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Changes to the Board & Company Update
Oceana Lithium Limited (ASX: OCN) advises that Non-Executive Chairman Mr Jerome Vitale and Non-Executive Director Mr Simon Mottram have resigned as directors with immediate effect to focus on their other business commitments.
The Board has appointed Oceana’s company secretary, Mr Daniel Smith, as a Non-Executive Director, as well as Mr Chen Chik (Nicholas) Ong. With Mr Vitale’s departure, Mr Zeng will assume the role of Non-Executive Chairman.
Mr Ong brings 19 years’ experience in IPO, listing rules compliance and corporate governance. He is experienced in mining project finance, mining and milling contract negotiations, mine CAPEX & OPEX management, and toll treatment gold reconciliation. Nicholas is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Western Australia. Nicholas is currently a director and/or company secretary of several ASX listed companies.
The Board thanks both Mr Vitale and Mr Mottram for their contribution and valuable insights since the Company’s IPO in July 2022 and wishes them well for the future.
As announced 6 February 2024, the Company has identified a number of high- priority drill targets at the Company’s 100% owned, Solonópole lithium project in Brazil. In response to current market conditions for junior exploration companies, the Board will evaluate a number of potential cost-cutting measures, including the reduction of corporate overheads, to maximise exploration expenditure at Solonópole.
The Company ended the December 2023 quarter with approximately $3.3 million in cash and no debt.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Oceana Lithium, 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.
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Oceana Lithium
Overview
A lot can change in two years — just look at Brazil.
Best described as a bit player in the lithium space only two years ago, the country has since become one of the premier destinations for lithium exploration and development. It all started with the runaway success of Sigma Lithium (NASDAQ:SGML, TSXV:SGML). Since then, multiple high-profile mining companies have established themselves in the country.
This growth is unlikely to stop anytime soon, particularly in light of recent investments into Brazil's battery manufacturing sector by companies including BorgWarner and Inventus Power. Within the next several years, Brazil could become a major global supplier. That's good news for the lithium market, as we are rapidly approaching the point at which demand will greatly outstrip supply.
Oceana Lithium (ASX:OCN) is well-positioned to get us past that point — and to tap into Brazil's fast-growing lithium mining industry. An early-stage exploration company with significant opportunity for discovery across its projects, Oceana's flagship Solonópole project displays considerable promise. The company also maintains highly prospective projects in both Australia and Brazil.Oceana's acquisitions were no accident. The company's well-informed exploration strategy stems from veteran geologists and mining professionals with decades of experience between them. It's already identified multiple drill targets in Solonópole, all of which are highly prospective and known to contain lithium.
Company Highlights
- Oceana Lithium is an exploration company with two strategic and highly prospective projects in Solonópole, Ceará State, Brazil (Solonópole Lithium Project) and Northern Territory, Australia (Napperby Project) — all tier-one mining jurisdictions.
- Brazil in particular is an emerging international destination for lithium, with multiple promising discoveries in recent years.
- Recent investments in battery manufacturing within the country also present a huge opportunity for lithium exploration.
- Napperby is a large-scale exploration project situated in Australia's Northern Territory, and has the potential to host uranium, lithium and several other rare and valuable resources, including rare earth elements and tantalum.
- The company is well-funded to advance exploration on all its projects, with $3.35 million in cash on 31 December 2023.
- Investors can expect strong newsflow over the coming months from both projects.
Key Assets
Solonópole Lithium Project, Ceará State, Brazil
Located three to four hours by sealed road from the major port of Pecém and the capital city Fortaleza, Oceana's Solonópole project consists of 10 permits covering 124 square kilometers of highly prospective ground. Detailed field mapping by Oceana's Brazilian subsidiary Ceara Litio has identified a significant mineralized pegmatite corridor within the company's claim. The permits also cover several historic artisanal mining sites previously tapped for lithium, tantalum, niobium and tin.
Highlights:
- A Historic Artisanal Hotbed: Oceana has identified more than 50 small-scale artisanal mines during field exploration. Mining at these sites only reached depths of a maximum of 10 meters due to the need to blast hard rock material.
- Mineralisation: Oceana has a body of data that suggests high-grade mineralization at Solonópole, including:
- Regional geological review of the Solonópole Pegmatites was completed in 2012 by Brazilian Geological Survey (CPRM). Analytical results (XRD) confirmed spodumene, lepidolite and amblygonite being the main lithium bearing minerals .
- A regional reconnaissance program completed by a previous explorer which collected 246 grab samples in 2016 and 2017 containing:
- Lithium oxide (Li2O): 9 percent.
- Tantalum (Ta): 1 percent.
