International Lithium Begins Bulk Sampling and Pump Tests at Mariana

International Lithium (TSXV:ILC.V) reported that a subsidiary of its strategic partner, Ganfeng Lithium, has begun work at the company’s Mariana lithium brine project in Argentina. The company has commenced bulk sampling and pump tests at Mariana, with the work program anticipated to be completed before June 2015.

As quoted in the press release:

The Company recently completed construction of a camp at the Mariana project to support a pump test program and a bulk sample of the Mariana brine. The pump test program will test flow rates and aquifer porosity in the central portion of the salar. Following completion of the pump tests, approximately 17,000 litres (20 tonnes) of brine will be collected from several depth horizons and shipped to strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium for metallurgical analysis and tests at their facilities in China.

In conjunction with the pump test program, ILC will collect core and brine samples for geochemical analysis and to determine effective porosity within each of the prospective stratigraphic horizons.

The work program is expected to be completed before June, 2015.

International lithium president, Kirill Klip, said:

We are very pleased to begin another round of exploration on the Mariana lithium-potash brine project in Argentina. The project is wholly owned together with our strategic partner, Ganfeng Lithium. Our project is unique to other lithium brine projects in many ways. Firstly, our joint venture owns the mineral rights to the entire Salar de Llullaillaco, which has high potassium to lithium ratio; therefore it may provide a significant credit to the cost of lithium extraction. Secondly, our strategic partner possesses the technology and facilities to analyze the brine chemistry and develop a metallurgical extraction process. Our current program will provide us with enough information to design and plan the next phase of exploration and development as we move toward conducting feasibility studies. The concurrent exploration programs on the Mariana and Avalonia properties demonstrate we have not deviated from our original plan to produce lithium from multiple sources and deposit types. The lithium industry is heating up right now and our diversified portfolio and partnership with Ganfeng Lithium give us a strong foundation to build upon. I am excited to see things moving ahead and look forward to reporting the results of our programs to our investors in the near future.

Click here to read the International Lithium (TSXV:ILC.V) press release