Galan Lithium (ASX: GLN) has announced a 158% increase to the mineral resource estimate at its flagship Hombre Muerto West project in Argentina’s Catamarca province.
The revised resource now sits at 5.8 million tonnes contained lithium carbonate equivalent grading 866 milligrams per litre lithium, representing an increase of 2.5 times the original figures.
The project retains its high grade, low impurity profile and includes a maiden inferred resource of 4.4Mt at 883mg/l lithium (or 76% of the total).
The enlarged and upgraded figures have been driven by increased tenure scale, while new drilling has delivered increased aquifer size and porosity assays.
The results will be incorporated into a definitive feasibility study for Hombre West, which Galan said remains on track for delivery early next year.
An increased production scenario will also be explored.
Substantial nature
Managing director Juan Pablo (JP) Vargas de la Vega said the company was “amazed” by the substantial nature of the new estimate.
“This outcome is game-changing in terms of the increase in overall technical and economic potential of this world-class lithium brine asset,” he said.
“This is a function of the size of the increase and also the big step-up in confidence classification which has been achieved.”
Geological and geochemical info
The revised mineral resource estimate incorporates geological and geochemical information from 15 drillholes totalling 4384m within the Pata Pila, Rana de Sal, Casa del Inca and Del Condor tenements.
A total of 236 brine assays were used as a foundation for the estimate and an improved quality control program was implemented during analysis, including the use of duplicates, triplicates and standards.
New porosity data was obtained from 131 core samples taken from two holes at Pata Pila three at Rana de Sal.
To complement directly-obtained brine samples and core, approximately 51 kilometres of total surface resistivity work (including controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics and transient electromagnetics) has been completed since the start of the Hombre Muerto West project.
Downhole geophysical logging has also been conducted over the same holes at Pata Pila and Rana de Sal for a total 1766m.
Mr Vargas de la Vega said the new 866mg/l grade reflects a highly-homogenous brine quality throughout the Hombre Muerto West tenements which permits the aggregation of the complete ore body and potentially simplifies future operational and process constrains.
