Based on the drilling campaigns carried out in the Salar between 2011 and 2021, eight major geological units were identified and correlated from the logging of drill cuttings and undisturbed core to a general depth of up to 400 m. Only borehole S-29 on the western edge of the Salar encountered bedrock at 219 m depth. Salar de Maricunga is a mixed style salar. An upper halite unit occurs (up to 34 m in thickness) in the central northern part of the Salar and hosts the upper brine aquifer. The halite unit is underlain by low permeability lacustrine sediments. The Salar is surrounded by relative coarse grained alluvial and fluvial sediments. These fans demark the perimeter of the actual salar and at depth grade towards the centre of the Salar where they form the distal facies with an increase in sand and silt. At depth two unconsolidated volcanoclastic units have been identified that appear quite similar. These two volcanoclastic units are separated by a relatively thin and continuous sand unit which may be reworked material of the lower volcanoclastic unit. A volcanic breccia was identified on the northern and western parts of the OCC that locally interfingers with the lower volcanoclastic unit. A lower brine aquifer is hosted in the lower alluvial, volcanoclastic, and volcanic breccia units (below the lacustrine sediments).

Mineralization
The brines from Maricunga are solutions nearly saturated in sodium chloride with an average concentration of total dissolved ........

The production process starts with the brine extraction wells in the Salar.

Results of the pumping tests on the Stage One Project indicate that brine abstraction from the Salar will take place by installing and operating a conventional brine production wellfield. Brine from the individual production wells will be fed into two collection/transfer ponds in the northwest of the Salar. From there it will be pumped, using a booster pumping station, through the main trunk pipeline up to the evaporation ponds some 12 km to the north in the general plant area.

The brine composition and lithium concentrations of the OCC indicate that an average of 15,200 TPY of lithium carbonate production will require an average annual brine feed rate of 12,960 m3/d or 150 l/s.

Wellfield layout
Results of the Stage One Project pumping tests and the reserve model simulations indicate that pumping rates of individual brine production wells will range between 8 l/s and 18 l/s. Well completion depths will vary between 40 m (upper brine aquifer) and 400 m (lower brine aquifer). The brine production wells will be completed with 12-inch diameter stainless steel production casing and equipped with 380 V submersible pumping equipment. It is projected that a total of 19 wells will be required over the life of the Project. However, no more than 11 wells will be operating at a single time. Permanent power will be delivered to the wellfield area through a mid-range power lin ........

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