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Nevada Lithium Significantly Increases the Size and Grade of Lower Zone Inferred Mineral Resources at Bonnie Claire to 25.634 Mt LCE at 3,085 ppm Li. Reports Maiden Indicated Resources of 5.167 Mt LCE at 3,519 ppm Li and 2.318 Mt B at 8,404 ppm Boron
Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. (CSE: NVLH; OTCQB: NVLHF; FSE: 87K) (“Nevada Lithium” or the “Company”) is pleased to provide an updated mineral resource estimate (“Mineral Resource Estimate”) at its 100% owned Bonnie Claire Lithium Project (the “Project” or “Bonnie Claire”), located in Nye County, Nevada. The Mineral Resource Estimate was prepared by Global Resource Engineering (“GRE”) in accordance with Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Petroleum (“CIM”) definitions, as required under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (“NI 43-101”) and has an effective date of September 24, 2024. Most notably, the Lower Zone (as defined below) gives an indicated resource of 275.85 million tonnes (“Mt”) at 3,519 parts per million (“ppm”) lithium (“Li”) (5.167 Mt lithium carbonate equivalent (“LCE”)) and 275.85 Mt at 8,404 ppm boron (“B”) (2.318 Mt B), together with an inferred resource of 1,561.06 Mt at 3,085ppm lithium (25.634 Mt LCE).
Nevada Lithium’s CEO, Stephen Rentschler, comments:
“We are excited to announce the impact of the new drilling in the Lower Zone of mineralized lithium and boron at Bonnie Claire. With the significantly increased tonnage and higher grades, Bonnie Claire is potentially unrivaled by other sediment hosted lithium projects in Nevada and is now amongst the largest lithium resources in the world and amongst the highest-grade in Nevada.
Compared to Bonnie Claire’s previous resource report, the new drilling in the Lower Zone has led to a 68% increase in LCE tonnage, at an average grade that has tripled from 1,000 ppm to over 3,000 ppm. It includes intervals where grades exceed 6,000ppm. These increases have occurred using a cut-off grade that has more than doubled to 1,800 ppm. For the first time, we are also able to report a significant high-grade boron resource that we believe further enhances the Project’s value.
The Lower Zone remains open to the NW, NE and SE, for future resource expansion. Furthermore, the new infill drilling has resulted in an indicated resource classification. We are confident that the continuity of the mineralization will allow us to easily upgrade additional resources from the inferred classification into indicated resources and add new inferred resources.
The results from this report will feed directly into ongoing work on an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment (“PEA”) that we are targeting for completion at the end of Q1 2025. This PEA will reflect the increased tonnages and grades reported today. The PEA will also include the metallurgical processes currently being developed by Fluor Enterprises Inc., as reported in our news release dated October 23, 2024.
I would like to offer my congratulations and thanks to Nevada Lithium’s technical team for this tremendous success. Their dedication and vision has led to results that are of global significance and, in my opinion, will lead to future increases in shareholder value.”
Highlights:
- Resources for the deposit have been separated into two zones; a Lower Zone (i.e., mineralization hosted by Lower Claystone and Lower Sandstone units) (the “Lower Zone”) and an Upper Zone (i.e., mineralization hosted by an Upper Claystone unit) (the “Upper Zone”).
- The updated Mineral Resource Estimate includes assays from eleven (11) additional exploration and infill drill holes completed since the 2021 maiden resource estimate. 2023 & 2024 drilling intersected the lower claystone which hosts the high grade (up to 7,160ppm) lithium, and which remains open in three directions. It is reasonably expected that the bulk of inferred resources can be upgraded to indicated through additional infill drilling.
- The Lower Zone gives an indicated resource of 275.85 Mt at 3,519 ppm lithium (5.167 Mt LCE) and 275.85 Mt at 8,404 ppm Boron (2.318 Mt B), together with an inferred resource of 1,561.06 Mt at 3,085ppm lithium (25.634 Mt LCE). This base-case resource is based on a 1,800ppm lithium cutoff, constrained by hydraulic borehole mining (“HBHM”) parameters, and an assumed 60% recovery of the host strata.
