Arcadia Minerals (ASX:AM7) has announced ‘positive’ mineralogical test results from their Bitterwasser lithium clay project in Namibia.
Mineral analysis has identified the presence of Montmorillonite following tests that were conducted by Anzaplan on a composite sample produced during the project’s current drilling campaign.
The company notes that this is analogous to Nevada lithium clay projects.
Mineral processing specialist Multotech has since been appointed to conduct cyclone testing and to explore the possibility of removing the clay fraction from the coarse fraction of the potential ore body, as well as potentially increasing lithium grades in the material in preparation for leaching.
Addressing the results, Chairman of Arcadia Jurie Wessels said: “In addition to an increase in the existing clay resource and other factors, the result confirming the mineralogical nature of the clay material is a first milestone for the company towards possibly confirming the economic viability of the Bitterwasser lithium-in-clay project. Clays with similar mineralogical composition have shown to be amenable to economic extraction.
“the result … is a first milestone for the company towards possibly confirming the economic viability of the Bitterwasser lithium-in-clay project”
Furthermore, and if successful, the work to test whether a lithium-rich concentrate can be produced by separating coarser gangue material from the finer lithium-rich clays will greatly improve the prospects of economic extraction using conventional leaching methodologies. This initial milestone will hopefully be complimented by the potential of an increased resource, should positive drill results be received from the recently completed drill program.”
These results provide potential economic viability for Bitterwasser, with Quartz, Calcite, Dolomite, Feldspar, Muscovite also present within samples.
The company notes that a previously-announced drill program across the remaining 74% area of the clay pan containing the existing JORC Mineral Resource (15.1 million tonnes @828ppm Li and 1.79% K4) has been completed. Assay results are pending for 370 core samples from 64 auger drill holes.
The Bitterwasser Project is located in the Hardap Region within Central Namibia, approximately 190km south/southeast of the capital Windhoek.
The company states that if the results from the samples of the drill program, as well as the results from Multotech are favourable, a revised JORC Mineral Resource Estimate would be expected during Q2 2022.
Images: Arcadia Minerals Ltd
