Overview
Brunswick Exploration (TSXV:BRW, OTCQB:BRWXF) has a diversified portfolio of highly prospective critical mineral properties in Canada. The company focuses on acquiring underexplored grassroots lithium projects with upside potential.
The company’s exploration team is led by Robert Wares, co-founder of the Osisko Group of Companies. Wares is an established and award-winning professional geologist with over 35 years of experience in mineral exploration and development, and a proven track record of world-class discovery, including the Canadian Malartic bulk tonnage gold mine, which later became one of the largest-producing gold mines in Canada.
Company Highlights
Brunswick Exploration (BRW) is focused on exploring and developing a diversified portfolio of highly prospective critical minerals projects in Canada. The company continually evaluates new acquisitions to expand its portfolio of underdeveloped lithium hard-rock (pegmatites) assets.The company has built the largest grassroots lithium portfolio in the Americas and one of the largest in the world. BRW is active in Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Atlantic Canada.BRW has staked over 500 untested prospective pegmatites measuring a minimum strike length of 500 meters and within 40 kilometers of infrastructure.The company also acquired several lithium-bearing pegmatites including the Hearst Project in Ontario and the Hanson Lake Project in Saskatchewan.BRW’s board includes Robert Wares, one of the founders of Osisko Mining.BRW commenced its 2023 exploration program with an inaugural drilling campaign at the Anatacau West Project in Quebec. The company launched a 5,000-meter drill program at the Mirage Project, located in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay region of Quebec. The phase 1, 26-hole program, will test continuity and widths of the six widest spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes that have been discovered to date on the property over a total cumulative strike length of 2,500 meters.Brunswick began a major helicopter-supported prospecting initiative in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay region of Quebec. BRW was recognized as one of the Top 50 TSX Venture listed companies in 2023.
Key Projects
Quebec
James Bay
Located in a region known for hard rock lithium deposits, the James Bay land package now includes approximately 250 large pegmatite dykes with strike lengths between 500 and 7,000 meters, as well as dozens of smaller dykes.
The James Bay region has been the top priority for the 2023 exploration program in Quebec. A 3,000-meter drill program was undertaken at the Anatacau West project, located in the Eeyou-Istchee James Bay region targeting the potential eastern extension of Allkem’s James Bay lithium deposit in an area that has yet to be drill-tested. Results of the drill campaign, which covered 17 out of 18 holes that intercepted pegmatites, included:
25.1 meters at 1 percent lithium oxide in drill hole AW-23-17, including 18.1 meters at 1.37 percent lithium oxide;18.2 meters at 1.31 percent lithium oxide in drill hole AW-23-18;18.2 meters at 1.33 percent lithium oxide, including 9.5 meters at 1.74 percent lithium oxide and 3.5 meters at 2.11 percent lithium oxide in drill hole AW-23-05.
BRW also began a major helicopter-supported prospecting initiative in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay. A minimum of three helicopters will support the initiative with up to six teams operating at any one time.
BRW plans to shift its focus and exploration efforts in the Eeyou Istchee-James Bay. This efficient and cost-effective strategy remains ongoing and has resulted in several lithium discoveries within the James Bay Region.
The company’s strategic position within the James Bay area is further strengthened by two exploration options. BRW signed an option agreement with Midland Exploration (TSXV:MD) to acquire a maximum 85 percent interest in potential LCT (lithium-cesium-tantalum) mineralization of the Mythril and Elrond properties. The company also entered into an agreement with Osisko Development Corp. (TSXV:ODV) to acquire a 90-percent interest in the PLEX Project located along the same fault structure that hosts Patriot Battery Metals’ Corvette lithium project. In January 2023, BRW staked additional claims in the James Bay-Eeyou Istchee region that is highly prospective for LCT pegmatites and optioned the adjacent Mirage Project claim block from Globex Mining Enterprises (TSX:GMX).
North Shore
The North Shore project is close to road access with 30 pegmatite dykes and sills. BRW deployed prospecting teams in the area in 2022. PXRF field measurement values reported within the sill were similar to those commonly observed in LCT pegmatites. This area was more closely mapped in the last quarter of 2022 and, although certain indicator minerals were identified, no lithium mineralization was uncovered. The sills are generally gently dipping and less than 10 meters in thickness. More regional prospecting is planned in 2023 to better explain the highly anomalous field measurement values identified.
Mirage Project
More than 150 boulders were identified across 3 kilometers of strike length indicating potential for new sources yet to be identified.
The Mirage project is composed of 198 claims with a total surface area of 8,884 hectares located about 40 kilometers south of the Trans-Taiga Highway in Quebec’s James Bay region.
BRW staked these claims after a discussion with a geologist who worked in the area 25 years ago. The geologist was exploring for gold but recorded the presence of several angular pegmatitic glacial boulders hosting well-defined, decimetric spodumene crystals. The largest observed boulder measured 8 meters x 4 meters x 3 meters. Pale grey spodumene crystals were positively identified following lithium flame tests. The large size of the boulders, their quantity and angular nature indicate a proximal source.
BRW commenced its 5,000-meter drill program at the Mirage Project. Phase 1, a 26-hole program, aimed to test the continuity and widths of the six widest spodumene-bearing pegmatite dykes that have been discovered to date on the property over a total cumulative strike length of 2,500 meters. The company also reported that further prospecting has identified additional spodumene-bearing outcrops approximately 4.5 kilometers northeast of the center of the previously defined dyke field. The trend of mineralized dykes now extends for about 6 kilometers with the boulder field extending for an additional 2.7 kilometers to the southwest.
