British Lithium Limited (BLL), based in St Austell, Cornwall, has embarked on its fourth and largest round of exploratory drilling to see what potential there is for the in-demand precious metal in the area.

According to Business Cornwall, BLL plans to carry out 17 large diameter reverse-circulation holes to a depth of 250 metres, with each metre drilled logged and assayed to determine the grade of lithium discovered, as well as other qualities.

Testing on the samples will take place at BLL’s state-of-the-art laboratory in nearby Roche, and results are expected to be published by the end of May,

BLL was the first company in the UK to embark on a drilling programme for lithium in 2019 and is the first in the world to be progressing commercial extraction of lithium carbonate from the mica in granite using innovative new technology.

With the prestigious Innovate UK Smart Grant of £500,000 awarded to BLL in 2020, the company now employs 12 highly skilled geoscientists, chemical engineers and metallurgists at its base.

CEO Andrew Smith said: “The bulk sample analysis we carried out at the end of last year was very exciting in terms of the high lithium grades and there is plenty of optimism about what this round of confirmatory drilling will tell us.

“Holes will be more tightly spaced than in previous campaigns – providing us with detailed information and invaluable data which will inform a mine plan being prepared by mining engineers, Barra Resources.”

The news of BLL’s latest plans comes soon after luxury car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover announced that all Jaguar cars will be electric by 2025, and all Land Rovers by 2030.

If you need mineral processing companies, then talk to our team today.