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Jindalee Lithium Limited (Jindalee, the Company) is pleased to present its Quarterly Report.
- Jindalee raises $6.1M via Placement, Convertible Notes and Entitlement Issue
- Funding enables completion of optimised McDermitt PFS and advances permitting and engagement with US Government agencies, local community and strategic partners
- US Department of Energy to fund Cooperative Research and Development Agreement focussed on reducing costs at McDermitt and minimising environmental impact
- McDermitt PFS progressing well and on schedule for delivery Q4 2024
US LITHIUM
McDermitt Lithium Project (Jindalee 100%)
In February 2023, Jindalee Lithium Limited (Jindalee or the Company) announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) at Jindalee’s 100% owned McDermitt Lithium Project (McDermitt or the Project) (Table 1)1.
The 2023 MRE for McDermitt contains a combined Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource Inventory of 3.0 Billion tonnes at 1,340 ppm lithium (Li) for a total of 21.5 Million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade. At 21.5 Mt LCE, McDermitt is the largest lithium deposit in the United States (US) by contained lithium in Mineral Resource, and a globally significant resource, with the deposit remaining open to the west and south.
Table 1 – Summary of 2023 McDermitt MRE1 at the reporting cut-off of 1,000 ppm. Note: totals may vary due to rounding
Metallurgical Test Work
The McDermitt flowsheet contemplates beneficiation of mined ore (to upgrade the leach head grade and remove acid consuming gangue minerals) followed by acid leaching and subsequent purification steps to produce battery grade lithium carbonate. The test work has been undertaken at Hazen Research Inc, laboratories in Colorado, US and managed by global engineering, procurement, construction and maintenance company Fluor Corporation (Fluor).
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This article includes content from Jindalee Lithium 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.
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Jindalee Lithium
Overview
Jindalee Lithium (ASX:JLL,OTCQX:JNDAF) is an Australia-based exploration and development company advancing North America’s largest lithium deposit. After a spinout of its Australian assets, Jindalee has become a pure-play lithium company focused exclusively on its promising 100-percent-owned McDermitt project. Jindalee recognises the vast opportunity for lithium projects in the US as the country progresses towards its sustainable energy transition and developing a robust domestic supply chain for critical minerals.
As the US strives to transition to clean energy, demand for lithium will continue to increase as this critical mineral is necessary to achieve the country’s net-zero goals. With its favorable mining policies and infrastructure, the US actively supports the advancement of new projects to strengthen its domestic supply chain.
Jindalee’s McDermitt asset, located in southeast Oregon, contains a unique type of lithium mineralisation. Most lithium projects in North America are lithium brine or pegmatite deposits; however, the McDermitt project is an unconventional sediment-hosted lithium asset.
Sediment-hosted lithium deposits such as McDermitt are long-life assets with low strip ratios and low mining costs. Jindalee can leverage this advantage over other lithium assets, both in terms of reaching production faster and reducing operating expenses.
There is currently no commercially operating sediment-hosted lithium project in North America. Two recently announced projects, however, are under development and demonstrate McDermitt’s future trajectory as both companies move toward production.
The 2023 mineral resources estimate (MRE) for McDermitt contains a combined indicated and inferred mineral resource inventory of 3 billion tons at 1,340 parts per million (ppm) lithium for a total of 21.5 million tons (Mt) lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade. At 21.5 Mt LCE, McDermitt is the largest lithium deposit in the US by contained lithium in mineral resource, and a globally significant resource, with the deposit remaining open to the west and south.
In June 2023, Jindalee commenced a pre-feasibility study (PFS) on the McDermitt Lithium Project appointing Fluor Corporation as lead engineer. The company expects completion of the PFS by mid-2024. Jindalee also announced initial metallurgical results from acid leaching of the beneficiated samples of McDermitt ore. Lithium extraction from composite samples averaged 93 percent (250 micron (µm)) and 94 percent (75 µm) while lithium extraction from all units exceeded 98 percent with higher acid additions.
In a move that signifies the US government's support of the McDermitt lithium project, the US Department of Energy's Ames National Laboratory signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Jindalee's subsidiary HiTech Minerals to develop cutting-edge extraction methods for the McDermitt project. The Ames National Laboratory spearhead the DOE's Critical Materials Innovation Hub
An experienced management team, with the right blend of experience and expertise in geology, corporate administration and international finance, leads Jindalee to fully capitalise on the potential of its assets.
Company Highlights
- Jindalee Lithium is a pure-play lithium exploration and development company focusing on its flagship McDermitt lithium project, currently the largest lithium deposit in North America.
- The United States has ambitious electrification goals but lacks the critical minerals to reach them. Jindalee aims to strengthen the North American supply chain to enable the country to reach net-zero emissions targets.