- Niobium (Nb): 1 percent.
- Tin (Sn): 1,000 ppm.
- Beryllium (Be): 2.5 percent.
- First-pass soil geochemistry results highlighting the presence of residual soil anomalies.
- An Ideal Location: Solonópole is situated in one of Brazil's two historic lithium mining regions, giving Oceana access to experienced labour and extensive pre-existing infrastructure. The project is also well-suited for exploration activities, as it is arid and sparsely populated farmland. It also has access to renewable energy (solar farms and hydro power).
- Experienced In-country Team: Oceana has invested heavily in developing an in-house exploration team headed by experienced resident geologist Mike Sousa and a strong corporate and legal management team based in Belo Horizonte headed by Cintia Maia and Carolina Carvalho who are both fluent in English.
- Exploration Work: Large-scale infill soil sampling program conducted since March 2023 collecting over 10,000 soil samples, and first pass 2,000-metre RC drilling program across priority targets was completed in August 2023. Phase 1 RC drilling campaign identified new lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatite targets for deeper drilling in un-weathered zones. New data from geophysics and soil geochemistry anomalies indicate several swarms of pegmatite bodies striking in a NE-SW direction, showing several lithium-bearing pegmatites at the Bom Jesus de Baixo (BJdB) Pit; BJdB Central; Tin Mine; Nira; Lapinha; Urubu; Zilcar II and Rolados targets.
Map showing completed RC scout drill holes at Bom Jesus de Baixo Prospect
Napperby Project, Northern Territory, Australia
A large-scale exploration project situated in Australia's Northern Territory, Napperby covers 1,160 square kilometers. The 100 percent owned project is also located within the Northern Arunta pegmatite province, expected to soon become a hotbed of mining and exploration. It displays similar geology to the Pine Creek pegmatite province, which hosts the Finniss lithium project owned by Core Lithium (ASX:CXO).
Highlights:
- A Prime Location: Napperby is accessible via both the Stuart Highway and Tanami Highway. It's also close to Central Australian Railway with access to the port city of Darwin. Rio Tinto Resources (ASX:RIO) also owns a large exploration application permit immediately to the south of Napperby’s EL32863. ELA32841 is under application.
- Confirmed Pegmatites: Historical exploration of the region identified multiple pegmatite dykes with both tin and tantalum mineral occurrence. Additionally, a 2005 analysis by the Northern Territory Geological Survey confirmed these as LCT pegmatites.
- Exploration Work: Oceana has completed a hyperspectral survey to acquire high-quality data over the project area. Soil geochemical program completed reveals several large linear lithium anomalies, some of which are on the strike extension of pegmatite outcrop.
- Uranium Potential: Napperby has the potential to host uranium, lithium and several other rare and valuable resources, including rare earth elements and tantalum.
Board and Management Team
Dr. Qingtao Zeng - Non-executive Chairman
Doctor Qingtao Zeng has been extensively involved in the lithium exploration and development sector and is well-connected with potential off-take partners having acted as intermediary for the supply or purchase of spodumene concentrate for a number of producers. He has been engaged as a consulting geologist in a range of geological and commercial environments. Zeng completed a PhD in geology at the Centre of Exploration Targeting (CET) of University of Western Australia in 2013. He has published several academic papers on structure control orogenic gold systems in different geological scales and is a member of Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (MAusIMM) and Society of Economic Geologists (SEG). He is currently managing director of Australasian Metals Ltd, and a non-executive Director of Kodal Minerals, MetalsTech and Winsome Resources Ltd.
Aidan Platel - Non-executive Director
Aidan Platel is an experienced geologist and mining executive with over 25 years’ experience in the minerals industry. He has a broad skill set covering exploration, study execution, project development, mining, mineral processing and corporate financing within the minerals and mining service sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree (Honours in Geology) from UWA and has a Master of Business Administration from the Curtin Graduate School of Business.
Platel has held numerous executive and non-executive director roles in ASX listed exploration companies over his career. He has a proven track record of exploration success, having helped discover and develop several major deposits including the world-class Santa Rita Nickel deposit (>1Mt contained Ni metal) in Brazil. Platel is currently managing director and chief executive officer of Charger Metals NL and non-executive director of Olympio Metals.
Dan Smith - Non-executive Director and Company Secretary
Dan Smith has more than 15 years’ experience in financial markets, including 10 years’ experience with ASX Listing Rules compliance and corporate governance. Smith is a fellow member of the Governance Institute of Australia and holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Curtin University. He acts as company secretary for numerous ASX, AIM and NSX-listed companies.
