May 10 2019
Arena Minerals Inc. takes pleasure in announcing the results of its recently finished surface transient electromagnetic (“TEM”) survey over the Antofalla North claim block.
The results of the survey provided evidence for the presence of halite over the salar surface, constituting about 15% of the claim block, and found fields with low resistivity at depth along the eastern margin of the survey area. This low-resistivity field was depicted as a large aquifer saturated with brine, which increases the potential brine field by 600%. Arena had bought the claim block based on the assumption that brine would exist only within the known halite found on the salar surface, covering the northwestern corner of the property.
The TEM results add significant value to our recent acquisition, increasing the potential for a significant resource entirely within our Antofalla North claim block. Based on these results we will design a drill program to test the newly discovered brine field. At present, the Company is initiating a shallow drill program to define the near surface brines within the halite found on the salar surface along the western portion of the claim block.
Will Randall, President and CEO, Arena Minerals
TEM survey results video is currently available on the company’s website. The identified low-resistivity field covers 300 m from surface and is open at depth.
A follow-up work program has been proposed, which mainly involves shallow drilling on a regular grid to find the composition of brine over the halite-dominant salar surface. As soon as these results are obtained, a drill program will be developed to define the brine resource held within the halite and to test the identified low resistivity in this survey.
TEM Survey Details
Quantec Geoscience Argentina S.A. carried out the TEM survey. The TEM field procedure was expediently developed to gather sounding data. A moving-loop method was used to collect the data. In this method, the receiver coil was placed at the center of a square, single-turn transmit loop. The dimensions of the transmit loop were fixed at 200 m × 200 m.
During the entire survey, a frequency of 25 and 2.5 Hz was used, which permits the measurements of secondary magnetic field decay over a sum of 20 time channels. The receiver and transmitter were connected using a reference cable.
Moreover, the company has informed that Vernon Arseneau is no more Vice President of Exploration for the company.