First Phosphate Corp. has announced that it will undertake a 30,000-metre accelerated drill program at its Bégin-Lamarche property in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec, Canada, commencing this month. The drilling program is expected to build on the Company’s initial resource estimate and to confirm the final geological model for the property.
A full and comprehensive understanding of the deposit is anticipated after completion of this drill programme. The company’s initial resource estimate, effective September 9, 2024, is available.
“The Bégin-Lamarche property is located near existing infrastructure, skilled workforce and at only ~70 km driving distance from the deep-sea Port of Saguenay and our eventual secondary and tertiary phosphate processing facilities,” explained John Passalacqua, CEO of First Phosphate.
Passalacqua added, “We have Bégin-Lamarche on an accelerated development path to support potential full vertical integration of the Company’s future lithium iron phosphate cathode active material operations in Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean, Quebec.”
The campaign will encompass the entire 2.5 km long known phosphate mineralisation zone at 50 m x 50 m intervals.
The drill programme will begin with two rigs in the coming weeks and increase to four by mid-November, with completion expected by April 2026. The company’s recent financings fully fund the drill program, and all drill and work authorisations are in place.
The campaign will be managed by Laurentia Exploration of Jonquière, Quebec. Drilling operations will be conducted by First Nations Drilling of Mashteuiatsh, Quebec, and Forages Diafor of Rivière-Héva, Quebec.
First Phosphate’s proposed secondary phosphate processing plant will be located at the Port of Saguenay, very close to the Company’s intended LFP CAM material production plant in La Baie, Quebec.
The Bégin-Lamarche igneous phosphate property is located next to a major paved highway and at only ~70 km driving distance from both the deep-sea Port of Saguenay and La Baie, Quebec, for eventual full vertical integration of mining and advanced processing of high-purity igneous phosphate into LFP CAM to support the onshoring of the North American LFP battery industry.
