Rockland Resources Identifies Large Lithium Soil Anomaly on Utah Lithium Projects
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / March 2, 2023 / Rockland Resources Ltd. (the "Company" or "Rockland") (CSE:RKL) summarizes field activities for 2022 and plans for an initial reverse -circulation drill program in the spring 2023, on its Lithium Butte targets, located in Juab County, Utah. The Company is also pleased to announce that it has received positive results outlining elevated lithium values in soil samples over its Fish Springs Playa Property. The lithium soil anomaly was initially defined with a Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) capable of light metal detection (including lithium and beryllium),which was calibrated and validated by laboratory analyzed soil samples. This lithium geochemical anomaly trends northeast-southwest for approximately 9 kilometres and varies in width from 4 - 6 kilometres.
Figure 1
Highlights of Rockland's Utah Projects include:
- Lithium Butte Project - the western-most project is situated 185 kilometres southwest of Salt Lake City and hosts claystone volcanic tuff breccia units interpreted to be highly prospective for lithium (Li), beryllium (Be) and rare earth mineralization. Company sampling has returned up to 4,080 parts per million lithium (ppm Li) from a grab sample and channel sampling returned 25.2 metres at 1,388 ppm Li, including 8.0 metres at 2,155 ppm Li and 0.7 metre at 3,540 ppm Li. Multiple prospective targets have been indicated and an initial reverse circulation ("RC") drill program is proposed and permitting has been submitted to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Several drill contractors have been contacted and quotes received, and Company personnel are reviewing them for a program to start in March or April.
- Fish Springs Playa Project (*) - this is the eastern-most project comprising mineral claims directed at claystone lithium mineralization and placer claims focused on lithium brine targets. The Fish Springs Playa Property was covered by extensive, widely spaced (300 metres x 300 metres) soil samples taken by North American Exploration of Layton, Utah during the fall of 2022. The samples were initially tested using a handheld Laser Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS) developed by SciAps Inc., of Woburn, MA. Samples were screened, compacted, and scanned at Rockland's company facility in Delta, Utah by in-house geologists. After the initial data created by the LIBS suggested a lithium-in-soil anomaly in the Fish Springs Flats area, 151 soil samples were selected, representing both higher and lower grades of lithium, and sent to Activation Laboratories ("ActLabs") for validation. The ActLabs results have confirmed the existence of the lithium-in-soil anomaly (Fig. 2). Historically, there had been no known lithium exploration activities undertaken on the Fish Springs Flats area. The identification of the anomaly is a significant step forward in advancing this green fields project.
- Of the samples assayed by the laboratory, thirteen samples assayed with greater than 300 ppm lithium with four greater than 375 ppm. Elevated lithium values are primarily found in a mud flat in the center of the valley with weaker values found on the margins. Several springs are found throughout the mud flats and the LIBS instrument detected 440 ppm in a soil sample taken from the drainage area of one of the springs. Through an exhaustive calibration process, aided by SciApps personnel, this technology allowed the Company to quickly evaluate the lithium prospectivity over large areas. Over 2000 soil samples were scanned with the LIBS instrument by Company personnel.
Juab County is an active exploration and mining area, with 61% of global beryllium produced by Materion Resources from the Spor Mountain mine, gold exploration and high-grade mining at the Tintic Mine by Osisko Development Corp, and drilling and exploration at the Tintic project by Ivanhoe Electric. (Utah Geological Survey Circular 134, 37 p., https://doi.org/10.34191/C-134.)
Program QA/QC - Samples were transported in sealed bags by the Company personnel and shipped to Activation Laboratories ("Actlabs") in Ancaster, Ontario. Actlabs is an independent ISO/IEC 17025 certified laboratory. Li analysis was performed using sodium peroxide fusion and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). As part of the QA/QC program Rockland geologists included blanks and certified reference materials (CRM) with the soil samples. No significant issues with blanks or CRMs were noted.
A comparison of the lithium values detected by the LIBS compared to the ActLabs data show a moderate to strong correlation with a higher-bias indicated in the LIBS data (Fig. 2). A linear regression was created using the 151 validation samples (Fig. 3). The resultant correlation formula (y=0.6201x+29.59, where y is the calculated normalized value and x is the LIBS data value) was used to "normalize" the LIBS samples that were not validated by ActLabs. The "normalized" values are used in Figure 1 which illustrates the results of the soil survey.
Richard Sutcliffe, Ph.D., P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined in NI43-101, is responsible for reviewing and approving the geological contents of this news release.
About Rockland Resources Ltd.
Rockland Resources is engaged in the business of mineral exploration and the acquisition of mineral property assets for the benefit of its shareholders. In addition to the Utah Lithium Property, the Company is acquiring the 41,818-hectare Elektra claystone project concessions that are contiguous with Gangfeng Lithium's Sonora Lithium Clay Project located in Sonora, Mexico. The Company also holds an option to earn a 100-per-cent interest in the Cole Gold Mines property, located in Ball township, Red Lake mining division, Ontario. The Cole Property hosts high-grade gold mineralization in a classic Red Lake-type structurally controlled gold deposit environment.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Michael England
CEO & Director
For further information, please contact:
Mike England
Email: mike@engcom.ca
Neither the Canadian Stock Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM).
SOURCE: Rockland Resources Ltd.
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