As China tightens control over the global supply of strategic metals, a little-known pegmatite zone in northern Quebec is now attracting international attention—and it may be one of the most important critical mineral discoveries in decades.
Patriot Battery Metals (TSX: PMET | ASX: PMT | OTC: PMETF) has unveiled a new mineral resource estimate confirming the world’s largest known deposit of pollucite-hosted caesium, a critical metal trading at over $2,500 USD per ounce and essential to solar, defense, and medical technologies.
“We think this is likely the largest discovery, certainly in the last 30 or 40 years,” said Ken Brinsden, CEO and managing director of Patriot Battery Metals, in an interview with Kitco Mining Investment Trends. “There’s potential to provide more caesium to global markets, and China is definitely a dominant player in that supply chain.”
Strategic Resource, High Stakes
The company’s new estimate at the CV13 pegmatite zone, part of its Shaakichiuwaanaan Project, includes:
- 693,000 tonnes @ 4.40% Cs₂O (Indicated)
- 1,698,000 tonnes @ 2.40% Cs₂O (Inferred)
- Total contained Cs₂O: 71.3 kt
That makes it the highest-grade and largest caesium pegmatite resource ever delineated, at a time when Western nations are scrambling to de-risk supply chains from Chinese control. The U.S. Geological Survey lists caesium among the most supply-constrained critical minerals.
“The solar industry is intensely focused on how they can apply [perovskite solar] technology. However, everybody has been worried about the abundance of caesium,” Brinsden said. “It’s been one of those critical minerals that had people scratching their heads because of the lack of availability.”
According to Shanghai Metals Market, caesium metal trades today at approximately $2,540 per ounce, while caesium carbonate sells for around $120 per kilogram, with prices surging in 2025 as inventories from legacy producers such as Sinclair (Australia) and Bikita (Zimbabwe) are being depleted.
Lithium First, But Not the Whole Story
While the caesium discovery is a breakthrough, Brinsden emphasized that Patriot’s primary development path remains the lithium-rich CV5 zone, with a lithium-only feasibility study due in Q3 2025.
“Big lithium project. Stage development. First 400,000 tons per annum concentrate. Second stage, taking it to a total of 800,000 tons per annum,” he said. “In the first instance, the feasibility study’s only focused on lithium - deliberately - to help simplify things like permitting.”
But with multiple co-products across the district - including tantalum, gallium, rubidium, and now caesium - Brinsden signaled that integrated economics are coming.
“They ultimately represent an opportunity to add further economics to the project and become a key supplier of the broader critical mineral suite.”
VW Is In. Others May Follow.
Volkswagen’s PowerCo unit acquired 9.9% of Patriot Battery Metals last year, paying a modest premium that analysts at the time called unusually low for a strategic play. The deal included offtake rights and funding support - and Brinsden hinted more is coming.
“They’ve made that pretty clear in our discussions with them… we should keep open the door for more product, more offtake, and access to capital.”
Brinsden also said the partnership fits into a broader strategy of building Western-facing supply chains:
“We expect the relationship to continue to grow with VW and PowerCo - and for that matter, others - that take the view this is one of the more important projects globally.”
Asked if offtake talks around caesium had begun, he didn’t name names but confirmed, “Yes, I can say that.”
Canada’s Moment - If It Wants It
Despite the discovery’s size and location, Brinsden expressed frustration with Canada’s pace on critical mineral permitting compared to global competitors.
“If you want to be serious about supplying the Western world with critical minerals, you’ve got to make it easier to permit.”
“You worry about going to Ukraine, Greenland, or the Democratic Republic of Congo, he added. And across the border, Canada has these incredible resources, and that’s particularly true in Québec, and that’s particularly true in our project.”
The project has over 20 kilometers of prospective strike, with just 6.5 kilometers drilled to date. Brinsden confirmed drilling continues and expansion is expected.
“If we keep drilling, we’ll inevitably be turning up more resource… There's a reasonable chance some of it will be high grade in each category—whether it’s lithium, caesium, or tantalum.”
Investor Undervaluation?
Despite hosting one of the most diverse and highest-grade critical mineral systems in the West, Patriot’s valuation has lagged amid a broader lithium correction. Brinsden said the caesium resource could change that.
“It’s been a tough time in lithium markets… But in the end, when you have a great project, and now complemented by these other critical minerals… it’s one of the most important development projects in the lithium world.”
“It can only get bigger.”
Ken Brinsden speaks with Kitco News anchor Jeremy Szafron in a full-length segment covering lithium, caesium, offtake deals, Canada’s role in the global critical minerals race, and where Patriot goes next.
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