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Field Work Extends Liwa Creek Gold Prospect; Samples 55 g/t Gold and 379 g/t Silver in Outcrop And Discovers Significant New Gold Zone
In particular, sampling programs have returned high-grade gold and silver assays over previously discovered zones and expanded those zones. In addition, a potentially significant new zone, featuring the highest-grade soil sample yet collected, has been discovered.
Brien Lundin, Thunderstruck’s Chairman stated, “Following up on the successful results from our Rama prospect, field work continues to expand our Liwa prospect as well. In combination with our Nakoro and Wainaleka VMS discoveries, it’s becoming obvious that our Fiji properties offer tremendous potential. We are excited about continuing to advance on all fronts.”
As detailed in the Appendix, prospecting and geochemical sampling programs at Liwa Creek have resulted in the discovery of multiple gold showings over a three-km, northeast-trending structural corridor that is open in all directions.
Two distinct styles of gold mineralization have been identified at Liwa Creek: narrow northeast-trending high-grade gold plus base metal veins lacking significant wall rock alteration typified by the Jensen’s Showing; and dominantly north-south trending wide zones of gold-silver mineralized quartz-sericite-illite-pyrite altered volcanic rocks such as those occurring at the Liwa Ridge Showing and possibly the newly discovered Lower Vatuvatulevu gold target.
The two styles of mineralization exhibit characteristics of sub-epithermal gold-base metal and intermediate sulphidation epithermal gold-silver veins, respectively. The classification is significant in that both deposit styles are interpreted to have close copper porphyry deposit association, with intermediate sulphidation veins being interpreted as shallow-level counterparts of deeper gold plus base metal sub-epithermal veins located alongside porphyry copper deposits.
Juxtaposition of relatively shallow high-level intermediate sulphidation gold-silver vein system and deeper sub-epithermal high grade gold veins is interpreted to indicate overprinting of early deep copper porphyry related high grade gold veins by relatively late high-level gold-silver mineralization. The Company believes this indicates the presence of a significant and long-lived hydrothermal system at Liwa Creek.
Lawrence Roulston, Thunderstruck Director, noted, “The methodical exploration program at Liwa continues to be very effective at outlining this extensive gold system under soil cover. On-going work continues to push out the limits in prospective areas. Liwa already has a footprint in line with major gold-bearing systems. The size and the gold tenor of this system are extremely encouraging, especially in this Pacific Ring of Fire setting that hosts multiple world-class gold deposits.”
Thunderstruck is advancing toward securing joint venture partners on its VMS and porphyry targets as it focuses on this highly prospective gold zone.
About Fiji
Viti Levu, the main island of Fiji, has a long mining history. It is on the prolific Pacific Ring of Fire, a trend that has produced numerous large deposits, including Porgera, Lihir and Grasberg. The island of Viti Levu hosts Namosi, held by a joint venture between Newcrest and Mitsubishi. Newcrest published Proven and Probable Reserves for Namosi of 1.3 billion tonnes at 0.37% Cu and 0.12 g/t Au (5.2M ounces Au and 4.9M tonnes Cu). Namosi is now undergoing environmental assessment as part of the permitting process. Lion One Metals is now developing its Tuvatu Project, with Indicated Resources of 1.1 million tonnes at 8.17 g/t Au (294,000 ounces Au), and Inferred Resources of 1.3 million tonnes at 10.6 g/t Au (445,000 ounces Au). The Vatukoula Gold Mine has been operating for 80 years, producing in excess of 7 million ounces.
About Thunderstruck Resources
Thunderstruck Resources is a Canadian mineral exploration company that has assembled extensive and highly prospective properties in Fiji on which recent and previous exploration has confirmed VMS, copper and precious metals mineralization. Liwa Creek is one of four projects, each of which is being marketed as potential joint venture opportunities. The Company provides investors with exposure to a diverse portfolio of exploration stage projects with potential for zinc, copper, gold and silver in a politically safe and stable jurisdiction. Thunderstruck trades on the Toronto Venture Exchange (TSX-V) under the symbol “AWE” and United States OTCQB under the symbol “THURF”.