Caue (Paul) Araujo - Chief Executive Officer
Caue Araujo is a qualified Australian-Brazilian geologist with over 20 years of experience as a mining industry professional. Following his early training with Vale in Brazil, his subsequent roles have included general manager of SRK Consulting Brazil, regional director of investment and business planning at Hatch (Australia and Asia), and global general manager – mine finance with mining industry advisory group Palaris Australia. He has a strong aptitude for the technical and economic evaluation of mineral resource projects, having been involved in the development of numerous projects during his career working with finance providers and equity investors including emerging lithium miners and mine gate concentrate producers. Araujo is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (MAusIMM) and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He has an MBA (project management, business and finance) from Ibmec University, Brazil. Through his diverse experience, he has refined his abilities to lead and manage multi-disciplinary teams. He is well-acquainted with key chemical companies, battery producers and EV manufacturers in the supply chain and their requirements to secure environmentally responsible long-term sources of lithium supply.
Mike Sousa - Exploration Manager and Competent Person, Brazil
Mike Sousa is a passionate and results driven geoscientist with over seventeen years exploration and project development experience, in his native Brazil and internationally, in battery minerals, gold, phosphates, niobium and rare earth elements. His experience includes planning and execution of exploration programs from early to advanced stage and mine expansion projects. Sousa has worked in senior roles in various states in Brazil for junior, mid-tier and major national and international companies including Equinox Gold, Lithium Ionic, OZ Minerals, Anglo American, Vale and Glencore. He brings to Oceana profound local knowledge and established relationships with professional service providers as well as local stakeholders. Sousa is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy – MAusIMM (CP).
Cintia Maia - Company Administrator, Brazil
Cintia Maia is manager, corporate and director of the company’s Brazilian operating subsidiary, Ceará Litio Mineração Ltda. She is an experienced corporate manager and administrator and a qualified accountant with over 20 years’ experience.
Maia is familiar with reporting requirements for Australian public companies, having previously worked as CFO for GRD Minproc, AMEC Canada and a number of other mining and industrial companies. She brings a wealth of practical experience to her role as the Company’s senior corporate officer in Brazil.
Carolina Carvalho - Manager Corporate Affairs, Brazil
Carolina Carvalho is an experienced corporate lawyer, having spent more than 15 years working with medium and large multinationals operating in Brazil. She has worked in mergers and acquisitions, tax planning and strategic business development across a number of industries including mining.
Quarterly Activities Report – March 2024
Chariot Corporation Limited (“Chariot”, “CC9” or the “Company”) is pleased to present our Activities Report and Appendix 5B for the period ending 31 March 2024. In the first quarter of 2024, the Company announced its first hard rock lithium discovery, which was made during the first phase of its diamond core drilling program at Black Mountain, Wyoming USA (“Phase 1 Drilling Program”). Details of the Phase 1 Drilling Program results are set forth below. Chariot is well-positioned for 2024 with adequate liquidity to support further exploration activities across its lithium portfolio and to continue to deliver shareholder value.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Maiden drilling campaign carried out at Black Mountain completed
- First three (3) drill holes all intersected high-grade spodumene mineralisation confirming the potential of the Black Mountain LCT pegmatite swarms
- Black Mountain project expanded by 218 contiguous claims resulting in a 206% increase in project tenure area
- Chariot group cash position of A$5.18 million as of 31 March 2024
Black Mountain Project
Phase 1 Drilling Program
The Phase 1 Drilling Program commenced on 10 November 2023, drilling triple tube HQ sized core using a Boart Longyear LF90 Surface Diamond Core Drill Rig. The Phase 1 Drilling Program was completed despite adverse weather conditions and a restrictive disturbance limit of only 5-acres required, under the Notice of Intent approved by Wyoming’s Bureau of Land Management. Unfortunately, the combination of the restrictive disturbance limit and the adverse weather conditions, severely limited the extent of drilling that could be undertaken in the Phase 1 Drilling Program. The Company is eager to move on to the next phase of drilling at Black Mountain and is positioning itself to do so with a substantially liberalized disturbance limit.
Black Mountain Hard Rock Lithium Potential
On 2 February 2024, the Company announced the initial assay results for the first three (3) drill holes, which had all intersected high-grade spodumene mineralisation confirming the potential of the Black Mountain LCT pegmatite swarms.
