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Ioneer Ltd. (ASX:INR, Nasdaq: IONR), Nasdaq: IONR), Nasdaq: IONR) aims to develop a source of both lithium and boron for the US domestic supply chain. The company owns 100 percent of the only lithium-boron deposit in North America and one of two known lithium-boron deposits globally. Its flagship asset, the Nevada Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project, is the most advanced lithium development project in the United States and has the potential for future low-cost production. An experienced management team with expertise throughout the natural resources industry leads Ioneer towards its goals.
The Rhyolite Ridge Project is unique both within North America and globally due to its lithium-boron deposits. Both elements are necessary for decarbonisation, making the asset ideal for supporting the United States’ goals of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. A 2020 definitive feasibility study (DFS) confirmed the project is a world-class lithium and boron asset with a long mine life and strong economics.
Ioneer has entered into a joint venture agreement with Sibanye Stillwater Ltd (Sibanye-Stillwater) (NYSE:SBSW) to advance the Rhyolite Ridge project once a final investment decision is made. Ioneer will remain the operator of the asset, and the new partner will contribute US$490 million in exchange for a 50 percent interest in a joint venture to support the development of the Rhyolite Ridge Project.
Company Highlights
- Ioneer Ltd is an exploration and development mining company with a 100-percent-owned advanced-stage lithium-boron asset in the United States.
- The company’s goal is to reach production and become an important source for the domestic US supply chain with lithium and boron, elements necessary for decarbonisation.
- Rhyolite Ridge, the company’s flagship lithium-boron asset, is the only deposit of its kind in North America and is one of two known lithium-boron deposits globally.
- A definitive feasibility study (DFS) indicates the asset has the potential to become a world-class project with a long mining life and strong economics.
- The DFS forecasts that the Rhyolite Ridge asset can produce batteries necessary for nearly 400,000 EVs per year.
- Ioneer has entered into binding lithium offtake agreements with automotive and electronics manufacturers, securing a future revenue stream once the project reaches production.
- The company has entered into a joint venture agreement with Sibanye-Stillwater to contribute US$490 million in exchange for a 50 percent interest in the project.
- With a term sheet finalised, the U.S. Department of Energy has offered a conditional commitment for a loan of up to US$700 million to develop the Rhyolite Ridge Project
- With debt and equity commitments of nearly US$1.2 billion, Ioneer is primed to commence construction upon final permitting and well positioned to become a cornerstone supplier of lithium to the domestic US EV battery supply chain.
- An experienced management team with expertise throughout the mining industry, including lithium and boron, guide the company towards its mission of supporting the domestic U.S. supply chain.
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INR:AU
Spodumene Pegmatite Discovery at Esperança Project in Brazil Yields LIBS Results up to 4.04% Li2O
The discovery has been made during early-stage exploration programs which include project scale geological mapping, ground reconnaissance, and soil sampling. These early-stage programs remain ongoing with further results to come over the coming weeks. The discovery supports the Company’s exploration thesis and uplifts the remaining prospectivity across all three project areas: Canabrava, Caraíbas and Esperança projects.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Artisanal excavations reveal a lithium bearing pegmatite with elongate crystalline spodumene crystals up to 50cm in length
- LIBS (Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) results of spodumene crystals return up to 18,800 ppm Lithium, or 4.04% Li2O
- Discovery provides walk up drill target for fully funded drilling campaign to begin Q1 2025
- Soil sampling and geological mapping continues across the Esperança, Canabrava and Caraíbas projects with further results due over the coming weeks
Lightning Minerals Managing Director Alex Biggs said, “I am highly encouraged by these results from Brazil. As I have spoken about, as a team we are committed to discovery and completing our works in a diligent and structured manner, the proof of which is in these results. The Company is progressing its projects in Brazil quickly and cost effectively and generating significant results for the business which we feel will be transformational. I am proud of and congratulate our geology teams both in Australia and Brazil who have conducted themselves in a professional and astute manner which has been crucial in making a discovery such as this. This is a great first step for us in Brazil and is testament to the prospectivity of the region as I have discussed previously. We look forward to drilling in Q1 2025 and further results to come imminently from all three project areas in Brazil. I would also like to thank our shareholders who have supported our vision and exploration strategy. As a Company we are firmly committed to the lithium thematic and firmly committed to Brazil where we see significant potential moving forwards”.
Lithium Discovery at Esperança Project
During geological mapping fieldwork conducted in mid-November 2024 field geologists encountered a previously unknown historical artisanal mine within the Esperança project area. The site presented with a small access which opened into a set of sub vertical shafts sunk several meters into schists of the Salinas formation. Upon investigation the geology team has discovered pegmatitic lithologies in the walls of the excavations, of which the suite of minerals indicates inclusion of macro crystalline (up to 50cm) elongate crystals of spodumene as shown in Figure 1(a) and Figure 1(b).
Figure 1a (left): Brazilian geologist Vitor Araujo Alves showing the spodumene rich portion of the zoned pegmatite discovered at the Esperança Property. Figure 1b (right): Large elongate spodumene crystals (Spd) up to 50cm in length showing homogeneous growth patterns amongst a quartz (Qtz) and Feldspar (Fdsp) rich matrix
The Company’s geologists have collected selective mineral specimen grab samples in sample VLM207 (Figure 2). Six separate minerals have been analysed via a SciAps Z-903 hand-held LIBS (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) device which has returned lithium endowment of up to 18,800 ppm lithium, which equates to a lithium oxide percentage of 4.04% Li2O.
The SciAps Z-903 handheld LIBS device is considered a qualitative analysis technique only and is used as an in-field preliminary check to establish if a mineral is lithium-bearing. Certified laboratory assays are required to provide accurate, quantitative analysis. A table of the six SciAps Z-903 handheld LIBS results testing the spodumene crystals is shown in Table 1. A full table of results are presented in Appendix 2, Table 2.
While the current field observations indicate that the mineral identified is a lithium-bearing mineral, the percentage of lithium produced from the LIBS analyser does not correlate to an accurate quantitative measurement of the lithium concentration of the mineral itself, or to the overall grade of the pegmatite.
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