JOHANNESBURG (miningweeekly.com) – Adelaide-based PepinNini Minerals on Tuesday announced that it had applied for eight mining leases over areas prospective for lithium brines in Argentina’s Salta province, where the company had existing mining leases.
PepinNini had two projects, Santa Ines and Chivinar, which were prospective for copper/gold in Salta and had now added a third with potential for lithium. The company reported that the grant of the mining leases was expected in two to three weeks and that it planned to start field activities in the spring in Argentina.
PepinNini pointed out that exploration for brines was less capital intensive than hard-rock lithium exploration and that development and operating costs were also lower.
The company added that the Salta province was considered the most mining friendly province in Argentina with a fair and transparent mining tenure administration and mining court. The exploration target area had railway, electricity and gas pipeline infrastructure in place.