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Metals Australia Limited (“Metals Australia”, the “Company” or “MLS”) is pleased to report its activities for the Quarter ended 30 June 2024 (“Quarter”):
Corporate
- Tanya Newby commenced as Company CFO and Joint Company Secretary1 on 27 May 2024. Tanya is a highly experienced finance executive with a broad background in the resources sector. Consistent with the strategy set by the board, Tanya’s appointment reflects the increased commercial and financial demands on the Company as it rapidly advances the Company’s portfolio of high quality critical and precious minerals on their exploration and development pathways.
- The Company’s cash balance at the end of the Quarter was $17.35 million (Q3 17.86 million), following net outflows of $510k, which included $601K spent on exploration, metallurgical test work and project studies, offset by net Canadian gains of $92K (tax benefits offset by small FX adjustment). All staffing, consultant and administration costs were completely offset by interest earned on fixed term deposits of $314K. Please see details in the Appendix 5b.
Exploration & Project Development
Canadian Projects:
Lac Carheil Graphite – Critical Minerals Project, Quebec, Canada:
Development of Critical & Strategic Minerals 2020-20252. During the Quarter considerable effort was applied to increasing the Company’s profile with government agencies and stakeholders. The project name was changed to Lac Carheil to better reflect its proximity to the major water feature of the same name and to avoid confusion among stakeholders. Various engagements, including consultations, led directly to the submission of an exploration impact assessment for the planned drilling program, consistent with the government’s new regulatory requirements. The Company awaits approval for the program. The Company entered into a series of agreements and launched six work programs, all required as part of our prefeasibility assessment (PFS)3. Major work agreed, underway or planned, included:
- Metallurgical & Laboratory Services – The appointments of SGS Laboratories in Lakefield, Ontario and a specialist client advisor to oversee metallurgical test-work programs associated with the PFS. Test work is advancing with results informing the PFS design team.
- Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) – Lycopodium Minerals, Canada have commenced design for a 100,000 tonnes per annum flake-graphite concentrate plant, building on the 2021 Scoping Study results4 that demonstrated Lac Carheils potential to generate high operating margins over an initial 14-year mine life - based on the current Mineral Resource alone.
- Downstream graphite purification processing assessment, plant location and Scoping Study to produce battery anode material. ANZAPLAN, a world-leading, German based, metallurgical test-work and process engineering design group will substantially advance on the outstanding results of previous downstream product test-work that produced battery grade (99.96% graphitic carbon (Cg)) spherical graphite (SpG) with excellent battery charging and discharge performance5.
- Drilling and full-service support contract signed with Magnor Exploration to complete the drilling and other exploration programs for Mineral Resource expansion and to test new regional targets at Lac Carheil, where the current Mineral Resource is contained within only 1km of a demonstrated 36km strike-length of high-grade graphitic trends6.
- Product marketing and pricing strategy – Lonestar Technical Minerals has been appointed to guide development of an overall marketing and pricing program for Lac Carheil graphite products.
- Social and stakeholder engagement services – An agreement has just commenced with Quebec based Transfert Environmental to assist with stakeholder engagement.
- Considerable progress was also made on the Mineral Resource estimation, mining, geotechnical, tailings and environmental scopes of work – which are all close to award, subject to a final drilling permit being awarded.
Figure 1: Lac Carheil Graphite Project: Resource Zone, High-grade sample sites, EM indicated graphitic trends
Corvette River Li, Au, Ag & Cu Project – Quebec, Canada
During the Quarter, the Company rapidly advanced planning, design and permitting for an extensive, phased, exploration program at Corvette River (see Figure 2). The aims of the exploration program are to follow up on promising Lithium bearing pegmatites, previously reported as the CR17 Pegmatite (adjacent to Patriot Battery Metals( ASX: PMT) CV9 discovery8,9) and the CS1 Pegmatite10, and historical field sampling with promising gold, silver and copper results11. The Company’s exploration permit, which includes trenching and drilling, was approved during the Quarter.
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Metals Australia
Overview
Metals Australia (ASX:MLS) is a mineral exploration company with a high-quality portfolio of advanced battery minerals and metals projects in Tier 1 mining jurisdictions of Western Australia and Canada. The portfolio comprises two critical minerals projects in Quebec, Canada — the Lac Carheil flake graphite project and the Corvette River lithium (and gold) project. The Australian portfolio comprises four projects: Tennant Creek (copper-gold) in the Northern Territory and Warrambie (lithium, nickel-copper, gold), Murchison (gold) and Manindi (lithium, vanadium-titanium, zinc) – all in Western Australia.
The push for net zero targets and the call from policymakers to transition to cleaner energy has intensified the focus on electric vehicles (EVs) and battery storage. The EV automakers and battery manufacturers, rely on essential materials such as graphite and metals, including lithium, nickel, copper and cobalt, to manufacture the batteries that are used in these vehicles and storage batteries generally. This has driven carmakers and battery manufacturers to partner with battery material suppliers under direct off-take agreements. Further, some automakers/battery manufacturers are buying equity stakes in miners, involving them directly in financing decisions for the development of mining projects. This is encouraging for companies such as Metals Australia as it actively advances its projects towards development.
Figure 2 – Graphite is a Critical Mineral required for the mass electrification of auto transportation.
Metals Australia is focused on progressing its flagship Lac Carheil flake graphite project in Quebec, Canada. The project is well-positioned to supply high quality graphite products, including battery-grade graphite to the North American market – including for lithium-ion and EV battery production in the future. The company announced positive sampling results across a 36-km strike length of identified graphite trends at Lac Carheil, including many values over 20% Cg and an exceptionally high-grade sample containing over 63% Cg. The company has planned a drilling program to test new high-grade zones identified from the sampling program, which will form the basis for upgrading the existing Lac Carheil Mineral Resource. An application for the drilling program is progressing with the Quebec regulator. Additionally, the company has recently commenced a Flake Graphite concentrate prefeasibility study with Lycopodium in Ontario and a downstream battery anode plant design with ANZAPLAN in Germany.
Metals Australia is also advancing its lithium, gold and silver exploration project at Corvette River, which is adjacent to Patriot Battery Metals’ world-class lithium project. Further, the company carries out aggressive exploration programs at its other projects, including Manindi, Warrambie & the Murchison in Western Australia and Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory region of Australia.
