Through its wholly owned subsidiary Oakley Ventures USA, Ameriwest Lithium has negotiated Surface Use Agreements (SUAs) with local ranchers, a major milestone toward acquiring approvals necessary for a Phase 1 drilling program at its Thompson Valley project in Arizona.
The SUAs allow for full access to the western and northern lands of the project as well as access across private lands entering the southern project site. Furthermore, they grant access to drill on the private lands where Oakley has federal lode mining claims. This eliminates the need for Bureau of Land Management approval of a Plan of Operations to investigate and drill on claims, thereby significantly reducing the permitting process.
Located 120 miles north of Phoenix, the 9,400-acre Thompson Valley property has potential to host a large claystone lithium deposit. An initial surface sampling program resulted in the discovery of clays bearing lithium concentrations up to 1,295 ppm Li. Ameriwest expects approval of a Geologic Field Operations Plan soon.
Source: Ameriwest Lithium