- The Upper Zone gives an indicated resource of 188.08 Mt at 1,074 ppm lithium (1.075 Mt LCE) and 152.11 Mt at 1,519 ppm boron (0.231 Mt B), together with an inferred resource of 451.10 Mt at 1,106 ppm lithium (2.655 Mt LCE) and 270.53 Mt at 1,505 ppm boron (0.407 Mt B). This resource is calculated at a 900 ppm lithium cut-off, within a constraining pit shell, and would be mined by conventional open-pit methods
- The 60% HBHM recovery is based purely on a cylindrical cavity and does not account for any improved recoveries from the expected plastic deformation of the deep zone material.
- The updated Mineral Resource Estimate will be included into ongoing work on an updated PEA expected for completion at the end of Q1 2025.
to learn more about the Company’s findings and ask questions during the interactive Q&A.
Date and time: Tuesday, November 19th at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT
Results and Interpretation
Bonnie Claire consists of a sedimentary package of volcaniclastic origin, laid down in a NW-SE basin striking basin. Lithium and boron mineralization are located within an Upper Zone, hosted within an upper claystone unit encountered by drilling from surface to about 425 ft (130m), and a Lower Zone, hosted within lower claystone and lower sandstone units intersected from 1,500-2,850ft (457-853m). Lithium mineralization appears to be hosted within non-swelling clay phases such as illite, or as lithium carbonate or salt within the sedimentary matrix. Boron mineralization appears to be associated with searlesite, a sodium borosilicate mineral.
While the Upper Zone and Lower Zones exhibit lithium and boron mineralization, they are separated spatially, and exhibit differences in metallurgical behaviour, leading the Company to treat them as two distinct deposits with different mining methods.
Lower Zone
While early exploration concentrated on mineralization in the Upper Zone, the Company has shifted its focus to mineralization in the Lower Zone, hosted in the lower claystone and sandstone units and containing the bulk of lithium and boron. This Lower Zone remains open to the NW, NE and SE. The current plan is to use an underground HBHM method, with a higher 1,800ppm cut-off. The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Lower Zone is presented in Table 1-1 and the sensitivity of the Lower Zone to cutoff grade is presented in Table 1-2.
Table 1-1: Bonnie Claire Lower Zone Mineral Resource Estimate With 60% Hydraulic Borehole Mining Recovery
- The effective date of the Mineral Resource Estimate is September 24, 2024.
- The Qualified Person (as such term is defined in NI 43-101) for the estimate is Terre Lane of GRE.
- Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
- Mineral resources are reported at an 1,800 ppm Li cutoff, an assumed lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) price of $20,000/tonne, 5.323 tonnes of Li2CO3 per tonne Li.
- Numbers in the table have been rounded to reflect the accuracy of the estimate and may not sum due to rounding.
Table 1-2: Bonnie Claire Lower Zone Resource Estimate Sensitivity to Cutoff Grade With 60% Hydraulic Borehole Mining Recovery
Upper Zone
The Upper Zone extends from surface to about 425ft (130m) depth and would be mined by conventional open-pit methods, reflected in a lower 900 ppm cutoff. The Mineral Resource Estimate for the Upper Zone is presented in Table 1-3, and the Upper Zone sensitivity to cutoff grade is presented in Table 1.4
Table 1-3: Bonnie Claire Upper Zone Mineral Resource Estimate Within a Constraining Pit Shell
- The effective date of the Mineral Resource Estimate is September 24, 2024.
- The Qualified Person for the estimate is Terre Lane of GRE.
- Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.
- Mineral Resources are reported at a 900 ppm Li cutoff, an assumed lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) price of $20,000/tonne, 5.323 tonnes of Li2CO3 per tonne Li, 75% recovery, a slope angle of 18 degrees, no royalty, processing and general and administrative cost of $26.52/tonne, mining cost of $3.52/tonne, and selling costs of $100/tonne Li2CO3.