Notable results from the first three (3) holes included:
- BMDDH23_01 15.48m @ 1.12% Li2O and 79ppm Ta2O5 from 2.74m, including 4.27m @ 2.46% Li2O and 128 ppm Ta2O5 from 9.94m
- BMDDH23_02 14.33m @ 0.84% Li2O and 61ppm Ta2O5 from 1.83m, including 2.29m @ 3.09% Li2O and 138ppm Ta2O5 from 10.67m
- BMDDH23_03 18.81m @ 0.85% Li2O and 98ppm Ta2O5 from 45.26m, including 5.79m @ 1.08% Li2O and 105ppm Ta2O5 from 47.55m
Black Mountain Base Metals Potential
The upper section of BMDDH23_01 also intersected pyrite-pyrrhotite mineralisation, occurring as veinlets and dissemination within the biotite schist over an interval of approximately 100m. Based on the location of this drill hole relative to an 800m long by 150m wise zone of anomalous zinc-in-soils, the Company is optimistic that is has intersected the peripheral portion of a potentially larger base metal mineral system, with selected intervals grading up to 0.6% (6,012ppm) Cu, 1.0% (9,931ppm) Zn and 15.4% (154,412ppm) Pb. The zinc and lead anomalies are situated on the contact between metabasalt to the south and metasediments to the north coincident with a two-meter-wide zone of black massive chert outcrops along the southern margin of the soil anomaly.
Black Mountain Project Land Position Expanded
During the first quarter of 2024 the Company significantly expanded the footprint of the Black Mountain project by staking and filing with the Bureau of Land Management, 218 unpatented lode mining claims (“Claims”) totalling 1,807 ha of tenure (“BMX Claims”). The Black Mountain project now comprises 352 Claims covering 2,686 ha of tenure.
The BMX Claims are contiguous to the Company’s existing Black Mountain Claims and represent a 206% increase in the footprint of Black Mountain. The BMX Claims were staked as a buffer and to cover possible extensions to the pegmatite dike swarms under shallow cover at Black Mountain.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Chariot Corporation, 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.
Lithium Universe Limited (ASX: LU7) – Trading Halt
Description
The securities of Lithium Universe Limited (‘LU7’) will be placed in trading halt at the request of LU7, pending it releasing an announcement. Unless ASX decides otherwise, the securities will remain in trading halt until the earlier of the commencement of normal trading on Monday, 29 April 2024 or when the announcement is released to the market.
This article includes content from Lithium Universe Limited, 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.
Quarterly Activities and Cash Flow Report for the Quarter Ended 31 March 2024
Atlantic Lithium looks ahead to major near-term value-drivers as it advances the Ewoyaa Lithium Project towards shovel-readiness
The Board of Atlantic Lithium Limited (AIM: ALL, ASX: A11, OTCQX: ALLIF, “Atlantic Lithium” or the “Company”), the African-focused lithium exploration and development company targeting to deliver Ghana’s first lithium mine, is pleased to announce its Quarterly Activities and Cash Flow Report for the period ended 31 March 2024.
Highlights from the Reporting Period:
Project Development:
- Overwhelmingly strong local community support demonstrated at the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) Scoping Public Hearing in respect of the Company’s Ewoyaa Lithium Project (“Ewoyaa” or “the Project”) in Ghana.
- Completion and submission of Ewoyaa Feldspar Study and Downstream Conversion Study to Ghana’s Minerals Commission, as agreed under the terms of the grant of the Mining Lease for the Project.
- Engagement with industry-leading engineering firms with proven experience in Ghana ahead of tender process for the award of the Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (“EPCM”) contract.
- Further key strategic appointments in support of mine development.
Exploration:
- Assay results received for a total of 9,734m of drilling completed in 2023 over the new Dog-Leg target, Okwesi, Anokyi and Ewoyaa South-2 deposits, which sit outside of the current JORC (2012) compliant 35.3Mt @ 1.25% Li2O Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”)1 for the Project.
- Results reported during the period represent the final results for the 2023 drilling season, with a total of 25,898m drilled throughout the year.
- Multiple high-grade and broad drill intersections reported in results, including at Dog-Leg, where drilling intersected a shallow-dipping, near surface mineralised pegmatite body with true thicknesses of up to 35m.
- Highlight intersections include 69m at 1.25% Li2O from 45m and 83m at 1% Li2O from 36m at Dog-Leg.
- Completion of reverse circulation (“RC”) and diamond core (“DD”) resource growth drilling at the Dog-Leg target, with assays pending.
- Results of drilling completed in 2023 and results pending for 2024 to be incorporated into a MRE upgrade, targeted during H2 2024.
- Completion of 3,177m of plant site sterilisation drilling, with no mineralisation intersected, providing confidence in the proposed plant site location.
- Final approval received to commence field work at the newly-granted Senya Beraku prospecting licence.
- Promotion of Exploration Manager Iwan Williams to General Manager, Exploration and Country Manager Abdul Razak to Exploration Manager, Ghana following the decision of Head of Business Development & Chief Geologist Len Kolff to step down from his roles at the Company.
