Africa-focused lithium exploration and development company Atlantic Lithium says ongoing drilling assay results have confirmed the presence of high-grade infill and extension intersections at the company’s Ewoyaa lithium project in Ghana.

Atlantic is focused on delivering Ghana’s first lithium mine.

"We are pleased to report ongoing drilling assay results across the Ewoyaa project, which have returned high-grade infill and extension intersections. These include some significant apparent widths and grades from relatively shallow depths,” enthuses Atlantic executive chairperson Neil Herbert.

"Results are from the Ewoyaa South-2 deposit, where we are infill drilling to convert inferred to indicated resources to provide optionality for future mine scheduling, and from the Ewoyaa North-East deposit, where mineralisation has been confirmed outside of the current resource envelope and at depth.”

Herbert adds that 18 500 m of infill, extensional and exploration reverse circulation (RC) drilling has been planned for this year. These programmes are intended to grow and improve the confidence of the Ewoyaa resource, in turn, improving the economics of the project.

"Following the completion of the passive seismic survey over the central portion of the Ewoyaa resource area, we have decided to demobilise the equipment, rather than extending the survey. Owing to various limitations, not all known pegmatites were identified by the survey. While a 10 m mineralised pegmatite was intersected in drilling from one of the targets, this was the extension of a known pegmatite where mineralisation remains open at depth. 

"The survey has enhanced our knowledge of the Ewoyaa deposits and provided valuable learnings for potential future use of the technology across the company's portfolio or new opportunities at a later date. However, at this stage, we see greater value in deploying capital towards the systematic drilling programmes that have been proven to deliver significant value to the company to date.”

He points out that these programmes will comprise further drilling for resource growth within the immediate project area, whilst continuing to grow the exploration pipeline within the broader portfolio using soil sampling, geophysics and auger drilling ahead of RC drill testing.

"We look forward to updating shareholders on our ongoing progress, including as remaining assay results become available."

NEW DRILLING RESULTS

Atlantic says further assay results have been received for 5 444 m of RC drilling from the ongoing infill, extensional and exploration drill programme at the Ewoyaa project.

Multiple high-grade drill intersections have been reported for infill drilling results at the Ewoyaa South-2 deposit within the current mineral resource estimate (MRE) and the Ewoyaa North-East deposit, which currently sits outside of the current MRE.

“Drilling aims to intersect mineralised pegmatite dykes perpendicular to strike and dip to approximate true width. This is not always achieved owing to the variable nature of pegmatites or challenging drill access, with some drill intersections drilled down-dip as apparent widths.”

Infill drilling results confirm further mineralisation at the Ewoyaa South-2 deposit, where multiple drilling intersections are reported over significant apparent widths and relatively shallow depths.

Extensional drilling results at the Ewoyaa North-East deposit confirm mineralisation extensions outside of the current resource envelope remain open at depth.

“Drilling is designed to infill the Ewoyaa South-2 deposit to convert mineralisation from the inferred to indicated category. About 3 000 m of infill drilling has been planned at the Ewoyaa South-2 deposit, with a further 7 000 m of resource extensional drilling planned at the Ewoyaa Main, Ewoyaa North-East and Kaampakrom deposits.

A further 6 500 m of exploration drilling and 2 000 m of diamond core drilling is planned as part of the 2023 field season.

Sample preparation was completed by testing services provider Intertek Ghana and assay by Intertek Perth, with all reported results passing quality assurance and quality control protocols, providing confidence in reported results.

PASSIVE SEISMIC SURVEY

Atlantic completed a passive seismic ambient noise tomography (ANT) survey over the immediate Ewoyaa MRE footprint to test the potential for concealed pegmatites.

The trial, covering 1.8 km² within the central portion of the Ewoyaa resource area, is the first time the technology has been used in Ghana.

Owing to the steep dipping nature of the Ewoyaa pegmatites and narrow velocity contrast between the pegmatite and host lithologies over the resource, the survey encountered limitations on targets less than 20 m true thickness.

The survey, accordingly, did not identify all of the known pegmatites within the survey area, in particular, the east-west trending Abonko pegmatites and areas along the boundary of the survey, owing to edge effects.

Eight shallow targets were identified by the survey, with follow-up drill testing completed.

Mineralisation, however, was only intersected as depth extensions of the known Okwesikrom South deposit, with barren pegmatite intersected (assays pending) in one target along the western margin of the Ewoyaa Main deposit and no significant pegmatite intersections in the remaining six targets drill tested.

Deeper targets were identified beyond the depth limitation of the drill rig on site but have not been tested at this stage owing to their depth and the company's belief that there is greater value in drilling strike extensions of the known resource or potential near surface exploration targets within the project footprint.

“While providing useful additional data to better understand parts of the Ewoyaa resource, the results of the survey and drill testing, in addition to the cost of retaining the equipment on site, resulted in the decision to demobilise the equipment at this stage.

“While the company may revisit ANT surveying at a later stage, Atlantic intends to instead allocate the capital in the shorter term towards systematic and calculated drilling programmes of shallow targets, which has been proven to deliver significant value to the company to date.”