Assay methods are extracted from the Aguas Blancas NI 43-101 Technical Report dated December, 2007.

Each bagged sample (approximately 10kg) from the reverse circulation, equivalent to 0.5m of drilling, is sent to the sample preparation facility at Aguas Blancas. Here the following steps are completed:

• All the sample is passed through a jaw crusher, to reduce it to less than 1/4inch.
  
• Crushed sample is then homogenised and quartered, using a riffle. ¾ of the original sample is rejected.
  
• The sample is passed through a roll crusher.
  
• From this crushed sample, approximately 400g is spooned out -- the rest is rejected.
  
• The sample is now ground in a ring mill, and the product is passed through a #100 mesh (Tyler) screen. Any oversize is reground, until at least 95% has passed through the screen.
  
• This final ground sample is then quartered, yielding potentially 4 samples (of approximately 100g each). One is always sent to the Atacama lab. One is also retained as a record sample by Atacama. The other 2 samples are periodically used for check sampling purposes (this is done for all samples within 1 out of 20 drillholes). One check sample is sent for external analysis (Cesmec), and the other is submitted to the Atacama laboratory with a different sample number.

Prior to May, 2005 most of the Atacama samples were sent to the laboratory of the University of Antofagasta. The university commonly used Serquim, Antofagasta-based small laboratory, for sample preparation. AMEX visited Serquim in March 2005 and confirmed that there preparation standards were acceptable.

Since July 2005, samples have been prepared and subsequently analysed on site in the new laboratory facilities. Sulphates and nitrates have similarly been analysed in the on-site laboratory, using volumetric techniques, since November 2005. Since April 2006, sulphates have been analysed using ICP equipment (inductively coupled plasma optimal emission spectroscopy), and nitrates using Molecular Absorption (MA) Equipment.

ISO9001 certification has also been obtained, which includes the new on-site laboratory facilities. For iodine measurement, the method used is very similar to that used in external laboratories. The main methods of assay measurement are summarised below:

Iodine

10g sample, leached with hot water and then filtered. Acid and chlorine added to the filtered solution. Heat applied on heating plate, then cooled. Starch added and then titration with sodium thiosulphate.

Sulphates

5g sample, leached with hot water, filtered. 2ml fraction taken, 1ml of acid added 1ml of standard Yttrium, before taking ICP reading.

Nitrates

5g sample, leached with hot water and filtered to 250ml. Solution out into quartz cell and then reading taken with MA instrument. When the on-site laboratory was being commissioned, a set of 20 check samples (CS) were made with respect to iodine measurements, and sent to 3 different external labs. These results are discussed in more detail in Section 14. For the iodine measurements, the sodium thiosulphate is checked every day, with a standard of potassium iodate (KIO3) -- standard sample (SS).

For the nitrate and sulphate measurements using the ICP and Molecular Absorption Equipment, the following QA/QC steps are taken:

• Blank sample (pulp blank - PB).
• Internationally certified standards (sulphur and calcium) (standard sample -SS).
• An on-site registered brine standard (SS).
• For ICP, every sample is also finally mixed with pure Yttrium for an additional analysis (SS).

The on-site laboratory is also used for iodine analysis in brine, spent-brine and other aqueous solutions.

It is the author's (Adam Wheeler, C.Eng., Eur.Ing. Consulting Mining Engineer) opinion that the sample preparation and analytical procedures used by Atacama are adequate for resource and reserve estimation purposes.