Africa-focused lithium exploration and development company Atlantic Lithium has reported that initial assay results from the drilling completed so far this year at its Ewoyaa project, in Ghana, have delivered impressive intersections, providing confidence in the growth potential of the current 35.3-million-tonne lithium oxide resource.

Executive chairperson Neil Herbert explains that these results are from the new Dog-Leg target, located on the northern tip of the Ewoyaa Main deposit, outside of the current mineral resource estimate (MRE), where drilling has returned multiple high-grade and broad near-surface extensional intersections, including 27 m at 1.85% lithium oxide from 126 m in these most recent results.

Assay results have been received for 4 101 m of resource extension and sterilisation reverse circulation (RC) drilling completed so far this year.

The results include 924 m of resource extension drilling at the Dog-Leg target and 3 177 m of sterilisation drilling at the proposed plant site.

The company notes that high-grade extensional drilling results have been reported at the new Dog-Leg target. The reported results sit outside of the current MRE.

The company explains that drilling is designed to intersect pegmatite bodies perpendicular to strike and dip to approximate true width as best possible, adding that this is not always achieved, owing to the variable nature of pegmatites or challenging drill access, with some drill intersections drilled down-dip as apparent widths.

Atlantic Lithium also notes that an MRE upgrade, for both lithium and feldspar, to incorporate all drilling completed in 2023 and so far in 2024, is now targeted for mid-year.

"We look forward to receiving further drilling results from the diamond tail drilling completed at Dog-Leg and delivering an MRE upgrade for the project, now targeted for mid-year. The MRE upgrade will include updates to both the lithium and feldspar and incorporate all results received from drilling completed in 2023 and results from drilling completed so far during 2024.

"Furthermore, assay results have confirmed no mineralisation has been intersected at the plant site sterilisation drilling programme, allowing us to continue with our mine site designs and permitting,” says Herbert.