Site works are underway at the Green River Lithium Project of Anson Resources Ltd (ASX:ASN, OTCQB:ANSNF) in the Paradox Basin, in south-eastern Utah, USA ahead of its upcoming resource drilling program which is due to begin this week.
Anson said that earthworks on the drill pad site were underway, with the drill ‘cellar’ successfully excavated and installed. The drill casing and brine storage tank have also been delivered to site.
The drill pad covers a small surface area of around 88.4 metres by 88.4 metres on flat, sparsely vegetated ground that requires minimal earthworks before drilling can commence — providing significant time and cost benefits to the site preparation program.
Anson has secured all requisite approvals for this phase of drilling, with the Notice of Intent (NOI) approved by the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining (UDOGM), Minerals Division, and an Application Permit to Drill (APD) also granted. Regulatory environmental, cultural and land surveys have also been completed over the planned drill site area.
Drilling imminent
The drilling rig has been mobilised and with all drilling approvals in place, Anson expects drilling to commence by the end of this week.
This program — the first stage of Anson’s Resource definition drilling at Green River — will be undertaken on the industrial use land acquired at the project area last September.
Being able to conduct this phase of drilling on an area of the project that is privately held by Anson has delivered significant time savings for the proposed drilling program — most notably, the shortened time frame for drilling approvals.
Part of the privately owned land at Green River Project, showing the casing, cellar, frac tank and visitor centre in the background
Bosydaba 1 well
The well, Bosydaba 1, will be drilled to a total vertical depth of 10,800 feet (3,292 metres) and will be next to Anson’s planned Utah Sample Demonstration Plant (USDP) and the visitor centre, which is already on site.
The company says the planned drilling program will target the Clastic Zones and the Mississippian Units that contain previously recorded supersaturated brines.
Coring will be carried out on the major horizons of interest that will be used for laboratory test work. That data, such as specific yield, will then be used to delineate a JORC mineral resource at the Green River Project.
It is expected that once the well is completed, brine will flow directly to the demonstration plant, which consists of the direct lithium extraction (DLE) and the downstream purification process.
This will result in the plant being capable of operating 24/7 and producing a high-purity lithium carbonate product.
The proposed well and the formations that will intersected and the impermeable layers.
Anson executive chairman and CEO Bruce Richardson said: “The speed at which the drilling approvals were provided by the State of Utah is an indicator of the advantage of owning surface area and highlights the strategic importance of the purchase of the land at Green River.
“A total of four months was required, from application to final permitting, not only approval to drill but also for the rezoning of the land to allow drilling and mineral processing on this site.
“As a brownfields site, biological, archeological and other surveys were also able to be completed in a very short period of time which demonstrates the skills and knowledge that the Anson team has developed over previous programs.
“I would like to acknowledge the Anson team’s success in being able to meet short timelines and achieve this outcome. The Green River project continues to develop at a rapid rate and we look forward to adding shareholder value as it continues to progress.”
Main image: The 'cellar' for the planned well with the visitor centre in the background on Anson’s privately owned Green River property with a Green River Councilor and a local contractor.