JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – Phase 2 sonic drilling on three discrete lithium brine targets is now under way at TSX-V-listed American Lithium’s Fish Lake Valley South Playa and Clayton Valley 1 projects, located in Esmeralda country, Nevada, in the US.

The drilling programme – designed to collect information on aquifer characteristics and lithium values in aquifer brines to support the development of American Lithium’s resources – is targeting lithium-bearing brines in the Upper Fish Lake formation rocks, an area which also hosts Albemarle’s Clayton Valley lithium brine production facility.

"From a standing start in January, American Lithium is pleased to be drill testing three world-class potential lithium brine targets so quickly," commented American Lithium executive director and COO Michael Kobler, adding that planned drilling on the South Bowl Playa lithium brine project is the first programme to explore the company's expanded target package in Fish Lake Valley, where the company controls over 18 550 contiguous acres.

Results from the drilling programme will be used to update the Fish Lake Valley basin aquifer model, and for resource modelling.

American Lithium noted that it had received two permits for drilling at the Fish Lake Valley South Playa project, and one permit for drilling at the Clayton-Valley-1 project.  The full drilling programme provides for 13 holes in total.

The company added that it would use a sonic drill that can take continuous samples of drill core while also being able to sample subsurface water in intersected aquifers and pump test these same aquifers. 

This unique ability will allow American Lithium to derive more information from the programme than either a recovery drilling or diamond drilling programme.  The sonic drill can effectively sample sediments and test aquifers to a depth of 150 m.

Meanwhile, the company is also completing a grid sampling project at the Fish Lake Valley North Playa project area. One-metre-deep brine samples are being collected over a 300 m grid area at North Playa, and an extensive drilling programme is expected to begin at North Playa in two weeks.