Drilling At Salar Escondido Approaching Target Zone

 

VANCOUVER - NRG Metals Inc. reported that drilling on a second test well is progressing at the Salar Escondido Lithium Project, comprised of 29,180 hectares (72,100 acres), and located in Catamarca Province, Argentina. A rotary drill operated by drilling contractor Water Drilling ("WD") had completed 87 meters as of Tuesday, April 17th. The hard basaltic layer encountered in the previous hole was not encountered in this well. It is expected to reach the target depth of approximately 110 meters in the next day or two. WD is contracted to drill an 8.5-inch diameter rotary hole up to a depth of 400 m. This second hole is located approximately one kilometer south of the Company's initial diamond drill hole, which was completed to a depth of 307 meters in December 2017. The objective is to further quantify and confirm to depth, lithium values encountered in the top of the first test well, which was not completed to depth due to hole instability.

Jose de Castro, Chief Operating Officer said, "I am very pleased the second well at Salar Escondido is progressing, and am excited to determine lithium values at this very large basin."

During 2017, NRG's drilling at the comprised of 29,180 hectares (72,100 acres) project, confirmed the presence of a buried brine zone beneath the alluvial cover on the surface of the basin. Brine was intersected at a depth of 140 m, and sampling from 183 to 198 meters returned an average grade of 229 mg Li/liter in a porous, weakly consolidated sandstone horizon. A Vertical Electrical Sounding ("VES") geophysical survey conducted by the Company suggests that the brine zone occurs at an even shallower depth where the upcoming hole will be drilled.