Great Northern Minerals has acquired two exciting lithium tenements in Finland. The projects are:
- Sukula Project, Reservation Permit (174.3km2); and
- Kuusisuo Project, Reservation Permit (362km2)
Both Projects have excellent access to high quality infrastructure in a top mining jurisdiction and are located in the proximity of Europe’s thriving battery metal industry. The acquisition of the Projects continue GNM’s strategic diversification into critical minerals.
Key Features
- Extensive evidence for lithium mineralisation of two important deposit styles: Lithium-bearing LCT-type pegmatites at Sukula Project. Several mapped rare metal pegmatites have never been assayed for lithium. The Sukula Project is located in close proximity to extensive known lithium pegmatite swarms including the Kietyonmaki swarm where the United Lithium Corporation (CSE: ULTH) have discovered drill intersections of up to 42m at 1.1% Li2O.
- Granite-hosted greisen mineralisation at the Kuusisuo Project, including historical drill intersections of 61.5m at 0.22% Li2O including 17.4m at 0.35% Li2O with similar style and potential to the Cinovec Deposit in the Czech Republic held by European Metals Holdings Limited (ASX: EMH) (708.2Mt at 0.42% Li2O).
Why lithium in Finland?
Lithium was classified as a “Critical Raw Material” by the European Commission in September 2020 and Finland was one of the first countries in the world to unveil a National Battery Strategy. The European Commission estimates the EU will need 18 times more lithium in 2030 than that which is consumed in 2020, and 60 more times by the end 2050.
With the acquisition of the Projects, GNM is set to enter Europe’s new lithium value chain, vital to the region’s energy transition and climate change goals. Finland has highly prospective geology for the formation of lithium deposits, including the Kaustin Lithium province which is currently the largest in Scandinavia. In addition, Finland is consistently ranked in the top 10 of the Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Investment Attractiveness.
Sukula Lithium Project
The Sukula Project is located in southern Finland roughly 115km northeast of Helsinki and comprises 174.3km2. The project area was selected since it comprises the northern portion of the well known Somero LCT pegmatite field with one of the highest densities of mapped rare metal pegmatites in Finland.
There are a number of nearby advanced lithium pegmatites adjacent to the licenses including the Kietyonmaki lithium pegmatite swarm has been defined over an area of 300m by 200m and drilling has intersected up to 42m at 1.1% Li2O from 17.9m including 9m at 2.0% Li2O. Kietyonmaki is located only 2km west of the reservation outline and rare metal pegmatites have been mapped 2.5km along strike to the east on the Sukula license and never been assayed. This is one priority area for rock sampling by GNM in the upcoming summer field programs.
Sukula Project Geology
Kuusisuo Lithium Project
The large 362km2 project tenure is located in southern Finland around 163km northeast of Helsinki. The area was selected due to the Kuusisuo lithium occurrence located central to a very large Mesoproterozoic aged Rapakivi granite intrusive complex.
Historical work on the Kuusisuo Project indicates the occurrence has been drilled with several holes where selected assays indicates extensive granite-hosted ‘greisen-style’ lithium mineralisation and also indications of tin in places (Figure 3). Highlight drilling intersections include:
- 61.5m at 0.22% Li2O from 7.9m in R4 including 17.35m at 0.35% Li2O;
- 66.95m at 0.21% Li2O from 12.15m in R7 including 18.15m at 0.27% Li2O;
- 18.95m at 0.13% Li2O from 46.75m in R9; and
- 5.15m at 0.15% Li2O, 0.24% SnO2 from 73.2m in R10 incl. 0.45m at 1.22% SnO2, 0.05% Li2O.
Kuusisuo Project Geology
Bedrock geology map of the Kuusisuo Project showing collar locations (yellow dots) and trace of the known LCT pegmatites (red lines).
Granite-hosted greisen-style lithium mineralisation at the Kuusisuo Project is very similar to the lithium-tin mineralisation at the Cinovec Deposit in Czech Republic (European Metals) that hosts the largest lithium resources in Europe of 708.2Mt at 0.42% Li20 and 500 ppm Sn. At least 150km2 of the Kuusisuo Project is covered by the highly prospective Rapakiv intrusive complex which the Company considers is highly prospective for giant lithium-tin deposits similar to Cinovec.
The Kuusisuo Project is also highly prospective for lithium-cesium-tantalum (“LCT”) pegmatites given the close proximity to the Rakokivenmäki Lithium Pegmatite.