- Numbers in the table have been rounded to reflect the accuracy of the estimate and may not sum due to rounding.
Table 1.4: Bonnie Claire Upper Zone Resource Estimate Sensitivity to Cutoff Grade Within a Constraining Pit Shell
Cautionary Statements Regarding Mineral Resource Estimates:
Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. There is no certainty that all or any part of the mineral resources will be converted into mineral reserves. Inferred mineral resources are that part of a mineral resource for which quantity and grade or quality are estimated on the basis of limited geological evidence and sampling. Geological evidence is sufficient to imply but not verify geological and grade or quality continuity. It is reasonably expected that the majority of inferred mineral resources could be upgraded to indicated mineral resources with continued exploration.
Resource Estimation Parameters
The updated Mineral Resource Estimate for Bonnie Claire was performed using Leapfrog® Geo and Leapfrog® Edge software. Leapfrog® Geo was used to update the geologic model, and Leapfrog® Edge was used for geostatistical analysis and grade modeling in the block model. An oblique view of the block model at Bonnie Claire is illustrated by Figure 1.1
Figure 1.1: Oblique view from southwest of block model for Bonnie Claire generated by Leapfrog® Edge software. Lithium ppm legend to right.
The drill hole database used for the estimation included:
- 21 exploration drill holes, including 8 reverse circulation holes and 11 vertical diamond core holes
- 9,159.54 meters of drilling in exploration drill holes
- 1,898 assay intervals in exploration drill holes
- Minimum grade of 18 ppm Li in exploration drill holes
- Maximum grade of 7,160 ppm Li in exploration drill holes
Cumulative probability plots of lithium and boron assay values did not exhibit grade breaks that would indicate the presence of outlier data, so the data were not capped or clipped. A specific gravity of 1.7 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm3) for all lithological units, comparable to other similar lithium deposits. Drill hole assay values were composited to intervals of equal length to ensure that the samples used in statistical analysis and estimations were equally weighted. The majority of samples were collected at 6.096-meter (20-foot) intervals, with some samples collected at other intervals up to a maximum of 12.192 meters (40 feet). Down-the-hole composites were created from the Li and B assays within upper claystone, lower claystone, and lower sandstone mineralized domains, with the following specifications: 6.096-meter (20-foot) intervals, with anything less than 3.048 meters (10 feet) added to the previous interval. This resulted in 1,313 Li composite intervals with Li grades from 40.37 ppm to 5,764.48 ppm and 857 B composite intervals with B grades from 10 ppm to 14,658.8 ppm.
Qualified Person Terre Lane estimated Li and B grades into the block model using inverse distance to the second power (“ID2”) and for each method, a single pass was conducted at the ellipsoid ranges (1,600 meters x 900 meters x 150 meters). All blocks with modeled grade were coded as inferred resources. The search was restricted to a minimum of four samples and a maximum of 12 samples per block and a maximum of three samples per drill hole, thereby requiring data from a minimum of two drill holes to populate a block. For statistical comparison, nearest neighbor (“NN”) and ordinary kriging (“OK”) models were run to serve as comparisons with the estimated results from the ID2 method. The estimate means for the global population as well as the means for the estimation domains are similar, suggesting the ID2 estimate is not biased or overestimating the grades. The reduction in mean, coefficient of variation, and maximum from composites to the ID2 estimate shows an appropriate amount of smoothing. Swath plots and visual comparison of composites versus block model values by section and plan show good correlation.
Mining Methods
Hydraulic Borehole Mining of Lower Zone
As disclosed in their April 16, 2024, news release, Nevada Lithium contracted Kinley Exploration LLC (“Kinley”) to provide a preliminary evaluation of HBHM for Bonnie Claire.