Qualified Person Statement
Kristopher J. Raffle, P.Geo. (BC) Principal and Consultant of APEX Geoscience Ltd. of Edmonton, AB, is a qualified person for the project as defined by National Instrument NI 43-101. Mr. Raffle has reviewed and approved the portion of the technical content of this news release as it relates to the Liwa Creek Prospect.
During 2018 all stream sediment samples were submitted to Australian Laboratory Services Pty. Ltd (ALS) labs Perth for BLEG determination of gold. Auger soil samples were submitted for gold and multi-element geochemical analysis via a 25 gram (g) sample split subject ICP-MS. Prospecting and trench rock samples submitted for 30g gold Fire-Assay analysis and multi-element geochemistry by four-acid ICP-ES. Given the reconnaissance nature of the samples, Thunderstruck has relied on the external QA/QC of ALS which included the insertion of insertion of standard, blank and duplicate samples at a rate of 10% into the sample stream to confirm the accuracy of the reported results.
For additional information, please contact:
Rob Christl, Investor Relations
Email: rob@thunderstruck.ca
P: 778 840-7180
or, visit our website: https://www.thunderstruck.ca
APPENDIX – LIWA CREEK GOLD PROJECT EXPLORATION DETAILS
Rock Sampling
At Liwa Creek exploration was designed to follow-up and expand on broad trenched gold zones at the Liwa Ridge Showing (0.61 g/t gold over 71.3 metres; including 1.2 g/t gold over 26.5. metres); further develop the high-grade Jensen’s Showing (previous outcrop quartz vein rock grab samples returning 36 and 32 g/t gold from outcrop); and locate the source of widespread gold in float rock located within confined drainages of the Lower Vatuvatulevu Creek and Gun showing areas (see the Company’s February 13, 2018 news release).
Of the 55 current rock grab samples collected at Liwa, a total of 15 samples returned greater than 1 g/t gold or 10 g/t silver; and up to 55.2 g/t gold and 379 g/t silver (Table 1).
At the Jensen’s Showing two parallel, northeast trending, high-grade gold bearing quartz veins are exposed in the bed of Wainamoli Creek over a distance of 50 metres. The veins dip 60 to 80 degrees to the northwest and occur along the upper and lower contacts of an approximately 10 metre thick intrusive dyke cutting volcaniclastic rocks of the Wainimala Group.
Rock grab and small diameter backpack core drilling of the northern vein resulted in four (4) samples returning gold assays of 55.2 , 40.2 , 31.9, and 25.5 g/t gold (the later cored over a 0.22-metre true-width of the vein) with associated lead, copper and zinc values. Jensen’s Showing quartz veins are brecciated and contain massive to semi-massive galena, chalcopyrite and sphalerite with vuggy comb to crustiform banded quartz vein textures in association with sericite-illite host rock alteration. The Jensen’s south vein ranges in width from 0.1 to 0.5 metres in width and exhibits similar polyphase brecciated, anastomosing pinch-and-swell, comb and crustiform banded textures, with a total of 6 rock outcrop samples returning between 1.45 to 7.13 g/t gold.
