It is carrying out a second drilling program in its San Domingo pegmatite district and 75% of the program is complete.
Bradda Head Lithium announced the result of test work conducted by the SGS Metallurgical Processes Facility in Lakefield, Canada on quartered drill core samples taken from its Jumbo exploration target in the San Domingo District, Arizona, USA .
General description
- Three composite samples were selected for test work, representing the low, medium and high grade environment reflected in the previously reported inaugural 2022/2023 exploration program from drilling conducted at Jumbo Target in the Pegmatite district of San Sunday in Arizona.
- Following discussion with SGS Canada, an initial HLS test was conducted to evaluate the potential of dense media separation (DMS) to produce a salable Li oxide concentrate product. This test work has a predominantly preliminary approach. The measured head grade of the samples was 3.05% Li 2 Or, 1.03% Li 2 O and 0.34% Li 2 Or, reflecting the high, medium and low grade range observed in our drilling results to date.
- Despite the preliminary nature of this test work program, it was very encouraging to see that the mid-grade sample produced an ‘on-spec’ lithium oxide concentrate product with a Li 2 O grade of 6.0% and an interpolated recovery of the lithium contained in the concentrate of 50.3%, with a crushing size of ¼”. Tailings rejection was considered efficient in this scenario with the rejection of 60.6% of the mass and a loss of only 2.1% of lithium.
- At our request, SGS Canada also carried out an analysis with the Tescan integrated mineral analyzer of the medium grade sample, finding a predominance of spodumene as the primary lithium mineral with possible, but very minor, petalite and eucryptide, along with muscovite , minor beryl, tourmaline, calcite, and apatite. The overall iron content is low at <1.0%, indicating that this is a very good concentrated product.
- Bradda is currently carrying out a second drilling program in its San Domingo pegmatite district and approximately 75% of the program is complete. Assay results to date were released on November 12, 2023, highlighted by drill hole SD-DH23-049 containing 6.35 m @ 0.83% Li 2 Or followed by 3.05 m @ 1.03% Li 2 Or, and more results will come in the near future.
Bradda has a 33 km2 license area under its control within this exciting pegmatite district. Commenced drilling in H2 2022 (7,300 m) and is in its second 6,100 meter core drilling campaign, designed to expand existing mineralized intercepts and drill test newly developed high-quality lithium in derived pegmatite targets of soil and surface sampling.
Diamond drilling continues at the San Domingo Pegmatite project with approximately 75% of the program completed, where many of the holes have encountered long pegmatite intervals with visible spodumene mineralization.
Ian Stalker, CEO of Bradda Head Lithium, commented that these results are very encouraging and simply better than expected from what can only be described as non-detailed preliminary scope testing work.
To produce a salable gravity concentrate to specification that reflects greater than 50% concentrate recovery from a 1.03% Li 2 O sample classification in first pass test work is simply delightful.
Gravity concentration, in this case, also known as dense media separation, is a standard, low-cost and simple process with a small and relatively non-invasive footprint.
Bradda Head Lithium indicated that it is the type of process operation that is quick to design and install and yet can generate very attractive economic returns.
“Therefore, we are very encouraged, and when the next phase of drilling in San Domingo is complete and sufficient sample material is available. We will quickly return to SGS with a more detailed study program and test work to further the above objective,” Stalker said.