Metals Australia is well-funded to complete all its planned exploration and project studies. The cash position at the end of Q1 2024 was AU$17.86 million, which we note was higher than the company’s market capital at current share price. Metals Australia benefits from a team of professionals boasting extensive expertise in geology and mining. The appointment of experienced mining executive Paul Ferguson as the CEO is positive for the company. Since joining in January 2024, he has significantly advanced planning and preparation for the exploration, metallurgical test work programs, and design studies required to move its flagship Lac Carheil high-grade graphite project towards development. The Corvette Project has also completed exploration planning and is now fully permitted for drilling and trenching work during the northern hemisphere summer.
Company Highlights
- Metals Australia is rapidly advancing its flag ship Lac Carheil Graphite Project in Quebec, Canada. In addition, the company has a suite of high-quality exploration projects – including Lithium, Gold and Silver in Quebec, Canada and Lithium, Gold, Copper & Vanadium in Western Australia (WA) and the Northern Territory (NT).
- All projects are in Tier-1 mining jurisdictions (Canada and Australia) with world-class prospectivity and stable geo-politically.
- The company has six key exploration and development projects:
- two in Canada: the Lac Carheil high-grade flake graphite project and the Corvette River lithium and gold-silver-copper exploration project, and,
- four in Australia: Warrambie (lithium, nickel-copper, gold), Murchison (gold) and Manindi (lithium, vanadium-titanium, zinc-silver) in WA, and Tennant Creek (Warrego East copper-gold) in the NT.
- The focus is to rapidly advance its flagship Lac Carheil Graphite Project towards development. A drilling program is already contracted to substantially increase the existing JORC 2012 Mineral Resource of 13.3 Mt @ 11.5 percent graphitic carbon (Cg) and test the potential of the many other identified high-grade graphite trends.
- The 2020 Scoping Study on Lac Carheil based on the existing resource, representing only 1km of drilling out of the total 36kms of identified graphite trends, indicates a 14-year mine life with a production of 100,000 tons per annum and a pre-tax NPV @ 8 percent of US$123 million (~AUD$190 million).
- There are multiple catalysts at Lac Carheil in the near term including a pre-feasibility study (PFS) (underway), a scoping study on downstream battery (anode) - grade graphite production, and planned drilling aiming to at least double the resource as well as test other identified high-grade graphite trends.
- Furthermore, other projects in Canada including the Corvette River lithium and gold targets, and exploration in Australia at Manindi, Warrambie, Murchison and Warrego – are all seeing active progress.
- The company is well-funded to complete all its planned exploration and project studies. The cash position at the end of Q1 2024 was AU$17.86 million.
- Metals Australia is led by a seasoned board and management team possessing extensive mining sector experience and a proven track record of successful discoveries and project developments. With funding in place, the company is well-positioned to capitalise on growth prospects.
Key Projects
Canada
Lac Carheil Flake Graphite Project (MLS 100%)
Conceptual 3D Mining layout from February 2021 Scoping Study (Lac Carheil Project formerly named Lac Rainy Project)
The Lac Carheil Graphite Project is located in eastern Quebec, Canada, a tier 1 mining jurisdiction with access to excellent infrastructure, including hydroelectric power facilities. The project hosts an existing JORC 2012 mineral resource of 13.3 million tons (Mt) @ 11.5 percent graphitic carbon, which was announced in 2020 and a scoping study was completed and reported on in early 2021. Battery test work followed, in Germany, and this demonstrated the Lac Carheil Graphite concentrate could be shaped, purified, coated and used in battery applications with excellent results. Given the above work, the company carried out further field work, recently announcing exceptionally high-grade sampling results from 80 samples on 10 identified graphitic trends across the property. This included a sample containing 63 percent graphitic carbon, and 10 samples containing over 20% Cg. The average grade of the sampling was 11% Cg, which is comparable to the current high-grade resource. The combined strike length of the identified high-grade graphitic zones is over 36 kms. This compares to just 1 km of drilling on 1.6 kms of graphite trend that was utilised to obtain the existing resource. The potential for expanding and upgrading the existing resource remains enormous.
Figure 4 –Lac Carheil Graphite Project - Electromagnetic imagery outlining graphite trends and the resource
Additional drilling and development studies are either planned or are already underway, including a pre-feasibility study for a high grade Flake graphite concentrate product – which has commenced and a downstream purification options assessment and a scoping study for a battery anode facility in North America, which has been contracted. The company also announced it is contract ready for its planned drilling program and will fast-track the program as soon as permits are received from the Quebec regulator.
Corvette River Lithium Project (MLS 100%)
Corvette River Lithium, gold and silver Project is located in Quebec’s James Bay region Metals Australia recently announced that it is fully permitted to advance an extensive field exploration program across its holdings which include the wholly owned East Pontois, Felicie and West Pontois projects, situated within Patriot Battery Metals' (ASX:PMT) CV Lithium Trend, as well as tenements at West and East Eade in the company's parallel Corvette River South Trend. A field mapping and sampling program concluded last year and identified large, potentially lithium-bearing pegmatites immediately along strike from Patriot Battery Metals’ world-class lithium pegmatite discoveries. Additionally, the company has flagged significant gold and silver samples from its review of work previously completed across the field as is illustrated in the diagram below.
Figure 5 – The Corvette Projects in the James Bay region of Canada. Prospective for Lithium, Gold & Silver
Australian Projects
Warrambie Project (MLS 80%)
The Warrambie project is located in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. It is 20 kms west of the Andover Lithium discovery (Azure Minerals (ASX:AZS). Metals Australia has completed geophysical surveys across the area and is identifying targets for further field exploration and drilling.
Warrego East Project (MLS 80%)
Metals Australia acquired the tenements as part of a package purchased from Payne Gully Gold in 2022. The company’s tenements include a granted exploration license (E32725) directly along strike to the east of the Warrego copper-gold deposit, which has a production of 1.45 Million Ounces of gold at 8 grams per tonne and over 90,000 tonnes of Copper at 2%. The Warrego mine operated from the late 1950’s through until 1989. It was found under sedimentary cover. The area and this land package is under detailed review utilizing available geophysical surveys. The company aims to identify further targets hidden under shallow sediment cover.
