Lancaster Lithium has the right to acquire 100% of the Alkali Flat Lithium Project – a large lithium brine exploration project located in southwestern New Mexico, USA.
Alkali Flat Lithium Brine Project
Lordsburg - Alkali Flat in Hidalgo County
Lancaster Lithium has the right to acquire 100% of the Alkali Flat lithium brine project, which is located in southwestern New Mexico, USA.
The Alkali Flat lithium brine project is in the Animas Valley near the town of Lordsburg. Hidalgo County, 160 miles east of Tucson, Arizona and 175 miles west of El Paso, Texas via Interstate 10, which transects the project area. Access to the property is excellent and well suited to support an exploration program to assess lithium brine and related lithium-bearing clay.
The prospectivity of the 233 claim Alkali Flat property is reflected by the presence of competitors' claims which lie immediately north of Lancaster Lithium’s claims as well as historic research reflected in regional magnetic, and gravity geophysical surveys and geochemical databases acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey. The geochemical databases include sediment samples collected and analyzed during the National Uranium Reconnaissance program (NURE) and recent soil sampling programs. For example, a stream sediment sample and a water sample collected during the NURE program, respectively, contained 124 ppm Li and 4896 ppb Li.
It is located in Hidalgo County, 160 miles east of Tucson, Arizona and 175 miles west of El Paso, Texas via Interstate 10, which traverses through the project area.
Arizona Lithium Limited, an Australian Public company, has acquired mining claims for lithium exploration which lie immediately north of Lancaster Lithium’s claims.
Li brine is the primary exploration target and Li clay is the secondary target of the Alkali Flat Lithium Project.
Previous work done includes NURE sediment sample analysis collected by the U.S. Geological Survey which has been supplemented by recent soil sampling of near surface sediments (results includes Li at 124 ppm).
Extensive regional magnetic and gravity surveys have been conducted by various entities over the southwest portion of New Mexico and adjacent southeastern Arizona.
A recent assessment of Lithium opportunities in New Mexico specifies Alkali Flat as a Li brine target area (McLemore, 2021).
These geophysical and geochemical databases provide a foundation for ongoing exploration programs on the property. Interpretation based on these surveys and from the understanding of the geological setting of the property have demonstrated the lithium prospectivity of the property and has led leading scientists to characterize Alkali Flat as a distinct lithium brine target area.
Geologically, the Animas Valley is a closed basin with a playa surface, bounded by the Pyramid Mountains to the east and Piloncillo Mountains to the west. The Valley comprises clays, silts, and highly saline brines. Modern waters from the area are sodium-chloride-sulfate waters with TDS values exceeding 1000 mg/L and local, active hot wells (Lightning Dock geothermal area) are along the eastern edge of the valley and have provided high regional heat flow to drive fluid movement. Structures provide fluid pathways and potentially form brine pool traps.
The arid climate of southern New Mexico allows for brine formation, and geological age relationships demonstrate that sufficient accumulation time was available in this long-lived basin to develop sustainable brines. Many of the rhyolites, considered as potential sources of lithium are found in the mountains surrounding the basin have been dated and geochemically analyzed however, those analyses do not include lithium.