Power Minerals achieves positive results from resource definition drilling at Incahuasi salar
Power’s fourth and final drillhole at Incahausi has been completed with results pending.
Lithium exploration and development company Power Minerals (ASX: PNN) has achieved further positive results from resource definition drilling at the Salta lithium brine project in Argentina.
The third hole of a program at the Incahuasi salar was completed to a depth of 205 metres and intersected a total interval of approximately 200m.
The hole was drilled on the north-eastern extent of Incahuasi and aimed to confirm the presence of lithium-bearing brines under the alluvial fan on the eastern side of the salar.
Assays from four packer brine samples returned consistent lithium grades between 165 parts per million and 196ppm, along with strong brine densities of up to 1.21 grams per millilitre.
Power said the results indicate similar and consistent lithologies to the first two drillholes of the program and enhance Incahuasi’s resource potential.
The fourth (and final) drillhole at Incahausi has since been completed and results are pending.
Resource expansion campaign
The Incahuasi program represents the first phase of Power’s ongoing resource expansion campaign at the Salta project.
It is designed to add tonnages to Salta’s existing resource estimate and support project development plans.
Drilling is aimed at delivering a maiden mineral resource for Incahuasi, which will contribute additional resources to the global resource inventory.
Strong results
Power managing director Mena Habib said the Incahuasi campaign has produced strong results.
“Our drilling at Incahuasi is now complete and has the potential to add significant new resources to the Salta project’s global resource estimate,” he said.
“The latest holes have delivered positive results consistent with previous holes in the program and we will now seek to define a maiden mineral resource at Incahausi.”
Power’s drill rig and crew have demobilised from Incahuasi in preparation for the start of drilling at the Rincon and Pocitos salares.
Salta salares
The Salta project sits in Argentina’s Salta province and consists of five salares within seven mining leases totalling 147.07 square kilometres.
Three of the salares — Rincon, Incahuasi and Pocitos — have been tagged for initial development.
Incahuasi is located adjacent to ground held by Ganfeng Lithium Co, which is the world’s third largest and China’s largest lithium compounds producer, and the world’s largest lithium metals producer in terms of output.
Rincon is adjacent to the Rincon lithium brine project formerly owned by private company Rincon Mining and acquired in March 2022 by Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) for $1.18 billion.