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Rodinia Minerals says initial Salar de Diablillos results indicate high concentrations of lithium and potash

Last updated: 15:49 02 Mar 2010 GMT, First published: 16:49 02 Mar 2010 GMT

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Rodinia Minerals (TSX-V: RM; OTC: RDNAF) said it has received positive initial sample results from its auger drill exploration program on its Salar de Diablillos lithium-brine project in Argentina. According to Rodinia, these initial results may be indicative of high concentrations of lithium and potash. The company is encouraged by the results but it believes that the nucleus of the salar has yet to be intersected.

Results from the initial sampling of brines have returned lithium values of up to 890 milligrams per litre (mg/L) and favourable magnesium to lithium ratios.

Beneath a layer of clay, a medium-to-coarse grained sand aquifer was encountered containing high-grade lithium brine in the porous space. In the initial augur drilling programme holes were drilled to three metres in depth in an attempt to penetrate the overlying clay layer, which varies in thickness between one and over three metres.

The initial program consisted of eight holes, across various locations on the salar. Rodinia took five aquifer samples and three surface water samples. The aquifer samples averaged 858 mg/L Li and 2.57 Mg:Li ratio, the company said that these aquifers will be the focus of subsequent exploration programs, to assess the feasibility of future lithium production at Diablillos.

The auger drill exploration program is now being retooled to allow for exploration at depths to 4-5 metres. A historical drill hole in the south eastern margin of the salar indicates the presence of the aquifer to a vertical depth of at least 75m, Rodinia said.

The surface water samples represent the concentrations present in waters that are presently feeding the salar. According to Rodinia the lithium values in these samples are encouraging, as they show that geothermal sources in the area are potentially lithium-rich.

In last month Rodinia told investors that it had expanded its current land package in the Salar de Diablillos to 5,756 hectares, following a series of private transactions. Consequently the company now owns the entire nucleus of the salar. "These additional acquisitions provide a significant strategic advantage to Rodinia, as unlike many other lithium-brine operations, we now control a complete salar in Diablillos, as opposed to sharing the salar with other operators", Rodinia president and CEO David Stein commented. "In addition, the start-up of the exploration program at Diablillos marks another key milestone for the company".

Salt flats, referred to as a Salar in Spanish, are generally the remnants of historic bodies of water such as lakes or rivers, or temporary and seasonal lakebeds. These lake-beds consist of alkali infused sediments, which include Lithium-brine and Magnesium.

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