Anson Resources Ltd (ASX:ASN, OTCQB:ANSNF) has begun the second phase of drilling — surface drilling and casing — targeting lithium-rich brines at the Green River Lithium Project’s Bosydaba #1 well in the Paradox Basin of south-eastern Utah, USA.
This drilling program is the first phase in Anson's JORC mineral resource definition plan.
The surface drilling will be drilled to 1,500 feet and then cased and follows on from the drilling and casing of the conductor (0-80ft).
Bosydaba #1 well will be drilled to a total depth of around 3,292 metres (10,800 feet), with the drill hole and pad on flat, sparsely vegetated ground that required minimal earthworks prior to drilling.
The well is targeting the lithium-rich brines in the Clastic horizons of the Pennsylvanian Formation and the Mississippian units.
It has previously been recorded that both the Clastic Zones and the Mississippian Units contain supersaturated brines, but no assaying for lithium has been carried out.
Cross section of the Bosydaba#1 well plan.
Anson’s drilling through these zones of supersaturated brines and sampling of the horizons which host the brines will allow the brines to be collected.
With the completion of the well, it is expected that brine will be able to flow directly to the sample demonstration plant, consisting of both 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 drilling procedure can be broken down into four separate phases of drilling based on the both the hole and steel casing sizes:
The hole size to be drilled and the intervals.
The drill pad is on Anson’s private property at Green River, which was recently rezoned as a conditional use permit from the Green River City Planning & Zoning Commission, allowing exploration drilling and mineral processing to be carried out.
Anson notes that the exploration drilling program has been designed so that there is no interaction between the surface waters and the supersaturated lithium brines to be extracted as the well will be cased with steel pipe and cemented in place.