Table 1: Liwa Creek Gold Prospect Significant Rock Grab Sample Results
| Sample ID | Showing | Au (g/t) | Ag (g/t) | Pb (%) | Cu (%) | Zn (%) |
| 28028 | Jenson’s | 55.2 | 24.8 | 10.0 | 0.35 | – |
| 28014 | 40.2 | 19.4 | 1.85 | 0.39 | – | |
| 28003 | 31.9 | 21.8 | 0.99 | 0.34 | – | |
| 28021 | 25.5 | 27.8 | 0.94 | 1.42 | 1.94 | |
| 28015 | 7.13 | 13.4 | 0.65 | 0.12 | 0.63 | |
| 28004 | 4.62 | 8.3 | 0.36 | 0.3 | – | |
| 28002 | 4.14 | 8.2 | 0.34 | – | – | |
| 28013 | 3.33 | 7.1 | 0.17 | – | – | |
| 28029 | 3.24 | 8.9 | 0.24 | – | 0.29 | |
| 28018 | 1.82 | 11.7 | 0.61 | 0.1 | 0.16 | |
| 28017 | 1.45 | 5.7 | 0.23 | – | – | |
| 28010 | Liwa Ridge | – | 379 | 0.28 | – | 0.54 |
| 28009 | 4.53 | 9.2 | 0.36 | – | – | |
| 28027 | 0.85 | 13.0 | 0.1 | – | – | |
| 28007 | 0.30 | 36.2 | – | – | – |
A distance of 100 metres to the east of the main Jensen’s discovery outcrops a rock grab sample of silicified and comb textured quartz veined Wainimala Group volcanic breccia rocks returned 4.62 g/t gold.
Rock outcrop and subcrop float grab sampling within Liwa Creek at the northern extent of the Liwa Ridge Showing, 800 metres west of Jensen’s, returned 4.53 g/t gold and 379 g/t silver (the highest silver assay to date at Liwa Creek), respectively, from silica-flooded and quartz stockwork veined intrusive.
Soils
A total of 141 additional ridge-and-spur aguer soil geochemical samples were collected Liwa Creek. Sampling was designed to isolate potential source zones to the northeast of the Jenson’s gold zone, and widespread gold in float rock recovered within the Lower Vatuvatulevu Creek and Gun showing areas.
Auger soil sampling within the Lower Vatuvatulevu Creek area resulted in the discovery of a significant new gold zone. Prior stream BLEG and prospecting float rock grab sampling within this small 400 x 400 metre drainage returned anomalous gold values. Current soil sampling along the southern ridge resulted in 8 soils collected over a 160-metre interval returning greater than 20 ppb gold, and up to 2,480 ppb gold (2.48 g/t gold) in soil. The result is four times greater than any previous soil sample collected on the project (643 ppb gold from the Liwa Ridge Gold Zone 1.5 km to the west). The five highest soils samples returned 707, 804, 894, 1050 and 2,480 ppb gold. The orientation of this newly discovered gold zone is presently not known. An aggressive follow-up via intensive prospecting, hand trenching and expansion of ridge-and-spur aguer soils to the south is warranted.
In addition, soil sampling along the Gun Showing ridge returned isolated anomalous gold values including 336 ppb and 82 ppb gold, which warrant additional follow-up sampling and prospecting.
Trenching
Hand excavated trenching at three locations (GT1, GT2, and GT3) totaling 29 metres within the Gun Showing area was designed to follow up on previously reported anomalous gold in soil values of 65 and 82 ppb gold (see the Company’s February 13, 2018 news release). Trenches were excavated to a depth of 1 metre into the subsoil, however competent outcrop was not reached in any of the trenches. Trench GT3 returned 0.2 g/t gold over 2 metres from 0 to 2 metres; and 0.17 g/t gold over 3 metres between 8 and 11 metres. Trench GT2 returned 0.12 g/t gold over 2 metres; in addition to silicified and veined float rock grab samples recovered during excavation that returned 0.44, 0.20, and 0.15 g/t gold; including 4.5, 6.2 and 9.6 g/t silver, respectively. Trench GT1 did not return significant values.
Stream BLEG Sampling
Completion of stream BLEG geochemical sampling in the Noda Creek drainage designed to evaluate the potential southern extension of the north-south trending Liwa Ridge Gold Zone. Of the 23 Noda Creek stream BLEG samples collected a total of 13 samples returned greater than 20 parts-per-billion (ppb) gold and are considered anomalous. A stream BLEG collected from the Noda Creek headwaters at the southernmost known extent of the Liwa Ridge gold zone returned 93 ppb gold. This sample represents the highest gold in stream sediment value returned form the Project to date, and underscores the potential to expand the Liwa Zone southward.
