Focus Xplore PLC provided an update on its ongoing exploration programme at the Company's Bay Road rare earth element (REE) project. At Bay Road, a 6 kilometre-long felsic dyke1 recorded by the Ontario Geological Survey ("OGS") is interpreted by Focus Xplore's technical team to be related to nearby lake sediments that are highly anomalous for REE dysprosium and neodymium. The Company has leveraged planetary AI's Xplore system utilising full resolution LiDAR 3 data to significantly enhance the identification of linear geological features across the project area.
The technical team identified a selection of these linear features as potential felsic intrusive rocks and pegmatites matching the trend of the historically mapped felsic dyke. Geologists in the field have confirmed that multiple pegmatitic features within felsic intrusive rocks are associated with linear features identified from the LiDAR data. These have been mapped and sampled as part of the ongoing field programme.
Prior to the commencement of field exploration activities at Bay Road, the Focus Xplore technical team reviewed available pre-processed LiDAR 3 raster image files in order to identify lineations that may be associated with a felsic dyke noted on OGS mapping. However, while this approach did identify multiple linear features, significant uncertainty remained regarding their size and prospectivity, and lineations matching the target trend proved difficult to identify with confidence. To overcome this uncertainty, Focus Xplore's technical teams, worked with planetary AI using their proprietary Xplore system to complete a review of the raw, full resolution LiDAR data over the Bay Road Project, to enhance linear features which are interpreted to be associated with pegmatites and felsic intrusions matching the trend of the historically mapping felsic dyke.
Processed LiDAR imagery from Bay Road showing previously unidentified linear features, field confirmed location of pegmatites and the location of highly anomalous Dy and Nd in lake sediment results. Assays of lake sediment samples located as shown indicate the presence of highly anomalous dysprosium (Dy) and neodymium (Nd), alongside other rare earth elements. Processed LiDAR images from Bay Road showing the previously unidentified linear features, field confirm location of pegmatites and regional scale faulting.
In another example, multiple linear features were identified in the east of the property and inferred by the Focus Xplore technical teams to represent pegmatitic and/or felsic intrusive rocks. Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corporation ("Fladgate") were commissioned to conduct prospecting, geological mapping and sampling at the Bay Road Project. Pre-planning included providing the field team with the locations of the linear target features discussed above, as well as access routes and a series of exploratory target areas for investigation.
During the programme, the Fladgate geologists identified multiple occurrences of felsic intrusive and pegmatitic rocks, including exposures demonstrating orientations which appear to correlate with the historically mapped felsicdyke. Based on field observations and sample descriptions, the intrusive units encountered mineralogical characteristics consistent with fractionated, fertile granites, and the trend of the historically mapped Felsic intrusive rocks.
