American Lithium Reports Low Magnesium Grades in Lithium Enriched Surface Brines at Fish Lake Valley

American Lithium (TSXV:LI) has reported further testing on the surface brines showing low magnesium concentrations and overall an inverse relationship between lithium and magnesium grades.
As quoted in the press release:

A total of 24 samples reported grades ranging from 537 to 24.6 mg/L Li and an average of 292.9 mg/L Li and the lowest grade sample was 2.4 mg/L Li. These samples were subsequently tested for 24 additional elements including magnesium. Magnesium grades ranged from 30.8 to trace mg/L Mg with an average grade of 1.9 mg/L Mg. As can be seen in the table above, there is an inverse relationship between Li and Mg grades.
As the presence of magnesium can impede the extraction of lithium carbonate from a brine solution, discovering low Mg/Li ratios is an important fundamental in exploration for economic lithium brines.
The primary value of this information is the potential of near surface brines at American Lithium’s North Playa Fish Lake project to be able to avoid the need to remove the Mg before any potential concentration and purification of Lithium can take place. The secondary value is that the North Playa mineralization is an atypical mineralizing system and there may be potential for the separation of lithium from the associated playa clays. These clays are not typical Hectorite clays which generally require high energy to separate lithium from the clay. The Company intends to embark on a series of tests to identify the type of bonding in the lithium in the North Playa clays and estimate the energy needed to separate the lithium from the clays.
“These sampling results suggest that the North Playa is a unique lithium enriched system and the Company will continue to work to define the economic potential of lithium enriched brines and clays in the Fish Lake Valley.” commented Michael Kobler, Executive Director and COO of American Lithium. “This new information will continue to drive our exploration program as we work to advance our projects in the Fish Lake and Clayton Valleys, Nevada.”

Click here to read the full press release.