- Changes to the exploration team focused on enabling the advancement of the Company’s exploration asset pipeline and the evaluation of new value-accretive opportunities to ensure the long-term growth of the Company.
Corporate:
- Completion of the Minerals Income Investment Fund of Ghana’s (“MIIF”) Subscription for 19,245,574 Atlantic Lithium shares for a value of US$5m, representing Stage 1 of MIIF’s agreed total US$32.9 million Strategic Investment to expedite the development of the Project towards production.
- Strong interest for spodumene concentrate to be produced at Ewoyaa continues to be demonstrated from a range of industry players around the world through the Company’s ongoing competitive offtake partnering process to secure funding for a portion of the remaining 50% available feedstock from Ewoyaa.
- Formal bids from remaining interested parties expected to be received in the coming weeks ahead of final negotiations.
- Purchase of 24.3m Atlantic Lithium shares at a premium by major shareholder Assore International Holdings (“Assore”) from strategic funding partner Piedmont Lithium Inc. (NASDAQ: PLL; ASX: PLL, “Piedmont”).
- Further purchase of the Company’s shares from members of the Company’s senior leadership team, equating to a total value of A$5,192,393 (£2,794,015) since March 2023.
“With our sights firmly set on breaking ground at the Ewoyaa Lithium Project later this year, Atlantic Lithium remains fully focused on activities that de-risk the Project and move Ewoyaa closer to shovel-readiness.
“Key to achieving this milestone is the success of the ongoing permitting process, which is advancing as anticipated. We are proud to note the overwhelming support of our local communities, who, as demonstrated during the recent EPA Scoping Public Hearing, are eager to see Ewoyaa deliver the generational benefits expected to be brought about from lithium production in their municipality.
“Following the completion of its US$5m investment in the Company, we are delighted to welcome the Minerals Income Investment Fund of Ghana to the Atlantic Lithium share register as a highly valued local stakeholder and key funding partner. MIIF’s subscription represents the first stage of its planned US$32.9m total investment, expected to expedite the development of the Project. We continue to work closely with MIIF to complete the remainder of its planned Project- level investment in due course.
“Significant work in respect of the agreed terms of the grant of the Mining Lease for the Project has also been completed during the period. Both the Feldspar Study and Downstream Study have been finalised and submitted to the Minerals Commission, and we are working with the Ghana Stock Exchange and associated parties to enable our listing on the GSE as soon as possible.
“Concurrent to these, we continue to enhance the value of the Project; both through drilling completed in 2023 and planned for the remainder of 2024. Drilling completed in 2023 has delivered encouraging results, including new targets for follow-on work, to be undertaken in H2 2024. We look forward to incorporating the 2023 results and results to be received from drilling planned for H2 2024 into a MRE update later this year.
“I would like to congratulate Iwan Williams and Abdul Razak on their promotions, to General Manager, Exploration and Exploration Manager, Ghana, respectively, following Len’s decision to step down from his roles at the Company. Iwan and Razak have led the Company’s exploration activities alongside Len since before the delivery of the Maiden MRE at Ewoyaa in 2020, and are, therefore, well-credentialled to lead the Company’s exploration efforts, focused primarily on advancing our current portfolio of assets in West Africa, as well as assessing new opportunities in Ghana and elsewhere.
“On behalf of the Board, I would also like to thank Len for his significant contributions to the leadership of the Company throughout his nine years with Atlantic Lithium. His expertise has been fundamental to getting us to where we are today, notably his role in the discovery of the Project and for stepping up to assume the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer following the untimely passing of the Company’s founder, Vincent Mascolo. I wish him every success in his future endeavours.
“Looking forward, we have a number of other major catalysts in the months ahead of us. These include the conclusion of the competitive offiake partnering process for a portion of Ewoyaa’s remaining offiake available, which will serve as a major funding milestone for the Company, the ratification of the Mining Lease by parliament and, in line with the ongoing permitting process, the grant of the final permits; namely the EPA Permit and Mine Operating Permit, which are required by the Company to enable the commencement of construction at Ewoyaa.
“We look forward to updating the market on our progress in due course.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Atlantic Lithium, 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.
Forward Water Technologies
Overview
Forward Water Technologies (TSXV:FWTC) is helping lithium mining companies and other industries reduce their environmental impact through its innovative wastewater treatment technology that enables industrial operations to reduce liquid waste volume by up to 95 percent.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) ratings continue to be a key business strategy for organizations as they impact public perception and partnership possibilities. For water-intensive industries, such as mining, sustainable wastewater management is critical.
