Advancing Geoscience Exploration and Research
Date/Time: Wednesday, November 3 | 3:00pm
Location: Hudbay Stage
Grid Metals Abstract: From grassroots exploration to development in record time: Grid Metals’ Lucy South cesium deposit, southeastern Manitoba
Speaker: Dave Peck
Occasionally a small but high value mineral project garners global market interest. This is the case for Grid Metals’ Lucy South cesium project. Located adjacent to the Trans-Canada Highway an hour’s drive east of Winnipeg, the project is premised on a rare and strategic mineral: pollucite – the principal feedstock to the cesium chemicals industry.
The Company recently published an initial cesium resource estimate for Lucy South, comprising a Li-Cs-Ta (LCT) zone containing 51,500 tonnes averaging 2.58% Cs2O and a pollucite-rich subzone containing 15,600 tonnes averaging 5.19% Cs2O. The deposit is hosted by the highly fractionated Lucy South pegmatite, which shares many similarities to the world-class Tanco pegmatite located 100 km to the north.
Despite its small tonnage, the Lucy South cesium deposit is believed to represent the second largest development-stage cesium oxide deposit, globally. The project has attracted significant interest from international cesium chemicals producers and is potentially the only near-term resource capable of providing short-term relief to a persistent cesium market supply deficit.
At prevailing contract pricing of a minimum of >$US 300 per percent Cs2O in concentrate or $US 30,000 per tonne of Cs2O, Grid is motivated to cement its position as a market leader in cesium exploration and mine development.
University of Manitoba Abstract: Critical Mineral Research at the UofM Isotope Research Facility
Speaker: Mostafa Fayek
The Manitoba Isotope Research Facility (MIRF) is a University of Manitoba Core Research Facility that supports multidisciplinary research in Earth, environmental, materials, biological, and archaeological sciences. Established in 2014, MIRF provides researchers from academia, government, and industry with access to state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation and specialized technical expertise. The facility houses one of only four Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometers (SIMS) and one of two Ar-Ar geochronology laboratories in Canada, as well as stable isotope ratio mass spectrometers, laser ablation ICP-MS, electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy, and water isotope instrumentation.
Critical mineral research conducted at MIRF uses elemental and isotopic measurements to investigate the origin, age, and evolution of critical mineral (e.g., Li, Be) and uranium deposits. In conjunction with geological and geophysical information, the researchers at MIRF develop mineral exploration models using geochronology and isotope geochemistry. Researchers at MIRF work with numerous academic, industry and government partners in Manitoba, Canada and Internationally.
Speakers
Dave Peck, Grid Metals
Dave Peck is a Professional Geoscientist with 4 decades of experience in the private and public sectors. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Clean Air Metals and holds the position of VP Exploration with Grid Metals Corp. Prior to joining Grid Metals he was Vice President of Exploration for North American Palladium Ltd. and concurrently built a successful Vancouver-based geoscience consulting business.
From 2003-2009 he was Global Nickel Commodity Leader for Anglo American’s Exploration Division. He previously worked as a Senior Geologist for Falconbridge Ltd. and a Mineral Deposits geologist for the Manitoba Geological Survey. Dave holds a PhD. in Geology from Melbourne University and a M.Sc. in Geology from the University of Windsor. He has authored numerous academic, government and NI 43-101 technical reports. Dave lives in Winnipeg with his wife Michelle and daughter Josephine.
Mostafa Fayek, University of Manitoba
Mostafa Fayek, Ph.D., P.Geo. is a distinguished professor in the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Manitoba. He received his undergraduate honors degree from Carleton University in Chemistry and Geology, and his PhD from the University of Saskatchewan in Isotope Geochemistry. He started at the University of Manitoba in 2006 as CRC Tier 2 in Isotope and Environmental Geochemistry.
He has over 180 career publications, 200 papers in refereed conference proceedings and 25 technical reports. Dr. Fayek has over 30 years of experience working with the mineral industry and government institutions in both Canada, the US, Europe and China.
He served as Department Head for the Department of Earth Sciences from 2014-2019 and as acting Department Head in 2024-2025. He is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (SEG) and a Fellow of the Geological Society of America (GSA).
Chair
Jeff Young, University of Manitoba
As an alumnus of the University of Manitoba, Jeff has spent the past 30 years teaching Structural Geology and Field Mapping courses at the UofM. In addition to his academic responsibilities, he remains actively engaged in outreach initiatives that promote Earth science education throughout Manitoba. In 2019, Jeff was invited to contribute to the organization of CCMEC and had the honour of previously serving on its board.