Anson Resources scores 44pc lithium grade jump on opening Green River aquifers

• ASN records 44% higher lithium values at Green River as aquifers open
• Swabbing recorded 135mg/l lithium, compared to 93.5 mg/l in the initial resource estimate
• Company plans to re-enter Mt Fuel-Skyline Geyser well to expand reservoir potential

Special Report: Anson Resources has recorded 44% higher lithium values at its Green River project in Utah after opening up aquifers.

Higher-grade aquifers typically ‘open up’ as a well is cleaned by the brine extraction process.

In this case, assay results from swabbing the Bosydaba#1 well to feed the Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) plant have come back 44% higher than the grade used to calculate the maiden resource estimate at the project.

Swabbing the well results in the extraction of 600 barrels of brine daily and continues for two to three days, with the company identifying during this process that the lithium value increased over time.

The theory is that drilling muds filled the voids in the formation and with swabbing and the flow of the brine, the formation had been ‘cleaned up’ allowing the brine to flow from the more porous layers containing higher grade lithium.

The swabbing recorded 135mg/l lithium, compared to 93.5 mg/l in the estimate for the Mississippian Leadville limestone at Green River.

Anson Resources (ASX:ASN) said this confirmed the Mississippian units were a massive brine aquifer rich in lithium and very low in salts and other contaminants which pointed to a simpler and more cost-effective lithium carbonate production process.

Watch: Anson reaches community accord for Green River lithium development

Lithium reservoir could expand even further

The next step is to include these higher grades in a future resource upgrade for the project.

The company plans to re-enter the Mt Fuel-Skyline Geyser well, which has been approved by the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining.

Deepening the well will increase the Leadville Limestone aquifer thickness, possibly to regional thicknesses greater than 550 feet, significantly expanding the reservoir potential.

ASN also plans to target the highly porous horizons which have resulted due to the geological structures in the region like the Ten Mile Graben that passes east-west through the project’s BLM claims.

The thought is that the Graben may act as a pathway for lithium-enriched brine in the areas of interest.

This article was developed in collaboration with Anson Resources, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.