Arcadia Minerals reports 500% increase in lithium resources at Bitterwasser project
Arcadia’s updated resource for Bitterwasser totals 85.2Mt at 633ppm lithium for 286,909t of lithium carbonate equivalent.
Diversified explorer Arcadia Minerals (ASX: AM7) has confirmed a 500% increase in lithium resources for its Bitterwasser lithium-in-clay project in Namibia.
The increase was announced as part of an updated inferred mineral resource estimate at the Eden Pan prospect totalling 85.2 million tonnes at 633 parts per million lithium for 286,909t of lithium carbonate equivalent.
The new figures are based on 77 auger holes and 486 core samples from a phase two drilling program and represent a 560% increase in resource and 430% increase in metal content.
Arcadia said the updated resource represented only 19% of the 14 exposed clay pans within three exploration permits at Bitterwasser, over an area of approximately 593 square kilometres.
Auger drilling data and 3D modelling has indicated the mineralisation may extend the resource to depth.
Infill and extensional diamond core drilling is expected to improve the geological and resource confidence in areas currently identified as targets.
Significant increase
Chief executive officer Philip le Roux said the company was encouraged by the “significant increase” in metal content at the project, which is now equivalent to a 1% lithium oxide hard rock resource of 11.6Mt.
“This resource is within the first 12m from surface, open at depth and covers only one of the known 14 exposed clay pans in the area,” he said.
“These factors, along with the potential for further pans obscured by mobile Kalahari dunes, have the potential to expand the Bitterwasser lithium resource substantially.”
Clay pan exploration
Mr le Roux said the company would continue exploration over the 14 unexplored clay pans and areas which may be obscured by mobile Kalahari dunes.
“It is very likely that present-day pans such as Eden Pan perceived to be confined by mobile dunes in a larger mobile dune field, are in fact part of one large pan in part obscured by dunes,” he said.
“Here a very good probability exists that the pans seen today are part of a larger pan with younger dunes migrating over and masking a larger pan feature.”
The company will conduct geophysical surveys for lithium brine potential over the entire 4031sq km of landholding at Bitterwasser.
It has also committed to large-scale leach test work using 500 kilogram samples on various lixiviants at South Africa’s University of Stellenbosch to determine which one provides optimal leaching results and best recovery process flowsheet.