Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp (TSX-V:LIT, OTCQX:LILIF) reported lithium concentrations ranging from 269 to 340 mg/l in its 13th exploration well at the Rincon West Project in Salta Province, Argentina, as part of its ongoing drilling program.
The well, RW-DDH-13, showed lithium concentrations over a 327-meter interval.
The results are part of the company’s ongoing drilling program at the project, which covers over 5,198 hectares in Argentina’s lithium-rich salar basin next to Rio Tinto’s Rincon project.
The latest well is the fourth of six planned at the Rinconcita II property, with the company currently drilling the final hole. Rotary drilling has also begun on a nearby well in preparation for pump tests that will assess the potential for lithium production on a larger scale.
Miles Rideout, Vice President of Exploration at Argentina Lithium, said the latest drilling aimed to target sandy layers interspersed with crystalline halite near the project’s eastern boundary. “Our initial exploration model has been borne out by all the results received to date,” he said in a statement.
Lithium exploration has accelerated in Argentina as global demand for the metal, essential for electric vehicle batteries, continues to rise. The South American nation is part of the so-called “lithium triangle,” which includes Chile and Bolivia, and holds some of the world’s largest lithium reserves.
Argentina Lithium used a combination of single and double packer sampling methods, collecting brine samples from specific depths during drilling. The brine samples were extracted from between 30.5 meters and 357.5 meters depth.
The company plans to send core samples to an independent laboratory for further analysis.