Big Bell North Project (MLS 80%)
The Murchison tenements were also acquired as part of the Payne Gully Gold transaction. Metals Australia owns exploration licenses at the Murchison gold project, which is adjacent to the >5 million ounces (Moz) Big Bell gold deposit. The company plans to conduct detailed magnetics and gravity surveys to test for extensions and repeats of high-grade gold deposits.
Manindi Project (MLS 80%)
The Manindi project is located in the Murchison District, approximately 500 kms northeast of Perth in Western Australia. The project comprises three mining leases and has an established high-grade zinc mineral resource. The metallurgical test work has located spodumene in samples from a high-grade lithium intersection of 12m @ 1.38 percent lithium oxide, including 3m @ 2.12 percent lithium oxide. The company also made a new vanadium-titanium discovery at the Manindi project.Management Team
Paul Ferguson – Chief Executive Officer
A Mining Engineer, Paul Ferguson has over three decades of experience in the resources and energy sectors across North America, Asia and Australia. He has extensive project development and operational experience working in Canada. He has worked in oil & gas major ExxonMobil across project stages, including feasibility, design, construction, and operation. He has worked in Executive level roles within Australia, including at GMA Garnet and held increasingly more senior roles with BHP (Iron Ore & Coking Coal) and then with Exxon Coal Minerals and Mobil Oil Australia during the early stages of his career.
Tanya Newby – CFO and Joint Company Secretary
Tanya Newby is a finance and governance professional with over 20 years experience in various corporate and commercial roles. She has a strong background in the resources sector and has provided financial advice and assistance to a number of publicly listed entities through exploration, project development through to the production stage. Tanya is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Member of the Governance Institute of Australia and a Graduate Member of the Institute of Company Directors.
Michael Muhling – Joint Company Secretary
Michael Muhling has over two decades of experience in the resources, including 15 years in senior roles with ASX-listed companies. He is a fellow of CPA Australia, The Chartered Governance Institute, and the Governance Institute of Australia.
John Dugdale – Technical Advisor
John Dugdale is a geologist with over 35 years of experience in the discovery and development of graphite, lithium, gold, nickel and copper projects. His corporate experience includes serving as a director and CEO of several junior resource companies focused on nickel-cobalt, graphite and copper-gold projects. Additionally, he has experience in funds management with Lion Selection Group.
Chris Ramsay – General Manager Geology
Chris Ramsay is a geologist and project manager with over 25 years of experience in the global mining industry. He has been involved in exploration, mine development and operations for mining projects in Australasia, Southeast Asia, and parts of Africa and North America.
Board
Michael Scivolo – Non-executive Chairman
Michael Scivolo has extensive accounting and taxation experience for corporate and non-corporate entities. He was a partner/director at a CPA firm until 2011 and has since been consulting in accounting and taxation. Scivolo is on the boards of several ASX-listed mining companies, including Sabre Resources, Golden Deeps and Tennant Minerals Ltd.
Alexander Biggs – Non-executive Director
Alexander Biggs has over 20 years of experience in the mining and engineering sector. During his career, he has been involved in various activities, including operations, consulting, finance and capital raising. He is currently the managing director of Lightning Minerals (ASX) and was previously the managing director of Critical Resources (ASX:CRR). Biggs is a member of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a graduate of the Western Australian School of Mines.
Rachelle Domansky – Non-executive Director
Rachelle Domansky is an ESG specialist and a consulting psychologist for businesses, governments and educational institutions in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition to Metals Australia, Rachelle holds non-executive board positions at Quebec Lithium and Access Plus WA Deaf.
Basil Conti – Non-executive Director
Basil Conti has been associated with the mining industry for over 25 years. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia & NZ and was a partner/director of a chartered accounting firm in West Perth until 2015.
Lithium Universe
Overview
Lithium Universe (ASX:LU7) is dedicated to closing the ‘Lithium Conversion Gap’ in North America by developing a mine-to-battery-grade lithium carbonate strategy in Québec, Canada. Our mission is to support the supply chain needs of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), particularly in the automotive sector, by converting spodumene supply into lithium chemicals for EV battery plants North America.
Our business model focuses on converting spodumene supplies under "take or pay" agreements with OEMs. These agreements include protective pricing mechanisms, such as floor and ceiling prices, to ensure stable margins and mitigate market volatility. This approach guarantees our LU7 refinery's payback while providing OEMs with a reliable and sustainable supply of lithium chemicals.
Company Highlights
- Focussed on closing the Lithium Conversion Gap in North America by establishing a 16,000 tpa lithium carbonate plant at Bécancour, Québec
- Definitive feasibility study has commenced and initial metallurgical testing is yielding results greater than battery grade specification.
- Led by lithium development veteran Iggy Tan, who seeks to replicate his successes at Galaxy Resources with Lithium Universe.
- The company is composed of lithium industry leaders, named the ‘Lithium Dream Team’, representing multiple decades of combined experience in mining exploration, development, production and operations.
The ’Lithium Conversion Gap’
North America anticipates a surge in battery manufacturing, with over 20 major manufacturers planning to deploy an estimated 1,000 GW of battery capacity. These are companies such as General Motors, LG Energy Solution, Ford, Power Co, Northvolt, Tesla, AESC, Toyota and Honda. Assuming the planned battery manufacturing capacity of 1,000 GW by 2028, using a ratio of 850 g lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) per KWh, the company estimates that 850,000 tons of LCE per annum will be required to satisfy demand in North America.
On the supply side, Canada has surpassed China to claim the top spot in BloombergNEF’s Global Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Ranking, a comprehensive annual evaluation of 30 countries’ potential to develop secure, reliable, and sustainable lithium-ion battery supply chains. Québec has been established as one of the most prospective regions with over 40 companies dedicated to lithium exploration and development. The cumulative lithium resource in just Québec exceeds 500Mt at +1 percent lithium oxide across eight distinct projects, which has increased over 100 percent within the last 12 months. Many companies have plans to develop mines and concentrating facilities to produce spodumene concentrate.
