Finland

Source: Geology.com

Source: Geology.com

RE pegmatite groups in Southern Finland (from Alviola, 2003)
Source: Lithium Pegmatite Prospectivity Modelling in Somero-Tammela Area, Southern Finland 

• Nordic Mining’s associated company Keliber Oy in Finland has lithium deposits located in the Kaustinen and Kokkola municipalities in the Ostrobothnia region of Finland. Lithium is contained in the mineral spodumene which enables extraction and production of high-purity lithium carbonate. In June 2008, Nordic Mining acquired 68% of the shares in Keliber Oy, a Finnish company having the rights and plans for extraction and production of Lithium carbonate in Finland. From 2012 Nordic Mining’s share of Keliber has been 38%. The lithium deposit in Kokkola has been known since the 1960s when early drillings began in preparation for mining operations. The necessary enrichment and refinement trials were completed back then; however, production did not start up due to unfavourable market conditions. Nordic Mining and its subsidiary are currently in the process of surveying the area with a view to starting up quarrying operations within the next couple of years. According to the company’s estimates, these deposits amount to over three million tonnes, with almost two million tonnes available for extraction – enough for ten years. The lithium will be mined in an open-pit quarrying operation. No major environmental hazards are foreseen. “The plan is to separate the lithium from the mineral using inexpensive and environmentally friendly biogas made from agricultural biomass and waste from fur farms,” “By-products from the operation, including analcime, tantalum and quart-feldspar mixture, can also be used in the ceramics and the electronics industry. Crushed stone will be used in road construction and later on to rehabilitate the quarry.”

• Nortec Minerals Corporation (NVT) is based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Company holds a 49% interest in the Tammela Project (Li, Au) in southern Finland under option to Avalon Minerals Limited (ASX:AVI). Avalon paid Nortec €20,000 and issued 1,000,000 Avalon shares upon the signing of the Heads of Agreement. Through its subsidiary Scandian Metals, Avalon will fund exploration on the Tammela Project in two stages to earn an 80% interest. Stage 1 comprises of an expenditure of €500,000 over a 24 month time period to earn a 51% Interest. This was completed in 2016 with expenditures as of February 21, 2017 at €931,394. As of March 15, 2017 Avalon has elected to undertake Stage 2, payment of €200,000 has been received by Nortec leaving a commitment to complete an additional expenditure of EUR 1,000,000 over two years to earn another 29% for a total 80%. Avalon and Nortec will form an 80:20 Joint Venture on completion of the Stage 2 program.The Kietyönmäki deposit was drilled by GTK in 1987-88. Seventeen (17) diamond drill holes, on 3 traverses, were completed on the Kietyönmäki Main Dyke (or “KMD”), a large spodumene-rich pegmatite dyke that can be traced for over 400m. GTK drilling defined the dyke along ~120 metres of strike to a depth of 75m – but is still open to the south-east and north-west, with an average width of 12m, and still open at depth. Assays from GTK, and follow-up check assays by Nortec have delivered results of up to 24m at 1.3% Li₂O, including 11m at 2% Li₂O. The best intersection was 3m at 4.35% Li₂O The mineralisation at Kietyönmäki is considered good quality with low Fe and Mn; other lithium pegmatites have been mapped in a broad 1km area around the KMD that have yet to be drill evaluated. Avalon Minerals Ltd has identified an exploration target of 8 – 15 Mt at 1.4 – 1.8% Li2O. The potential quantity and grade is conceptual in nature. There has to date been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource.

• Savannah Resources plc (AIM: SAV), the AIM quoted resource development company, announced in December 2016 that all results had been received from reconnaissance rockchip sampling over its new lithium projects in Finland, Somero and Erajarvi. Somero covers an area of 60.5km² just north of the township of Somero, one of the more prospective parts of the Somero-Tammela rare earth pegmatite belts, which cover an area of about 400km². The Somero reservation application area comprises at least 56 complex pegmatites enriched in lithium, niobium and tantalum. The pegmatites contain lithium silicates and phosphates including spodumene, lepidolite, petalite and lithium rich micas. This application occurs just to the south of TSX listed Nortec Minerals Kietyonmaki and Hirvikalio lithium deposits and covers a series of pegmatites reaching up to 1.2km in length and 50m wide. Eräjärvi covers an area of 98.5km² approximately 200km north of the Finnish capital Helsinki. The Eräjärvi Pegmatites are situated in southern Finland near the town of Orivesi and about 61 complex pegmatites have been mapped in the area to date. They contain a series of complex and simple pegmatites with the complex pegmatites in the Eräjärvi area often distinctly zoned and contain lithium rich minerals including spodumene and lepidolite. Dykes within the tenement reach up to 600m length and 50m wide and historical geological mapping by the Finnish geological survey has confirmed the presence of the minerals. The work programme has returned anomalous lithium mineralisation across both projects, leading to the discovery of seven lithium bearing pegmatites. A total of 524 rock chip sampleshave been collected from the Somero (244 samples) and Erajarvi (288 samples) licences and submitted to the laboratory for analysis. Results have highlighted seven pegmatites with anomalous lithium-two on Somero and five on Erajarvi. Geological mapping and rock chip sampling has highlighted prospective pegmatites with assays of up to 4.47% lithium oxide (Li₂O) at the Somero Project, and at the Torkkamaki Prospect mineralisation traced over 150m along strike and remaining open. At the Erajarvi Project, prospective pegmatites with assays of up to 1.56% Li₂O and at the Viitaniemi Prospect mineralisation traced for over 350m before it was covered by glacial till. Savannah has entered into an agreement to acquire a 75% interest in the highly strategic Mina do Barroso prospect in northern Portugal. With an approved Mining Plan, Environmental Impact Assessment and a 30-year mining concession/Mining Licence, the Company is focussed on defining a JORC resource so that a development decision can be made by the end of 2018. Work has included reconnaissance geological mapping, trenching, drilling and preliminary metallurgical test work with best results including: Due diligence rock chip sampling identifying desirable spodumene pegmatites >70m wide with Li₂O grades > 3.12%, continuous rock chipping returning broad zones of lithium mineralisation including 30m at 1.18% Li₂O, 30m at 1.35% Li₂O and 35m at 1.67% Li₂O, high-grade drill results which commence from at or near surface including 32m at 1.16% Li₂O from 20m, 12m at 1.6% Li₂O from 1m and 16m at 1.35% Li₂O from surface;