Pilbara Minerals Ltd. said Jan. 25 that the resource at its Pilgangoora lithium-tantalum project in Western Australia has grown 22% following drilling and the acquisition of the Lynas Find project.

The resource now stands at 156.3 million tonnes at 1.25% lithium oxide and 128 parts per million tantalum pentoxide containing 1.95 million tonnes of lithium oxide and 44.2 million pounds of tantalum pentoxide.

Pilbara Minerals has also increased the resource in the higher confidence measured and indicated categories by 14% to 95.3 million tonnes at 1.32% lithium oxide, 130 parts per million tantalum pentoxide and 0.55% iron ore, containing 1.26 million tonnes of lithium oxide and 27.3 million pounds of tantalum pentoxide.

The company remains on track to commission the Pilgangoora project by the end of 2017 following the awarding of the engineering, procurement and construction contract for a 2 million-tonne-per-annum lithium-tantalum plant to RCR Tomlinson Ltd. earlier in January.