Leading Edge Materials Intersects Thickest Interval of Lithium Mineralization at Bergby, Sweden

Vancouver, Canada – Leading Edge Materials Corp. (“Leading Edge Materials”) or (the “Company”) (TSXV: LEM) (OTCQB: LEMIF) is pleased to announce results from the first five holes drilled as part of the second program of drilling completed at the Company’s 100% owned Bergby lithium project in Sweden.  Results from infill and step out holes have included the thickest mineralized interval intersected to date of 19.5m @ 1.12% Li2O (lithium oxide) in hole BBY17020.
Key Results:

  • BBY17019 intersected 12.6m @ 0.83% Li2O, from 21.1m depth
  • BBY17020 intersected 19.5m @ 1.12% Li2O, 184ppm Ta2O5 (tantalum oxide), from 13.6m depth
  • BBY17021 intersected 1.0m @ 0.96% Li2O, from 15.4m depth
  • BBY17023 intersected 8.2m @ 0.14% Li2O from 57.1m depth
  • BBY17024 intersected 8.1m @ 0.23% Li2O, from 56.1m depth

Holes were drilled in the southern area of the prospect to infill and test down dip from previous drilling.  Of particular note, hole BBY17020, the second most mineralized hole drilled at Bergby to date, was both thicker and higher grade than holes on adjacent 50m sections (which graded 6.40m @ 0.64% Li2O and 16.35m @ 1.00% Li2O).  Furthermore, lithium mineralization in hole BBY17021 was discovered in an intermediate volcanic unit, rather than the pegmatite which had been the subject of all previous exploration and assaying.

The drill program is now complete, with 15 holes drilled for a total of 991.0m.  Bergby has now been tested by a total of 33 drill holes to a maximum depth of 131.1m over an approximate 1500m strike length.  Drill hole locations and results are provided in Tables 1 and 2 and presented as Figure 1. The true thickness of mineralized intervals is interpreted to be approximately 90% of the sampled thickness.

Blair Way, President and CEO, stated “Our exploration at Bergby has continued to deliver very promising results, and a high grade and thickness interval like 19.5m 1.12% Li2O at very shallow depth provides us with a lot of optimism.  While Bergby remains an early stage discovery, we are now preparing for metallurgical testwork to move the project to the next stage.  We look forward to sharing the next round of drill results from this second phase program as they become available.” 

Bergby lies in central Sweden, 25km north of the town of Gävle, secured by three exploration licenses that cover a total of 1,903 Ha.  The site is close to infrastructure, with major roads, rail and power supply passing immediately adjacent to the claim boundaries.  The potential for low cost and rapid development is significantly enhanced by the presence of a deep-water port only 5km from the site.

On behalf of the Board,

“Blair Way”
Blair Way, President & CEO

The qualified person for the Company’s exploration projects, Mark Saxon, Director of Leading Edge Materials, a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy has reviewed and verified the contents of this release.

About Leading Edge Materials:

Leading Edge Materials is a Canadian public company with principal assets in Scandinavia, a region well recognized for its promotion and investment in innovation.  LEM’s flagship asset is the Woxna Graphite production facility located in central Sweden targeting the supply of specialty materials for lithium ion battery production. LEM’s core investments are matched to high growth markets, linked to the global shift to low-carbon energy generation and energy storage.

The TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This is information that Leading Edge Materials Corp. is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, on 17th November, 2017 at 0530 Vancouver time.

Forward-Looking Information. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Such statements include but are not limited to, the Company’s expectations regarding the lithium ion battery market; the successful completion of the drill program at Bergby; graphite production at Woxna, the Company’s preliminary economic assessment on Woxna is no longer current or valid as a result of the filing of a new NI 43-101 Technical Report effective March 24, 2015, and the Company has no plans to complete a new preliminary economic assessment, a pre-feasibility or feasibility study on the project, as such there is an increased risk of technical and economic failure for the Woxna graphite project; unexpected geological conditions; exploration activities to advance other critical material projects of the Company for energy storage markets, delays in obtaining or failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities.  Although such statements are based on management’s reasonable assumptions, there are risk factors which could cause the Company’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except as required by law.