Figure 1: Projected US EV Battery Demand and Announced Battery Production Capacity (2022-2032)
[Source: US Department of Energy, January 2023]
Spodumene concentrate needs to be converted to battery-grade lithium carbonate or hydroxide to be used in the production of cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Currently, there are no operational converters in North America and the company estimates approximately only 100,000 tons of planned hard rock converters are slated for construction in the region. The region seeks to decrease dependence on Chinese lithium converters, aligning with both commercial and national security goals. Canada, acknowledging the significance of energy security, has intensified efforts to reduce Chinese involvement in the sector as part of a “decoupling” or “de-risking” strategy, mirroring the actions taken by the United States.
The ’Lithium Dream Team’
The company’s strategy involves assembling a seasoned team of lithium experts renowned for rapidly delivering successful projects, dubbed the 'Lithium Dream Team', boasting extensive expertise in both hard rock lithium extraction and downstream operations, all within a single company.
Lithium Universe is headed by the chairman, Iggy Tan, who is considered a pioneer in the modern lithium industry. Over 20 years ago, Tan was one of the first Australian mining executives to recognize the potential of the emerging lithium-ion battery industry. He led Galaxy Resources and built the Mt Cattlin spodumene project (137,000 tpa of spodumene product) and the downstream Jiangsu lithium carbonate project (with a capacity of 17,000 tpa). This was the first large-scale vertically integrated, mine-to-battery-grade lithium carbonate project in the world.
Joining Iggy on the board are Pat Scallan and Dr. Jingyuan Liu. Scallan is a seasoned veteran of the lithium industry with over 25 years of managing the world-class Greenbushes Mine. He oversaw the mine's many expansions, increasing annual output from 200,000 in 1997 to over 1.4 million tpa today. Liu is widely regarded as a leading technical expert in the lithium industry. He was previously the general manager of development and technologies at Galaxy Resources, where he was responsible for overseeing the construction and commissioning of the Mt Cattlin spodumene project and the world-renowned Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant. Liu has acted as a special adviser to various lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide projects globally.
Additional Dream Team members include: Terry Stark, who previously served as the general manager of operations for both Mt Cattlin and James Bay projects; Roger Pover, with extensive experience as plant manager at Greenbushes and Mt Cattlin; and Huy Nguyen, known for his expertise in the design and construction of the Mt Cattlin mine. John Loxton, who was involved in the construction of the Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant for Hatch Engineering, has also joined the company. John Sobolewski, former CFO and company secretary of Galaxy Resources pivotal in financing both projects, assumes the role of chief financial officer role at Lithium Universe, marking a significant addition to the LU7 team's financial expertise in the lithium domain.
Lithium Carbonate Refinery
The Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant was designed to produce 17,000 tpa of battery-grade lithium carbonate. It adopted advanced Western style continuous process control techniques, setting a standard for lithium refineries globally. The plant now exceeds its design capacity, producing 20,000 tpa, and its battery-grade product ranks among the industry's finest. Constructed and achieving steady-state quality was accomplished within two years of ground-breaking. Lithium Universe plans to replicate the successful design of the Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant entirely, employing the same suppliers, equipment and engineering firm – mitigating the second major risk. Lithium Universe has contracted Hatch Limited to conduct the definitive feasibility study (DFS), the same engineering company responsible for the original design and construction of the Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant.
Lithium Universe is advancing a mine-to-battery-grade lithium carbonate strategy in Canada through the Québec Lithium Processing Hub (QLPH). The QLPH includes a multi-purpose independent 1 Mtpa concentrator and an independent 16,000 tpa battery-grade lithium carbonate refinery. The QLPH concentrator and lithium carbonate plant aim to replicate the proven success of the Mt Cattlin spodumene operation and Jiangsu lithium carbonate plant to minimize startup and operational risks.
Figure 2: The Company’s proposed lithium carbonate refinery at layout at Bécancour, Québec.
The company has successfully executed an option agreement to acquire a commercial property located within the Bécancour Waterfront Industrial Park (BWIP) between Québec City and Montréal. The industrial land secured is only 2.5 kms to the Bécancour deep-water port, allowing the import of spodumene to the facility. The company is taking a significant step towards the production of greener battery-grade lithium carbonate at the proposed Becancour lithium refinery.
Results of its preliminary feasibility study (PFS) for the Bécancour Lithium Carbonate Refinery. The PFS confirms the viability of a strong lithium conversion project, even within a below-average pricing environment. LU7 continues to progress full definitive feasibility study while offtake discussions with interested OEMs underway.
Financial Modelling:
- Economically viable with excellent pre-tax NPV8 percent of approximately US$779 million
- IRR (pre-tax) of approximately 23.5 percent and payback of 3.5 years based on;
- Price forecast of US$1,170/t SC6 and US$20,970/t for battery grade Li2CO3
- Current spot price is approx. US$775/t SC6 and US$10,680/t for battery grade LC
- Operating costs at around US$3,976/tonne; capital cost estimate of US$494 million
- Expected annual revenue of approx US$383 million and EBITDA of around US$147 million
- Project break even at around US$780 /t (SC6) and around US$14,000 per tonne LC
As an integral part of the company’s DFS, Lithium Universe has initiated metallurgical testing on various sources of spodumene. This process involves utilizing the flow sheet developed for the Québec Lithium Processing Hub refinery.
Currently, the testing is progressing smoothly, and no challenges have been identified with any of the spodumene samples. Each test program is thorough and spans several weeks, with two complete programs already concluded successfully achieving higher than the international battery grade specification of 99.5 percent lithium carbonate. All impurity levels were well within specification limits.
Management Team
Iggy Tan - Executive Chair
Iggy Tan, a trailblazer of the modern lithium industry, was one of the first Australian mining executives to identify the significant opportunity within the emerging lithium-ion battery sector when he spearheaded Galaxy Resources Limited. Tan is looking to replicate that success with Lithium Universe, having built Galaxy’s Mt Cattlin Spodumene Project and the downstream Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate project. He also acquired the James Bay Spodumene Project in Canada and the Sal de Vida Brine Project in Argentina for Galaxy.
When Tan started at Galaxy, the company’s market capitalization was less than AU$10 million. It rose to AU$2.5 billion when the company merged with Orocobre Limited in August 2021. Tan's previous experience working with lithium dates back to the early 1990s when he briefly managed the Greenbushes Lithium Mine and commissioned the first lithium carbonate plant for Gwalia Consolidated.
