First pass met work results looking positive

This morning our lithium exploration Investment Latin Resources (ASX: LRS) put out some positive metallurgical test work results from its Brazilian lithium project.

Interestingly, with a simple heavy liquid separation (HLS) processing technique, LRS was able to show:

• Recovery rates of ~78.72% lithium oxide.
• Production of high grade lithium oxide concentrates (grades of up to 6.57%).

The significance of today’s news is that with a relatively simple processing method, LRS is able to turn samples from its deposit into high grade spodumene concentrates.

The simple processing method will mean lower operating costs when it comes time to actually mine and produce lithium from LRS’s project. This should have a positive impact on the overall project economics.

The obvious caveat to today’s announcement is the fact that it is only the first set of results from the test work LRS is doing.

We expect to see these results expanded on and optimised as part of the Preliminary Economic Assessment, which LRS expects to have completed by March 2023.

We will be watching to see how things develop as LRS continues to test samples from its deposit.

Next:

With a 25,000m resource definition drilling program being run, we expect to see plenty more drilling newsflow over the coming weeks/months leading up to the maiden JORC resource, which LRS expects to complete by the end of this year.

The chart from LRS’s recent announcement gives us a good summary of what to expect over the next six months.