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange Inc. nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements”. Although Thunderstruck believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements.Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Thunderstruck’s management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Thunderstruck undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management’s beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.
Figure 1
To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit:
https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/2901/40686_
Source: www.newsfilecorp.com
DLE Pilot Plant First Stage Production Completed, Downstream Process Optimised with Sample of Battery-Grade Lithium Produced
Highlights:
- An initial volume of 88m3 of concentrated eluate, which is the lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) of approx. one tonne, has been produced from the Company´s DLE pilot plant in Copiapó, Chile over an operating period of 384 hours with 14 cycles completed
- This completes the first stage of production from the DLE pilot plant
- Results show the DLE adsorbent achieved a lithium recovery rate of approximately 95% from the brine, with total recovery (adsorption plus desorption) achieving approximately 88%
- Impurity rejection rates were very high producing a low impurity eluate conducive to the downstream conversion process.
- The concentrated eluate is being shipped in four batches to the facilities of Conductive Energy in Chicago, USA, for conversion into battery grade lithium carbonate
Shipment | Eluate Volume | Eluate Li Grade | LCE (kg) | Shipment Status |
1 | 24m3 | 2008 mg/L | 257 | Arrived process facility |
2 | 24m3 | 2360 mg/L | 301 | In Shipment |
3 | 24m3 | 2325 mg/L | 297 | In shipment |
4 | 17.5m3 | 2464 mg/L | 230 | At departure port |
Targeted | 90m3 | 2000 mg/L | 1022 | |
Total Achieved | 88m3 | 2289 mg/L | 1085 |
Table 1: Status of concentrated eluate from pilot plant first stage production
- Conductive Energy completed test-work on a 200L sample of concentrated eluate shipped in May 2024 to optimise the downstream process before receiving the larger volume shipments
- The conversion test-work produced multiple samples of lithium carbonate with 99.75% lithium carbonate purity demonstrating that the process achieves targets and is repeatable
- The result is a first confirmation that a process has been developed that will efficiently produce battery-grade lithium for the Laguna Verde project from pilot scale DLE eluate
- CleanTech Lithium continues to be a leader in exploration and development of DLE based projects in Chile and this pilot scale production will provide large test samples of lithium carbonate to potential offtake partners seeking product qualification.
- Subject to the completion of the re-injection well in September, the reserve report for Laguna Verde is scheduled to be completed by Montgomery and Associates in October 2024.
Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim CEO, of CleanTech Lithium PLC, said:
"We are very pleased by these results as it shows we can produce battery-grade lithium with low impurities from our Laguna Verde brine project. Working with our partners on the downstream process, Forward Water and Conductive Energy, we can now demonstrate the entire DLE process from brine to final lithium product.
"The optimised downstream process will now be applied to the initial volume of 88m3 of concentrated eluate, or approximately 1 tonne of LCE, produced from the first stage of production from our DLE pilot plant. This will produce significant test sample volumes of battery-grade lithium carbonate for commencement of testing with potential strategic partners. This is important whilst the Chilean government is reviewing the feasibility of lithium projects to identify the most advanced companies in Chile and if they are to reach their target of having three to four new lithium projects in development by 2026."
Further Information
Pilot Plant in Copiapó First Stage Production Completed
The Company´s DLE pilot plant is in Copiapó, Chile, approximately 275km from Laguna Verde. The plant finished commissioning in late March 2024 and up until mid-June a total volume of 1196m3 of brine from the Laguna Verde project was processed in the plant with a total of 14 cycles completed. Each cycle represents a volume of brine being fed first through filtration to remove suspended solids, then into DLE columns which are filled with adsorbent designed to be selective for lithium molecules. Lithium, as lithium chloride, is adsorbed from the brine, before desorption with water to create a purified lithium chloride eluate. A reverse osmosis (RO) unit at the DLE pilot plant then concentrates the eluate by extracting approximately 75% of the water to form a concentrated eluate.
