While Chile might be the first South American nation that comes to mind when you think of mining, Argentina is rapidly working its way up the ranks.
Argentina produces commodities such as aluminium, copper, lead, zinc, silver and gold, but lithium might be its biggest growth market.
Arcadium Lithium is leading the way as a key lithium producer in Argentina, with its Salar Del Hombre Muerto and Olaroz mines both significant operations.
The company has a string of advanced exploration projects as well, including Sal de Vida and Cauchari.
Greenwing Resources hopes to be an Argentinian-focused lithium producer in the future.
The company just released a maiden resource estimate (MRE) for its San Jorge lithium project in Argentina, including 0.67 million tonnes (Mt) of indicated resources and 0.4Mt of inferred resources, for a combined total of 1.07Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).
This includes positive specific yield porosity values from laboratory and downhole geophysics measurements, with values averaging 7.4 per cent in the volcanics and sediments.
A higher porosity value supports a lithium mine’s economics, with the potential to drive higher operational efficiency.
Greenwing chair Rick Anthon said the release of the MRE was a landmark achievement for the company.
“The maiden resource estimate, achieved through an initial six-hole program, marks a significant milestone for Greenwing and stands as a testament to the expertise of our technical team who have taken what was a greenfield project through to a significant resource inside of two years,” he said.
“It lays a solid foundation for us to realise the potential of the San Jorge project.”
Greenwing has defined a new exploration target of between 0.37 and 1Mt LCE. This will be a central focus of Greenwing’s Phase 2 drilling and testing program, with the company looking to confirm brine and porosity characteristics.
Greenwing will also carry out a preliminary economic assessment of San Jorge to assess the project’s development options. This will encompass an evaluation of different processing technologies, energy alternatives, and associated costs.
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