Table 1: Drill collars locations and orientations, Bergby Project. 

Hole_ID Easting SWEREF Northing SWEREF Elevation RH2000 Azimuth Dip Length
PHASE 2 – CORE
DIAMETER 56 mm
BBY17019 612770 6760466 35 115 60 44.55m
BBY17020 612729 6760375 35 115 61 47.20m
BBY17021 612668 6760292 35 115 53.7 40.63m
BBY17022 612581 6760387 35 115 50 131.10m
BBY17023 612638 6760472 35 115 45 113.25m
BBY17024 612769 6760665 35 115 46.5 77.30m
BBY17025 612951 6760884 35 115 52 37.30m
BBY17026 613014 6761014 35 115 52 62.52m
BBY17027 613074 6761154 35 115 50 60.00m
BBY17028 613136 6761290 35 115 50 50.35m
BBY17029 613210 6761443 35 115 50 50.35m
BBY17030 612845 6760650 35 115 61.2 41.45m
BBY17031 612712 6760649 35 115 46.1 86.20m
BBY17032 612712 6760649 35 115 82.5 80.62m
BBY17033 612664 6760416 35 115 46.1 68.20m

 

Hole_ID Easting SWEREF Northing SWEREF Elevation RH2000 Azimuth Dip Length
PHASE 1 – CORE
DIAMETER 39 mm
BBY17001 612902 6760564 35 295 45 54.80m
BBY17002 612881 6760582 35 0 90 14.80m
BBY17003 612872 6760590 35 0 90 16.45m
BBY17004 612864 6760597 35 0 90 17.90m
BBY17005 612877 6760609 35 0 90 17.95m
BBY17006 612866 6760613 35 0 90 27.00m
BBY17007 612886 6760604 35 0 90 12.00m
BBY17008 612886 6760627 35 0 90 14.75m
BBY17009 612874 6760697 37 115 60 50.20m
BBY17010 612818 6760609 35 115 60 50.30m
BBY17011 612864 6760563 35 0 90 14.40m
BBY17012 612875 6760555 35 0 90 11.35m
BBY17013 612877 6760518 35 255 75 17.40m
BBY17014 612787 6760513 35 115 45 40.80m
BBY17015 612756 6760417 35 115 50 50.00m
BBY17016 612700 6760333 35 115 60 44.30m
BBY17017 612679 6760219 35 115 70 29.30m
BBY17018 612604 6760114 35 115 50 50.20m

Table 2: Mineralized intervals from Bergby Project

Hole Number FROM (m) TO (m) WIDTH (m) Li2O% Ta2O5 ppm
PHASE 2 BBY17019 21.05 33.66 12.61 0.83 47
BBY17020 13.55 33.00 19.45 1.12 184
BBY17021 15.38 16.38 1.00 0.96 1
BBY17023 57.1 65.25 8.20 0.14 13
BBY17024 56.10 64.16 8.06 0.27 88
PHASE 1 BBY17001 4.85 6.30 1.45 0.77 31
BBY17002 0.00 3.95 3.95 1.83 163
BBY17003 2.85 11.05 8.20 2.06 118
BBY17004 10.20 12.10 1.90 2.26 74
BBY17005 2.20 12.65 10.45 1.58 107
BBY17006 11.55 16.00 4.45 1.44 50
BBY17007 1.40 6.05 4.65 2.71 315
BBY17008 1.10 9.85 8.75 2.63 186
BBY17009 14.80 16.00 1.20 2.68 12
BBY17009 24.55 25.65 1.10 2.44 49
BBY17010 27.55 36.35 8.80 1.11 98
BBY17011 0.70 7.50 6.8 1.87 191
BBY17012 2.25 3.90 1.65 1.14 25
BBY17013 8.00 9.05 1.05 0.68 8
BBY17014 18.80 25.25 6.45 0.63 48
BBY17015 15.75 32.10 16.35 1.00 129
BBY17016 17.90 36.75 18.80 1.14 101
BBY17017 12.25 13.50 1.25 0.59 2
BBY17018 No significant mineralization