- Globally, most of the lithium is currently sourced from either pegmatite or lithium brine deposits. The company’s McDermitt deposit, however, is sediment-hosted, an emerging style of lithium deposit with the potential to be a long-life, low-cost source of lithium.
- There are presently no sediment-hosted lithium assets in North America that have reached production. Jindalee is ideally positioned to help fill this void in the market.
- Other companies in North America are moving towards production, and their progress indicates Jindalee’s future trajectory.
- An experienced management team leads Jindalee towards capitalising on the potential of its assets.
Key Project
McDermitt Lithium Project
The McDermitt Project is located in Malheur County on the Oregon-Nevada border and is approximately 35 kilometres west of the town of McDermitt. The 100-percent-owned asset covers 54.6 square kilometres of claims at the northern end of the McDermitt volcanic caldera. Following positive results from its 2022 drill campaign, the resource at McDermitt has increased to 21.5 Mt LCE, making McDermitt the largest lithium deposit in North America.
Project Highlights:
- Rare Sediment-hosted Lithium Deposits: The McDermitt asset supports low-cost mining operations due to its flat-lying sediments. This type of lithium deposit is amenable to low-cost mining operations, while still producing excellent metallurgical results.
- Resource Increased by 62 percent early 2023: Compilation of the 2022 drilling results saw the estimated indicated and inferred resources at McDermitt increase to 3 billion tons at 1,340 ppm lithium, a 62 percent increase in contained lithium. The updated resource released by the company contains a combined indicated and inferred total of 21.5 Mt LCE at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with POSCO Holdings: Jindalee entered into an MOU with POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX), under which POSCO will fund metallurgical testwork on McDermitt ore and undertake joint research for the asset. POSCO is partnering with General Motors to supply cathode active material (including lithium) for its electric vehicles.
- Fluor recommended processing route: In March 2023, US engineering group Fluor reviewed all testwork undertaken at McDermitt and recommended beneficiation and acid leaching as the optimal processing route.
- Highly encouraging metallurgical testwork: Results from beneficiation and acid leaching tests have exceeded expectations. Beneficiation testwork completed in late 2023 (on sample representing a nominal life-of-mine average feed) recovered 92 percent of the lithium to leach feed and rejected 25.3 percent of the mass at a cut size of 250 µm. Additionally the acid leach test work announced in early 2024 demonstrated very high lithium extraction rates on beneficiated ore. Specifically, the calculated lithium extraction for a composite sample using 250 µm leach feed was 92.9 percent which compares favourably with the extraction rate (94 percent) achieved through testwork from the finer (75 µm) leach feed using 500 kg/t acid. Further testwork is now underway.
- PFS in progress: Jindalee has appointed Fluor Corporation to commence the PFS for McDermitt, set to be completed by mid-2024.
Management Team
Ian Rodger - Chief Executive Officer
Ian Rodger is a qualified mining business executive with almost 15 years of experience in various roles including as a mining engineer for Rio Tinto across two large greenfield mine developments, before successfully transitioning into mining corporate finance where he held Executive and Director positions at RFC Ambrian overseeing origination and management of numerous mandates across a range of corporate advisory roles. Rodger was the project director for Oz Minerals (ASX:OZL) where he made significant contributions to successfully define the value potential of the West Musgrave nickel/copper province through the delivery of a portfolio of growth studies. Most notably, he led technical, market and partnership development workstreams, successfully confirming value potential for producing an intermediate Nickel product for the battery value chain.
Rodger holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Mineral Economics from Curtin University and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Lindsay Dudfield - Executive Director
Lindsay Dudfield is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in multi-commodity exploration, primarily within Australia. He held senior positions with the mineral divisions of Amoco and Exxon. In 1987, he became a founding director of Dalrymple Resources NL and spent the following eight years helping acquire and explore Dalrymple’s properties, leading to several greenfield discoveries. In late 1994, Lindsay joined the board of Horizon Mining NL (Jindalee Lithium’s predecessor) and has been responsible for managing Jindalee Lithium since inception. Lindsay is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Geological Society of Australia and the Society of Economic Geologists. He is also a non-executive director of Jindalee spin-out companies Energy Metals (ASX:EME), Dynamic Metals (ASX:DYM) and Alchemy Resources (ASX:ALY).
Wayne Zekulich - Non-executive Chair
Wayne Zekulich was appointed to the board as Chair on 1 February 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Business and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Zekulich is a consultant and non-executive director who has substantial experience in advising, structuring and financing transactions in the infrastructure and resources sectors. He was previously the head of Rothschild in Perth, chief financial officer of Gindalbie Metals Limited, chief development officer of Oakajee Port and Rail and a consultant to a global investment bank. Currently, he is chair of Pantoro Limited (ASX:PNR) and non-executive director of the Western Australian Treasury Corporation. In the not-for-profit sector, he is the past chair of the Lester Prize and is a mentor in the Kilfinan program.
