VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Vancouver-based lithium upstart Lithium X has filed a maiden Canadian National Instrument 43-101-compliant resource estimate for its flagship Sal de los Angeles project, in Argentina, establishing it as a large and high-grade project.

Prepared by Chile-based FloSolutions, the technical report estimated Sal de los Angeles to hold 194 860 t of lithium in the indicated resource category at an average grade of 501 mg/ℓ, which can be processed into 1.04-million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE), and 2.14-million tonnes of potassium at an average grade of 5 512 mg/ℓ, for 4.09-million tonnes potassium chloride (KCl) equivalent – also known as the plant nutrient, potash. 

The resource estimate also established an inferred resource of 189 130 t of lithium at 410 mg/ℓ for one-million tonnes of LCE and 2.07-million tonnes of potassium at 4 489 mg/ℓ for four-million tonnes KCl equivalent.

“This resource estimate confirms the significance of the Sal de los Angeles deposit and will form the basis of a feasibility study. Our experienced operating team, led by [former Rockwood Lithium Latin America president and CEO] Eduardo Morales, continues with ongoing processing and engineering work. These are major steps towards bringing Sal de los Angeles into commercial production,” Lithium X founder and CEO Brian Paes-Braga stated on Tuesday.

The deposit, which has a footprint of 55 km², is open to the north, where Lithium X has the opportunity to grow the resource through further drilling.

“The indicated resource defines a high-grade core in the northern portion of the basin that will be the focus of further work leading to the design of a production wellfield in this area. We expect to continue advancing the project at a fast pace and converting the indicated resource into reserves,” advised executive chairperson Paul Matysek.

Lithium X added that the low magnesium-to-lithium ratio had been shown to be a significant factor in reducing the use of common reagents employed during lithium concentrate production using conventional solar ponds.