William Randall, President and CEO of Rodinia, commented "we continue to intersect high quality lithium brines in the southern portion of the Salar. Hole D-RC-11 is remarkable in that we have intersected 204 metres of high grade mineralized brines in a single aquifer composed almost exclusively of sand and gravel. These conditions are extremely favourable, especially in an area we did not have high expectations for. The drills have now moved to the northern portion of the Salar where the higher grade brines are expected, based on the auger drill results."
Results from the latest four drill holes are summarized in Table 1. All the holes reported in this press release were drilled in the southern lower grade portion of the Salar as determined by the surface auger drilling. The reverse circulation drill holes were drilled vertically to ensure proper representation of the stratigraphic column.
As in the previous drill holes, the distribution of lithium concentrations over the hole are remarkably even, suggesting that the entire stratigraphic column below the near surface clays represents a single aquifer, composed primarily of sands and gravels. The clay content in all holes drilled to date has been low to negligible. Holes D-RC-10 and D-RC-11 both may have encountered basement rocks towards the bottom of the hole where schistose material was detected in the cuttings. The depths at which the basement is thought to have been encountered are substantially greater than those predicted by the gravity survey, increasing the potential value of the basin.
A sampling procedure was enforced by management to ensure sample integrity during the drill program. Where possible, brine and sediments samples were air lifted, and water restricted to the upper part of the hole before the water table was intercepted. Once brine bearing horizons were intercepted, drilling was halted and the drilling pipe lifted 2 feet or more to allow the total flushing of the internal pipe by means of air pressure for approximately ten minutes or until the brine appeared reasonably clean of sediment. After sufficient air lifting of the brine, a sample was collected in 500 ml sample bottles that had been washed three times with the brine. Liquid was also collected in five gallon buckets and the time of filling of the bucket recorded, in order to aid in quantifying the formational flow.
The Project is supervised by Ray Spanjers, Rodinia’s Manager of Exploration. Mr. Spanjers is considered a qualified person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this release. According to the Company’s sampling protocol, sample size is to exceed 500 millilitres and be stored in clean, secure containers for transportation. The prepared samples are then forwarded to the ALS Laboratory Group, Environmental Division, in Fort Collins, Co (USA) for analysis. A rigorous QA/QC program is implemented consisting of regular insertion of standards and blanks to ensure laboratory integrity.
Rodinia Lithium Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a primary focus on lithium exploration and development in North and South America. The Company is positioned to capitalize on the expected increase in demand for lithium carbonate that is projected to result from the anticipated paradigm shift to mass adoption and use of key lithium applications like lithium-ion batteries as well as glass ceramics, greases, pharmaceuticals etc.
Rodinia is currently exploring its Clayton Valley project in Nevada, USA, which surrounds the only lithium-brine producer in North America, and its Salar de Diablillos project in Salta, Argentina.
