Dual-listed Patriot Battery Metals is making progress on the feasibility study for its Shaakichiuwaanaan property, in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec, with the final National Instrument 43-101 report scheduled for release in September.

The study, which kicked off in September, focuses on the CV5 pegmatite at the Shaakichiuwaanaan project. The property hosts a consolidated mineral resource estimate of 80.1-million tonnes at 1.44% lithium oxide (Li₂O) in the indicated category and 62.5-million tonnes at 1.31% Li₂O in the inferred category.

The CV5 spodumene pegmatite, forming the bulk of the resource estimate, is accessible year-round via an all-season road and is located about 14 km from a major hydroelectric powerline corridor. The CV13 pegmatite, situated less than 3 km from CV5, hosts additional lithium and tantalum resources, along with a newly discovered cesium mineralisation zone.

The feasibility study follows a preliminary economic assessment (PEA) completed in August 2024. Various preparatory work programmes, including field studies, desktop analysis, and lab testing, were undertaken before launching the feasibility study. Trade-off studies were also conducted to determine the most viable mine development approach.

Following these assessments, it was decided that the feasibility study would align closely with the scope outlined in the PEA, incorporating a staged production growth model. The study continues with the dense media separation processing methodology, which has demonstrated excellent recovery characteristics in metallurgical testwork conducted in 2023 and 2024. This approach simplifies construction, commissioning, and operations while reducing costs compared to flotation recovery techniques.

Work is ongoing to establish the optimal schedule for underground mining, particularly access to the high-grade Nova zone. The Nova zone has been traced over a strike length of at least 1 100 m through multiple drill holes, with geological modelling indicating a continuous spodumene mineralized zone with variable thickness and grades exceeding 2% Li₂O at depths ranging from 125 m to 325 m.