Argentina Lithium & Energy Corp. reported that it has secured the necessary permits to complete detailed exploration work at the Arizaro Lithium Project on the Arizaro Salar in Salta Province. The Company is now mobilizing equipment to create access routes on the 20,500 hectare property. Detailed exploration work was expected to commence in mid-February. This would include both near-surface geochemical sampling and a Vertical Electric Sounding (VES) geophysical survey to delineate conductive zones at depth that may host lithium-bearing brines. Data from this first stage of the program will be used to define targets for a drill program that is planned for early in the second quarter of 2017.
«We are excited to be taking the first step in a systematic exploration program to investigate the Arizaro Project for lithium-rich brines,» said Nikolaos Cacos, President and C.E.O. «At the same time we are initiating baseline environmental studies and community engagement programs, in anticipation of drilling, and potentially resource delineation, later this year.»
The Company has the option to earn a 100% interest in the Arizaro Lithium Brine Project, including 20,500 hectares in the central core of the Arizaro Salar, the largest in Argentina and third largest in the «Lithium Triangle». Very little historic exploration work has been done on the Arizaro Salar, however the central area is interpreted to have the geologic conditions and thickness to be the most prospective for quality brine resources. Furthermore, the Arizaro Salar benefits from a strategic location for infrastructure, including: a railway that connects to the deep water port of Antofagasta, nearby advanced mining projects that are expected to bring significant development of access routes and power, and the availability of water for development.
