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Latin Resources Limited (ASX: LRS) (“Latin” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has received firm commitments to raise A$37.1 million through a two-tranche placement of new fully paid ordinary shares (“New Shares”) to institutional, sophisticated and professional investors (“Placement”). Latin is particularly pleased to welcome several new funds to the register, including specialist North American battery metals funds, a well-regarded domestic institution and two major Brazilian funds. Latin’s largest shareholder, Integra Lithium, also participated in the Placement. The Brazilian funds that have taken a shareholding in Latin Resources are BTG Pactual, Brazil’s largest investment bank and JPG one of Brazil’s largest asset and wealth management institutions.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Latin has received firm commitments to raise A$37.1 million through an institutional two-tranche
- placement priced at A$0.105 per share.
- Placement funds will primarily be used to accelerate exploration activity and development approvals at the Company’s flagship 100% owned Salinas Lithium Project in Brazil.
- The Placement was well supported by a number of specialist, North American battery metals funds; Integra Lithium, the Company’s largest shareholder and two Brazilian institutional funds.
- Upon settlement of the Placement, Latin will have a cash balance of approximately A$57 million (before costs).
The Placement provides the Company with a significant capital injection to expand and accelerate its exploration program at the Salinas Lithium Project in Brazil, in addition to funding the Definitive Feasibility Study (“DFS”); fast-tracking environmental studies; securing development license approvals; and further exploration work on recently acquired tenure to the north of the Colina Deposit.
Latin’s Managing Director, Chris Gale, commented:
“We are delighted to announce the completion of the Placement which has enabled us to introduce a number of high quality, North American, Brazilian and domestic institutions to the Company’s register. The Placement provides significant validation of Latin’s portfolio of assets and the Company’s ongoing resource expansion drill program, feasibility studies and development approvals for Salinas.
“I would like to thank all new and existing shareholders for their ongoing support and look forward to accelerating the development of Latin’s Salinas Project in this emerging lithium district in Brazil.
“We look forward to releasing to the market further drilling results from Colina and the updated JORC Mineral Resource expected in June 2023.”
Funds raised by the Placement will be applied towards fast-tracking the Salinas Lithium Project, including:
- Aggressive resource definition program to increase the size and indicated JORC Mineral Resource at the Colina Deposit;
- Further exploration work on the recently acquired tenure of 29,940 hectares north of the Colina Deposit; and
- General working capital.
The Company is now fully funded through to a resource upgrade, DFS, environmental studies and development licence approval application at the Salinas Lithium Project.
The Company’s ongoing 65,000 metre resource definition diamond drilling campaign is progressing well, with a total of 32,000 meters completed in 109 diamond drill holes at the flagship Colina Deposit in Brazil1. The Company’s aggressive exploration program includes the recent addition of four diamond drilling rigs, taking the total rigs onsite to eight, operating on a double shift basis. The Company is on track to close off its drilling database in mid-May to enable the mineral resource upgrade estimation process to commence in June 2023.
The Company is well-placed for fast-track approvals with the recent signing of a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with the State of Minas Gerais2. The partnership reinforces the existing cooperation between Latin and the State of Minas Gerais and assists with streamlining the approvals pathway for Latin to take the Colina Deposit through feasibility studies and into production.
Metallurgical test work is ongoing, with the final selection of a representative bulk sample for the next round of metallurgical test work in the final stages and drilling of large diameter PQ size drill core set to commence in late May. The proposed test work will follow on from the existing Heavy Liquid Separation (“HLS”) test work which returned exceptional recoveries of over 80.5% of lithium recovered in a concentrate grading up to 6.6% Li2O. This test work is designed to provide information for the upcoming DFS.
Figure 1: Colina Deposit - Proposed expanded diamond drill plan overlain on the current pegmatite wireframe thickness model, showing existing and planned drill collar positions designed to upgrade the existing Colina MRE to Indicated JORC classification and fast-track mineral resource expansion to the south west
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This article includes content from Latin Resources, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
LRS:AU
Red Mountain Lithium Discovery Bolstered with More Outstanding Thick Intersections
Key Highlights
- Multiple lithium intersections reported in assay results for the next four holes, RMRC004-007, with intersections up to +80m thickness, including:
- RMRC004: 83.8m @ 1,230ppm Li from 16.8m.
- RMRC005: 80.8m @ 1,270ppm Li from 56.4m
- RMRC006: 62.5m @ 1,070ppm Li from 6.1m and 70.1m @ 1,090ppm Li from 89.9m
- RMRC007: 74.7m @ 1,160ppm Li from 18.3m
- Intersections sit mid-project within 4.6km of strike length drilled to date at Red Mountain.
- Assay results for the remaining four drill holes expected in late July.
Assay results from the second batch of samples include the following drill intersections:
- RMRC004 : 13.7m @ 1,070ppm Li / 0.57% Lithium Carbonate Equivalent1 (LCE) from surface
- 83.8m @ 1,230ppm Li / 0.65% LCE from 16.8m
- RMRC005 : 26.0m @ 656ppm Li / 0.35% LCE from 3.0m
- 80.8m @ 1,270ppm Li / 0.68% LCE from 56.4m to End of Hole
- RMRC006 : 62.5m @ 1,070ppm Li / 0.57% LCE from 6.1m
- 15.3m @ 896ppm Li / 0.48% LCE from 71.6m 70.1m @ 1,090ppm Li / 0.58% LCE from 89.9m
- RMRC007 : 74.7m @ 1,160ppm Li / 0.61% LCE from 18.3m
- 25.9m @ 1,580ppm Li / 0.84% LCE from 115.8m
This second batch of assays, from drill holes located centrally within the group drilled so far (Figure 1), demonstrate thicker intersections than those previously announced, with all four holes intersecting +70m zones grading over 1,000ppm lithium. These outstanding results indicate the scale and grade potential at Red Mountain, as it continues to emerge as a project of significance in North America. Assays for the final four holes from the campaign are expected to be received later this month, which, along with other results, will allow the Company to determine the next steps at this highly prospective Project.