Kinley was asked to establish a reasonable and economic mining strategy utilizing HBHM within the Bonnie Claire Lithium resource deposit to extract lithium in a continuous, efficient, cost effective and safe manner in the targeted higher grade zone from 1,500-2,800ft (457-853m) deep.
Kinley’s analysis took into consideration that the mineralization is highly plastic and with the assistance of jetting and pumping would likely flow. With this information, coupled with the significant cost of backfilling and then the consideration of subsidence, Kinley evaluated HBHM without backfilling and using directional drilling from a stable position.
The Kinley model assumed the highly mobile mineralization within the target section would behave plastically and flow in a fluid state or caving condition to the mining system intake. This relies on flow of the mobilized mineralization, accelerated by high pressure jetting to a centralized well, then pumped back to surface. GRE assumes a more conservative recovery of 60% because of potential mass flow issues that need to be evaluated during test mining.
Open Pit Mining of Upper Zone
Open pit mining of the Upper Zone at Bonnie Claire would likely use conventional mining equipment of hydraulic shovels and mining haul trucks but could possibly use scrapers. The soil is extremely soft and typically saturated. As a result, pit wall slopes would need to be relatively shallow; for the Lerchs-Grossman pit exercise in Section 14, the GRE Qualified Person used 18° side wall slopes. Additional geotechnical testing would need to be completed to determine stable side wall slope angles, bench heights, and catch bench widths. Dewatering portions of the pit, freezing, or other forms of stabilizing pit slopes and bottom may be required.
Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing
The mineral assemblage changes with depth. The Upper Zone generally shows lower grade lithium and boron and higher calcite content, while the Lower Zone tends to be significantly higher-grade lithium and boron and lower calcite content. The final mine design has not been completed, and the project may have several options: mine the upper portion, mine the lower portion, or mine the entire deposit. As a result, two distinct treatment options have been evaluated.
For the Upper Zone, a thermal treatment was developed that involved a sulfate calcination followed by a hot water leach. This process had the advantage of not solubilizing as many impurities, particularly iron. High lithium extractions (up to 80%) were achieved.
New drill samples from the Lower Zone were tested, and the calcination process was not effective due to the low melting point of the boron minerals (searlesite). Subsequently, sulfuric acid leaching was evaluated to treat the deeper deposit material. The acid treatment demonstrated that the lithium host is readily soluble in a strong sulfuric acid solution, achieving extractions of approximately 85%. The conventional downstream purification of the acid liquor had challenges for the upper sections of the deposit due to high iron solubilization.
Boron concentrations in the Lower Zone warrant a separate boron recovery circuit. Boron is recovered from the leach liquor after primary impurity removal via ion exchange to produce a boric acid product.
Quality Assurance / Quality Control
A quality assurance / quality control protocol following industry best practice was incorporated into the drill program by Nevada Lithium. Drilling was conducted by Major Drilling Group International Inc. (“Major Drilling”). Core was transported by Major Drilling from the collar location and received by Nevada Lithium staff at the Company storage facility in Beatty, Nevada. The facility is only accessible to Nevada Lithium staff and remains otherwise locked. Received core was logged and cut at the facility by Nevada Lithium staff. Logging and sampling included the systematic insertion of blanks, duplicates and certified reference material (“CRM”) MEG Li.10.12 and OREAS 750 into sample batches at an insertion rate of approximately 10%. All core samples collected were transported by Company staff to ALS USA Inc.’s laboratory in Reno, Nevada. for sample preparation. Sample preparation comprises initial weighing (Code WEI-21), crushing quality control test (CRU-QC), pulverizing quality control test (PUL-QC), fine crushing at 70% <2mm (CRU-31), sample split using Boyd rotary splitter ((SPL-22Y), pulverizing up to 250g 85% <75 µm (PUL-31), crush entire sample (CRU-21), pulp login (LOG-24) and a crusher wash (final crusher wash between samples (WSH-21). Samples were shipped to ALS USA Inc.’s Vancouver laboratory in Burnaby British Columbia, where the samples were analyzed using 48-element four-acid inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ME-MS61) and B/Li N₂O₂ fusion inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy high-grade (ME-ICP82b) procedures.
