Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 29, 2024) - Blackbird Critical Metals Corp. (CSE: BBRD) (FSE: N79) (OTCQB: BBCMF) ("Blackbird" or the "Company") is pleased to announce priority drill targets as well as a permitting update on the Tyee Critical Metals Project.
Highlights:
- Four high-priority titanium occurrences targeted for drilling
- Two high-priority nickel occurrences targeted for drilling
- Additional targets from 2nd phase of SkyTEM survey slated for prospecting and sampling
- Permitting for drilling is now in the final stages and permits are expected imminently
"Our inaugural drill program will test the most promising new titanium and nickel targets," stated Dr. Jacob Verbaas, Interim CEO of Blackbird Critical Metals. "The Company has 20 drill holes planned for a total of 1,200 meters of drilling. These drillholes will all test near-surface occurrences, with proven mineralization, to a depth of roughly 60 m. At the same time, the Company is working towards an exploration program to follow up on the additional 62 targets that were generated from the second phase of the SkyTEM survey that was flown in the Fall of 2023.
"We expect the first drill phase to be completed within about five to six weeks from the mobilization date. Although the final mobilization date is dependent on receipt of permits, the permitting process appears to be nearing completion. In the meantime, the Company's contractors have been engaged and are on standby to commence drilling as soon as possible. In the case of positive results, the Company will be able to make good use of the remainder of the exploration season and increase the program size where warranted."
Figure 1. Titanium showings on the Tyee Critical Metals project. All values are averages of grab samples as noted in Table 1 and previously announced on January 9th.
Titanium - NS Trend Drilling
Four drill collars are planned over the NS Trend, where sampling over a 2,300 m strike length has yielded an average of 31.56% TiO2 in eight grab samples. The NS Trend is mostly poorly exposed, however, a section of massive magnetite of 300 m by 30 m is intermittently exposed and likely continuous. Drilling will start in this area to test whether this mineralization continues to depth.
Titanium - Big Tio
Four drill collars are planned over the Big Tio target, where a substantial conductor underlies high-grade titanium in grab samples. The Big Tio target yielded five grab samples averaging 35.92% TiO2. Infill lines from the 2nd phase of SkyTEM data collection corroborated and further defined the geophysical signature after the initial sampling program.
Titanium - Crescent
Four drill collars are planned over the Crescent target. The Crescent target yielded 28.79 % TiO2 over 12 samples. The Crescent target consists of the second-largest continuous EM anomaly on the Tyee Critical Metals Project associated with high-grade titanium mineralization and has a length of 1,850m. This conductor and possibly associated mineralization appear to dip slightly to the east.
Titanium - St. Denis East
Four drill collars are planned over the St. Denis East target. The St. Denis East target is the single-largest EM anomaly on the claim associated with high-grade titanium mineralization. The EM anomaly underlying the mineralization measures over 2,000m in length. Three samples were taken over the St. Denis target in 2023 and yielded an average titanium grade of 36.35% TiO2.
| Table 1. Rock grab sample results, average grades | |||||
| Showings | Samples (N) | TiO2% | V2O5% | Sc g/t | Cr2O3% |
| NS Trend | 8 | 31.56 | 0.3 | 34.88 | 0.16 |
| East nugget | 3 | 34.09 | 0.3 | 39.33 | 0.26 |
| Big TiO | 5 | 35.92 | 0.3 | 39.6 | 0.25 |
| St Laurent | 9 | 29.82 | 0.29 | 34.33 | 0.19 |
| St Denis East | 3 | 36.35 | 0.31 | 40 | 0.16 |
| St Denis West | 3 | 23.82 | 0.2 | 29.33 | 0.15 |
| Crescent | 12 | 28.79 | 0.26 | 31.58 | 0.18 |
| Little west | 1 | 33.54 | 0.33 | 40 | 0.10 |
Nickel - Little St. Catherines 1 & 3
The Company intends to drill two holes each into the Little St. Catherines 1 & 3 (LC1 & LC3) targets. The LC1 and LC3 targets are the largest sulphide-associated EM anomalies surrounding the Little St. Catherines target and yielded samples with up to 0.712% Ni and 0.655% Ni, respectively.
Figure 2. Nickel samples over the Little St. Catherines Target. Conductors on the target are named LC1 to LC6. LC1 and LC3, the largest conductors with nickel-bearing gossans will be tested via drilling.
Ground Exploration Testing of Newly Identified Targets
The second phase of the SkyTEM survey over the Tyee Critical Metals Project yielded 62 new conductors that are slated for ground follow-up. Most of the conductors appear similar to the newly-discovered titanium occurrences. Two of the occurrences are more characteristic of massive sulphide mineralization. The Company intends to deploy the same highly effective exploration methods for ground-work follow up that yielded the current drilling targets.
About the Tyee Critical Metals Project
The Tyee Critical Metals Project is a 100% owned 625 km2 critical metals project with surface mineralization of copper, nickel, cobalt, titanium, vanadium and scandium 130 km north of Havre St. Pierre in Quebec. There are no encumbrances or underlying NSR interests on the property.
The project covers a large portion of the Havre St. Pierre anorthosite complex. The HSP Complex is an intrusive suite of rocks to the north of Havre-Saint-Pierre, Quebec. The complex contains the Lac Tio titanium mine, the largest solid ilmenite deposit in the world, owned by Rio Tinto. This mine has been producing high grade titanium for the past 75 years and is located 100 km to the south of the Tyee Critical Metals Project.
Blackbird Critical Metals acquired the Tyee Critical Metals Project in 2022 and flew a property wide SkyTEM geophysical survey of over 3,500 line km at 200 m line spacing. The detailed geophysical data revealed over 60 conductive targets that were followed up with ground exploration. The ground exploration yielded 8 large occurrences of massive ilmenite with grades of up to 36% TiO2 and 4 occurrences with nickel and copper mineralization of up to 0.75% Ni and 0.81% Cu in gossans.
Qualified person
Ryan Versloot, P.Geo., a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the contents of this news release.
About Blackbird Critical Metals Corp.
Blackbird is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE: BBRD), the OTCQB Exchange (OTCQB: BBCMF) and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE: N79). The Company is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of critical metal properties containing minerals used in green technologies and the renewable energy sector. The Company owns 100% of the Tyee Critical Metals Project located in North-Eastern Quebec and has the right to acquire a 100% interest in the Muskox Lithium Pegmatite Project located within the Yellowknife Pegmatite Province in the Northwest Territories.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,
Dr. Jacob Verbaas, P.Geo. | CEO
For further information please contact:
Focus Communications
Tel: +1 647 689 6041
Email: info@fcir.ca
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Readers should not rely on information in this summary for any purpose other than for gaining general knowledge of the Company. The words "expected", "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that its expectations as reflected in any forward-looking statements, are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates, opinions or other factors should change.
The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.