Darren Wates - Non-executive Director
Darren Wates is a corporate lawyer with over 23 years of experience in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, resources, project acquisitions/divestments and corporate governance gained through private practice and in-house roles in Western Australia. Wates is the founder and principal of Corpex Legal, a Perth-based legal practice providing corporate, commercial and resources related legal services, primarily to small and mid-cap ASX listed companies. In this role, he has provided consulting general counsel services to ASX listed company Neometals (ASX:NMT) since 2016, having previously been employed as legal counsel of Neometals. Wates holds Bachelor's degrees in Law and Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
Paul Brown - Non-executive Director
Paul Brown has over 23 years of experience in the mining industry, most recently with Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) where he was chief executive – lithium, and chief executive – commodities. Brown has held senior operating roles with Leighton, HWE and Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and has a strong track record in technical leadership, project/studies management, and mine planning and management. Brown is currently CEO of Hastings Technology Metals (ASX:HAS). He holds a Master in Mine Engineering.
Brett Marsh - VP Geology and Development (US)
Brett Marsh is an AIPG certified professional geologist and a registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) with over 25 years of diverse mining and geological experience. He has worked for and held senior leadership roles for Kastan Mining, Luna Gold, Kiska Metals, Newmont, Freeport-McMoRan, Phelps Dodge, ASARCO and consulted to deliver numerous NI 43-101 technical reports. Marsh has demonstrated the ability to deliver results in culturally diverse and geographically difficult environments, such as Brazil, Peru, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Indonesia, Australia, and has also worked in remote areas of Alaska. He has managed all phases of the mining lifecycle including greenfield and brownfield exploration, project development (including preliminary economic assessments, pre-feasibility and feasibility), project construction, mine operations, and environmental. He successfully led multi-cultural teams to develop business processes and implementation plans for many mine development and operational projects.
Carly Terzanidis - Company Secretary
Carly Terzanidis has 20 years of prior experience in the financial services industry, having been employed by Euroz Hartleys, DJ Carmichael and Shaw and Partners. Terzanidis’ recent experience has been in corporate services and in the role of company secretary for resources-focused entities. Terzanidis acts as company secretary for Alchemy Resources (ASX:ALY), Kalamazoo Resources (ASX:KZR) and Viridis Mining and Minerals (ASX:VMM). Terzanidis holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Accounting and Corporate Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance.
Exploration Update
Highlights
- Mobilisation of crews for detailed geophysical survey over the identified 10km antimony corridor at Yallalong.
- Heritage clearance confirmed over two priority antimony drill targets, Discovery and Central, in preparation for drilling to commence.
- Drilling to focus on extending the existing high-grade antimony mineralisation along strike and at depth over the Discovery target.
- Heritage surveys over next 2 priority antimony targets planned for early December.
- Drill site preparation underway at the large Byro REE & Li project in readiness for metallurgical core drilling to commence mid-November.
Yallalong Antimony
The Yallalong project is located ~ 220km to the northeast of the port town of Geraldton in Western Australia and comprises two granted Exploration Licences, E70/5051 (100% owned) with an exploration area of 63.4km2 and E09/2823 (100% owned) with an exploration area of 94km2.
The antimony (Sb) mineralisation identified at Yallalong appears to occur within a 10km north- south striking mineralised corridor that is interpreted to be related to a structural corridor between the Darling and Woodrarung faults. (Refer ASX announcement 17 September 2024)
Octava will begin detailed gravity and seismic surveys over the identified antimony corridor at Yallalong. Teams will mobilise on ground in the coming days. The geophysical surveys will provide details on the key structures such as shears & faults which act as conduits to mineralising fluids. It will also provide better understanding of the key lithological boundaries.
Figures 1 Outcrop at the Discovery Prospect, Yallalong Project
POW applications covering the 4 priority antimony targets have been approved. These approvals cover the exploration and planned drilling of the antimony targets at the Yallalong Project.
The two priority targets, Discovery and Central, have confirmed heritage clearance, clearing the path for drilling to commence. Heritage surveys covering the No.4 and North targets are expected to be completed by early December in preparation for drilling early in the new year.
The drilling at the Discovery target will focus on extending the previously intersected high-grade antimony mineralisation, both along strike and at depth, with the aim of outlining an antimony resource. Drilling at the Central target will test anomalous antimony at surface, as no drilling has been carried out previously.