Transformative wastewater technologies are critical for both businesses and the world’s population. In fact, unless sufficient progress is achieved, UNICEF and WHO estimate that 1.6 billion people will be without access to safe drinking water by 2030, and 2.8 billion will be without access to safe sanitation and hygiene. Water treatment technologies can disrupt current trends and improve global access to safe drinking water.Through its Forward Osmosis (FO) technology, Forward Water is providing an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional wastewater disposal. Traditionally, wastewater disposal requires transporting untreated wastewater for deep well disposal or high-intensity thermal treatment.
Forward Water’s FO system is installed at the client site, and wastewater is treated to reduce waste volume and produce valuable clean water for reuse in the manufacturing process. Then, the significantly reduced volume of wastewater is transported and disposed of, significantly saving on transportation and disposal costs.
The FO technology targets three massive sectors: industrial wastewater, mining and food manufacturing. Forward Water’s unique and patented FO technology achieves high-rate water extraction within a low-energy continuous process. The process reduces waste and allows up to 95 percent water recovery, ready for reuse.
Forward Water’s Li-FO™ technology is ideal for lithium-brine mining operations, allowing mines to “fine tune” brine sources to improve concentration by up to 20 times. This results in improved recovery and makes lower-concentration brines economically viable. Forward Water is currently embarking on an early development testing project to further evaluate and refine the technology’s viability in lithium mining.
In 2023, the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Forward Water Technologies Inc., licensed specific intellectual property from FUJIFILM Corporation to solidify the protection of its water treatment technology platform.
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL,Frankfurt:T2N,OTC:CTLHF) has contracted FWT to provide advisory services for the support and development of CleanTech Lithium's direct lithium extraction (DLE) process in Chile. The collaboration will use FWT’s industrial forward osmosis system in the hyper-concentrating of CleanTech Lithium's eluate and its conversion into battery-grade lithium carbonate through Conductive Energy's DLE process.
Howie Honeyman, CEO, explained in an interview how the company’s technology can improve lithium mining operations. “A lot of lithium being mined today around the world is coming from underground aquifers that store the lithium brine. The challenge is that the lithium is surrounded by other minerals and salts, requiring chemical ‘tweezers’ to pluck out that lithium. What we can do is, at multiple places in that process, we can concentrate that lithium-containing water stream, which makes it far easier for these miners to handle the volumes they need to extract that lithium.”
An experienced management team with technical expertise leads the company towards further refining and deploying its technology. The team includes experts in materials science, chemistry and engineering. Additional experts in corporate administration and financing round out the leadership team to lead the company toward its goals.
Company Highlights
- Forward Water Technologies has developed a patented wastewater treatment technology that reduces wastewater volume and improves reusability across multiple industries, including mining and food manufacturing.
- The company’s Forward Osmosis (FO) technology disrupts the traditional method of wastewater disposal by reducing the amount of waste that must be transported and disposed of, directly reducing costs.
- The FO technology also improves water reusability by up to 95 percent, reducing the expense of importing water for industrial processes.
- The Forward Water Technologies Li-FO™ process is applicable in the lithium mining sector by improving concentration by up to 20 times, allowing organizations to improve extraction efficiency.
- The company has partnered with a lithium-brine extraction operation to evaluate its Li-FO™ technology.
- Forward Water Technologies is in early negotiations to deliver an FWTC forward osmosis pilot system on-site in Chile to support a customer's lithium extraction process.
- Forward Water Technologies has licensed specific intellectual property from FUJIFILM Corporation to solidify the protection of its water treatment technology platform.
- The company has been contracted by CleanTech Lithium to provide advisory services for the support and development of CleanTech Lithium's direct lithium extraction processes in Chile.
- An experienced management team with a blend of relevant technical expertise leads the company toward refining and marketing its technology.
Key Project
Forward Osmosis Water Treatment
Forward Osmosis is a naturally occurring process in which water is spontaneously drawn across a membrane when one solution is higher in salt concentration than the other. The difference in salinity, known as the osmotic gradient, creates a low-energy water treatment process.
Forward Water Technologies has leveraged the naturally occurring process to innovate its patented, three-step FO technology, enabling a 95 percent wastewater reduction and 95 percent water recovery.
Project Highlights:
- Patented Three-Step Process: Forward Water Technologies FO process achieves low-energy and high-rate water extraction with a unique three-step design:
- Water Extraction: Water is drawn across the FO membrane into a salt draw solution. The combination of the patented draw solution and unique membrane “locks” the draw solution on one side of the membrane, creating a true closed-loop process.
- Water/Salt Separation: Next, a switchable water salt (SWS) achieves water/salt separation as low-grade heat is applied, and it phases from liquid to gas. As the gas leaves the solution, clean water is left behind. The energy necessary for this step is often found in many facilities in the form of waste heat.
