Max Power Mining Corp. [CSE-MAXX; OTC-MAXXF] has significantly broadened the discovery footprint at its Willcox lithium project in southeast Arizona as first-ever diamond drilling continues in the northern section of the property.
Highlights: Diamond drill hole WP-23-02, a 1,640-foot (500-metre) step-out to the west of discovery hole WP-23-01, has intersected a predominant lithium claystone sequence from the top of the hole to the base of the hole at 998 feet, further supporting the potential for a very large system of lithium-rich clays under the Willcox playa.
Similar to WP-23-01, multiple distinct fluid sequences were also encountered in WP-23-02 at depths of 112 feet, 358 feet, 458 feet and 598 feet. Notably, these non-potable liquid targets have the potential to host lithium mineralization, which adds to the uniqueness of the geological setting.
Guidance from a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy Z-903 (LIBS) portable hand-held tool suggests the lithium mineralization in the claystones in both drill holes completed to date is significantly more intense and pervasive than the encouraging results reported by the USGS (United States Geological Survey) in its historic 1978 reverse circulation test drill hole completed 5.5 miles northwest of WP-23-02 and six miles northwest of WP-23-01.
Max Power’s third drill hole, commencing shortly, will be another 1,640-foot stepout, this time to the south relative to WP-23-02. This third hole will form a triangle measuring approximately 1,640 feet by 1,640 feet by 2,300 feet.
Peter Lauder, senior geologist and exploration manager for Max Power, commented: “First-ever systematic drilling of the Willcox playa continues to be extremely encouraging and strongly supports the discovery model we presented in early December. We have a target-rich corridor extending six miles from the northeast to the southwest.”
Drill samples of the clays and the brine from the Willcox lithium project are being analyzed by ALS Global in Tucson.
Max Power’s Willcox lithium project is surrounded by excellent infrastructure, including roads, rail, power and services located immediately off Interstate 10 in southeast Arizona, leading to Tucson and Phoenix.
Max Power Mining has also entered into a co-operative research and development agreement with the University of California Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) to develop state-of-the-art direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies for brine resources.
