About the Avalonia project
Eight of these licences were first issued to TNR Gold group in August 2009, with the three remaining licences acquired at a later date. TNR then consolidated its lithium and rare element assets in the subsidiary company International Lithium Corp (ILC). Blackstairs Lithium limited (BLL) was set up as a joint venture company by ILC and Ganfeng Lithium Corp (ILC) and the prospecting licenses were then transferred to the new Irish registered company. The role of project operator was transferred from ILC to BLL in 2017 with exploration services and fieldwork have being provided by Coast Mountain Geological EU ltd. (CMGEU) and Aurum Exploration services (AES).
The mineral exploration licenses held by BLL are listed in the table below:
| License Area | County | Informal Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1476 | Carlow | Monaughrim |
| 3407 | Carlow | Seskinnamadra |
| 3411 | Carlow | Ballymurphy S |
| 3864 | Wickow | Stranakelly |
| 3893 | Carlow | Seskinnamadra B |
| 3894 | Carlow | Ballymurphy N |
| 4031 | Carlow | Aclare |
| 4032 | Wicklow | Moylisha |
| 1715 | Wicklow | Askangap |
| 1722 | Wicklow | Knockannana |
| 1473 | Wicklow | Tinahely |
Previous Work
Lithium bearing pegmatites were initially discovered on the Avalonia Project area in the 1970s by the Geological Survey of Ireland and exploration work has been carried out by various companies on and off, until the licenses were acquired for the Avalonia Project in 2009. BLL has carried out a number of different prospecting programmes since acquiring the licenses using techniques such as surveying the land, examining rocks (geological studies), collecting samples of rocks, soil and sediments for analysis (geochemical surveys), and measuring physical properties of the rocks in the area, for example their magnetic properties (geophysical surveying). Three previous drilling programmes have also been carried out on Moylisha hill in 2013, 2018, and 2021.
Upcoming Work
PL4031 Aclare, County Carlow
A till and gravel sampling program has begun at Aclare. This survey has been designed to test the efficacy of glacial ice-flow data to identify lithium pegmatite signatures. Geological survey of Ireland maps for glacial till are being used to inform the sample locations. Samples collected will be 5 and 15kg each and will be analysed in a lab for concentrations of minerals which indicate the presence of lithium pegmatites.
PL4032 Moylisha Hill, County Wicklow
The prospective work that is currently being planned for the coming year will include a round of exploration drilling on Moylisha hill, as well as a geophysical survey, whose exact location has yet to be finalised. Drilling extracts narrow diameter core samples of rock, to build up a better picture of the geology below.
The current drilling programme is estimated to last up to 5 months and will consist of two diamond drill rigs operating for twelve hours per day, six days per week.
Environmental screening of Moylisha Hill took place in July this year. The screening was completed by Aurum exploration services on behalf of BLL. An ecological monitoring survey at Moylisha has begun. The survey is being carried out by O’Donnell Environmental who have confirmed the presence of freshwater pearl mussels in the waterways surrounding Moylisha and placed bat monitoring devices in the forest at Moylisha.
PL3894 Ballymurphy North, County Carlow
An LCT pegmatite prospecting program is proposed for The South-Eastern margin of PL3894 Ballymurphy North. This program will take place in spring 2024.
PL3864 Stranakelly, County Carlow
Exploration Drilling
A stage of exploration drilling is planned at the main Stranakelly prospect. It is BLLs intention to confirm results reported by historic drilling carried out on the license area. The historic results from IBM have been utilised to inform the nature of LCT pegmatite emplacement/orientation in the area, which is in a N-S orientation. Utilising the available data from LIBS, prospecting, soil geochemistry, and understanding the downhill dispersion of samples a 4 hole program has been designed. Environmental screening for Stranakelly is complete.
LIBS Survey
Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy or LIBS utilises a handheld device capable of analysing element concentrations in single mineral grains. A LIBS survey is planned for the prospective areas of the PL3864 and will be a continuation of that carried out in 2019.
PL4031 Monaughrim, County Carlow
Exploration Drilling
There are four target areas defined within PL4031. Their prospectivity status has been determined based on results obtained through a 2015 drilling program, a LIBS survey in 2020, and soil geochemistry surveys which took place in 2013/14 and again in 2019.
Some of the new drill targets are designed to assess areas where soil geochemistry anomalies have been found in proximity to high lithium anomalies identified through LIBS surveys. Other drill targets have been chosen to assess if the lithium bearing pegmatites identified in 2015 drilling can be seen continuing to the southwest.
LIBS
Further LIBS surveying is being planned for areas associated with soil geochemistry anomalies. The aim is to enhance our knowledge of pathfinder mineral anomalies in the granite host rock. The aim of this LIBS survey is to identify targets for future drilling.
PL3407 Seskinnamadra A, County Carlow
Exploration Drilling
Planning for drilling at Seskinnamadra has been informed by pathfinder element anomalies identified in historic data collected on the license area through soil sampling and LIBS surveys. Drill holes are planned to target pegmatites believed to be situated at or near the granite-schist bedrock contact zone.
