Mandrake Resources has acquired cutting-edge 3D seismic covering 181 km2, covering a sizable portion of its Utah Lithium Project. Mandrake is able to determine possible migration routes for reasonably significant amounts of lithium-rich brines thanks to the comprehensive structural information provided by the 3D seismic.
The Utah Lithium Project is a major focus for Mandrake Resources Limited (ASX: MAN), and the company is thrilled to announce that it has acquired 3D seismic data covering 181km2. The 3D survey was originally shot in 2008 and 2012, but the data was combined and reanalyzed only in 2022.
Paradox Resources LLC is a local oil, gas, and helium producer and oilfield owner, gave Mandrake Resources access to their two 3D seismic datasets for free. In order to sample for lithium-rich brine, Mandrake and Paradox have signed a Well Access Agreement encompassing 84 Paradox oil and gas wells.
By using 3D seismic, Mandrake Resources was able to corroborate the lateral continuity and thickness of the known lithium-brine hosting stratigraphic units across a large portion of the Utah Lithium Project, the company stated.
Following upcoming sample activities, the 3D information is expected to substantially aid in the establishment of a lithium JORC Mineral Resource Estimate.
The 3D data reveals the previously unknown position of deep-seated faults that cut through the thick McCracken and Leadville formations and continue upward into the thinner clastic layers above them.
The company also said, because they may serve as pathways for fluids with relatively high lithium concentrations to get from the basement (a possible lithium source) to the overlying brine reservoirs, these deeply embedded structures are of exploration interest.
Historic oil and gas wells in the Utah Lithium Project have provided a wealth of petrophysical records that have been used to calibrate the 3D data.
The work plans for the first workovers at the B-912 well and the Big Indian well have been finished by Mandrake Resources, and the company is currently in the stages of obtaining well re-entry permits and making a final decision of chosen contractors.
