July 28, 2025 (Source) — CBLT Inc. has reviewed the assay results from samples taken at Shatford Lake in October, 2022. The initial results were disclosed in a news release dated Feb. 13, 2023.
One of the elements under additional review was gallium, which is used in the semiconductor industry, in the solar cell industry, and in smart phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth components. There is no substitute for gallium. Gallium appears on the critical minerals list for Canada, the U.S. Geological Survey and the European Union.
Geopolitical events impact the availability of chemical elements throughout the periodic table. China dominates global gallium production, producing roughly 90 to 95 per cent of the world’s supply. Since CBLT’s news release of Feb. 13, 2023, China has imposed an embargo on the export of gallium, which has shown how fragile the global supply chain for gallium is. This has stimulated renewed interest in it outside of China.
The table below highlights the gallium values in the October, 2022, samples.
These October, 2022, samples were taken from pegmatite occurrences. The additional review shows anomalous gallium as well as anomalous tantalum and rubidium, with local anomalous lithium in affiliation with tin-bearing pegmatites. CBLT is highly encouraged by these multielement anomalies, which management believes to be indicative of an LCT-type (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite.
Shatford Lake and the general pegmatite area are located in the Bird River pegmatite field in Manitoba, three kilometres south-southwest of the Tanco mine. CBLT recognizes the significance and importance of Sagkeeng First Nation’s traditional land rights in the area and openly welcomes continued engagement with the Sagkeeng chief and council. CBLT has collaborated with the Province of Manitoba’s Agriculture and Resource Development and the University of Manitoba to co-ordinate other geoscientific assistance, with assistance procured from a PhD-level program graduate. Sample collection and analysis for this review were completed by the qualified person for the Feb. 13, 2023, release, David Owens, PGeo.
The purpose of the 2022 exploration program was to obtain modern-day assay analyses of the pegmatites and to ground proof the pegmatite locations using prospecting and geological techniques specialized for discovering potential lithium-cesium-tantalum-bearing pegmatites (LCT pegmatites). Given the proximity to the Tanco mine and other LCT occurrences in the region, management believes there is a reasonable potential of a significant LCT occurrence in the Shatford Lake project area. The gallium in the samples supports this thesis. If enough LCT potential is discovered, a shallow drilling program may be generated.
The sampling program was last conducted Oct. 10, 2022, with 12 samples collected from a single large exposed shoreline outcrop located less than 100 metres west of an anomalous area sampled in August, 2022. This outcrop was targeted for higher-density sampling as it is visibly on strike with the shoreline pegmatite sampled previously in August, 2022.
A review of an east-west-striking pegmatite in the outcrop on the southeast shore of Shatford Lake that was prospected, mapped and sampled contains anomalous gallium up to 400 metres in strike length. This pegmatite is open to the east and west of the sampled locations. The pegmatite is a minimum 30 metres wide from the shoreline to its exposed southern contact. The northern geological contact occurs somewhere underneath the lake. The pegmatite contains cassiterite, beryl and trace columbite mineralization, as well as spectacular mica series mineralization from black biotite to phlogopite, chrome mica to spectacular muscovite series. Columbite mineralization is a key mineral containing significant elemental niobium and tantalum.
Evolved pegmatite units within the host mafic volcanic rocks appear to be structurally oriented similar to the Tanco pegmatite.
With its relative evolved chemical series, structural emplacement and proximity to the Tanco mine, the pegmatite at the southeast end of Shatford Lake warrants further exploration for potential LCT series on CBLT’s claims.
The proximity to the Tanco mine is important to CBLT. The Tanco mine hosts an LCT-type pegmatite, producing cesium and tantalum. Lithium, beryllium and rubidium have previously been produced. The Tanco pegmatite has dimensions of 820 metres by 1,600 metres and up to 100 metres thick, and over 100 minerals have been identified in it. It was reported by The Northern Miner in April, 2022, that lithium production had resumed at the Tanco mine. The Northern Miner is a credible source of mining-related news; however, as the owner of Tanco is a Chinese company, there is limited reliable public information available.
It was estimated in 1991 that Tanco had lithium reserves of 7.3 million tonnes at 2.76 per cent Li2O (lithium oxide) (GSWA mining bulletin No. 22, page 66). This is a historical third party estimate and CBLT has no information as to the methodology used to calculate this estimate or whether it was carried out under the supervision of a qualified person, as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101. Readers are cautioned not to rely upon this estimate.
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