LIBS Survey
A LIBS survey is proposed for the northern part of PL3407. Planning for the program has focused on soil geochemical results from the area and sample locations were identified based on overlapping element anomalies and satellite imagery of the prospect area.
PL3893 Seskinnamadra B, County Carlow
Exploration Drilling
Five diamond drill holes have been planned based on the results of previous soil geochemistry surveys and LIBS surveys. Although little structural data is available, it is known from nearby drilling that the pegmatites are most likely intersected at or near the granite-schist contact and dip in towards the granite pluton. Holes have been planned to target pegmatites at this contact zone. Drilling is planned for 2024.
Lithium
Lithium is a soft, silvery metal, whose most important use is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras, numerous other handheld electronic devices, and electric vehicles. Non- rechargeable batteries for things like heart pacemakers, toys and clocks make use of Lithium. Lithium is also used in pharmaceuticals and in ceramics such as heat resistant cooking ware.
Concentrations of lithium in nature are found in three different geological settings, hard rock deposits, sedimentary or clay deposits, and brine deposits.
Hard rock deposits host lithium as ore minerals such as spodumene, petalite and amblygonite. These minerals are hosted in distinctive, granite like rock known as pegmatites. This is the type of lithium mineralization found in Ireland.
Lithium bearing pegmatites were initially discovered on the Avalonia Project area in the 1970s by the Geological Survey of Ireland and exploration work has been carried out by various companies on and off, until the licenses were acquired for the Avalonia Project in 2007. BLL has carried out a number of different prospecting programmes since acquiring the licenses using techniques such as surveying the land, examining rocks (geological studies), collecting samples of rocks, soil and sediments for analysis (geochemical surveys), and measuring physical properties of the rocks in the area, for example their magnetic properties (geophysical surveying). Three previous drilling programmes have also been carried out on Moylisha hill in 2013, 2018, and 2021.
Water
Most prospecting activities (e.g. mapping, geochemical sampling, ground geophysical surveys, etc.) do not utilise water or involve any discharge to surface or ground waters.
Water will be used throughout a drilling programme; with steps taken to minimise the impact on both groundwater and surface water.
Water is used during drilling for lubrication and to circulate sediment away from the drill bit. No toxic or non-biodegradable additives are used in this process.
Water required for drilling will be sourced from a nearby watercourse and will be transported by support vehicle (4X4 or similar) from this pumping source into water tanks situated on each drilling site. This raw stream water will be UV treated to ensure no pathogens, contaminants or bacteria are passed into the groundwater.
Water will then be circulated down the drill hole back to the surface where it will be directed into a centrifuge, which is a machine designed to remove sediment from the return water. Settled rock sediment will be removed from site for appropriate disposal. The water remaining from this process will then be recycled for further drilling, minimising the amount of water that will have to be abstracted from the nearby stream. At the end of the drilling programme, the water remaining from the settling process will be allowed to percolate into the ground.
IE Consulting, a water, environmental and civil engineering consultancy based in Carlow, carried out an assessment of water related activities during a previous round of drilling on Moylisha hill in 2018. As part of their assessment, they tested a number of samples. The samples were taken to assess the risk posed by the drilling operation to the general aquatic environment. The results of the analysis did not indicate any parameters of concern from an environmental risk perspective, or of any parameters that presented a toxic risk.
Using a closed loop system allows the amount of water that is used to be minimised. Furthermore, the granite bedrock at Moylisha is highly competent and largely classed as a poor aquifer, making it highly unlikely that any drilling waters will enter the drinking water supply.
Landscape
The vast majority of exploration techniques that will be implemented throughout the Avalonia prospecting licenses have little if any impacts on the surrounding landscape. This work will involve a small number of field operatives working in each licence area for just a few weeks in the year and will not involve any heavy machinery being brought onto the land. Any impact from these activities would be minimal and temporary, and every effort will be made to mitigate and remediate effects where they are unavoidable.
Alteration to the landscape during the drilling on Moylisha hill will be minimal as the drilling targets have been chosen with the aim of using existing Coillte thinning, access roads, and forest breaks. In this way, as few trees as possible will have to be felled, and any felling will be carried out by experienced Coillte personnel to ensure best practice is adhered to. Upon completion of drilling at each site, the hole will be plugged and then grouted with cement. Some minor remediation work will then be done by BLL staff such as spreading a layer of topsoil and distributing a variety of native grass seeds to return the site to its pre-existing condition. The same steps were taken at the 2013 and 2018 drilling sites which are now indistinguishable from the surrounding Coillte forest.
Biodiversity
The majority of prospecting activities will have little to no impact on biodiversity.
The Coillte South East BAU5 Strategic Plan 2021-2023 does not note any particular habitats or species within the Shillelagh Forest. The area is not covered by any existing or proposed Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA) or National Heritage Areas (NHA).
