Africa-focused lithium exploration and development company Atlantic Lithium has announced that multiple broad intervals of visible spodumene have been observed in drilling outside of the current mineral resource estimate (MRE) at its flagship Ewoyaa lithium project, in Ghana, significantly increasing the potential for a resource upgrade.

There is also the longest reported continuous pegmatite interval in the 2023 drilling programme to date of 106 m in hole GRC1020 from 6 m at the Dog-Leg extension target on the northern tip of the Ewoyaa main deposit.

Visible coarse-grained spodumene fragment intervals have been reported at shallow depths in three holes.

Coarse-grained, P1-type spodumene pegmatite is preferred for the dense media separation (DMS) process flowsheet considered in the definitive feasibility study for the project.

Resource drilling is ongoing, with completion of the enhanced 26 500 m planned programme targeted for the second quarter of 2024.

“In line with our aim of delivering an increased resource at the Ewoyaa lithium project, we are very pleased to report broad intervals of visible, coarse-grained spodumene in multiple drill holes near surface and outside of the current MRE footprint.

“These intervals further improve our confidence in delivering an updated MRE upon completion of the current drilling programme in quarter two 2024,” says Atlantic executive chairperson Neil Herbert.

“We are excited to have intersected our longest pegmatite interval in the 2023 drilling programme to date. Located outside of the current resource footprint and occurring only six metres from surface, the interval includes highlight intersections of visible coarse-grained spodumene over 74 m from a depth of 39 m and over 41 m from a depth of 137 m, respectively.

“The coarse-grained, P1-type nature of the spodumene fragments observed in reverse circulation drilling chips is very encouraging as it performs favourably in DMS-only processing, as planned at the Ewoyaa lithium processing plant, with good recoveries,” he adds.