Data verification by GRE staff included: an on-site inspection of the Project site and core, reverse circulation and chip tray storage facilities, check sampling, geologic maps and reports, and manual auditing of the Project drill hole database. GRE’s Qualified Persons have been involved with the project since 2018. They visited the site in 2018 after drilling, during drilling in 2020 and 2022. The results from the site inspection, visual sample inspection and check sampling for each drilling campaign are given below. Based on the results of GRE’s Qualified Persons check of the sampling practices, verification of drill hole collars in the field, results of the check assay analysis, visual examination of selected core intervals, and the results of both manual and mechanical database audit efforts, GRE considers the collar, lithology, and assay data contained in the project database to be reasonably accurate and suitable for use in estimating mineral resources.
The data verification of the drilling campaigns shows that data from the rotary mud drilling was suspect and not used in the resource estimate. Open pit mining and processing methods, costs and infrastructure needs were verified by Ms. Lane in comparison to other similar sized open pit mines operating in the western USA. Borehole mining costs were developed by Kinley with coordination with GRE. Other cost data used in the report was sourced from the most recent infomine cost data report. All costs used to determine reasonable prospects for economic extraction were verified and reviewed by GRE and were assessed to be current and appropriate for use.
Metallurgical testing was completed for Bonnie Claire by a well-known commercial metallurgical laboratory. GRE reviewed all available metallurgical reports. GRE confirmed that the mineralization found at the Project is similar to another project where GRE has performed other consulting work and finds that the test work for Bonnie Claire shows that the material behaves in a similar manner, specifically in lithium extraction and recovery and reagent consumption. Given the similarities of the Bonnie Claire material to other similar projects, this provides a good basis for benchmarking the metallurgical test. The work appears to be professionally completed and is well documented and is suitable for estimation of lithium extraction and recovery calculations in the Mineral Resource Estimate.
About Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.
Nevada Lithium Resources Inc. is a mineral exploration and development company focused on shareholder value creation through its core asset, the Bonnie Claire Lithium Project, located in Nye County, Nevada, where it holds a 100% interest.
For further information on Nevada Lithium and to subscribe for updates about Nevada Lithium, please visit its website at: https://nevadalithium.com/
Qualified Person Disclosure
The technical information in the above disclosure has been reviewed and approved by the designated Qualified Person under NI 43-101, Dr. Jeff Wilson, PhD, P.Geo, Vice President of Exploration for Nevada Lithium. Dr. Wilson is not independent of Nevada Lithium, as he is Vice President of Exploration for Nevada Lithium.
The technical information in the above disclosure has also been reviewed and approved by Terre Lane, a ‘Qualified Person’ as defined under NI 43-101. Ms. Lane is Principal Mining Engineer with GRE and considered to be “independent” of the Company under Section 1.5 of NI 43-101.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.
“Stephen Rentschler”
Stephen Rentschler, CEO
For further information, please contact:
Nevada Lithium Resources Inc.
Stephen Rentschler
CEO and Director
Phone: (647) 254-9795
E-mail: sr@nevadalithium.com
Media Inquiries
E-mail: info@nevadalithium.com
Find Nevada Lithium on Twitter and LinkedIn
The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. These statements relate to matters that identify future events or future performance. Often, but not always, forward looking information can be identified by words such as “could”, “pro forma”, “plans”, “expects”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “intends”, “anticipates”, “believes”, “potential” or variations of such words including negative variations thereof, and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved.
The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding: the performance of the Project; results of the 2023 Exploration and Development Plan (including, without limitation, its mineral resources, current claims and its ability to utilize global lithium needs); any plans following the Mineral Resource Estimate; the preparation of an updated PEA in 2025; and the performance of lithium as a commodity, including the sustained lithium demand and prices.