Averaged across the 14 cycles, the recovery rate achieved by adsorption of lithium by the adsorbent was 95% and the recovery rate of desorption from the adsorbent was 93%. The total recovery rate averaged 88% and was highly consistent as shown in Figure 1. The temperature of the brine and desorption water, using the average ambient temperature in Copiapó during the March to June period of operation, was in the range of 20oC to 25oC, which did not significantly affect the recovery achieved.
Figure 1: Pilot Plant Total Recovery Rate
The eluate production rate was relatively stable after the initial ramp up period achieving an average of 2.8 kg LCE per hour. The design of the plant is 1 tonne per month of LCE based on designed monthly operating schedule of 360 hours. Due to budget and volume considerations, the plant was run for 384 hours for the first stage of planned operation producing a total of 1.085 tonnes of LCE as eluate. Based on the hourly production rate this met and exceeded the design capacity of the plant.
Figure 2: Pilot Plant Production Rate (Kg LCE/hr in Eluate)
Selectivity of the adsorbent is another key performance parameter for a DLE operation. DLE primarily acts as a purification stage, recovering lithium chloride from the brine whilst rejecting other impurities. For all the major ions in the brine, apart from boron, the rejection rate was very high as shown in Fig. 3 below. More cycles will further validate this performance. The quality of the eluate was consistent over the first stage of production with the low level of impurities facilitating downstream conversion.
Figure 3: DLE Performance - Rejection of Major Impurities
After completion of the DLE stage, the eluate is concentrated using a reverse osmosis (RO) unit at the pilot plant. On completion of both stages the lithium grade in the purified lithium chloride eluate is over ten times higher than the feed brine. The concentrated eluate was then loaded into a flexitank in a standard shipping container and transported to the port of Caldera for shipment to North America.
Downstream Processing into Battery Grade LithiumCarbonate: Test-work Completed
For the conversion of the concentrated lithium chloride eluate into battery grade lithium carbonate, CleanTech Lithium has engaged a leading lithium processing company, Conductive Energy, based in Alberta, Canada, which has facilities in Chicago, USA, with key downstream processing units shown in Figure 4 below. The status of the concentrated eluate shipment is shown in Table 1 with processing to commence in August 2024.
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Figure 4: Conductive Energy Carbonation Reactor Tank and Equipment for Washing, Filtering & Drying
In May 2024 CTL air-freighted a 200L sample of concentrated eluate from the pilot plant to Conductive Energy to undertake test-work to optimise the conversion process. The process steps are shown in Figure 5, involving a further stage of RO, before using Forward Osmosis (FO) to achieve a very high level of concentration. Ion exchange (IX) is used to remove calcium, magnesium, and boron. The final steps are carbonation and then washing, filtration and drying to produce a battery grade product. Conductive Energy´s approach is to simplify the process that achieves maximum yield by minimizing process steps and, where losses occur, produce fluids that are easily recycled to further maximize yield.
Figure 5: Conductive Energy Conversion Process
Reverse Osmosis and Forward Osmosis
The increase in eluate and lithium concentration in the R/O and F/O stages are shown in Table 2 below. R/O is effective for concentration until Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) reach the level of approximately 60,000 - 70,000 TDS, after which it is increasingly energy intensive and costly. F/O is highly effective in further concentration to the required lithium grade for carbonation, in this case 18,000mg Li/L (or 1.8% Lithium). The F/O unit is provided by Forward Water Technology, another Canadian company based in Ontario. F/O achieves a high concentration factor with much lower energy use than the alternative of using a mechanical evaporator, while being highly suitable for utilising solar thermal as the energy source to power the F/O process.
