Australia-headquartered European Metals has started its drilling campaign at the Cinovec lithium/tin project, in the Czech Republic, with a total of eight holes for 2 560 m to be drilled.
The first hole has already been completed, European Metals reported on Monday.
The drilling campaign is aimed at converting a sufficient portion of the existing indicated mineral resource to the measured resource category to cover the first two years of the scheduled mining plan.
The project has an indicated mineral resource of 372.4-million tonnes at 0.44% lithium oxide and 0.04% tin, as well as an inferred mineral resource of 323.5-million tonnes at 0.39% lithium oxide and 0.04% tin, containing a combined 7.18-million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent and 262 600 t of tin.
An initial probable ore reserve of 345-million tonnes at 0.65% lithium oxide and 0.09% tin has been declared to cover the first 20 years of mining at an output of 20 800 t of lithium carbonate.
“We are pleased to have begun our definitive feasibility study (DFS) drilling programme so soon after receiving permission for the work. The drilling campaign will provide an upgrade to the existing resource at Cinovec,” MD Keith Coughlan said in a statement.