- Salt Draw Reconcentration: Finally, as the gas leaves the solution, it is captured within the closed-loop system and is passively cooled, causing it to phase back into liquid form as an SWS. The SWS liquid is collected and recycled back to the front of the membranes in the water extraction step, creating a continuous process.
- Widely Applicable Water Treatment: The low-energy process allows organizations across several industries to improve water reclamation and reduce wastewater by up to 95 percent. Additionally, the process allows for up to 20 times concentration, making the process amenable to lithium-brine extraction and other potential applications.
- Significant Cost Savings: The primary value proposition for the FO process is cost reduction in wastewater transportation and disposal. With the process in place, more water is reclaimed for reuse in manufacturing, which reduces the raw volume of wastewater that must be transported and disposed of.
Management Team
Howie Honeyman - Chief Executive Officer and President
Dr. Howie Honeyman has 20 years of experience commercializing new technologies at Xerox, Cabot, E Ink, Natrix Separations and as former CTO of GreenCentre Canada. Honeyman commercialized high-capacity, high-throughput membranes for bioprocessing as SVP of Natrix Separations, which has since been acquired by Millipore-Sigma. Since 2015, Honeyman has been leading Forward Water to become a premier wastewater treatment solution. Honeyman is also an inventor of record on over 50 US patents and holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Toronto.
Michael Willetts - Chief Financial Officer
Michael Willetts has over 25 years in financial leadership roles primarily in manufacturing, from large multinational businesses to startups, both public and private. He previously worked as an engineer in the automotive industry before entering into finance at Ford Motor Company. Willets went on to progressively larger finance roles in several international automotive suppliers (Textron, GKN, DSM) and Canadian manufacturers (Armtec, Stronach International, AirBoss of America). Willetts is currently providing fractional CFO services through WD Numeric Corporate Services in the manufacturing, SaaS and cannabis industries. Willetts graduated with a BASc, BComm and MBA from the University of Windsor.
Wayne Maddever - Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Wayne Maddever received his Ph.D. in materials science engineering from the University of Toronto. Since 1985, he has held senior executive management positions with technically based businesses in start-up, turnaround or acquisition situations where his skills in change management have brought considerable success in the commercialization of new technologies. His experience in both private and public companies, domestically and internationally, spans a broad variety of industries, including bio and advanced materials, precision manufacturing, recycling, waste-to-energy and medical devices. He holds a number of patents in several fields. He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. In addition to his duties as COO of Forward Water, he is currently portfolio manager at Bioindustrial Innovation Canada, one of the major shareholders of Forward Water.
Grant Thornley - VP Engineering Solution Sales
Grant Thornley is a business strategist with more than 25 years of experience. He has developed and grown international water/wastewater markets through innovative growth hacking techniques and processes, synergized with product development and positioning, data analytics and acceleration of go-to-market strategies through alliances and partnerships. Having expertise in chemical, mechanical and biological treatment processes as well as designing hundreds of municipal and industrial applications, Thornley brings a knowledge-to-action approach to helping clients solve problems and realize new opportunities in water reuse, energy conservation and CO2 reduction.
Leonard Seed - Director of Engineering & Operations
Leonard Seed has over 18 years of experience developing and commercializing new water and wastewater treatment technologies, primarily in a start-up environment. Seed is named as an inventor on over seven patents and has authored several publications. Seed is a professional engineer and has an MSc in environmental engineering from the University of Guelph. Leonard holds inventorship on seven US patents and is an instructor at Mohawk College teaching aspects of water treatment technologies and leading research efforts on forward osmosis.
Philip Jessop - Executive Research Director
Dr. Philip Jessop is a professor and Canada Research Chair of Green Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. He also serves as the technical director of GreenCentre Canada and executive research director at Forward Water Technologies. After his Ph.D. (British Columbia, 1991) and a postdoctoral appointment (Toronto, 1992), he became a contract researcher in Japan working for R. Noyori (Nobel Prize 2001). As a professor at the University of California-Davis (1996-2003) and since then at Queen’s, he has studied green solvents and the chemistry of carbon dioxide. Distinctions include the NSERC Polanyi Award (2008), Killam Research Fellowship (2010), Canadian Green Chemistry & Engineering Award (2012), Eni Award (2013), Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada (2013), a Canada Research Chair Tier 1 (2013 to 2020), and the NSERC Brockhouse Prize (2019). He serves as chair of the editorial board for the journal Green Chemistry, has chaired three international conferences, and helped create GreenCentre Canada, a national center of excellence for the commercialization of green chemistry technologies. Forward Water is a spin-off company based on Dr. Jessop’s switchable solvents.