Parameter | Unit | Concentrated Eluate | R/O Concentrate | F/O Concentrate |
Lithium (Li) | mg/L | 2,194 | 5,700 | 18,000 |
Chloride (Cl) | mg/L | 11,039 | 37,000 | 110,000 |
Boron (B) | mg/L | 411 | 850 | 1,700 |
Calcium (Ca) | mg/L | 7 | 29 | 85 |
Magnesium (Mg) | mg/L | 14 | 50 | 150 |
Sodium (Na) | mg/L | 134 | 400 | 1,400 |
Sulphate (SO4) | mg/L | 103 | 120 | 330 |
Total Dissolve Solids (TDS) | mg/L | 19,260 | 62,000 | 190,000 |
Volume | L | 215.5 | 66.3 | 13.9 |
Reduction in Volume | % | 69.3% | 93.5% | |
Laboratory | ALS Chile | Lambton.Scientific | Lambton.Scientific |
Table 2: Results from concentration of Laguna Verde eluate through R/O followed by F/O
Ion Exchange to Remove Impurities
Ion exchange (IX) was used for removal of calcium and magnesium, which achieved 85% and 87% reductions respectively. While feed concentrations were low, 100% of barium and manganese were also removed in the same process. Additional optimization is possible with potential for further calcium removal. Lithium loss was low at 3%.
Conductive then applied its optimised IX for removal of boron. This was highly effective achieving >99.5% removal of boron. However, there was a 22% loss of lithium to the regeneration fluid. This would be recaptured by recycling the regeneration fluid to the F/O feed which was not implemented for this small-scale test-work. The lithium loss from the boron IX is expected to be reduced (recovered) to a steady state loss rate of about 3%.
Carbonation and Battery Grade Lithium Sample
The carbonation test-work achieved an exceptional yield of 96% of the theoretical maximum. The final product, after the wash procedure, was 99.75% lithium carbonate purity as shown in Table 3. Further optimisation of the washing stage is planned in order to reduce impurities to the greatest extent possible and therefore maximise the value of the battery grade product.
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Table 3: Process test-work lithium carbonate sample purity Fig. 6: Test-work sample
Additional Operations
Laguna Verde Reserve Report Update
The next stage of resource evaluation at the Laguna Verde project is to produce an updated JORC compliant resource and a reserve report based on converting a portion of resources into reserves. The management of the resource evaluation programme and reserve report is led by Montgomery and Associates, a leading hydrogeology consultant with extensive experience in resource evaluation of lithium brine projects in Chile and Argentina. Reserve estimation will feed directly into the Pre-Feasibility Study which is targeted for later this year.
The reserve calculation requires the completion of pumping tests and a re-injection well at the project which is scheduled for September 2024, when drilling equipment can be re-mobilised after the current winter break in operations. Subject to the completion of the re-injection well in September, the reserve report is scheduled to be completed by Montgomery and Associates in October 2024.
Competent Persons
The following professional acts as qualified person, as defined in the AIM Note for Mining, Oil and Gas Companies (June 2009) and JORC Code (2012):
Marcelo Bravo: Chemical Engineer (Universidad Católica del Norte), has a Master's Degree in Engineering Sciences major in Mineral Processing, Universidad de Antofagasta. He currently works as a Senior Process Consulting Engineer at the Ad-Infinitum company. Mr Bravo has relevant experience in researching and developing potassium, lithium carbonate, and solar evapo-concentration design processes in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Mr Bravo, who has reviewed and approved the information contained in the chapters relevant to his expertise contained in this announcement, is registered with No. 412 in the public registry of Competent Persons in Mining Resources and Reserves per the Law of Persons Competent and its Regulations in force in Chile. Mr Bravo has sufficient experience relevant to the metallurgical tests and the type of subsequent processing of the extracted brines under consideration and to the activity being carried out to qualify as a competent person, as defined in the JORC Code. Mr Bravo consents to the inclusion in the press release of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
The information communicated within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Gordon Stein, Director and CFO.
