Bayan Mining and Minerals, formerly known as Balkan Mining and Minerals, has revealed promising results from recent rock chip and soil sampling at its Tango lithium and Barbara projects in Canada, identifying high-value gallium potential.
The company, having recently undergone a rebranding, is capitalizing on the approval of its name change, with the new assay results further validating the significant potential of its Canadian assets. These results have shown elevated values of both gallium and lithium, highlighting the growing importance of these critical minerals for global supply chains.
Executive director Fadi Diab emphasized the importance of the findings, stating, “These outstanding gallium and lithium assay results from our Tango project underscore the potential of our Canadian portfolio to contribute to the global demand for critical minerals.” He also noted the growing importance of securing alternative gallium sources, particularly following China’s export ban on the material.
The new assay results show gallium oxide grades reaching up to 72.32 grams per tonne, with several samples surpassing 50g/t. Lithium oxide grades were similarly significant, with the highest recorded value at 6.85% and multiple samples showing concentrations above 3%.
The findings provide valuable insights into the mineralization potential of the projects, particularly within spodumene-bearing pegmatites. The co-occurrence of elevated gallium and lithium values suggests the presence of a dual mineralization system, with consistent occurrences of both minerals across the sampled areas.
Bayan Mining plans to use the results to refine exploration strategies and prioritize targets for further work. The company will also analyze historical exploration data to better understand the distribution of gallium and lithium across its projects in Ontario, which include the Gorge, Tango, Arrel, and Barbara exploration areas, covering 120 square kilometers in the Thunder Bay North mining district.
Gallium, a crucial element in modern technology, has a wide range of applications, particularly in semiconductors, optoelectronic devices, and advanced solar panels. It plays a vital role in industries such as defense, telecommunicationsgall and renewable energy, as well as in technologies like artificial intelligence, radar systems, and photovoltaics. Given the growing demand for gallium, securing a stable supply of this critical material is key to maintaining technological innovation and leadership in the global market.