Board Changes
Mr. Sondergaard's appointment to the Board follows his recent appointment as Country Manager for Canada, delivering on White Cliff's stated objective of building a first class operations team. Eric brings over 20 years of operational experience in the mining industry, including significant expertise in frontier exploration and project management. Notably, he played a pivotal role in the identification of key projects recently acquired by the Company and is an expert in remote project development, logistics and has a proven track record of creating value for shareholders.
In conjunction with Mr. Sondergaard's appointment, White Cliff Minerals also announces the retirement of Mr. Ed Mead (“Ed”) from the Board of Directors effective immediately however will continue to provide, as required, consulting services to the Company in relation to its Australian portfolio. The Company would like to thank Ed for his invaluable contribution throughout this transition phase. As part of this ongoing support, and in recognition of the valuable contribution to the formation of the newly focussed and revitalised White Cliff Minerals Ltd, Ed will maintain his full allocation of the Tranche A incentive scheme with the balance becoming void as per the terms and conditions of the incentive scheme itself.
As part of the Board restructure, Troy Whitaker will move to the role of Managing Director of the Company. The remuneration for both Eric and Troy remain unchanged.
Commenting on these developments, White Cliff Chairman, Roderick McIllree, stated: "The changes required to facilitate the change of strategic direction are now complete. We are delighted to welcome someone of Eric’s calibre with a proven track record to the Board. His involvement will be critical as the Company prepares for its maiden field campaign. We also extend our sincere thanks to Ed Mead for his dedication and service to the Company and wish him the best for his future endeavours."
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This article includes content from White Cliff Minerals Limited, 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.
Quarterly Activities Report for the Period Ended 31 March 2024
Oceana Lithium Limited (ASX: OCN, “Oceana” or “the Company”) is pleased to present its activities report for the March 2024 quarter.
Highlights
Solonópole Project, Ceará, Brazil
- Anomalous lithium values above 100 ppm (and up to 631 ppm) found in 383 soil samples within existing and new target areas.
- Integration and interpretation of these soil sample results with data from geophysics, geological mapping (138 line-km), trenching and RC drilling (~2,000m) further enhance prospectivity of existing and new targets.
- Combined datasets confirmed several swarms of pegmatite bodies striking in a NE-SW and E-W directions and identified new high priority areas.
- Nira interpreted to be the most prospective new target, with 180 soil samples of >100 ppm Li and as high as 524 ppm Li covering an area of at least 1km2.
- Nira also features 17 pegmatite outcrops with average widths of up to 30 meters and strike lengths from 200m to 600m.
- Planning for the next follow-up drilling campaign is underway.
Napperby Project, Northern Territory, Australia
- Oceana’s Napperby Project covers some of Arunta Province’s hottest granites plutons, the Wangala Granite (uranium) and Ennugan Mountains Granite (uranium/thorium).
- Both granite plutons show outstanding uranium/thorium ratios and are almost fully encapsulated within Napperby’s EL32836 and ELA32841.
- Follow-up exploration activities will target uranium and Rare Earth Elements (REEs) in parallel with Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) pegmatites.
Corporate
- Experienced geologist and mining executive, Aidan Platel, appointed as non- executive director.
- Brazilian-based geologist, Mike Sousa, appointed as Exploration Manager and Competent Person.
- The Company remains well-funded with cash at 31 March of ~$2.67m.
Solonópole Project, Ceará State, Brazil
The Solonópole Project area is located in the state of Ceará, north-eastern Brazil and consists of ten (10) exploration permits covering approximately 124km2 (Figure 1), owned by Oceana’s subsidiary Ceará Litio. The project is approximately three to four hours by road from the state capital Fortaleza and deep-water port of Pecém, and is well serviced by sealed highways and high voltage electricity.
Figure 1: Solonópole Project permits and targets drilled in May – June 2023 (red dots)
Large-Scale Soil Sampling and Geological Mapping at Solonópole Lithium Project
The large-scale infill soil sampling program that commenced in March 2023 continued over the project area (Figure 2). The optimized sampling grids are along 200m spaced lines with 25m sampling stations, aligned north south to cut across all typical pegmatite strike directions in this area.
As at 31 March 2024, over 10,300 soil samples had been collected from Solonópole and 8,741 soil samples had been analysed by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) for Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) pathfinders, of which 1,908 soil samples have lab results validated by Oceana´s internal QA/QC. Anomalous lithium values above 100 ppm and up to 631 ppm were found in 383 soil samples within existing and new target areas.
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This article includes content from Oceana Lithium, 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.
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