Byro
The Byro Project is located on the Byro Plains of the Gascoyne Region, Western Australia, 220 km south-east of Carnarvon and 650 km north of Perth. The Byro project is prospective for rare earths (REE’s), lithium and base metals. (Refer ASX announcement 24 January 2024)
Previous GSWA regional soil sampling and RC drilling has recorded wide areas and large intercepts of anomalous REE, Li & other elements including V and Zn. Previous work identifies an area of mineralisation occurring over more than 30km in strike length and 15km in width. See Figure 2.
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This article includes content from Octava 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 September 2024
Highlights
- Galan becomes the first mining company to apply for the Argentine ‘RIGI’, an incentive regime for large scale investments
- Strong lithium inventory build with over 6,000 tonnes LCE in ponds. Average lithium grade and evaporation rates in line with Phase 1 DFS
- First production from HMW is targeted for H2 2025. Overall project completion is approximately 45%
- Earthworks on ponds 5 and 6 complete; overall pond construction 76% complete with liner installation on ponds 55% complete
- Public consultation, one of the final steps towards the grant of Phase 2 construction permits, finished
- US$40 million offtake prepayment MOU with Chemphys
- Fully subscribed Entitlement Offer as part of a A$25m equity capital raising to support full funding of Phase 1 of HMW
- Cash of A$2.4m, capital raising proceeds of A$14m received subsequent to the end of the quarter
Figure 1. HMW Project looking north
Operations
HMW Project, Argentina (100% Galan)
The operational de-risking of Phase 1 of HMW advanced during the period. Lithium chloride inventories continued to build in the pond system to a current position of approximately 6,000 tonnes LCE. Lithium grades, flow rates and evaporation rates remained consistent with Feasibility Study expectations.
Galan has built approximately 730,000 m2 of evaporation area, allowing for an inventory build-up of up to 10,000 t LCE before the need to process the lithium chloride through a liming plant. The overall completion of the HMW Phase 1 project now sits at approximately 45% with 76% of the ponds constructed and 55% of the ponds lined. First production from HMW is anticipated in the second half of 2025. An initial production rate of 4,000 tpa LCE will be targeted before an expansion to production level 5,400tpa LCE when market conditions allow.
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This article includes content from Galan 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.
Quarterly Activities/Appendix 5B Cash Flow Report
HIGHLIGHTS
1. High Grade Lithium Results The latest drill results at the Rio Grande Sur Project demonstrated lithium concentrations exceeding 500mg/L, enhancing project value and supporting an anticipated resource upgrade. These results reenforce the project’s significant potential
2. Pilot Plant Milestone On Track
The 250 tpa Lithium Carbonate Pilot Plant is set for initial production by late 2024, a key milestone that moves the project closer to generating revenue and showcases Pursuit’s commitment to advancing value-creating phases.
3. Focused Resource and Feasibility Expansion With recent drill data, Pursuit is targeting a resource upgrade and continues its feasibility study scheduled for delivery in H1, 2025. These developments pave the way for potential commercial scaling, aligning with value driven growth.
4. Offtake Discussions Ongoing
Advanced negotiations for offtake agreements for lithium carbonate from the Pilot Plant focus on securing product demand and building revenue streams, all whilst minimising cash burn and supporting continuous production targets.
5. Strategic Review of Commando Gold Project The Commando Gold Project, with high grade intersections and renewed market interest, is being evaluated for review for potential exploration or partnerships, aligning with Pursuit’s low-cost strategy to create shareholder value from underutilised assets.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
During the September 2024 quarter, Pursuit Minerals Ltd (“Pursuit” or “Company”) has continued to advance through numerous engineering and geological workstreams, permitting approval processes and stakeholder engagement activities at our flagship Rio Grande Sur Lithium Project in the Salta province of Argentina.
Rio Grande Sur (RGS) Lithium Project Argentina
The Rio Grande Sur Project comprises of 5 tenements prospective for lithium on the Rio Grande Salar in the Salta province of Argentina, in addition to a Lithium Carbonate Pilot Plant located in the city of Salta. The five tenements cover approximately 9,233 hectares (Table 1).
Table 1 – Rio Grande Sur Tenement Schedule
Rio Grande Sur Stage 1 Drilling Campaign.
During the quarter, Pursuit announced the preliminary results of Drill Hole 2 / DDH-2 at the Sal Rio 02 tenement (announcement dated 29 August 2024) with full results announced following the end of the period (See announcement dated 30 October 2024.)
DDH-2 achieved a depth of 500m, with Pursuit’s on-site geologists and drilling team having been extremely encouraged by the geological units encountered across the depths of the hole.
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This article includes content from Pursuit Minerals, 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.
Jindalee Lithium Investor Kit
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