Metal Energy Corp (TSX-V:MERG, OTCQB:MEEEF) has released new brine and lithogeochemical results from two brine reservoirs intersected in the company's inaugural drill hole at the SourceRock project near Thunder Bay, Ontario.
The brine analysis revealed a notable increase in Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) concentrations with depth, closely correlating with rock types.
Particularly significant was the exponential rise in concentrations of sodium, potassium and calcium with depth, with lithium showing a similar trend alongside sodium and potassium.
The highest brine results, reaching up to 6% TDS, were found within a clean sandstone unit at the base of the sedimentary formations.
This finding is significant as lithium-bearing brines are commonly associated with chloride-rich fluids. Lithium-bearing brines are valuable resources, and their association with chloride-rich fluids is significant as it aligns with common geological characteristics observed in similar formations where lithium is found.
Analysis also revealed that over 90% of inorganic anions within calcareous mudstone-rich units were chlorides, emphasizing the presence of the right type of brines for the project. Similarly, over 97% chlorides were detected in sandstone-rich units.
In contrast, lithogeochemical results highlighted the enrichment of calcium and magnesium in calcareous mudstones due to high concentrations of gypsum in the drill core. However, the sandstones, primarily quartz-rich, displayed minimal elemental constituents.
Notably, while historic drill holes in nearby locations showed salt beds within the sandstone unit of the sedimentary formation, drill hole SR24-01 did not encounter similar results.
Analysis of both brine and rock data suggests that the drill hole is situated on the periphery of a large mature halite salar, or salt flat.
James Sykes, CEO of Metal Energy, commented on the findings, stating, "Our next step is to map the subsurface geology with a geophysical survey to better determine the possible location of a central halite nucleus, as the brine results from SR-24-01 indicate a positive correlation between increased sodium with increased lithium."