Arcadia Minerals (ASX: AM7, FRA: 80H) targets lithium Brine discovery, as drilling commences at Bitterwasser Lithium Brines Project

Highlights

• Drilling has started at the Bitterwasser Lithium-in-Brines Project, where a 42km x 9km geophysical anomaly was defined and subsequently confirmed through stratigraphic drilling.
• Nearly 700m drilling is planned over nine vertical drill holes sited at six locations.
• The drilling campaign aims to discover mineralised brine aqueous bodies having elevated lithium levels and related mineralisation.
• Assays are expected end of January 2024.

Arcadia Minerals Limited (ASX: AM7, FRA: 80H) has kickstarted drilling at the Bitterwasser Lithium Brines project. The 700m drill program is planned over nine boreholes located in six locations.

The main target comprises six holes at three sites under a 42km x 9km geophysical anomaly discovered via an airborne geophysical survey. Here, lithium mineralisation in brines was intercepted 28m below surface during stratigraphic drilling.

The drill sites have been selected in consultation with Klohn Crippen Berger (KCB) by referencing the geophysical survey undertaken by AM7, additional geophysical interpretation by KCB and the data obtained from a stratigraphic drilling program completed in April 2023. Geophysical interpretation by KCB highlighted two distinct aquifers at different depths within the project.

The objective of the drilling campaign is to identify a mineralised brine aqueous bodies having elevated levels of lithium and related mineralisation.

The results from the drill campaign are expected by the end of January 2024.

Services to be offered by KCB

Brisbane-based hydrogeologists KCB would deliver services aimed at performing down-hole logging of selected boreholes to ascertain zones of elevated electrical conductivity, brine and PH grades.

KCB would also perform pumping test supervision and sampling of brine water at the time of hydraulic testing and conduct baseline chemical analysis with focus on Li, K, Mg and B grades.

Details of the drilling program

The holes will be drilled using mud rotary drilling considering the unconsolidated characteristics of the host material and to allow hydrogeological characterisation. For the entire length of the borehole, bore casing with an inner diameter of 165mm will be employed to ease testing and sampling at different depths.

HydraSleeve sampling collector will be employed to obtain water sampling at certain depths within boreholes. This would help in discrete interval sampling in the screened portion of the well with minimum disturbance of water column and no change in water level. To assure a representative and repeatable sample is recovered, the water sampler is sealed expect during sample collection and re-seals itself.

Once in contact with basalt bedrock, all holes will be terminated, informed AM7.

To ensure boreholes are open during sampling, drilling and testing, casing is required. Factory thread-jointed non-corrosive casing and screens are being employed for borrhole construction and retention. To ensure that holes remain intact, special perforated screens with apertures compatible with the host gravel is utilised and suitable stabiliser will be used where required.

More on the selected boreholes

The location of boreholes (BR001 to BR005) were selected to ascertain groundwater quality within the Bitterwasser Half-Garben and the hydraulic properties of the two aquifers linked with consolidated and unconsolidated formations. Also, the selected location would assist in determining ground water levels in the unconsolidated and consolidated graben material and vertical gradients between these units.

Data source: Company update

AM7 shares traded at AU$0.090 apiece on 17 November 2023.