CleanTech Lithium has secured options to acquire two lithium properties at Salar de Antofalla in Argentina, expanding its exploration portfolio beyond Chile and adding potential brine resources to its direct lithium extraction strategy across the Andes.
The agreements cover the Genoveva and Sal de Litio 1 properties, over which the company can acquire 100% ownership. Both properties are adjacent to a large lithium resource controlled by Albemarle, estimated at 9.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). This neighbouring resource demonstrates the scale of lithium mineralisation in the Antofalla basin but does not establish the presence or size of a resource on CleanTech Lithium’s ground.
Preliminary geophysical investigations at Genoveva have identified a potentially extensive brine-bearing zone exceeding 500 metres in thickness. The company plans to conduct an initial drilling programme costing approximately US$500,000, targeting a maiden mineral resource estimate in 2027, subject to funding availability and exploration results.
Acquisition Terms and Exploration Funding
CleanTech Lithium’s acquisition structure spreads payments over several years, allowing the company to investigate the properties before committing additional capital to their development. The company expects to pay approximately US$525,000 during the first year, followed by scheduled payments totalling US$1.4 million through May 2031. The options provide a route to full ownership of both properties while limiting the initial financial commitment.
The planned US$500,000 drilling programme is intended to establish the geological characteristics of the brine system and determine whether the properties contain sufficient lithium mineralisation to support a maiden resource estimate. The timing and outcome of the programme will depend on funding and exploration results. The adjacent Albemarle resource provides geological context for the area, but it does not confirm that Genoveva or Sal de Litio 1 has comparable lithium grades, porosity or recoverable lithium concentrations.
Antofalla Properties and Chilean Project Integration
The Argentine properties are located approximately 80 kilometres from Laguna Verde, CleanTech Lithium’s more advanced lithium project in Chile. The acquisition extends the company’s geographical footprint while maintaining a focus on lithium brine development and direct lithium extraction.
Management is assessing whether future operations could share infrastructure or downstream processing facilities across its portfolio. One possibility under consideration is a central conversion facility in Copiapó, Chile, which could serve multiple brine sources if they are developed.
The potential for shared infrastructure remains under evaluation and depends on the results of exploration and subsequent development decisions. Antofalla has not yet reached the stage of a defined development project.
Drilling to Establish Resource Potential
The next stage for Genoveva and Sal de Litio 1 is the planned drilling programme, which will test the preliminary geophysical indications and provide further information on the brine-bearing formations. A maiden resource estimate targeted for 2027 would depend on the results of that work and the availability of funding. Until drilling establishes the extent and characteristics of the lithium-bearing brines, the Argentine properties remain exploration assets rather than defined development projects.
