Anson Resources on track for lithium production in April

Combined gold and lithium exploration is on track to prove dividends for Anson Resources (ASX: ASN) as the company continues to make progress at its Utah-based Paradox lithium brine project in the US.

As it stands, Anson is on-track to produce its first batch of lithium in April 2018. Anson intends to collect a multitude of brine samples as part of a 3-stage metallurgical test work program commencing with bench-top processing of a 500 litre brine sample leading to the design of an in-field pilot plant.

As part of its Project development, Anson has submitted an application to the State of Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), to lease 15 acres of industrial land at Anson’s Paradox Lithium Project.

Successfully securing this industrial site enables Anson to fast track the development of an in-field pilot plant later this year and begin to distribute its lithium carbonate product to end-users for testing.

Anson is drilling to a depth of 7,280 feet to sample brine from four separate Clastic Zones. The samples will be sent to a certified laboratory in Nevada for assaying, with results expected around the end of January 2018.

Anson is targeting the lithium rich brines within Clastic Zone 31 as part of its ‘Gold Bar Unit 2’ drilling program. At the same time, and for minimal incremental cost, Clastic Zones 19, 29 and 33 will be sampled over a period of 5 hours with 1 litre samples being collected every 20 minutes. The samples will be transported to a certified laboratory and sampled for lithium and the other commodities such as boron and bromine.

During the Gold Bar Unit 2 drilling program brine will also be collected for processing in a bench-top plant enabling first lithium carbonate to be produced in April 2018.

With exploration moving on schedule, Anson has also kicked-off discussions with battery manufactures to bench test its lithium product, with results expected in the near-term. Production of first lithium carbonate from the bench top plant is expected in April 2018.

“Extracting brine is now extremely close and Anson remains firmly on schedule to produce its first lithium carbonate in April 2018,” said Anson Managing Director, Bruce Richardson.

“In addition to having samples to assay, the likely economics of the Project can begin to be understood as further metallurgical test work will also begin on the possible economics of the other mineral products in addition to lithium in the brines, including Boron, Bromine, Iodine and Magnesium, as preparations and planning begin to progress to feasibility stage,” he added.

At the current time, Anson has existing non-binding Memoranda of Understandings (MOU’s) with Link Data Technologies Co., Far East First New Energy and CBAK Power Battery to enter into detailed negotiations for the supply of lithium from the Paradox Brine Lithium Project.