Astute Chairman, Tony Leibowitz, said:
“Our confidence in the scale and significance of this discovery continues to increase with each successful drill-hole at Red Mountain. Assays from the latest four holes have exceeded expectations and returned some very thick, high-grade intercepts which have confirmed robust lithium mineralisation in the middle of the project, between intersections from the discovery holes.
“With final assay results expected for the remaining four holes shortly, data from all holes will then be integrated into an updated geological model for Red Mountain with a view to expediting the process to achieving a maiden Mineral Resource Estimate.”
Figure 1. Drill-hole locations and intersections, and gridded soil sample geochemistry over aerial image.
About Lithium Carbonate Equivalent (LCE)
Unlike spodumene concentrate, which is a feedstock for a value-added battery product, Lithium Carbonate is a principal lithium-ion battery product, which may be used directly in battery production or converted to other battery products such as lithium hydroxide. The Benchmark Mineral Intelligence Lithium Carbonate China Index priced lithium carbonate product at US$13,710/t6 as of 12 June 2024.
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This article includes content from Astute Metals NL, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Exploration Program Underway at Corvette River Lithium, Gold, Copper & Silver Project in Quebec
The Project consists of several claim areas, including Felicie on the Corvette Lithium Trend which hosts Patriot Battery Metals’ world-class Corvette Lithium Project2 and the West Eade and East Eade claims on the parallel Corvette South Trend, approximately 12 km to the south. Both trends are on the prolific Lac Guyer greenstone belt in the tier-one global mining jurisdiction of Quebec, Canada (see Figure 1).
Phase 1 of the program will investigate and prioritise zones across the extensive claims areas for further work and follow up drilling. The program will include extensive geological mapping, excavator trenching and channel sampling, for multi-element assaying, using a team of geologists, support staff, excavators and an air support team. Field logistics are supported by helicopters, including heavy lift helicopters, to move excavators, required equipment and personnel. The program is being phased, given the limited access to heavy lift helicopters during this period. The program is sequential, initially focussed in the Felicie area (see Figure 1), to be followed by the East Eade and then the West Eade claim areas.
The primary objectives of the program are to investigate identified target locations through field mapping of structures and outcrops, extensive excavator trenching and channel sampling to finalise planning positions and the priority of follow-on drill targets in the following project locations:
- Felicie Project – Field map, trench and sample structures and outcrops associated with previous rock chip sampling that included grades of up to 4.16 g/t Au, 44.1 g/t Ag and 0.23% Cu3 from a zone of 180m strike-length open in all direction.
- East Eade – Extensive investigation of an approximately 300m wide complex fold-closure, which included previous assays of up to 29.7 g/t Au and 12 g/t Au3 See photographs of East Eade below.
- West Eade – Further investigate areas around historical sample sites with assays of up to 11.45g/t Au3 and more recent rock chip sampling results including 3.37 g/t Au over 3m3.
- Lithium Targets – Follow up on Lithium bearing pegmatite targets that have been previously reported, including CR1 (mapped over 1.6 km4) at Felicie and CS15 at West Eade (see Figure 1)
Figure 1: MLS’s Corvette River Project – Felicie, East Eade & West Eade Phase 1 Field Exploration sites, includingtrenching target locations for key gold, Silver & lithium targets outlined with geology and magnetics
Metals Australia CEO Paul Ferguson commented:
“It’s pleasing to be under way with phase 1 of our field exploration program at Corvette River. The commencement of this program is a result of a lot of great work by our team and our contractor, Magnor Exploration. We have developed a detailed and prioritised exploration program targeting lithium as well as gold, silver and copper and put in place a contract to allow this important work to be completed during the summer field season, when ground truthing is possible in Quebec. Importantly the program phasing recognises the challenges associated with accessing heavy lift helicopters during the peak summer period.
We are now on the ground with a dedicated team of geologists and field staff, including excavators. The team will be able to follow up on the targets, associated structures and outcrops that have been identified from previous sampling. This will allow accurate positioning of trenching and channel sampling. The outcomes of this work will result in a well-defined and prioritised list of drill targets – which will be the subject of phase 2 of the program.
This program will follow up on the highly prospective lithium pegmatite targets as well as high-grade gold and silver target zones we have communicated previously. I look forward to communicating the results of phase 1 when they are available.
We continue to aggressively progress all our high-quality projects on their pathway through exploration and, when results warrant, into development. Four of our projects are now pending government approval for their next phase of exploration, including Lac Carheil, which also has active prefeasibility study work underway. It’s been an incredibly active period of planning, permit applications and work-program contracting. We are now seeing the field exploration stages starting to emerge – with Corvette River now fully permitted for advanced exploration target testing.
We are only able to advance this work because we have a very supportive board, a dedicated and driven team and the financial capacity to fund the programs we have planned. Currently, there is no value ascribed to our projects by the market and we have a market capitalisation well below cash backing, which is highly unusual. Given the high-quality pipeline of projects we are progressing and the opportunities they represent, I expect the balance of 2024 and beyond to represent exciting times for the Company.”
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This article includes content from Metals Australia Ltd, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
