The exploration junior NOA Lithium Brines reported positive results from the brine sampling of hole RG23-005, the fifth of the phase 1 diamond drilling program executed at the Río Grande project, in Argentina. The hole, located in the Juana Azul concession within the salar, reached a depth of 602 meters and intersected a lithium brine aquifer of significant thickness, starting from a depth of only one meter.

By Panorama Minero

Additionally, approximately 530 meters of lithium brine-bearing units have been identified through 41 packer tests, confirming a substantial lithium content within the salar. In terms of concentration, the hole exhibited an average of 464 mg/l of lithium in the first 350 meters, while the rest of the hole showed an even higher concentration, averaging 474 mg/l of lithium. "Further highlighting the quality of the discovery, the highest concentration of 607 mg/l of lithium was recorded at a depth of 203 meters, reinforcing the importance and potential of the project," commented the company in its latest press release.

Hole RG23-005 was drilled using diamond drilling, allowing for the extraction of core samples from the saline basin formations and the collection of brine samples. The drilling was carried out by the Salta-based company Hidrotec S.A under the supervision of NOA Lithium geologists.

Brine samples from the packers were sent for laboratory analysis, including multielement geochemical analysis for lithium and other relevant elements, and results are expected in the coming weeks. Selected core samples were sent to an accredited laboratory for physical property testing, including drainable porosity.

Following the presented advancements, NOA Lithium Brines CEO Gabriel Rubacha stated: "The results from this fifth hole reaffirm the potential of our Río Grande project. We are now focused on the next stages, where we expect to expand into unexplored resource drilling areas and commence our hole pumping campaign to support project development. We anticipate commencing this second stage during the second quarter of this year."