Argentine mining company Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp, a member of the Grosso Group and a partner of the automaker Stellantis, has announced encouraging results from exploration holes No. 10 and No. 11 in its lithium project Rincón Oeste, located in the province of Salta. The samples collected from a section of 295.5 meters in the well "RW-DDH-010" ranged from 245 to 366 mg/l of lithium. Likewise, samples collected from a section of 321 meters in "RW-DDH-011" varied between 246 and 344 mg/l of lithium.
By Panorama Minero
“Our tenth exploration hole was situated to test the continuity of the brine aquifer as our drilling extends eastward into the main salar basin. These results demonstrate continued strong grades and an exceptional interval length. For our eleventh hole, we moved 2.7 kilometres to the southeast, to test the salt flat in the southern and eastern portion of our main block at the Rincon West project. This produced another long interval of concentrated brines and recovered cores containing fractured crystalline halite and coarse, poorly cemented sediments, which may be excellent formations for pumping potential. We were not able to reach the bottom of the basin formation in the eleventh hole. We plan to extend our ongoing drilling to greater depths, with the objective of drilling into basement rock and defining the bottom of the aquifer.” stated Miles Rideout, V.P. of Exploration.
Moreover, a broad selection of samples has been sent for brine recovery tests at an independent laboratory, and the results are pending.
The Rincón Oeste Project covers 5,198 hectares of the basin of the salt flat with three adjacent property blocks to the Rincón Project of Rio Tinto. The drilling holes RW-DDH-010 and RW-DDH-011 represent the first two of a six-well program planned for Rinconcita II property, as announced in the company's press release on October 19 last year. The Rinconcita II property represents a continuous extension of the western sandy basin in Rincón Oeste.
Situated at approximately 3,760 meters above sea level, the geological environment in the Salar de Rincón is similar to other lithium and potash-bearing salt flats in the Puna region.
The Rincón Oeste Project is located near the railway, only 17 kilometers south of Provincial Route 51, the international road connecting to the coastal ports of Chile. It is situated in Salta, approximately 150 kilometers from the town of San Antonio de los Cobres. Additionally, the InterAndes energy corridor is less than a kilometer from the salar.