Tan has over 30 years of chemical and mining experience and has served as executive director for a number of ASX-listed companies. He holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Cross, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Australia and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is currently CEO and managing director of Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC,FRA:A3Y)
Alex Hanly - Chief Executive Officer
Alex Hanly has over 10 years of experience in capital delivery and operational management for publicly listed companies within the mining, oil & gas, and manufacturing industries in Australia and Africa. Over the last three years, Hanly held the role of chief executive officer of ASX-listed gold company Polymetals Resources (ASX:POL). He was responsible for the successful IPO of the company, the operational management and the efficient execution of the fast-track strategy.
Hanly has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Master of Business Administration specialising in global project management.
Patrick Scallan - Non-executive Director
Patrick Scallan’s extensive experience in the lithium industry is a valuable addition to the LGX board. With over 25 years of management experience at the world-class Greenbushes Mine, he is a seasoned veteran. Greenbushes is the largest lithium hard rock mine globally and also hosts the highest-grade ore body in the world. This makes Greenbushes a unique anomaly, as no other lithium deposit worldwide compares to it.
Scallan oversaw the mine’s many expansions, increasing annual output from 200,000 in 1997 to 1.4 million tpa today, and navigated numerous ownership changes during his tenure. He is a specialist in hard rock mining and spodumene concentrating, with downstream relationships with major spodumene converters worldwide.
Scallan is also highly skilled in managing local community relationships, having acted as shire councillor for nearly 20 years during his time at Greenbushes, receiving his Order of Australia Medal for his community and local government contribution. His previous roles include management positions at Capel and Eneabba Mineral Sands in Western Australia and Western Deep Levels Gold Mine in South Africa.
Dr. Jingyuan Liu - Non-executive director
Dr Jingyuan Liu is widely regarded as a leading technical expert in the lithium industry. He previously held the position of general manager of development and technologies at Galaxy Resources, where he was responsible for overseeing the construction and commissioning of the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Project and the world-renowned Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate plant. Liu also played a key role in designing the flow sheet for the Sal de Vida brine project.
Following his work with Galaxy, he has acted as a special adviser to various lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide projects globally, including the Lithium Hydroxide Plant operated by Tianqi in Kwinana, Western Australia.
Liu has over 30 years’ experience in project management, process and equipment design for minerals processing and the chemicals, non-ferrous metals, iron & steel and energy industries, both in Australian and internationally. He was awarded a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Newcastle, Australia and has worked in senior chemical engineering roles with leading companies such as Hatch Engineering and Metso Minerals in Australia and Malaysia.
He is currently chief technology officer for Altech Batteries (ASX:ATC), developing high capacity silicon anode lithium-ion batteries.
John Sobolewski - Chief Financial Officer
John Sobolewski’s experience in the lithium industry offers another valuable addition to the LU7 dream team. At Galaxy Resources, he played a pivotal role during the feasibility, funding, construction and operation phases of the Mt Cattlin Spodumene mine and Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate refinery. He was also crucial in establishing teams and systems in Australia and internationally. His experience in financial modelling and debt modelling for both projects will be critical in Lithium Universe, completing definitive feasibility studies of the Québec Lithium Processing Hub concentrator and lithium carbonate refinery projects.
Sobolewski is a chartered accountant and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. His previous roles include managing director and CEO with Mintrex, CFO and company secretary with Mintrex, Galaxy Resources Limited and Vital Metals Limited, financial controller and company secretary with Croesus Mining NL, and group accountant and company secretary with Titan Resources NL.
Vincent John Fayad - Joint Company Secretary
Vincent John Fayad is a chartered accountant with over 40 years of experience in corporate finance, international M&A, accounting and advisory-related services primarily undertaken by mid-tier accounting firm PKF. In 2016, he established his own firm, Vince Fayad & Associates, to provide accounting and advisory services within Australia and overseas.
Over the last 25 years, Fayad has spent a significant amount of time advising on various transactions, predominantly related to the mining and exploration industries and providing accounting and corporate secretarial experience to mining exploration companies.
Fayad is currently an executive director and joint company secretary of Astute Metals NL (ASX:ASE) and joint company secretary of Greenvale Energy (ASX:GRV). He is also a non-executive director of Nexon Asia Pacific, a telecommunications company, controlled by private equity group EQT.
Kurt Laney - Joint Company Secretary
Kurt Laney is an experienced chartered accountant specialising in the provision of advisory, consultancy, taxation and corporate secretarial services. Laney is currently an associate director of Vince Fayad and Associates, where he provides accounting and taxation services to high-net-worth individuals, family offices, large family-owned businesses and multinational entities.
Laney is also the joint company secretary and CFO of Greenvale Energy Ltd (ASX:GRV) and Astute Metals NL (ASX:ASE), along with several unlisted public companies primarily focused on the tech and mining industries. He has previously served as the company secretary of Polymetals Resources (ASX:POL).
Justin Rivers - Head of Geology
Justin Rivers possesses more than 20 years of senior executive, technical and commercial experience in Africa, Australia, Asia, Arctic, Middle East, North America and South America in the major and junior space, with a particular focus on Iron Ore and Gold. He has a well-tenured strategic and tactical approach to the mining industry with intimate commercial, business development and M&A experience in Tier-1, publicly listed and private equity environments.
Prior to joining Lithium Universe Limited, Rivers held the position of executive director and CEO of Mauritian domiciled private equity company Convertible Resources, driving strategic development of its gold projects in the Siguiri region of northeast Guinea. He has a Bachelor of Science (first class honours) majoring in geology and environmental science from the University of Tasmania.
Terry Stark - Head of Mining
Terry Stark was previously managing director - resources division for Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY), where he was responsible for all of Galaxy’s mineral resources assets such as exploration and mine operations. Stark oversaw the Mt Cattlin construction and subsequent successful start-up. He also managed the Galaxy James Bay project and had a good relationship with the local Cree Nation.
A veteran mining engineer, Stark holds a Bachelor of Applied Science specialising in mining engineering.
