American Pacific Borate & Lithium Ltd (ASX:ABR) has completed a magnetotelluric (MT) survey over its Salt Wells Borate and Lithium Projects in Nevada, USA.
The survey covered 16 kilometres of ground and the results will be used to determine the location of the basement rock, indicating the potential for brines within the Salt Wells basin.
Analysis of the survey data will be undertaken by Zonge International after which ABR will delineate targets for a drilling program planned in the fourth quarter of 2018.
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ABR chief executive officer Michael Schlumpberger said the results of the MT survey were a critical source of information.
“[They provide] a vital step that allows ABR to select the most prospective locations and higher-probability brine targets within the Salt Wells basin for the initial phase of drilling planned for the near future.”
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Salt Wells covers an area of 36 square kilometres with surface salt samples from the northern area recording up to 810 ppm lithium and over 1% boron, for a 5.2% boric acid equivalent.
The area is close to major highways and lies in what is believed to be an internally-drained, fault-bounded basin that appears similar to Clayton Valley, where lithium is currently produced by Abermarle Corporation.
Borates were produced from surface salts in the 1800s from the Salts Wells North site, and with the exception of recent surface salt sampling from the northern area, no modern exploration across the tenements has been completed.