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Lithium Energy’s highest lithium concentrations in Hole 6 could deliver Solaroz resource growth
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Lithium Energy has enjoyed a constant stream of drilling successes at its flagship Solaroz project in Argentina and has now added another notch to its scorecard with the highest lithium concentration encountered to date.
Drillhole 6 (SOZDD006) was completed to a depth of about 623m and intersected 356m of lithium-rich brines across the upper and lower aquifers with concentrations of up to 594mg/l lithium.
Importantly for Lithium Energy (ASX:LEL), results from this well will be used to review and potentially upgrade the existing Resource of 3.3Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent in both size and confidence to the Indicated category.
Whilst SOZDD006 is contained within the resource area, assays from the hole were not available when the resource was estimated – using as it did the results of the first five holes out of the company’s initial 10-hole drill program along with extensive geophysics.
The resource also covers just 4,777ha – less than half the total ~12,000ha project area of Solaroz.
Drilling is also underway at Hole 7 (SOZDD007), which is a step-out drillhole to test the Northern Block of concessions on the Olaroz Salar, outside the area encompassing the initial resource.
“We are very pleased with the results recorded from the recently completed sixth drillhole, with the lower aquifer returning the highest lithium concentration grades seen so far at the Solaroz project,” executive chairman William Johnson said.
“These results give us confidence in the potential to upgrade the existing 3.3 Million tonne LCE Mineral Resource both as to tonnage and resource confidence.”
Lower aquifer returning lithium riches
Assays from drillhole 6 confirmed that it had intersected 131m of lithium-rich brines across the upper aquifer from a depth of 134m in brine hosting unconsolidated sandstone units and fine gravels that returned lithium concentrations of up to 354mg/l.
However, the real prize is the 225m of lithium-rich brines from a depth of 287m that was encountered in the lower aquifer.
Not only is this thicker than the brines in the upper aquifer, it also returned the top lithium concentrations of up to 594mg/l.
Hole 6 is now being prepared for geophysical hole logging, where measurements will be undertaken for total porosity, specific yield, conductivity, resistivity and spectral gamma.
This article was developed in collaboration with Lithium Energy, 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.
