is its location, its high-grade nature, and the fact that it’s open in all directions,” he told InvestorNews.com host Tracy Hughes. “That, to me, is the most exciting spot to be in right now.”
In an industry where patience is measured in drill seasons, Volta wasted no time. “We acquired this project in July this summer, and we’ve already drilled it,” Usenmez said. The company’s 1,638-metre diamond program, four holes in total, probed deeper than any previous campaign. “Every borehole went deeper than anticipated—deeper than it had ever been drilled before. We believe a couple of the holes, if not more, remain in mineralization, because visually we can still see carbonatite.” Samples are now at Activation Laboratories in North Bay, Ontario, with assays pending.
Volta’s September 29 release confirmed what Usenmez described: all holes intersected multiple thick zones of syenite-carbonatite breccia and dolomitic carbonatite—up to 125 metres and 20 metres downhole thickness respectively—ending in mineralization still open for expansion. Technical Advisor Dr. Fred Breaks noted that early observations “suggest the presence of a very large, intact carbonatite system … with the present drilling situated within a potassic fenite breccia zone intruded by high-grade REE-rich dolomitic carbonatite dykes.”
The potential stakes are high. The historic 2012 Tetra Tech resource estimated 4.2 million tonnes at 1.14% TREO (indicated) and 12.7 million tonnes at 1.17% TREO (inferred) with measurable heavy-rare-earth content—numbers Volta hopes to verify and expand. “We’ll likely release [assay results] hole by hole—from now through mid-to-late November,” Usenmez said. “After that, we’ll be updating the resource, which we anticipate will be larger and potentially better. We also aim to have a standalone gallium resource—which would be the first in Canada.”
Usenmez credits a deliberate approach to relationships for the company’s momentum. “It’s extremely important to build that relationship and be respectful,” he said of Volta’s memorandum of understanding with the Nipissing First Nation. “We believe that you have to do that before doing any work. This MOU solidifies our respectful relationship and partnership with them.”
Now entering only its second year as a public company, Volta’s strength, Usenmez insists, lies in its bench. “We have a knowledgeable, skilled, and engaged board—a functioning board with functioning committees. I rely on the expertise of every single person.” Among his advisors are metallurgist Alastair Neill, who helped design several rare earth processing facilities worldwide, and Dr. Breaks, whose three decades at the Ontario Geological Survey shaped much of the province’s rare earth elements (REE) and lithium mapping.
From the core shack near Sturgeon Falls to the boardroom in Toronto, Usenmez’s focus is clear: accelerate responsibly. “We went right ahead and drilled,” he said simply, the understatement of a man used to moving fast in a slow industry. “It’s hard to pick a favorite [mineral]—I guess it’s like having multiple children—but right now, Springer is where the excitement is.”
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