Argentina Lithium Announces 225-metre Lithium Brine Interval at the 14th Exploration Well on the Rincon West Project
VANCOUVER, BC, Jan. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ – Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. (TSXV: LIT) (FSE: OAY3) (OTCQB: LILIF), (“Argentina Lithium” or the “Company”) reports positive results from the fourteenth exploration well at its Rincon West Project in Salta Province, Argentina. Sixteen representative 2.5 or 3 m brine samples collected over a 225-metre interval of RW-DDH-14 ranged from 277 to 379 mg/l lithium.
Miles Rideout, V.P. of Exploration, stated :
The fourteen exploration wells drilled at Rincon West have validated our belief that the property has competitive grade potential.
“All drill holes have demonstrated mid-grade brines, validating our interpretation of the conductive formations identified during geophysical targeting.”
Our team is currently working on the resource model for the initial exploration area, located on the west side of the Rincon salt flat adjacent to Rio Tinto’s Rincon Project.
“This resource work incorporates results from pump tests currently being completed on the project’s initial rotary well. Additional rotary wells are planned for the project, subject to permit approval. The provincial ministry is currently reviewing the drill permit application for the eastern Don Fermin block, which has had no previous drilling but has extensive geophysical responses suggesting subsurface conductive targets are present.”
The results, including sampling method, sample interval data, and brine analyses for RW-DDH-14 are shown in Table 1. Drill collar information is presented in Table 2. An extensive selection of core samples has been sent to an independent laboratory for brine recovery testing.
The Rincon West Project covers 5198.8 hectares of the salar basin, consisting of three property blocks adjacent to Rio Tinto’s Rincon Project. Drill hole RW-DDH-14 represents the fifth exploration hole of the 6-hole program planned for the Rinconcita II property, originally announced in the Company’s October 19, 2023 News Release. The Company is currently completing a long-duration pump test at the sixth hole (RW-RT-01), a deep rotary well drilled beside RW-DDH-11.
Figure 1 presents a map of the western (main) block of the Rincon West project showing the positions of the fourteen exploration diamond drill holes and single rotary hole completed at Rincon West (see News Releases dated July 13, 2022, October 3, 2022, October 25, 2022, January 26, 2023, April 24, 2023, May 31, 2023, January 22, 2024, April 24, 2024.and October 1, 2024). The drill location plot is overlain by a yellow shaded outline of electrically conductive zones delineated by two geophysics campaigns (see News Releases dated May 2, 2022 and October 19, 2023).
Drilling Methodology
RW-DDH-14 was executed with HQ-diameter diamond drilling, permitting the extraction of core samples of the salar basin formations and the recovery of brine samples where possible.
Drilling was carried out by Salta-based AGV Falcon Drilling SRL, under the supervision of Argentina Lithium’s geologists.
The Company’s preferred method for brine sampling deploys a ‘single packer’ sampling unit during drilling. The packer sampling method allows the recovery of brine samples at specific depths while sealing the hole at the top and bottom of the interval. For single packer sampling, an inflatable seal closes the top of the interval; the lower limit of drilling represents the bottom of the interval. In certain instances, double packer sampling is conducted following the completion of drilling. In this case, inflatable seals are employed to close both the top and bottom of the sample interval. While the geologists can vary the interval length when using single packer sampling, the double packer system is limited to testing 3 m intervals.
Geophysical profiling and lining the hole with 2″ diameter PVC filters have been completed. All core samples recovered in drilling were retained for geologic logging.
Observations regarding RW-DDH-14
RW-DDH-14 is located on the eastern-central portion of the Rinconcita II property, within the western salt flat at Rincon Salar.
A total of 17 brine samples were extracted using the single or double packer methods and were submitted for chemical analysis. Sampling was generally accomplished from 3 m intervals, though one 2.5 m interval and one 40 m interval were sampled. Brine samples collected between 24.5 m depth and 249.5 m depth ranged from 277 to 379 mg/l lithium. Over this 225 m interval, 16 single or double packer brine samples were collected totalling 47.5 m of sampling, representing 21.1% of the entire interval.
Drilling from surface to 15.5 m depth intersected fine sandy sediments. Medium sandy layers are interlayered with sandy breccias between 15.5 and 71 m depths. Sandy breccias then dominate to 137 m depth. Relatively loose gravel and sands were intersected between 137 m and 144.7 m. Crystaline halite (salt) was drilled between 144.7 and 208 m. Sandy sediments containing several clayey layers were logged between 208 m and 245 m. Breccia sedimentary units were drilled between 245 and 349 m, frequently exhibiting alteration. Ignimbritic breccia and fractured ignimbrite were logged between 349 and 372.5 m whereupon a tricone was required to advance to 375.5, thus 3 m of core was not recovered. Ignimbritic breccia and fractured ignimbrite then continued to 404.4 m. Breccia with traces of pyrite was drilled between 404.4 and 437.25 m. Ignimbritic breccia was then intersected, extending to the bottom of the hole at 455 m. The sandy units described in this exploration hole are expected to be the most productive levels for extracting lithium brine.
Analyses and QA/QC
Samples of brine were submitted for analysis to Alex Stewart International Argentina S.A. (“Alex Stewart“), the local subsidiary of Alex Stewart International, an ISO 9001:2017 certified laboratory, with ISO 17025:2017 certification for the analysis of lithium, potassium and other elements. Alex Stewart employed Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (“ICP-OES“) as the analytical technique for the primary constituents of interest, including boron, calcium, potassium, lithium, and magnesium. Measurements in the field included pH, electrical conductivity, temperature and density.
The quality of sample analytical results was controlled and assessed with a protocol of blank, duplicate and reference standard samples included within the sample sequence. For hole RW-DDH-14 the lot contained one blank and one duplicate sample, which reported within the acceptable range. Single low-grade, medium-grade and high-grade reference standard samples (3 standards in total) were included within the submitted sample suite. The low-grade reference standard analysed higher than 3 standard deviations (“SD“) of best value, with 10.4 relative percent difference (“RPD“); the medium-grade reference standard analysed below 3 SD of best value, with 1.3 RPD; the high-grade reference standard analysed below 3 SD of the best value with 2.3 RPD.
Qualified Person
Frits Reidel, CPG is a Qualified Person as defined in National Instrument 43-101, is the Principal of Atacama Water Consultants, and is independent of Argentina Lithium. Mr. Reidel has reviewed the work carried out by the Company’s exploration team at the early-stage Rincon West property. The disclosure in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Reidel.
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Argentina Lithium Announces 225-metre Lithium Brine Interval at the 14th Exploration Well on the Rincon West Project, source
