Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT) will commence drilling later this month at the Agua Fria prospect located within the Electra lithium clay project in Mexico.
The company is in a joint venture with Alix Resources Corp (CVE:AIX) where Lithium Australia has earned a 49% interest.
The planned drill program is for 3,000 metres which will to provide coverage over a 5 kilometre strike of the mineralised zone.
Initial indications from trench samples are that lithium minerals account for less than 50% by weight, of typical mineralized zones allowing for significant beneficiation potential.
Adrian Griffin, managing director, commented: “The region offers great lithium potential, as has been demonstrated nearby, by Bacanora Minerals (CVE:BCN).”
The target zone
The target zone at Agua Fria consists of lithium clays and is shallow dipping, exposed over widths of up to 800 metres and over a strike length of ~5 kilometres.
Numerous surface samples have returned grades exceeding 1,000 ppm lithium - grades considered to be high in samples of this provenance.
In preparation for drilling, 24 samples obtained through shallow trenching at Agua Fria have been examined to determine:
- Mineralogy;
- Lithium distribution;
- Lithium grade;
- Scope for beneficiation; and
- By-product potential.
Initial indications are that lithium minerals account for less than 50% by weight, of typical mineralized zones.
This may allow significant beneficiation potential allowing the production of higher grade concentrates, prior to processing, subsequently reducing operating costs.