November 9, 2021: Vancouver, BC; Surge Battery Metals Inc. (the “Company” or “Surge”) (TSXV: NILI, OTCQB: NILIF, FRA: DJ5C) is pleased to announce the overall explorational rationale and proposed plans for the lithium exploration program to be conducted at its San Emidio Lithium project in Nevada.
The San Emidio Project is located in the San Emidio Desert, Washoe County, Nevada about 99 km north-northeast of Reno, Nevada. The property position consists of 60 association placer claims covering about 1942 Ha (4,800 acres) centered on the San Emidio playa. The target of this early-stage exploration project is a lithium brine deposit similar to those at Clayton Valley, Nevada and similar other producing deposits in Chile and Argentina. These lithium rich brines are thought to be the product of evaporative concentration of dissolved lithium leached from volcanic ash either by weathering or geothermal fluids.
San Emidio Valley is located in the northeastern corner of the Walker Lane, a structurally complex tectonic zone formed by interaction of the NNW trending strike-slip movement of the Pacific Plate and ENE – WSW extension of the Great Basin. This zone is still geologically very active with numerous earthquakes and recent volcanic activity. The interplay of the two structural regimes results in a trans-tensional environment characterized by deep rhombochasm basins and steep ranges. Since the extensional movement is on-going, the basins continue to sink, preserving the basin fill and fluids.
The oldest geologic formations in the Fox and Lake Ranges are Triassic and Jurassic metasediments of the Nightingale Sequence. These rocks were folded and faulted during the Mesozoic and intruded by Jurassic and Cretaceous age plutons. The package was uplifted and eroded prior to the middle Tertiary. Volcanic flows and clastic rocks of the Pyramid Sequence were deposited on a fairly flat surface during the middle Miocene. The Truckee Formation, another package of volcanic sandstones and volcanoclastic rocks was deposited during the upper Miocene. Volcanic ash and sediments in the Wind Mountain area are in the 4 – 5 million year age range and have been offset up to a kilometer vertically by range front faulting since that time.
San Emidio Valley is home to a large and long-lived geothermal system that is still active. The Ormat Energy San Emidio geothermal plant, about 2 km east of the center of the claim block is currently producing about 11 megawatts of power and has recently been granted approval to construct another 40 megawatt plant. The active geothermal system extends about 6 km roughly north – south along the range front fault. Numerous tufa mounds, acid sulfate alteration, and sinter follow the structure. Currently the center of the upwelling geothermal fluids is near the power plant to about 1 km north; the remaining thermal features are from horizontal flow along the structure. The heat source appears to be simple deep circulation into the crust; it is not related to igneous activity.
Stream sediment samples from drainages in the range to the east show lithium values in the 30 – 50 ppm range. These dry streams drain an area of 4.5 million year old volcanic ash and sediments along with older volcanic and sedimentary rocks. Previous work in the area revealed lithium values ranging from 30 to 600 ppm in soils on the playa.
San Emidio Project : Historic Li Soil Sample Readings by Nevada Energy Metals
Surge Battery Metals is currently planning an exploration effort to start about Q1 2022 of geophysical surveys and geochemical sampling to identify drill targets.
Mr. Greg Reimer, Surge President & CEO states “After a review of the detailed work previously completed by a prolific lithium exploration company in the area, our geologists are proposing to expand the soil survey to the north, filling in the additional area of the new property boundary (see above map). That said, a 400-metre grid gravity has also been recommended by our geology team to get a better idea of the sub-surface topography. Following this work, a combination CSAMT / natural source AMT lines across the valley will be used to map the various conductors vs. resistors, and to identify the potential for brine filled gravel beds vs. less permeable ash layers. Based on these results, the team may consider additional seismic work in the area. This important work will ultimately help identify the future drill targets in the area.”
About Surge Battery Metals Inc. newsurge.wpengine.com
The Company is a Canadian-based mineral exploration company active in the exploration for nickel-iron alloy and Copper in British Columbia and lithium in Nevada whose primary listing is on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company’s maintains a focus on exploration for high value battery metals required for the electric vehicle (EV) market.
Nevada Lithium Claims
The Company owns a 100% interest in 95 mineral claims located in Elko County, Nevada. The Northern Nevada Lithium Project is located in the Granite Range about 34 line- km southeast of Jackpot, Nevada, about 73 line-km north-northeast of Wells, Nevada. The target is a Thacker Pass or Clayton Valley type lithium clay deposit in volcanic tuff and tuffaceous sediments of the Jarbidge Rhyolite package. The project area was first identified in public domain stream sediment geochemical data with follow up sediment sampling and geologic reconnaissance.
As announced on Sept 30, 2021, the Company is also in the process of earning an undivided 80% interest in the San Emidio Desert Lithium Project, located 60 miles Northeast of Reno, Nevada from Lithium Corporation (OTCQB: LTUM). The San Emidio Desert Lithium Project consists of 60 mineral claims comprising a total of 4,800 acres and is located in the San Emidio Desert.
Caledonia Project, Vancouver Island, BC
The Company has entered into a Property Option Agreement to acquire a 100% interest in 7 mineral claims including the Caledonia, Cascade and Bluebell claims, subject to a NSR between 1-2%. Located in the Nanaimo Mining District of northern Vancouver Island. The claims are 7 km north-west of BHP’s past producing Island Copper mine. During its prime operating period the Island Copper mine was Canada’s third-largest copper producer. The Caledonia Project claims area lies within a 50-kilometer-long copper belt northwest of the Island Copper mine.
British Columbia Nickel Project
Hard Nickel 4 and Nickel 100 Claims
The Company has entered into an Option Agreement with Nickel Rock Resources to acquire an 80% interest in 6 mineral claims in the Mount Sidney Williams area (Hard Nickel 4) covering 1863 hectares immediately south of and adjacent to the Decar Project and the Mitchell Range area (Nickel 100) covering 8659 hectares, located in Northern British Columbia. Three of the claims are subject to 2% NSR, including the Hard Nickel 4 claim and the two southernmost claims of the Nickel 100 claims. The acquisition is subject to final Exchange approval.
On Behalf of the Board of Directors
“Greg Reimer”
Greg Reimer, President & CEO
604-428-5690
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward‐looking statements which include, but are not limited to, comments that involve future events and conditions, which are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Except for statements of historical facts, comments that address resource potential, upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt and security of mineral property titles, availability of funds, and others are forward‐looking. Forward‐looking statements are not guaranteeing future performance and actual results may vary materially from those statements. General business conditions are factors that could cause actual results to vary materially from forward‐looking statements.