However, care will be taken to provide as little disturbance as possible to existing wildlife. Any deadwood present in the area of the drilling site may require to be moved, however this will be carried out only where necessary and deadwood will be placed back to original state on completion of works. Fencing will also be erected around the site boundary during operations to prevent deer or other wildlife entering the site.
Traffic
For most of the proposed prospecting activities, fieldwork will consist of small teams of BLL staff using standard road-going vehicles for a limited amount of time in each licence area for just a few weeks in the year.
Traffic throughout the duration of the drilling programme will be minimal, with heavy machinery being moved by public road only at the start and end of the programme. A single articulated lorry (with a low-loader) will be required to transport the drilling rig to and from the site, and Coillte will be on site a week or so in advance to carry out any felling required (5 trees were felled in the 2021 programme for example). Once the drill rig is in place the only traffic to and from the site will be two standard vehicles (e.g. 4 x 4 pick-up jeeps of the type used by many farmers in the area) for transporting the drillers and BLL geological staff to the site on a daily basis. These vehicles will also be used to transport core samples from the dill sites.
Noise
Prospecting for much of the Carlow/Wicklow PL Areas will comprise geochemical sampling and geophysical surveying. These activities will involve the use of hand tools and light surveying equipment and so will not produce any significant noise or disturbance.
In the case of drilling on Moylisha hill, environmental screening will be carried out in advance of the programme and predicted sound pressure at the nearest noise sensitive locations (e.g., peoples’ residences and Natura 2000 Sites) will be part of this assessment. Tests carried out in advance of the last round of drilling in 2021 found that sound pressure at the nearest noise sensitive location, a residence situated 430m away, was calculated at 42.9dB(A), which is roughly equivalent to the noise found in a quiet office space.
Sound curtains will be installed around the drill rig to further reduce the impact of noise.
Further Information
| Document Name | Description | Link (To view: copy link then paste into a new tab on your browser) |
|---|---|---|
| A series of factsheets on minerals and mining on the island of Ireland, published by the Institute of Geologists of Ireland (IGI). Topics range from the different stages of mineral exploration and mining to the environmental regulations that cover all such stages and to the importance of mining in the green transition. | https://igi.ie/committees/minerals-information-working-group/ |
| GSRO Review of Submissions received in relation to the renewal of Eight Blackstairs Lithium Prospecting Licence Areas in Counties Carlow and Wicklow | The Geoscience Regulation Office (GSRO) review of submissions received from members of the public in response to the renewal of the Blackstairs Lithium prospecting licenses. It outlines the main objections that were raised, and the GSROs response to each objection. | https://www.oreilly.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/GSRO-Review-of-Submissions-relating-to-Renewal-of-8-Blackstairs-Licences_Dec-2022.pdf |
| DECC Guidance for Good Environmental Practice in Mineral Exploration | The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications guidance for good environmental practice in mineral exploration. | https://assets.gov.ie/76748/cf1284a2-f566-40de-85a1-c145995e93f3.pdf |
| DECC Exploration Drilling Guidance on Discharge to Surface and Groundwater | The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications guidance on discharge to surface and groundwater during exploration drilling. This outlines the environmental best practice that BLL will follow during any upcoming drill programmes. | https://www.gov.ie/pdf/?file=https://assets.gov.ie/76747/688db9fa-ee00-4d4c-aa3b-3bb4e805c7ae.pdf#page=null |
| AECOM Social, Environmental and Economic Assessment of Galmoy and Lisheen Mines | A report compiled by AECOM on behalf of Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications to assess the impact of Galmoy and Lisheen mines on communities from a social, environmental, and economic aspect. The mines are the first in Ireland to be opened, operated, and closed under modern mining, planning and environmental regulations. | https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/29332-a-social-environmental-and-economic-assessment-of-galmoy-and-lisheen-mines/ |
| 2018 IE Consulting - Moylisha Assessment of drilling operations | A report produced by IE Consulting, a water, environmental and civil engineering consultancy based in Carlow who were retained by BLL to provide independent advice on water related issues associated with the 2018 exploration drilling programme at Moylisha. IE Consulting are also currently involved in private water and surface water testing that is being carried out around the 2023 drill programme at Moylsiha. | https://avalonia.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2018-IE-Consulting-Moylisha-Assessment-of-drilling-operations-rev1.pdf |
| 2018 Aurum EIA Coillte Moylisha | The 2018 Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by Aurum that is required by the GSRO in advance of any drill programme. A similar, but more in depth assessment that take into account issues raised by some community members such as the potential presence of Pearl Water Mussels will be carried out before the 2023 drill programme and will be made available on this website when it is completed. | https://avalonia.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/2018-Aurum-EIA-Coillte-Moylisha.pdf |
| 2023 PL4032 Moylisha Environmental Screening Report, Blackstairs Lithium Ltd | The 2023 Environmental Screening carried out by Aurum Exploration Services for Moylisha Hill. | https://avalonia.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-PL4032-Moylisha-Environmental-Screening-Report_Blackstairs-Lithium-Ltd.pdf |