Midland Exploration and Rio Tinto Begin Second Lithium Drilling Campaign at Galinee
Midland Exploration, in partnership with Rio Tinto Exploration Canada (RTEC), has announced the launch of a second lithium drilling campaign at the Galinee project. Located approximately 5 kilometers east of the Adina lithium deposit owned by Winsome Resources, the project is wholly owned by Midland and is under an option agreement with RTEC, initially signed in June 2023 and amended in April 2024.
A budget of CAD$5.2 million has been approved for the first phase of 2025 drilling. The program will begin in March with reverse circulation (RC) drilling, followed by diamond drilling in April. The objective is to expand on the most promising intersections from the 2024 campaign and explore additional structural targets across the property. High-resolution drone magnetics will also be deployed in March.
The 2024 drilling campaign at Galinee comprised 21 diamond drill holes and 7 RC drill holes, totaling 6,284.86 meters, including 819.92 meters of RC drilling. The primary goal was to test the 2023 Iceberg Showing area, while also using RC drilling for conceptual and geophysical targets. Drilling efforts were focused on the Iceberg Showing, as well as the White Stripes, Surge, Snow Fox, and White Lightning showings.
Surface geological mapping, in combination with drilling, has identified at least seven spodumene pegmatite bodies ranging from meter to decameter scale. Key drill results indicate that mineralization extends beyond previously known boundaries. Hole TLIB0007 returned 1.38% Li2O over 37.86 meters, including a higher-grade interval of 1.88% Li2O over 21.35 meters. Hole TLIB0026 recorded 1.03% Li2O over 32.87 meters, while TLIB0018 yielded up to 1.46% Li2O over 27.34 meters. Additional findings from holes TLIB0014, TLIB0018, TLIB0022, TLIB0023, and TLIB0026 suggest extensions of the Iceberg Showing to both the east and west.
The second-phase drilling campaign aims to further delineate these mineralized zones and expand exploration targets, reinforcing the potential for significant lithium resources at the Galinee project.
