First Results from Metallurgical Testwork at Mcdermitt Lithium Project

Jindalee Resources Limited (Jindalee, the Company) is pleased to advise initial head assay results have been received for metallurgical samples from Jindalee’s 100% owned McDermitt Lithium Project in Oregon, USA (McDermitt, Project).

• Head assays received for McDermitt metallurgical samples being tested at Hazen (US) and managed by Fluor
• Head assays average 1790 ppm Li, 34% higher than average McDermitt resource grade (Indicated and Inferred) of 1340 ppm Li¹
• Benefication currently underway expected to further increase head grade prior to acid leach testwork

These samples average 0.179% Li (1790 ppm) (Table 1), 34% higher than the average grade of the current McDermitt Indicated and Inferred resource grade of 0.134% Li (1340 ppm)¹, suggesting excellent potential to process shallow, higher grade ore early in the mine life, with positive implications for Project economics.

Table 1. Head Assays from McDermitt metallurgical samples (rounded to 3 significant decimal places).

Discussion

In March 2023 Jindalee announced that global engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance (EPCM) company Fluor Corporation (NYSE: FLR) (Fluor) had reviewed metallurgical testwork undertaken at McDermitt and had determined that acid leaching with ore beneficiation (to upgrade the leach head grade) delivered the lowest operating costs and best financial outcome among the alternatives considered².

Fluor also noted that the very large Mineral Resource at McDermitt (21.5 Mt LCE, Table 2)¹ allows flexibility in development, providing the opportunity to optimise mining and feed higher grade ore early in the mine life and recommended that a comprehensive metallurgical testwork program be undertaken to provide information upon which the preferred flowsheet for the processing of McDermitt ore can be defined.

Figure 1 - Plan view of the McDermitt Lithium Project with 2023 Mineral Resource1 (at 1523mRL), completed drilling, Section C-C’ & schematic conceptual pit shells (Pit Shell 5: 0-20 Yr).

Jindalee’s geological team has recently relogged all holes drilled at McDermitt and this work has resulted in the recognition of up to 12 distinctive stratigraphic units which can be tracked across the Project (Figure 2). Four of these units (Units 4, 6, 8 and 10) carry elevated lithium grades and selective mining of these units has the potential to deliver higher grade material for processing.

In June 2023 leading mine engineering group Cube Consulting generated conceptual pit shells using the McDermitt MRE geological model (Figures 1 & 2) to assist with selection of samples for the metallurgical testwork program, which is being managed by Fluor³. Samples from Units 4, 6, 8 and 10 within the Indicated portion of Pit Shell 5 (nominal 20 years) were selected and approximately 700kg of drill core was despatched to consultant metallurgists Hazen for testing, with initial results from this work now being reported.

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