Ophir Metals Corp. has announced that it has commenced its inaugural drill program at the Pilipas Lithium Property, located in the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region of Quebec. The first drill hole has been successfully collared. The Project benefits from its proximity to existing hydroelectric power to the east and an all-season road running along its western side.

Drilling has begun at the Pilipas Lithium Property, with a single drill rig targeting initial tests of the HW1 Spodumene Pegmatite, which was identified during surface exploration this summer. The main goal of the 2,000-meter drilling program, consisting of 10-15 holes, is to explore the HW1 Spodumene Pegmatite at depth and along strike. This follows promising grab sample assays from the recent surface program, which yielded fifteen samples with Li2O concentrations greater than 1.0%, peaking at 3.47% Li2O.

“Our team has done an outstanding job coordinating the drill program so swiftly after finishing the surface sampling,” said Shawn Westcott, CEO of Ophir Metals. “We are very excited to see the drill in action and eagerly anticipate the coming weeks as we explore the depth and extent of HW1 Pegmatite mineralization.”

Youdin-Rouillier Drilling from Eastmain, Quebec, is contracted to carry out the diamond drilling, while Dahrouge Geological Consulting Ltd. of Edmonton will oversee the program. Drilling is expected to continue until mid-September, after which it will pause to accommodate the annual moose hunting season in the James Bay area.

The Company is currently awaiting the results of an additional 138 surface samples collected during the recent summer exploration program at Pilipas, which include samples from various pegmatite occurrences on the Property. The Company will provide updates as the results become available.

Management advises that surface rock samples and their associated assays, as discussed, are inherently selective and represent specific locations. Therefore, they may not fully represent the entire mineralized horizon being sampled.

In December 2023, the Company signed an option agreement with Azimut Exploration Inc. to acquire a 70% interest in the Pilipas Property. This property includes 135 claims covering 7,100 hectares within the La Grande Subprovince (Archean Superior Province). It is predominantly underlain by volcano-sedimentary rocks from the Lower Eastmain Greenstone Belt, including conglomerate, sandstone, basalts, and felsic to intermediate tuffs. Additionally, two major NW-SE dextral faults cross the southwestern and northeastern regions of the Property.

Ophir Metals is a multifaceted mineral exploration company dedicated to exploring and developing the Pilipas and Radis Lithium Properties in James Bay, Quebec, as well as the former Breccia gold property in Lemhi County, Idaho.