In making the forward looking statements in this news release, Nevada Lithium has applied several material assumptions, including without limitation: market fundamentals that result in sustained lithium demand and prices; the receipt of any necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in connection with the future development of Bonnie Claire in a timely manner; the availability of financing on suitable terms for the development; construction and continued operation of Bonnie Claire; the Project containing mineral resources; and Nevada Lithium’s ability to comply with all applicable regulations and laws, including environmental, health and safety laws.
Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead reflect Nevada Lithium’s management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of managements considered reasonable at the date the statements are made. Although Nevada Lithium believes that the expectations reflected in such forward- looking statements are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and under reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by Nevada Lithium. Among the key risk factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward- looking statements are the following: operating and technical difficulties in connection with mineral exploration and development and mine development activities at the Project; estimation or realization of mineral reserves and mineral resources, requirements for additional capital; future prices of precious metals and lithium; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets and in the demand and market price for commodities; possible variations in ore grade or recovery rates; possible failures of plants, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays or the inability of Nevada Lithium to obtain any necessary approvals, permits, consents or authorizations, financing or other planned activities; changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting mining operations; currency fluctuations, title disputes or claims limitations on insurance coverage and the timing and possible outcome of pending litigation, environmental issues and liabilities; risks relating to epidemics or pandemics such as COVID-19, including the impact of COVID-19 on Nevada Lithium’s business; as well as those factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in Nevada Lithium’s latest Management Discussion and Analysis and other filings of Nevada Lithium filed with the Canadian securities authorities, copies of which can be found under Nevada Lithium’s profile on the SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.
Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialized, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected. Although Nevada Lithium has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Nevada Lithium does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information except as otherwise required by applicable law.
Drilling Commences at the Barra Lithium Project in Brazil
Summit Minerals Limited (ASX:SUM) (“Summit” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that Summit’s maiden drilling program has commenced at the recently acquired 100% owned Barra Lithium Project (“Barra”).
The Barra Lithium Project consists of four recently acquired tenements that are located within close proximity to the existing operating Miranda Lithium mine that is within the Borborema Pegmatitic Province (“BPP”) in northeast Brazil.
Summit has completed extensive ground mapping and sampling across the Barra Project that has highlighted multiple, newly discovered quartz outcrops that are aligned along the predicted regional trend lines.
The pegmatites observed in the adjacent Lithium mine are zonal and contain a large central quartz core with the Lithium mineralisation distributed broadly on each side of the core. The Company believes that the quartz outcrops detected across the Barra Project highlight potential extensions of previously unmapped pegmatite quartz cores, as they are observed to run northeast along strike from the existing Lithium mine. Additional large quartz outcrops have been identified in the mapping program, which could also indicate the possibility of multiple pegmatites running parallel to the main trend line. As a result, the drilling program has been designed to test these new prospective areas, along with the main pegmatite trend line.
Click here for the full ASX release
This article includes content from Summit 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.
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.
Issue of Equity and TVR
CleanTech Lithium PLC (AIM: CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF), an exploration and development companyadvancing sustainable lithium projects in Chile,announces that it has agreed with certain consultants and service providers to settle their accrued fees for a period from May-24 to Oct-24 totalling £63,993 through the issue of 290,877 new ordinary shares of £0.02 each in the Company at a price of 22 pence per ordinary share (the "Fee Shares"), which represents a 18.9% premium to the closing mid-market price on 5 December 2024.
Application will be made to the London Stock Exchange for the 290,877 Fee Shares, which when issued will rank pari passu with the existing ordinary shares in issue, to be admitted to trading on AIM (the "Admission"). It is expected that Admission will become effective and that trading in the Fee Shares will commence at 8.00 a.m. on or around 12 December 2024.
Following the issue and allotment of the Fee Shares, the Company's total issued share capital will consist of 84,235,673 ordinary shares with voting rights. The Company does not hold any ordinary shares in treasury.
