Avalon Ventures Ltd. (AVL.TO) is a Canadian company focused on the exploration and development of rare metals and minerals. The demand for metals such as lithium, beryllium, indium, gallium, along with rare minerals like calcium feldspar and rare earth elements (REE), is increasing for both technology and environmental applications. At this time, Avalon owns a 100% stake in five rare metal and mineral projects in Canada.
The East Kemptville Project in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, covers a 7,680 acre area. In 2007, the company hired Hudgtec Consulting to perform a detailed compilation of historical data on the area. Avalon is pursuing the site because of its potential for indium, a rare metal in high demand for use in thin film coatings on flat screen televisions and computer monitors. One of the known geological locations where indium is enriched is in greisen-type, tin-zinc-copper deposits as historically found at East Kemptville, when tin was primarily mined.
The Lilypad Lakes project located outside Fort Hope, Ontario, contains over 7,600 acres. The 14 claims in the project cover a field of tantalum- and cesium-rich pagmamites. Access to the site is prohibitive in that it is only accessible by hovercraft or by snowmobile in the winter. An all-weather road is in the advanced planning stages and will facilitate the movement of personnel and equipment once the site is operational.
The Warren Township Calcium Feldspar project west of Timmins, Ontario, is already in an advanced stage of development. The three mining claims on the 1800-acre property cover a portion of the Shawmere Anorthosite Complex, which contains highly pure anorthosite composed of up to 98% high calcium plaigioclase feldspar. Anorthosite is considered an unusual mafic igneous intrusive rock containing over 90% plagioclase feldspar. The material can be used to produce reinforced glass fiber and other industrial products. As the property is conveniently situated near both road and rail infrastructures, there is a huge potential to develop a low-cost and highly profitable operation.
The Thor Lake Rare Metals project is located in the Northwest Territories about 100km outside of Yellowknife. This is another property with limited access by float or ski-equipped aircraft. The 10,449 acres contain five contiguous mining leases, each with a 21-year life and renewable leases at 21-year increments. This project is subject to two underlying royalty agreements, giving a cumulative 5.5% Net Smelter Returns (NSR) Royalty to the royalty holders.
Lastly, the Separation Rapid property, covering 3,600 acres, is located at Paterson Lake Area, Ontario. The site has one of the largest rare metal pegmatite deposits in the world and is only the second to be enriched with a rare lithium mineral named petalite. The llithium materials may potentially be applicable in the glass and ceramic industry, as well as in a high-strength, non-combustible composite material. While Avalon does have a 100% working interest in the site, the original owners still retain a 2% NSR royalty interest.
As Avalon continues to develop its projects in Canada, the potential for tremendous profits looms based upon the initial findings at each target site.
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