Galan Lithium reveals high-grade, high-flow pump test results at Hombre Muerto West

Galan Lithium (ASX: GLN) has revealed promising results from ongoing well pumping tests conducted as part of a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for its Hombre Muerto West lithium project in Argentina.

The explorer has successfully completed a 30-day long-term pumping test at the first Pata Pila well, recording rates of between 17 and 20 litres per second, with an extracted lithium grade between 821 and 927 milligrams per litre.

Galan said these strong outcomes support the potential for higher production capacity parameters for DFS inputs.

Ongoing exploration at the project has also revealed thick intercepts with high lithium grades.

Galan exploration manager Alvaro Henriquez considered the results to be “great news from both an underlying geological, and resource confidence, point of view”.

“We have demonstrated a high production capacity with the completion of the first long-term pumping test at Pata Pila, as well as extending the reservoir quality throughout the main alluvial deposits on our tenements with the latest exploration well intercepts,” he said.

Mr Henriquez added the outcomes provide further validation of the world-class nature of the Hombre Muerto West project and its planned development.

Pump test program

Following the successful first test, hydraulic testing of the second pumping well at Pata Pila is due to commence shortly.

In addition, a 30-day pumping test is set to begin on the first pumping well at Rana de Sal, where a 72-hour constant rate and recovery test was recently performed with a stabilised pumping rate at 20L/s. Laboratory analysis of brine samples collected during this initial testing phase returned lithium grades ranging between 932-957mg/L.

Galan is expecting the 30-day test to generate an initial flow rate in the range of 22-27L/s.

Further exploration

Two diamond drill holes recently completed at Rana de Sal both intersected thick sedimentary facies before hitting basement at 270m and 390m below surface, respectively.

Preliminary lithium grades returned from analysis ranged between 923-1,035mg/L, consistent with the high extracted grades at the first Rana de Sal pumping well.

The next exploratory drill hole planned at Hombre Muerto West is at Casa del Inca. This hole is designed to validate the potential hydrogeological extension of the brine reservoir between the Pata Pila alluvial fan and salar margin below recent lava flows in Casa del Inca, as suggested by surface resistivity surveys.

A batch of 39 core samples is being tested at the Daniel B. Stephens & Associates laboratory in Albuquerque, United States and a third batch of 34 samples are currently in transit, Galan reported.