Accordingly, as from Admission the total number of voting rights in the Company will be 84,235,673 and this figure may be used by shareholders in the Company as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in, or a change to their interest in, CleanTech Lithium under the Financial Conduct Authority's Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.
The information communicated within this announcement is deemed to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No 596/2014 which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018. Upon publication of this announcement, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. The person who arranged for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company was Gordon Stein, Director and CFO.
For further information contact: | |
CleanTech Lithium PLC | |
Steve Kesler/Gordon Stein/Nick Baxter | Jersey office: +44 (0) 1534 668 321 Chile office: +562-32239222 |
Or via Celicourt | |
Celicourt Communications Felicity Winkles/Philip Dennis/Ali AlQahtani | +44 (0) 20 7770 6424 |
Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser) Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak | +44 (0) 20 7628 3396 |
Fox-Davies Capital Limited (Joint Broker) Daniel Fox-Davies | +44 (0) 20 3884 8450 |
Canaccord Genuity (Joint Broker) James Asensio | +44 (0) 20 7523 4680 |
Beaumont Cornish Limited ("Beaumont Cornish") is the Company's Nominated Adviser and is authorised and regulated by the FCA. Beaumont Cornish's responsibilities as the Company's Nominated Adviser, including a responsibility to advise and guide the Company on its responsibilities under the AIM Rules for Companies and AIM Rules for Nominated Advisers, are owed solely to the London Stock Exchange. Beaumont Cornish is not acting for and will not be responsible to any other persons for providing protections afforded to customers of Beaumont Cornish nor for advising them in relation to the proposed arrangements described in this announcement or any matter referred to in it.
Notes
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and development company advancing lithium projects in Chile for the clean energy transition. Committed to net-zero, CleanTech Lithium's mission is to become a new supplier of battery grade lithium using Direct Lithium Extraction technology powered by renewable energy.
CleanTech Lithium has two key lithium projects in Chile, Laguna Verde and Viento Andino, and exploration stage projects in Llamara and Arenas Blancas (Salar de Atacama), located in the lithium triangle, a leading centre for battery grade lithium production. The two most advanced projects: Laguna Verde and Viento Andino are situated within basins controlled by the Company, which affords significant potential development and operational advantages. All four projects have good access to existing infrastructure.
CleanTech Lithium is committed to utilising Direct Lithium Extraction with reinjection of spent brine resulting in no aquifer depletion. Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative technology which removes lithium from brine with higher recoveries, short development lead times and no extensive evaporation pond construction. www.ctlithium.com
Rio Tinto Shares Initial Resources and Ore Reserves for Rincon Lithium Project
Rio Tinto ( ASX:RIO,NYSE:RIO,LSE:RIO) released an initial mineral resources and ore reserves report for its 100 percent owned Argentina-based Rincon project on Wednesday (December 4).
Mineral resources inclusive of ore reserves comprise 1.54 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the measured category, with 7.75 million tonnes in the indicated category and 2.29 million tonnes in the inferred category.
Probable ore reserves are made up of 2.07 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent.
Rincon was acquired by Rio Tinto from Rincon Mining in March 2022. It is located in the Lithium Triangle of Argentina’s Salta province, which hosts more than half of the world’s lithium reserves.
A feasibility study for the property outlines full-scale production of approximately 53,000 tonnes of battery-grade lithium carbonate annually over a 40 year mine life. Subject to permitting, Rio Tinto plans to expand production at the site to 60,000 tonnes per year via debottlenecking and improvement programs.
The company expects to make a final investment decision on full-scale operations at Rincon toward the end of 2024.
A pilot battery-grade lithium carbonate plant with a capacity of 3,000 tonnes is currently in development. According to the company, it is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2025.
Argentina's lithium reserves are the third largest in the world, standing at 3.6 million tonnes. The country is also the fourth largest lithium producer in the world, producing 9,600 tonnes of the metal in 2023.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Australia for real-time news updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Gabrielle de la Cruz, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
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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