Apex Resources samples lithium from Lithium Creek Project, Nevada
Apex Resources Inc. [TSXV: APX] reported analytical results from fluid samples recently collected from the company’s Lithium Creek Project in Churchill County, Nevada.
The project consists of 10 incontiguous blocks of placer claims covering approximately 4,720 acres and adjacent lands within the aerially extensive Fernley and Carson Sinks. These sinks have large expansive playas and lay within large hydrographic basins with a combined area of approximately 1.4 million acres. The fluid samples were collected from Lithium Creek, a historic well, and shallow hand-dug auger holes that were excavated 1-2 metres below ground surface using hand tools throughout the Project area. The analytical results of the fluid samples show lithium values ranging from 393 milligrams per liter (mg/L) to 4.65 mg/L, with more than half (55%) of the samples higher than 50 mg/L.
The fluid samples were collected from playas where the shallow groundwater could be accessed using hand tools. The sample locations were separated by sufficient distances to examine the potential for the lateral distribution of lithium enriched brines. Fluid samples were collected from 20 shallow hand augured test holes, one historic well remnant of the old salt works operation, and one sample of surface water was collected from Lithium Creek. Two duplicate samples and one field blank sample were collected for Quality Assurance/Quality Control purposes in accordance with the sampling and analytical plan for the project.
Lithium was detected in all samples. Duplicate and field blank samples were submitted to evaluate the quality control standards for the project in addition to the Western Environmental Testing Laboratory (WET Lab) QC Report for the samples analyzed. Analytical results for over half of the fluid samples indicate lithium concentrations at the project exceed 50 mg/L, providing further indications that lithium bearing brine deposits exist within the project area. For samples with lithium concentrations over 100 mg/L, the company will recollect and analyze confirmatory samples for validation.
A cut-off grade of approximately 50 mg/L has been adopted for several lithium brine projects in North America, as noted in publicly filed technical reports filed for Albemarle’s Silver Peak Project in Clayton Valley, Nevada and Lithium Bank Resources Corp.’s Park Place Lithium-brine property in west-central Alberta, Canada. Cut-off grades are, however, unique to the specific project and a cut-off grade has not been determined for the Lithium Creek Project.
Laboratory analytical results and measurements of Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) collected in the field indicate most of the shallow groundwater encountered in the playa sediments at the Project are classifiable as lithium-brines. These data provide compelling evidence of the potential for regional large scale lithium enriched brine aquifers or reservoirs to exist at the project.
Apex has an option to acquire the Lithium Creek Property in Churchill County, Nevada and is currently conducting lithium brine exploration on the project with a view to identifying and defining drill targets with high potential to penetrate lithium brine bearing aquifers.