Mining Galan Lithium says its recently consolidated Catalina tenure in Argentina has the potential to provide the foundation for an increase in the resource and production at its Hombre Muerto West (HMW) project.
The company has consolidated the Catalina tenure, covering the Catalina, Rana de Sal II, Rana de Sal III, Pucara del Salar, Deceo I and Deceo II tenements, and which overlaps with 5,954 hectares of existing HMW tenements and is adjacent to the existing HMW resource of 6.6Mt of LCE at a grade of 880mg/l Li.
As a result of the consolidation, Galan Lithium (ASX:GLN) anticipates a resource target of between 500kt and 1.5Mt LCE ranging 953 to 988 mg/L (note: the potential quality and grade of the exploration target is conceptual in nature).
Potential to add to HMW resource
The Catalina tenure has never been included in the HMW resource estimate or previous project studies, and the company is confident it has strong potential to significantly add to the existing HMW resource.
“This important transaction comes at a pivotal time for consolidating and securing Galan’s tenure at HMW,” MD Juan Pablo Vargas de la Vega said.
“Our geological and hydrogeological information has identified this new target area as an exciting opportunity to increase our actual resource footprint, providing exceptional conditions for both brine quality and productive yield.
“Existing exploration data on the HMW area, located on the southern limit of the consolidated area, provides an excellent foundation for resource expansion at HMW.
“Furthermore, exploration has now already commenced on this tenure.
“We expect the future production phases of our HMW project (Phases II, III and IV) will be cemented by the expected resulting resource expansion.”
Phase 2 Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) optimisation work is ongoing at HMW – and is expected to be released in August – addressing the full 20ktpa LCE production rates the company has flagged for the second half of 2026.
Exploration drilling planned at Catalina
Now that Galan has consolidated and secured the Catalina tenure, a focused and detailed work campaign will ramp up in the area.
Data from existing exploration by the company strongly validates the positive prospectivity of the consolidated area.
Galan’s well PS-01, located approximately 500 metres south of the newly consolidated area, ranges from 953 to 988 mg/L Li, has an explored depth of 300m – and is still open at depth.
The consolidated tenure is also an area that is favourable for future pond construction, and Galan expects Catalina will make a significant contribution to the 4 phases of development with its goal of 60Ktpa LCE production.
The ongoing exploration campaign on this area considers the construction of three DDH exploration drillholes, totalling approximately 1,000 metres HQ diameter core drilling, which will add to an updated resource model.
This article was developed in collaboration with Galan Lithium Limited, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing.
This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.