Millennial is also pleased to announce that it has engaged Credit Suisse to act as a lead financial advisor to assist the Company with respect to potential future project financing alternatives and ongoing strategic discussions.
Millennial CEO, Farhad Abasov, commented: "We are very encouraged to see that drilling on the REMSA license at Pastos Grandes salar continues to encounter lithium-rich brine, significantly extending the area of known lithium-rich brine further west toward the edge of the salar. Millennial has already started a full feasibility study on its lithium brine project in Pastos Grandes, Salta, which is scheduled to be completed in Q2 2019. Millennial is fully funded to complete the feasibility study as well as all other programs with a very strong cash balance of C$56 million. The Company is embarking on a process of securing construction financing which is planned to be concluded in 2019.”
Exploration holes PGMW18-16 and PGMW18-17 were drilled to depths of 641 metres (m), and 605m respectively and both wells terminated in brine-bearing sand. These holes confirm the extension of the brine on to the contiguous REMSA license southeast and southwest of the original core Pastos Grandes licenses suggesting additional potential to expand the currently calculated resource beyond the initial Pastos Grandes licenses.
Exploration well PGMW18-16, drilled to a final depth of 641m close to the southern margin of the basin, was sampled using a double packer system which is designed to isolate sample intervals. Thirteen brine samples were collected from between depths of 75m to 641m (566m interval). This area was found to be dominated by halite with minor sand and clay seams. A zone of halite with sand and minor clay from 306m to 374m (68 m thickness) yielded an average of 499 mg/L Li with an Mg:Li of 7.1 and an SO4:Li of 21.2. The well bottomed in a halite-sand unit which yielded 495 mg/L Li, an Mg/Li of 6.5 and an SO4/Li of 22.9 from 624m to 641m (see Table 1) indicating the lithium zone remains open at depth. Exploration well PGMW18-16 is located approximately 2 km southeast of well PGMW18-12 and the significant halite section in this well suggests it may occupy the depocenter of the basin.
Well PGMW18-17 is located approximately 1500m southwest of PGMW18-12 and was drilled to a depth of 605m. Twenty-nine brine samples were taken by packer sampling with the well dominated by halite from surface to 194m and then by fine- to medium-grained sand to the bottom of the well. The entire section in well PGMW18-17 is enriched in lithium returning 444 mg/L Li from 60m to 605m (545m thickness) and an Mg/Li of 6.0. The maximum Li value obtained was 701 mg/L Li at a depth of 135m. Well PGMW18-17 bottomed in lithium brine rich sands (last sample returned 519 mg/L Li) as the hole was terminated at 605m due to limitations of the drilling machine.
Exploration drilling is ongoing with a rig currently at PGMW18-18, located approximately 2000m south of PGMW18-15 in the southwest corner of the REMSA license. Drilling is currently at a depth of 389m; the second drilling machine is mobilizing to PGMW18-19 located about 1,000m northeast of PGMW18-12. In addition, the 21 day pumping test at PGPW17-04 has been completed and data compilation is underway. Two pumping well drill machines have been mobilized to site to expedite additional pumping tests. Pilot evaporation ponds, approximately 3.25 ha in size, have now been filled with brine to provide concentrated Li plant-grade feed for the Company’s pilot plant. The Company has posted a recent time-lapse video of the construction of the pilot ponds and the reader is encouraged to visit the Company’s website, www.millenniallithium.com, and view the ongoing progress at its Pastos Grandes Project.
Sampling was conducted in accordance with CIM guidelines for brine resource evaluation, with an appropriate QA/QC program in place for ensuring accuracy and precision of the analytical results.
The primary analytical laboratory for the data used in this program is the SGS Laboratory in Buenos Aires, Argentina. SGS is accredited to ISO 9001:2008 and ISO14001:2004 for their geochemical and environmental labs for the preparation and analysis of numerous sample types, including brines.
This news release has been reviewed by Iain Scarr, AIPG CPG., Chief Operating Officer of the Company and a Qualified Person as that term is defined in National Instrument 43-101.
To find out more about Millennial Lithium Corp. please contact Investor Relations at (604) 662-8184 or email info@millenniallithium.com.
This news release may contain certain “Forward-Looking Statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws. When used in this news release, the words “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “expect”, “target, “plan”, “forecast”, “may”, “schedule” and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to future prices of commodities, accuracy of mineral or resource exploration activity, reserves or resources, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third party information, continued access to mineral properties or infrastructure, currency risks including the exchange rate of USD$ for Cdn$, fluctuations in the market for lithium, changes in exploration costs and government royalties or taxes (including export duties or tariffs) in Argentina or other jurisdictions and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company’s current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affections such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations.
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CEO
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E-Mail: js@resource-capital.ch