John Loxton - Head of Lithium Carbonate Refinery
John Loxton's lithium experience commenced in 2010 with work on the Jiangsu Lithium Carbonate Plant EPCM for Galaxy Resources in China where his responsibilities initially were at a Sponsor level, and further into the project. He was the project manager for the final stages of construction and commissioning. In 2019, Loxton was engaged by Tianqi Lithium as head of projects for the execution of their investment in a lithium hydroxide processing plant in Kwinana, Western Australia. He managed the commissioning of the first train achieving the first product in 2021 and undertook execution planning and establishing a project team for an identical second train in 2022. Loxton is a project manager with over 45 years of experience across a diverse range of energy, industrial, process, civil, and major infrastructure projects.
Roger Pover — Head of Processing
Roger Pover was previously the Mt Cattlin plant manager for Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY). He was part of the commissioning and start up team and operated the plant for many years. Pover also directed all optimisation modifications made at Mt Cattlin.
Pover is a veteran in the lithium industry, having commenced his career at Greenbushes Lithium mine in the early 90s. He has a 45-year career in the mining and chemical processing industries involving mineral sands, alumina refining, lithium, iron ore, tantalum minerals and tin production.
Huy Nguyen — Engineering Manager
Huy Nguyen has been seconded from Mintrex to act as Lithium Universe Limited’s engineering client representative. Mintrex was the lead engineering company that designed and constructed (together with DRA Global) the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Plant.
Nguyen was part of the construction supervision when Mt Cattlin was built, so he is experienced with not only the design but also the construction process that delivered a project on time and on budget.
Nguyen has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Curtin University, Master of Business Administration and a member of Engineer Australia.
Victoria Vargas - Director, Lithium Universe Holdings (Canada)
Victoria Vargas brings to Lithium Universe (Holdings) more than 25 years of experience in the North American capital markets, with a significant focus on the Canadian mineral sector. She began her career at Kinross Gold Corporation and joined Alamos Gold in 2004. During her tenure, she played a pivotal role in enhancing investor exposure and facilitating the company's transition from the TSX Venture to the TSX. Before joining Alamos Gold, Vargas worked for H2O Innovation, a Québec-based company focused on providing best-in-class technologies and services for the water and wastewater treatment industry.
Libra Lithium Announces $33m Earn-In Agreement with Kobold Metals and Announces Go-Public Transaction via Reverse Takeover of PowerStone Metals
Libra Lithium Corp. ("Libra" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has entered into an earn-in agreement (the "EIA") with a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary of KoBold Metals Company ("KoBold") to jointly explore the Company's Flanders South, Flanders North and Soules Bay-Caron ("SBC") lithium projects in Ontario, Canada (collectively, the "Earn-In Properties"). Pursuant to the EIA, KoBold will have the option to earn a 75% interest in the Earn-In Properties by incurring up to CAD$33M in exploration expenditures over six years.
KoBold Metals Company is a US-based exploration and mining company that combines expertise in geosciences with artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science to improve and accelerate the exploration process in search for the critical minerals necessary for the global energy transition.
Libra further announces that the Company and PowerStone Metals Corp. (CSE: PS) ("PowerStone" or "ShellCo") have entered into a non-binding letter of intent dated December 2, 2024 (the "LOI") in respect of a proposed business combination (the "RTO") that would result in the reverse takeover of ShellCo by Libra. The completion of the RTO will be subject to, among other things, the common shares ("Resulting Issuer Shares") of the resulting entity (the "Resulting Issuer") being listed on the Canada Securities Exchange (the "CSE") and the Resulting Issuer fulfilling all of the applicable regulatory and listing requirements. Following the completion of the RTO, the Company is expected to become a wholly-owned subsidiary of ShellCo or otherwise combine its corporate existence with that of ShellCo to form the Resulting Issuer, which will hold all the assets and projects and continue the business of Libra.
"Our team pulled through, coming out on top from what has been a challenging lithium market over the past two years. In Fall 2023 we made our first spodumene discovery, sampling up to 2.86% Li2O within a 35m-wide pegmatite at Flanders South. Fast forward to Summer 2024, and we had discovered a new pegmatite field in the span of less than two weeks at SBC, with 18 spodumene outcrops, pegmatites up to 30m wide, samples up to 6.64% Li2O, and spodumene crystals up to 0.4m long. With limited capital, we were able to build a company with a large portfolio of lithium assets and discover lithium mineralization on three grassroots projects in under a year. We have proven our ability to systematically screen through ground and be cost-efficient, and with the market nearing a bottom, we see tremendous opportunity to be counter-cyclical. The KoBold earn-in agreement and contemplated go-public transaction with PowerStone will create a well-financed, publicly traded entity, backed by an astute shareholder base of long-term believers in the green energy transition" said Koby Kushner, CEO of Libra.
"We are excited to enter into this earn-in agreement with Libra and are looking forward to exploring the Flanders South, Flanders North, and SBC projects. The three projects are compelling, and we are eager to follow up on the encouraging data that Libra has collected to date. Furthermore, we believe that combining Libra's capable team with KoBold's experienced explorationists and exploration technology will set us up for success. We look forward to working with Libra" said Daniel Enderton, Chief Strategy Officer at KoBold Metals.
KoBold Earn-In Agreement
Libra has executed an EIA with KoBold, dated November 13, 2024, to explore the Earn-In Properties. Pursuant to the EIA KoBold has the option to earn a 75% interest in each of the Earn-In Properties by incurring up to CAD$33,000,000 in cumulative exploration expenditures across the Earn-In Properties over six years.
During the earn-in period, KoBold shall be responsible for expenses and maintenance of the claims subject to the terms of the EIA. Further, KoBold and Libra shall form a technical committee, with two members from each party, to regularly review progress and findings of exploration programs and determine next steps, with KoBold reserving final discretion over the exploration programs.
Payment and Expenditure Schedule
To meet the 75% earn-in thresholds for the Earn-In Properties, KoBold must complete the following:
- Initial Cash Payment to Libra (completed) - CAD$445,000 within 14 days of the effective date of the EIA as reimbursement of exploration expenditures for work completed before the EIA was finalized;
- Year 1 Anniversary - completion of cumulative exploration expenditures of CAD$750,000, which is a firm commitment and may be allocated across any of the Earn-In Properties;
- Year 3 Anniversary - completion of cumulative exploration expenditures of up to CAD$11,000,000 to earn a 51% interest on a project-by-project basis ("Stage 1"); and
- Year 6 Anniversary - completion of cumulative exploration expenditures of up to CAD$33,000,000 to earn a 75% interest on a project-by-project basis ("Stage 2").
