Metal Energy Corp (TSX-V:MERG, OTCQB:MEEEF) told investors it has commenced a planned diamond drill and brine testing program at its SourceRock project, Ontario’s first lithium brine project near Thunder Bay in the northwest of the province.
The company said it plans one initial drill hole down to 700 metres to assess the brine and rock characteristics using a suite of downhole geophysical surveys to qualify the brine system within the sedimentary rocks. It will then perform water sampling and other tests to determine fluid constituents and water flow parameters.
Pending the initial drill hole results, it said it is funded for an additional one to two drill holes on the project.
"Scientific evidence supports the concept that SourceRock has lithium brine potential,” Metal Energy CEO James Sykes commented in a statement.
“We know we have brine; we need to confirm if this brine is enriched with lithium.”
The SourceRock project covers 915 square kilometres (km) within an area measuring approximately 10 to 20 km wide by 95 km long of the Proterozoic Sibley sedimentary basin, a size equivalent to the World's second largest lithium-producing jurisdiction; Chile's Salar de Atacama's Central Salt Belt.
“We will be doing detailed downhole geophysical studies and brine sampling to test for the presence of lithium in solution while learning the fluid conditions within the rocks that could help us vector into enriched lithium fluid sources,” Sykes added.
“We plan to release results and interpretations as soon as they are available.”
Metal Energy is a battery metal exploration company with two projects in politically stable Canadian jurisdictions; Manibridge (nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group elements) in Manitoba, and SourceRock (lithium-sodium-potassium) in Ontario.