Anson Resources Ltd (ASX:ASN) plans to fast-track a JORC resource update at the Paradox Lithium Project through testing of newly discovered historic diamond core from the project area in Utah, USA.
This historic core from drilling into the target Mississippian Units at the Paradox Project will be used by the company to determine porosity and specific yield.
The relevant diamond core and cuttings held by the Utah Core Research Centre (UCRC) at the Utah Geological Survey will deliver time and cost savings in Anson’s planned upcoming JORC resource upgrade as new core will not be required.
Resource upgrade
Upgrading the exploration target into indicated and inferred JORC resources is a primary purpose of this work and this, in turn, will help fast-track delivery of the definitive feasibility study (DFS) being undertaken by Worley and the proposed start of production at Paradox.
The diamond core is from previous exploration drilling programs in the Paradox Project area, which drilled through or partially into the targeted Mississippian Units.
Core shows porosity
Significantly, the diamond core shows fracturing and 'vuggs' - cavities, voids or large pores in the host rocks - throughout the limestone and dolomite units, which demonstrate the high porosity required for the storage of brine.
The limestones and dolomites in south-eastern Utah are noted for vuggy and intracrystalline porosity with these properties also demonstrated in Anson’s geophysical logs and porosity calculation for the project.
Next steps
Anson will now undertake tests on the diamond core and cuttings from the wells from which they have been collected to determine effective porosity.
Results will then be used to calculate transitivity, permeability and resistivity in these wells, which are not included in Anson’s ongoing resource expansion drilling program.
It is anticipated that as a result of this work, the area around these wells may be upgraded from inferred to the indicated JORC resource category.
The historic drilling logs obtained from a number of wells in the same area will be combined with the logs from Anson’s exploration re-entry programs, as well as other test work, and will be processed (using ARANZ Leapfrog Hydro software) to update the original 3D geological model, to further determine volume metrics.
This conceptual model will then be used to design a flow model for the brine and calculate the number of supply wells and piping network required to provide sufficient brine to feed the company’s planned lithium/bromine production facility at Paradox.
Anson will carry out this work in parallel with the DFS.
The current exploration target for the Mississippian supersaturated brine at Paradox consists of 1.3-1.8 billion tonnes grading 80-140ppm lithium and 2,000-3,000ppm bromine.
Anson plans to use the results of its current drilling campaign and works programs to convert this target into a JORC resource.