The Stage 1 and Stage 2 earn-in thresholds vary by project, as shown in the table below:
Furthermore, KoBold has retained Libra as an exploration contractor for a period ending on the earlier of two years from the effective date of the EIA, or the date on which the EIA is terminated with respect to the SBC project. In exchange for exploration services, KoBold will pay Libra a monthly cash fee of CAD$35,000.
KoBold shall also pay to Libra the following milestone payments with respect to each of the Flanders South and Flanders North projects:
| Milestone | Milestone Payment (CAD$) |
| Inferred Resource of at least 100,000 tons of lithium oxide | $250,000 |
| Pre-Feasibility Study | $500,000 |
| Feasibility Study | $750,000 |
| First Ore Production | $1,000,000 |
Formation of Joint Venture Company
Upon KoBold achieving a Stage 1 cumulative earn-in threshold, the parties shall form a joint venture for the applicable project pursuant to which KoBold shall initially own 51% and Libra 49% (the "Kobra JV"). Upon KoBold achieving the Stage 2 cumulative earn-in threshold, KoBold's ownership interest in the Kobra JV shall increase to 75%. After the earn-in period, each party will be responsible for funding its pro-rata share of project costs or will be diluted; a party that gets diluted below 10% shall have its interest converted to a 1% net smelter return (NSR) royalty. The Kobra JV shall be governed by a board of directors ("Board"), initially composed of two members appointed by KoBold and two members appointed by Libra. The Board shall appoint a manager of the daily affairs of Kobra JV, with KoBold as the initial manager.
Flanders South, Flanders North and SBC Highlights
Figure 1: Libra's project portfolio, showing projects under the KoBold EIA.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9331/232089_184358fda458d996_001full.jpg
Flanders South and Flanders North
- District-scale position in the Quetico Subprovince, spanning over 50,000 hectares;
- Limited historical exploration, with zero historical work assessment reports prior to Libra;
- Located ~230km west of Thunder Bay, near Atikokan, a former mining town;
- Easily accessible, with a network of logging roads and the Flanders all-season road off Highway 11;
- Libra's first-pass exploration program in 2023 included LIDAR surveys and prospecting, resulting in new discoveries:
- Hundreds of LCT pegmatites, with surface exposures up to 200m wide (Flanders North);
- The Homer spodumene-bearing pegmatite, up to 35m-wide, at least 160m long, with grab sample assays up to 2.86% Li2O (Flanders South);
- Homer lies adjacent to pegmatite outcrops with similar geochemistry, showing potential for a stacked pegmatite system; and
- Homer occurs within a 6.5km-long structural corridor of highly anomalous pegmatites.
- The Nelson tantalite-bearing pegmatite, with grab samples up to 4,469 ppm Ta2O5 (Flanders South).
Figure 2: Map of Flanders South and Flanders North (right); map over Homer spodumene pegmatite (left).
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9331/232089_184358fda458d996_002full.jpg
SBC
- Spanning 15,570 hectares, SBC covers a newly discovered lithium district abundant with spodumene pegmatite outcrops;
- Located south of Pickle Lake, a historic gold mining town equipped with board accommodation and an airport, SBC boasts easy access via paved highway and nearby infrastructure including rail at Savant Lake;
- In 2024, Libra conducted a LIDAR survey and 12-day, helicopter-supported prospecting program, and within that timeframe discovered:
- 18 spodumene-bearing pegmatite outcrops over a 12km trend;
- Apparent stacking of spodumene pegmatites, closely spaced;
- Individual spodumene-bearing pegmatites up to 30m wide at surface; and
- Coarse-grained spodumene crystals, up to 0.4m long, returning up to 6.64% Li2O in grab samples.
- To date, only approximately 2% of SBC has been explored.
Figure 3: Map over SBC project showing spodumene showings (right); photograph of pale, coarse-grained, spodumene crystals (top-left).
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/9331/232089_184358fda458d996_003full.jpg
Summary of the RTO
It is contemplated that the RTO will proceed by way of three-cornered amalgamation pursuant to which a wholly owned subsidiary of ShellCo will acquire Libra in exchange for ShellCo shares (the "Acquisition"). Upon completion of the RTO, it is anticipated that the Resulting Issuer will be listed as a mining issuer on the CSE, with Libra as its primary operating subsidiary. The business of the Resulting Issuer will be primarily focused on advancing the Company's existing project portfolio, including the Flanders South, Flanders North and SBC projects which are subject to the KoBold EIA, and the evaluation and acquisition of additional grassroots lithium exploration assets.
The completion of the RTO is subject to a number of terms and conditions, including and without limitation, the negotiation and execution of a definitive agreement in respect of the RTO (the "Definitive Agreement"), there being no material adverse changes in respect of either ShellCo or Libra, the parties obtaining all necessary consents, orders, regulatory, court and shareholder approvals, including the conditional approval of the CSE, satisfactory completion of due diligence by both parties and other standard conditions of closing for a transaction in the nature of the RTO. There can be no assurance that all of the necessary regulatory and shareholder approvals will be obtained or that all conditions of closing will be met.
Proposed Management and Directors of Resulting Issuer
The following sets out the names and backgrounds of certain persons who are expected to be officers and directors of the Resulting Issuer.
Koby Kushner, P.Eng., CFA - Chief Executive Officer and Director
Mr. Koby Kushner, P.Eng., CFA, is the Chief Executive Officer and a director of Libra. He has spent most of his career as a mining engineer and more recently, an equity research analyst. Prior to entering finance, Mr. Kushner worked at several mines in Ontario and Manitoba, including Hemlo (Barrick Gold), Detour, Rice Lake, and others. During this time, Mr. Kushner has seen projects advance through all stages of development, including exploration, production, and closure. He then moved into equity research at Red Cloud Securities, a mining-only investment bank, where he wrote on over 100 companies across various stages of development and a wide range of commodities, with a particular focus on precious and energy metals. He holds a BSc in Mining Engineering from Queen's University, is a licensed Professional Engineer in the province of Ontario and is a CFA charterholder.
