Blackwater
Further details of the Blackwater exploration project are provided in the project factsheet, FAQs, and the presentation link below.
Cornish Lithium commenced drilling at its new Blackwater project site shortly after Easter 2023. The exploration drill rig is the same previously used at Cornish Lithium’s Twelveheads site, with a borehole around 10cm in diameter and targeting a maximum depth of 2,000 (6,561 feet) to intercept the underlying naturally permeable geological structures.
At the end of March 2023 permissions were granted by Cornwall Council for a temporary 6 month General Permitted Development Order (GPDO) for the new exploration project to assess the potential production of lithium from geothermal waters in the vicinity of Blackwater. The new project at Blackwater is part of Cornish Lithium’s strategy to demonstrate Cornwall’s potential to produce lithium from geothermal waters and would be in addition to the Company’s existing portfolio of projects at United Downs, Twelveheads and North Downs. Blackwater has been identified as a highly prospective area to explore for lithium in geothermal waters from extensive digital modelling of Cornwall’s geology. The exact location is based on in-depth geological modelling of the subsurface, to increase the likelihood that the drilling intercepts the targets we are aiming for. Permissions from the council have been granted for drilling to take place between 0700 – 0700 hours on a 24 hour basis, (including weekends and bank holidays) though we will not utilise the option for 24 hour drilling every day within the six month period.
Ahead of the submission of the GPDO extensive geological modelling, noise surveys and ecological surveys were conducted. These documents are available on Cornwall Councils planning portal as part of the GPDO, and are further explained in the project presentation below. Information was shared with the community via the parish council, online and through the post for a selection of houses in the project area. This information sheet is available to download from the documents on the left of this page. An initial project presentation and drop-in sessions were provided to the community, and further drop-in sessions will take place during the drilling programme.
