MONTREAL, QB / ACCESSWIRE / February 14, 2023 / Vior Inc. ("Vior" or the "Corporation"), (TSXV:VIO), (OTCQB:VIORF) and (FRANKFURT:VL51) is pleased to announce that it has identified multiple high potential targets for lithium bearing pegmatites and other strategic metals, including nickel ("Ni") and platinum group elements ("PGE")after having completed an extensive regional reconnaissance exploration review in and around its flagship Belleterre Gold Project ("Belleterre" or "Project") in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec. After recently identifying this exciting new exploration potential, Vior completed an aggressive map staking of 466 additional claims in the area, comprising over 26,820 hectares (268.2 km2), to secure and explore the high potential lithium-bearing pegmatites at Belleterre (Figure 1).
Mark Fedosiewich, President and CEO of Vior, states, "This is an exciting time for Vior. While finalizing the regional data compilation at our flagship Belleterre Gold Project, the Vior team identified multiple high-potential targets for lithium-bearing pegmatites. This staking of additional claims further expands and consolidates our land package at Belleterre, and helps to secure multiple gold and lithium targets across what has truly become a district-scale opportunity. It is clear that there is an urgent need for a secure and sustainable access to critical and strategic metals in North America, and this timely opportunity provides additional upside exposure for Vior's shareholders, while remaining committed to our core focus of making a new gold discovery in the historic Belleterre mining camp."
Although known for its historic high-grade gold production, the Belleterre region is also recognized for its lithium endowment with economic grades and quantities discovered and delineated at the advanced Tansim Lithium Project, located 20km north of Vior's property and includes significant drill intercepts: 12.35m @ 1.29% Li2O and 43.7m @ 0.82% Li2O, including 16.1m @ 1.26% Li2O (GM71640). Owned by Sayona Mining Ltd ("Sayona") (ASX:SYA), one of the most advanced pre-production companies in the lithium space, the Tansim project is part of Sayona's Abitibi Hub strategy (Figure 1) that includes other advanced production assets and refineries in the Abitibi.
Figure 1 - Belleterre Project location within Sayona's Abitibi Lithium Hub.
By leveraging all publicly available geophysics and surface geochemical data, the Vior team has identified a +80km prospective lithium-bearing corridor that extends south of the Tansim deposit and into the Belleterre district. The corridor was delineated through the analysis of numerous lithium and other pathfinder elements' anomalies from stream and lake bottom sediments and the classification of a prospective 20km lithium-cesium-tantalum type (Li-Cs-Ta) pegmatite dyke swarm to the south of the Belleterre property (Figure 2), similar to that found at the Tansim project. As a result, Vior moved quickly to stake the additional 466 claims, expanding its land position to the East and South in order to encapsulate this prospective lithium exploration corridor that is in close proximity to fertile S-type magmatic units.
Figure 2 - Belleterre Project land tenure position and interpreted lithium prospective corridor
The Belleterre Project benefits from its advantageous location within the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region, providing competitive exploration costs and exceptional access to key resources. Within close proximity to two major mining towns in Quebec, this provides for a comprehensive mining infrastructure that includes an extensive road network and access to power, as well as a readily available and skilled workforce. The past gold production at the Belleterre gold mine, the highly prospective future gold targets generated by Vior, as well as the advanced lithium project at Tansim are testament to the exploration potential of this area. Vior holds a dominant land position in the region and controls a highly prospective multi-commodity exploration project that can advance quickly with fieldwork expected to start early Spring of 2023.
About the Belleterre Project
The project is located near the town of Belleterre in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec, 95km south of Rouyn-Noranda, QC. The property consists of 1,017 claims over an area of 57,220 hectares (572.2 km2), forming a district-scale exploration package. The Project includes the option to acquire the former high-grade Belleterre Gold Mine that produced over 750,000 oz gold at 10.73 grams per tonne (g/t) and 95,000 oz silver (Ag) at 1.73 g/t between 1936 and 1959 (Source: Sigeom MERN). The property has been under-explored over the the past 60 years and has never been the subject of such significant consolidation until now. This property has also never been explored for its lithium potential, and only limited previous work was dedicated to Ni, PGE magmatic mineralization and other critical metals.
About Vior Inc.
Vior is a hybrid junior mining exploration company based in Quebec, whose corporate strategy is to generate, explore and develop high-quality projects in proven and favourable mining jurisdictions in North America. Through the years, Vior's management and technical teams have demonstrated their ability to discover several gold deposits and many high-quality mineral prospects.
Cautionary Statement
Lithium, nickel, PGE and other critical elements mineralization occurring on nearby projects is not necessarily indicative of potential mineralization that may be identified on the Belleterre property.
Qualified Persons
The technical content disclosed in this press release was reviewed and approved by Laurent Eustache, Vior's Executive Vice-President and Christian Blanchet, Operations Manager for Vior, both Qualified Persons as per National Instrument 43-101.
For further information, please contact:
Mark Fedosiewich
President and CEO
613-898-5052
[email protected]
Laurent Eustache
Executive Vice-President
Tel.: 514-442-7707
[email protected]
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the Policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements. All statements, other than of historical facts, that address activities, events or developments that the Corporation believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation, the planned exploration program on the Belleterre project, the expected positive exploration results, the timing of the exploration results, the ability of the Corporation to continue with the exploration program, the availability of the required funds to continue with the exploration and the approval from the Ministère de l'énergie et des ressources naturelle ("MERN") of the request for abandonment of the two mining concessions filed by 9293-0122 Québec Inc. are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "to earn", "to have', "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Corporation's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Corporation to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, failure to meet expected, estimated or planned exploration expenditures, the possibility that future exploration results will not be consistent with the Corporation's expectations, general business and economic conditions, changes in world gold markets, sufficient labour and equipment being available, changes in laws and permitting requirements, unanticipated weather changes, title disputes and claims, environmental risks, the refusal by the MERN to approve the request for abandonment of the two mining concessions held by 9293-0122 Québec Inc. as well as those risks identified in the Corporation's annual Management's Discussion and Analysis. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described and accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Although the Corporation has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Corporation does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements except as otherwise required by applicable law.
SOURCE: Vior Inc.