New Cesium Discoveries Expand Project Potential
Winsome Resources Ltd (ASX:WR1) has announced significant cesium and lithium discoveries at its Sirmac-Clapier Project in Quebec, Canada. Recent field campaigns have returned exceptional assay values, with cesium oxide (Csâ‚‚O) readings as high as 4.20% and lithium oxide (Liâ‚‚O) values reaching 4.23% across several newly identified prospects.
The discoveries at Winsome Resources Ltd Sirmac-Clapier have successfully identified four new cesium-lithium prospects within a 1km radius of the original discovery outcrop, substantially expanding the project's mineralisation footprint. These new finds demonstrated impressive cesium values, with multiple samples exceeding 1% Csâ‚‚O and peak values reaching 3.69% Csâ‚‚O and 3.59% Csâ‚‚O.
Additional sampling at the original discovery outcrop has extended the high-grade cesium mineralisation along strike both northward and southward. These efforts yielded exceptional results including a peak value of 4.20% Csâ‚‚O. Importantly, mineralogical analysis has confirmed pollucite as the primary cesium-bearing mineral at the project, a critical validation as pollucite represents the principal cesium ore mined globally.
"These high grade cesium results from Sirmac-Clapier, combined with results from our previous campaign, provide encouragement this unique opportunity has the potential to be a significant discovery. We now have cesium-lithium mineralisation in multiple showings over 1,000m along with confirmation of the coherent higher grade zones at the original 'Discovery' outcrop as well as a further critical mineral opportunity arising from the high rubidium assays." — Chris Evans, Managing Director
Discovery Outcrop Shows Consistent High-Grade Results
Close-spaced sampling at the Discovery outcrop has yielded remarkably consistent high-grade results. The sampling program collected 57 samples, with 42 samples returning above 0.11% Csâ‚‚O. More impressively, 5 samples exceeded 1.06% Csâ‚‚O. The average lithium content across all samples was 1.69% Liâ‚‚O, indicating robust lithium mineralisation alongside the cesium.
The high-grade cesium zones appear to trend north-south along the outcrop, with samples from both the northern and southern extents returning exceptional values. A sample from the northern end returned an outstanding 4.20% Csâ‚‚O, while southern samples yielded 2.63% and 2.26% Csâ‚‚O. These results suggest the mineralisation remains open along strike under cover, presenting significant exploration upside potential.
In addition to the cesium and lithium values, 12 samples returned significant rubidium assays exceeding 10,000 ppm Rb, highlighting the multi-element potential of the project. This multi-commodity characteristic could enhance the overall economic potential of the Sirmac-Clapier project.
Regional Sampling Confirms Broader Potential
Winsome's regional sampling program tested seven different targets beyond the discovery outcrop, with 25 samples collected. The results confirmed widespread cesium-lithium mineralisation across the project area:
- 13 samples returned above 0.11% Csâ‚‚O
- 2 samples exceeded 1.06% Csâ‚‚O
- Peak values included 3.59% Csâ‚‚O (Central South) and 3.69% Csâ‚‚O (Northeast of Discovery)
- 19 samples returned high-grade lithium above 1% Liâ‚‚O
- Peak lithium value of 4.23% Liâ‚‚O from Central South area
Four main areas of cesium mineralisation have been defined through this work: Central North, Central South, Discovery North, and Discovery North East. The success of this sampling programme supports the potential for further cesium occurrences to be present within the project area and the broader region.
Understanding Pollucite: The Key to Cesium Production
Pollucite is a rare cesium aluminium silicate mineral that serves as the primary ore for global cesium production. Mineralogical analysis at Sirmac-Clapier confirmed samples containing 6.17% and 2.56% pollucite, along with 16% and 10.3% spodumene (a lithium-bearing mineral).
Mineralogical analysis was conducted using the TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyzer (TIMA), which confirmed pollucite as the cesium-bearing mineral at Sirmac-Clapier. Two samples were analysed and found to contain 6.17% and 2.56% pollucite, alongside 16% and 10.3% spodumene.
The presence of pollucite is critical for the project's commercial potential, as it indicates that a saleable cesium product could potentially be produced. The analysis also found that pollucite liberation was relatively good given the simple sample preparation method used (crushing to -2mm), suggesting potentially favourable processing characteristics.
Global Scarcity of Cesium Sources
Pollucite has only been commercially mined at three locations worldwide:
- Tanco mine in Manitoba, Canada
- Bikita mine in Zimbabwe
- Sinclair mine in Western Australia
This global scarcity positions the discoveries at Winsome Resources Ltd Sirmac-Clapier as a potentially significant new source of this critical mineral. Cesium is classified as a critical mineral by many governments due to its specialised applications and limited supply sources. It finds use in:
- High-precision atomic clocks
- Oil and gas drilling fluids
- Medical applications
- Specialised optics and electronics
Advantageous Location and Infrastructure
The Sirmac-Clapier Project benefits from excellent logistics and infrastructure:
- Located just 30km from provincial road infrastructure
- 40km from Sayona Mining's Moblan Lithium Deposit
- 75km from the Troilus Gold Mine
- 100km from the regional centres of Chibougamau and Chapais with rail access
This strategic positioning significantly reduces exploration costs and would provide logistical advantages for any future development. The project's proximity to existing mining operations and infrastructure in an established mining jurisdiction further enhances its development potential.
Next Steps and Timeline
Winsome is utilising these sampling results to finalise drill hole locations ahead of a planned drilling program scheduled for the winter season in late 2025. Permitting procedures and stakeholder discussions are currently underway, with on-site preparations expected to commence in October.
The company is particularly focused on:
- Testing the extensions of cesium-lithium mineralisation along strike
- Exploring the depth potential of the high-grade zones
- Evaluating the economic potential of the rubidium mineralisation
The winter drilling program will be a key milestone in advancing this unique critical minerals opportunity and will provide valuable information on the subsurface extent and continuity of the mineralisation identified in surface sampling.
Strategic Positioning in Critical Minerals
The discoveries at Winsome Resources Ltd Sirmac-Clapier represent a unique opportunity in the critical minerals space. The company is building a strong position in the cesium market through multiple avenues:
- The new discoveries at Sirmac-Clapier
- Its stake in Power Metals Corp (TSX-V.PWM)
- Offtake rights to lithium, tantalum, and cesium at the Case Lake Project in Ontario
With cesium being a globally scarce resource with limited production sources, Winsome is strategically positioning itself to become a significant player in this critical mineral market. The company's multi-project approach to cesium, combined with its established lithium assets, creates a diversified critical minerals portfolio with exposure to several high-value commodities.
Investment Implications
For investors, the cesium potential at Sirmac-Clapier adds a valuable dimension to Winsome's lithium portfolio, potentially enhancing project economics through multi-commodity production. The rarity of economic cesium deposits globally makes new discoveries particularly significant.
The consistent high-grade nature of the cesium and lithium mineralisation across multiple prospects at Sirmac-Clapier indicates robust mineral potential. Furthermore, the planned drilling program in late 2025 will be a key catalyst to watch as the company advances this unique critical minerals opportunity.
With cesium classified as a critical mineral by many governments due to its specialised applications and limited supply, Winsome's positioning in this market segment could provide strategic advantages as global demand for critical minerals continues to grow in response to technological advancement and supply security concerns.
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