David Goodman, B.Com, LL.B (cum laude), CFA - Chairman
David Goodman, B.Com, LL.B, CFA, is the Chairman of Libra. Mr. Goodman left an early career as a litigator in 1994 to become a Partner, Vice President and Portfolio Manager at the investment management firm behind Dynamic Funds. He became President and Chief Executive Officer of Dynamic Funds in 2001 and of DundeeWealth, Dynamic's public company parent, in 2007. Under Mr. Goodman's leadership, the firm became one of Canada's best performing and fastest growing investment managers, was recognized as Fund Company of the Year seven times at the Canadian Investment Awards while growing assets under management from $5 billion to approximately $50 billion, until its ultimate sale in 2011 to a Canadian bank. In the past Mr. Goodman was a member of the boards of DundeeWealth, Repadre Capital Corporation, Dundee Corporation, SickKids Foundation and a trustee of the Dundee REIT. Mr. Goodman was previously the head of Global Asset Management for a major Canadian bank and CEO of Dundee Corporation. In addition to his business interests, Mr. Goodman is the founder and CEO of Humour Me, an annual charity event whereby high-profile executives compete in stand-up comedy and has raised over $25 million to date for worthy causes.
Ben Kuzmich, MSc., P.Geo. - VP Exploration
Mr. Ben Kuzmich, MSc., P.Geo, is a professional geologist with a proven track record of exploration success in Canada throughout Ontario, Manitoba, and the Yukon. His accomplishments include the delineation of the E-Zone at Barrick's Hemlo gold mine, where he managed a $20M drill program, and where his reinterpretation of geologic models resulted in a 23% improvement in underground head grade for 2019. Outside of Hemlo, he led the discovery of the Little Wing gold occurrence at Alamos's Lynn Lake project as well as numerous REE/LCT pegmatite, precious, and base metal occurrences throughout the Superior Province. He completed his MSc thesis at Lakehead University on the highly endowed, critical mineral-rich Ring of Fire in northern Ontario, and his undergraduate thesis on S-type granitic intrusions.
Zachary Goldenberg, JD / HBA - Director
Zachary Goldenberg is the current Chief Executive Officer of PowerStone and a principal of Liberty Venture Partners, a Toronto-based advisory and investment firm focused on startup and growth companies in rapidly emerging industries. A corporate lawyer by background, Zach has significant experience in both the private and public markets as an advisor, investor and board director and has spent much of the past decade working with companies transitioning from private to public navigate the Canadian public venture markets and to source and close strategic transactions. Zach is a graduate of the combined JD / HBA from Western Law and Ivey School of Business, is a member of the TSX Venture Exchange's Ontario Advisory Committee and is a recipient of ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
About Libra Lithium Corp.
Libra is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the discovery and development of the critical minerals necessary for the green energy transition. Libra's Flanders South, Flanders North, and SBC lithium projects in Ontario are being explored under a CAD$33M earn-in deal with KoBold. In addition, Libra has 100% ownership over its Toivo, Burton, Bitchu, Tennant, Battery Hill, Kivinen, and Twist projects in Ontario and its Nemiscau project in Quebec. The Libra team comprises a mix of seasoned executives, engineers, and geoscientists, with extensive experience in mining and mineral exploration, capital markets, asset management, energy, and First Nations engagement.
About PowerStone Metals Corp.
PowerStone is a mineral exploration company focused on the identification and exploration of high-quality critical and precious metals assets, in favorable mining jurisdictions. PowerStone is a reporting issuer in the Provinces of Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta, Canada and its common shares are currently listed for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange. For more information, please visit www.powerstonemetals.com.
All information contained in this news release with respect to Libra was supplied by Libra, and PowerStone and its directors and officers have relied on Libra for such information.
Contact Information
| Zachary Goldenberg Chief Executive Officer, PowerStone Metals Corp. e: zach@libertyvp.co t: 647-987-5083 | Koby Kushner Chief Executive Officer, Libra Lithium Corp. e: kkushner@libralithium.com t: 416-846-6161 |
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including statements about PowerStone and Libra's future plans and intentions and completion of the Acquisition. Wherever possible, words such as "may", "will", "should", "could", "expect", "plan", "intend", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict" or "potential" or the negative or other variations of these words, or similar words or phrases, have been used to identify these forward-looking statements. These statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management as at the date hereof.
Forward-looking statements involve significant risk, uncertainties and assumptions. Many factors could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, PowerStone and Libra cannot assure readers that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and PowerStone and Libra assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as required by law.
Completion of the Acquisition is subject to receipt of all requisite regulatory, stock exchange, court or governmental approvals, authorizations and consents. There can be no assurance that the Acquisition will be completed as proposed or at all.
Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the Acquisition, any information released or received with respect to the Acquisition may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon.
The CSE has in no way passed upon the merits of the business of PowerStone and Libra and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof.
QA/QC
Due to the high degree of variability in the sampled pegmatites and granites, the reported grab samples may not be representative of the overall mineralization / characteristics of the bedrock. Grab samples were collected in the field with a hammer and were generally greater than 1 kg in weight. The grab samples were delivered by Libra geologists to ALS Geochemistry Thunder Bay prep labs. Samples were assayed by ALS Geochemistry, Vancouver analytical lab which is an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory and is independent of the Company. The samples were digested using a sodium peroxide fusion and assayed by ICP-MS for trace elements (i.e. ME-MS89L). ALS Geochemistry inserted standards, blanks, pulp duplicates and prep duplicates into the sample stream.
Qualified Person
Ben Kuzmich, M.Sc., P.Geo. supervised the preparation of the scientific and technical information that formed the basis for the written disclosure in this news release. Ben Kuzmich is the VP of Exploration for Libra and the Qualified Person (as such term is defined by National Instrument 43-101). He has verified the data disclosed in this press release, including the sampling, analytical and test data underlying the information. To verify the data related to the sampling program, he has discussed sampling procedures with responsible site staff; discussed and reviewed assay and QA/QC results with responsible personnel; and reviewed supporting documentation, including with respect to sample location and orientation.
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