Deep dive DD Today, Umbral Energy Corp. provided a significant update on already completed exploration activities, which started on May 19 on the playa of its 100% owned Tule Valley Project in Utah, USA. Reconnaissance exploration consisted of 1) investigation of distribution of dry lake bed playa vs evaporite, 2) testing/sampling local feeder-springs, 3) wide-spaced “soil” sampling of the playa bed, 4) informative meetings with local BLM (Bureau of Land Managagement) personnel. The results have confirmed the potential for lithium-bearing brines in aquifers below surface. The company will now focus on geophysical surveying, particularly IP (Induced Polarisation), in order to detect conductive layers beneath the playa as brines are salty (therefore strongly conductive). The thicker and strongest conductive zones, identified by the upcoming IP survey, will subsequently be drill-tested for lithium brines.
Umbral’s President commented today:
“Our company is focused on evaluating the potential for development of lithium in Utah and Nevada. The lithium industry is growing very quickly, and Umbral is eager to be part of this. We strongly believe in the properties we have acquired, and we are looking forward to further exploration on our Tule Valley project.”
According to today’s press-release, the reconnaissance survey resulted in the following interpretation from Umbral:
“Tule Valley playa is a dry lake bed, mostly covered with a thin layer of wind-blown sand, with several active “evaporite ponds”, where leakage from near-by springs brings water onto the low-lying areas of the playa, thereby producing active evaporation.
Composed of dried mud/silt/ash, the compacted playa mud is salty (indicating some form of evaporation from either surface or ground waters during the life of the playa), and displays gypsum crystals (calcium sulphate; indicating the introduction of sulphate during the drying/evaporation process, which in turn suggests some form of groundwater influence).
Tule Valley playa is a closed valley, has lithium source rocks located several kilometres north of the property, (see May 19, 2016 news release) has active groundwater flow along its western margin, and has been affected by evaporite-style processes.
Tule Valley may therefore be conducive to the presence of lithium-bearing groundwater. In this respect, Tule Valley has similar characteristics to Clayton Valley, Nevada, a dry lake bed where lithium is derived from brines located within more porous sediment layers at depth under playa.
The Tule Valley exploration will focus initially on geophysical surveying, particularly IP, to detect conductive layers beneath the playa. Brines are salty, and are therefore strongly conductive. The thicker and strongest conductive zones will subsequently be drill-tested for lithium content.”
Rockstone is looking foward to the upcoming geophysiscs and drill program as more shareholder value could be produced with more positive news.
Click on below image for a 360 view of the Tule Valley hardpan near the geothermal Tule Springs on Death Canyon Road (source):
Sunrise over the playa of the southern part of the Tule Valley (source):
Video of Tule Valley weather time lapse in October 2015 (source):
Red arrows outline possible fluid mobilization from hard-rock lithium sources. Tule Valley is similar to that of Clayton Valley in Nevada, as both are closed basins and have similar horst and graben structures.
• Tule Valley is an endorheic basin, which means that it retains water but does not allow any external outflow. This means that any element that mobilizes into the basin, can enter but never leave. That poses the possibility that the aquifer may have upgraded into an extremely mineralized brine over millions of years.
• 20 km south of Redhill Resources’ Honey Comb Beryllium-Rubidium-Lithium-REE Project(1,500-1,700 ppm lithium in initial surface sampling assays according to NI43-101 Technical Report, 2011).
• 30 km southwest of Materion Brush Inc.’s Spor Mountain Beryllium Mine.
• 60 km northwest of Crystal Peak’s Potash-Lithium-Magnesium Project (50-200 mg/L lithium in brine according to NI43-101 Technical Report, 2013), an evaporite basin similar to Tule Valley.
The hardpan of the Tule Valley (southern part; the property from Umbral is in the northern part;source):
Tule Valley is surrounded by 3 other lithium rich areas. The Honey Comb Project, located 20 km north of Tule Valley, reported surface sampling assays between 1,500-1,700 ppm lithium from a rhyolite dome in 2011. The Spor Mountain Beryllium Mine from Materion Corp. is located 30 km northeast of the Tule Valley. Both Honey Comb and Spor Mountain indicate that the volcanics surrounding Tule Valley are rich in lithium and therefore may have acted as a source of lithium for enriched brines in aquifers below the surface. With a market capitalization of $75 million CAD, Crystal Peak Minerals Inc. is currently completing a feasibility study of its near-bySevier Playa Potash-Lithium-Magnesium Project in Utah. Crystal Peak is targeting the production of potash, lithium and other minerals, through the use of a cost-effective solar evaporation process, and as such is a potential blueprint for Umbral and other companies targeting saturated brines hosting multiple minerals with economic potential.
Sunrise over the playa of the southern part of the Tule Valley in May 2015 (source):
Umbral’s Tule Valley Property
Size: 1,943 hectares (4,800 acres)
Location: 190 km southwest of Salt Lake City in Utah (USA), crossing over the Juab and Millard counties.
Access: By all-weather, hard surface road from Delta and from Wendover, or by paved road to the south. Further access is by gravel roads in fair condition.
Infrastructure & Power: The terrain is readily amenable to the construction of the necessary infrastructure related to mining operations. This includes, but is not limited to, potential tailings storage sites, potential waste disposal areas, heap leach pad areas and potential processing plant sites. It would be necessary to access electrical power from Gold Hill or Callao (Lee, 2003). Surrounding area is sparsely populated, with ranching and livestock being the primary economic activities.
Climate: The basins in this area are defined as arid, generally receiving less than 8” of precipitation per year. Evaporation exceeds precipitation. Hot dry summers and cold dry winters.
Geology: The area to the north of the Tule Valley contains volcanic rocks such as rhyolite flows and tuffs ranging in age from 3.4 to 4.7 Ma, and are known to contain significant values of lithium, beryllium, rubidium and REEs. Chemical and mineralogical studies of samples from shallow excavations and drill holes revealed abnormal quantities of cesium, rubidium and lithium in the beryllium-bearing tuffs. (Stonehouse, 1985). Results from the soil grid suggest that lithium (Li), beryllium (Be), rubidium (Rb) and TREO (total rare earth oxides, including lanthanum to lutetium plus yttrium) mineralization may be present under shallow cover to the east flank of the Big Honey Comb Hill. Honeycomb Hills are 2 domelike bodies of rhyolite with a total volume of 0.5 km3, contained within an area approximately 1.5 km in diameter.
A small, temporary pool on the playa of the Tule Valley in the south (source):
The hardpan of the Tule Valley as seen from the top of a hill in the southern part of the Tule Valley (source):
About Umbral Energy Corp.
Umbral Energy Corp. is currently listed as a junior resource issuer having mineral exploration projects. It is listed on the TSX.V (Toronto Venture Exchange) under the symbol UMB and in Germany under 2UE. Recently, 2 lithium brine projects were acquired in Nevada (Gerlach Property; only 120 km north of Tesla‘s Gigafactory #1) and Utah (Tule Valley Property). Both properties have key characteristics for hosting lithium bearing brines in an acquifer: (1) nearby geothermal clusters with hot springs; (2) large, closed basin; (3) gravity low / basin low with pleistocene lake bottom; (4) within ashfall deposition; (5) potential lithium source rocks in vicinity; (6) ideal desert evaporation climate. The company also has a mineral exploration project in Quebec (Canada) as well as an interest in oil and gas property in Alberta (Canada). In addition, the company is conducting diligence in regards to the commercial cultivation of marijuana under the newly established Health Canada regulations, through its subsidiary PhyeinMed.
The Umbral team will be presenting in Vancouver on Tuesday, June 14: Click here to register