Ontario
Hearst
The Hearst project comprises 1,418 cells and 226 claim blocks with a total surface area of 29,805 hectares, located 15 kilometers south of Hearst, Ontario. The property has more than 130 mapped or interpreted pegmatite dykes of which 25 are between 500 to 2,100 meters in strike length. Limited prospecting previously conducted in the area highlighted several evolved pegmatites within a 10-kilometer radius. The company has scheduled a drill program in 2023 that initially focused on decoy pegmatite.
Saskatchewan
Hanson Lake Project
The Hanson Lake project is a new highly prospective claim package located roughly 55 kilometers west of Creighton, Saskatchewan, within 2 kilometers from a major highway. This package contains four spodumene-bearing pegmatites hosted within a much larger pegmatite field, none of which has been drilled. The package contains 57 mapped S-type pegmatites that are between 0.5 and 2.2 kilometers in strike length. The Hanson Lake pegmatite field has been known since the 1960s but exploration was focused on beryllium, tantalum and other rare metals potential. The pegmatite field is located within an 8-kilometer by 3-kilometer corridor that is part of the larger Jan Lake granite-pegmatite suite which is present throughout the entire package. The majority of the project has not been mapped in detail and none of the pegmatites have been systematically sampled or drilled for lithium. Spodumene has been mapped in four different pegmatites with the largest reaching up to 16 meters in width and roughly 550 meters in strike length.
Trans-Hudson Project
The Trans-Hudson Project comprises 36 claims with a total surface area of 79,892 hectares, located roughly around and in between the communities of Creighton, La Ronge, and Southend in central Saskatchewan. The properties contain 124 mapped and interpreted pegmatites that are between 0.5 and 14.5 kilometers in strike length. Pegmatites were staked based on preferred geologic environments, historical geochemistry and historical mapping. Importantly, they have seen little to no exploration for lithium. The Trans-Hudson orogeny is a series of Paleoproterozoic volcanic and metasedimentary belts that join the Superior, Hearne-Rae and Wyoming cratons of the Archean. This package hosts numerous mafic volcanics, felsic volcanics, granitoids, gneisses, metasediments, quartzites, marbles and pegmatites. Many pegmatites are described as white and containing beryl, tourmaline, garnet and/or muscovite, which indicates they are S-type and have potential to host LCT mineralization.
Lake Athabasca Project
This Project comprises 1 claim with a total surface area of 1,386 hectares, located roughly 75 kilometers west of Uranium City, near the border with Alberta. The property contains 2 mapped pegmatites that are roughly 1,500 meters in strike length. Claims were staked based on preferred geologic environments and historical mapping and have seen no prior lithium exploration.
Manitoba
The project contains 9 mapped pegmatites, near Lynn Lake, that are between 500 and 8,500 meters in strike length. Lynn Lake is a well-established mining hub in Northern Manitoba with all necessary infrastructure in place. Claims were staked based on preferred geologic environments and historical mapping that have seen little to no lithium exploration. This project is within the Paleoproterozoic Trans-Hudson belt that extends to BRW claims located in Saskatchewan.
Management Team
Robert Wares – Executive Chairman
Robert Wares is a professional geologist with more than 35 years of experience in mineral exploration and development. He was responsible for discovering the Canadian Malartic bulk tonnage gold mine, which was subsequently developed by Osisko Mining into one of Canada’s largest gold producers. Wares was a co-winner of the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s ‘Prospector of the Year Award’ for 2007. He was also named one of the’Mining Men of the Year’ for 2009 by the Northern Miner. Wares will remain at Osisko Metals in an advisory capacity. He has a bachelor of science and an honorary doctorate in Earth sciences from McGill University.
Killian Charles – President and CEO
From 2017 to 2021, Killian Charles worked as VP of corporate development for Osisko Metals. Charles was previously the manager of corporate development at Integra Gold Corp, which was an advanced-stage gold development company until it was acquired by Eldorado Gold in July 2017. He worked as a mining analyst at Industrial Alliance Securities and Laurentian Bank Securities. Charles covered small and mid-cap exploration and production companies as a mining analyst. Charles holds a bachelor of science with a major in Earth and planetary sciences from McGill University.
Anthony Glavac – CFO
Anthony Glavac has more than 17 years of experience in financial reporting, including over 12 years in the mining industry. Since August 2017, Glavac has served as vice-president, and corporate controller for Falco Resources, and previously served as director, financial reporting and internal controls at Dynacor Gold Mines. Glavac spent 10 years at KPMG, working with both public and private companies, providing audit, taxation, strategic advisory and public offering services. Glavac is also involved with other public companies in the mining industry.
François Goulet – Exploration Manager, Quebec
François Goulet holds a master’s degree in structural geology from the Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM). In recent years he was president and CEO of Harfang Exploration, a gold project generator in the James Bay region. He has extensive experience working in the James Bay region of Quebec as well as international experience in a variety of exploration projects. Goulet has worked for Virginia Mines, Unigold, Maya Gold and Silver, the Canadian Malartic Partnership, Glencore Canada and several other junior companies. He is a member of the board of directors of l’Association de l’exploration minière du Québec (AEMQ) and a registered geologist with the Ordre des géologues du Québec since January 2011.
Charles Kodors – Exploration Manager, Atlantic Canada
Charles Kodors has been with the company since January 2021. Having more than 14 years of experience in the mining industry, he has also been the exploration manager for Osisko Metals since April 2018 and most recently served as senior exploration geologist with Kirkland Lake Gold. Kodors received his B.Sc. from Brock University and is a registered professional geologist within the provinces of New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.