Solis Minerals Limited (ASX:SLM) has announced the commencement of diamond drilling at its Mandacaru Lithium Project in Brazil. Solis Minerals is an exploration company primarily focused on the discovery and development of critical minerals, holding lithium projects in Brazil and copper projects in Peru. The drilling program targets a coherent lithium pegmatite system located within the prospective Araçuaí Lithium Valley in Minas Gerais, a region recognised as a world-class lithium province.
The initial program comprises 10 drillholes, totalling 2,000 metres, designed to test an approximately 800-metre long lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite corridor. The key objectives are to evaluate the pegmatite’s continuity, geometry, and the potential presence of spodumene at depth. This target is strongly supported by multi-element geochemistry, including lithium, caesium, tantalum, and beryllium, as well as prior auger drilling results. Solis Minerals CEO, Mitch Thomas, commented that the drilling marks a rapid transition from acquisition to drill testing one of the portfolio’s most compelling lithium targets, with LCT anomalies providing a robust technical basis.
The presence of caesium anomalies is particularly significant, as elevated values often indicate advanced magmatic fractionation, a characteristic of spodumene-bearing pegmatite systems. In parallel with its Brazilian lithium exploration, Solis Minerals also confirmed that its directors have approved a 2,500-metre diamond drilling program at the Cinto Copper Project in Peru. This drill-ready copper project, which exhibits strong surface copper mineralisation and indicators of large-scale copper porphyry systems, is scheduled to commence in the third quarter of 2026.
