Germany

Germany

Source: Geology.com

Source: Geology.com

• Bacanora Minerals (TSX:BCN), a Canadian miner developing a lithium mine in Mexico, Sonora, first to enter in a conditional supply agreement with Tesla (NYSE:TSLA) The Sonora Lithium Project is comprised of the following lithium properties: La Ventana lithium concession, which is 100 percent owned by Bacanora, and the El Sauz and Fleur concessions, which are held by Mexilit S.A. de C.V. ("Mexilit"). The Megalit concession, which is held by Megalit S.A de C.V ("Megalit"), is not included in the Sonora Project Technical Reports at this time. Mexilit and Megalit are owned 70 percent by Bacanora and 30 percent by Rare Earth Minerals Plc (now Cadence Minerals plc). With an Indicated Mineral Resource estimate of 4.5 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (‘LCE’) and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 2.7 Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent (‘LCE’), Sonora is regarded as one of the world’s larger known clay lithium deposits. Hanwa acquired an initial 10% interest in Bacanora following a private placement. In October 2017 MIA approval was received for a 35,000tpa lithium carbonate opera)on at Sonora, following completon of comprehensive environmental and social baseline studies carried out over the site during a two year period. Approval represents a major milestone for Bacanora and is in line with its strategy to construct an open-pit mine and a large scale beneficiation processing facility at Sonora. FS expected to confirm Sonora occupies a favourable position in the industry cost curve due to: Planned open pit mining operations, development of a conven)onal beneficia)on process followed by a standard SO4 roastng process that has been de-risked by the Project's pilot plant which has con)nuously produced battery grade lithium since May 2016, free digging lithium deposit which removes the need for the lithium ore to be drilled, blasted, crushed and ground prior to processing as is the case with hard roc, ability to re-cycle Na2SO4 into the roaster negates the requirement to purchase expensive sulphuric acid as a sulphate SO4 source. Bacanora announced in November 2017 that its jointly controlled entity, Deutsche Lithium GmbH , has been granted a mining licence covering 256.5 hectares of its Zinnwald Lithium Project which is located in southern Saxony, Germany, close to the key German automotive and downstream lithium chemical industries. The 30 year Licence has been issued by the Saxony State Mining Authority (Sächsisches Oberbergamt) in accordance with §8 of the German Mining Act (Bundesberggesetz). Zinnwald is located in a granite hosted Sn/W/Li belt that has been mined historically for tin, tungsten and lithium. Recent testwork on Zinnwald concentrates has shown that a number of downstream lithium products can be produced from the Zinnwald ores, utilising chemicals and infrastructure available in the Dresden area. As part of the ongoing development of Zinnwald, a Feasibility Study is underway to develop a strategy to demonstrate the economic viability of producing higher value downstream lithium products for the European battery and automotive sectors and is expected to be completed in mid-2019.

• Lithium Australia NL (ASX:LIT) believes disruptive lithium chemical production will power the energy revolution that is transforming the world as we know it. To that end, the Company has developed SiLeach™, an exclusive technology that can process all lithium silicates into battery-grade materials without the need for ‘roasting’. The Electra project (LIT 49%, Alix resources Corporation 51%) Sonora, Mexico, is a farm-in and joint venture in which LIT can earn up to 65% of the project from its partner Alix Resources Corporation. LIT is currently working towards lifting its 49% equity to 65%. LIT has formed a technology alliance with MetalsTech Limited (‘MTC’) in Quebec, Canada The latter company aims to identify, acquire, explore and develop high-grade hard-rock lithium projects in Quebec, Canada. LIT was a seed investor in MTC, with a view to establishing a partnership and collaborative agreement for the use of LIT’s proprietary lithium-extraction technologies, including further development of the technology specific to the spodumene at MTC’s projects in Quebec. A technology licence agreement exists between the companies and LIT was issued a further 1 million shares when MTC listed on the Australian Securities Exchange on 24 February 2017. LIT now holds a total of 2 million shares (2.62%) in MTC, with the ability to increase that holding subject to certain milestones under the technology licence agreement. LIT has entered into a memorandum of understanding (‘MoU’) and now a joint venture agreement with unlisted Tin International AG (a subsidiary of German-listed Deutsche Rohstoff AG) to form the Tin International Joint Venture, which pertains to the Sadisdorf deposit in Saxony, Germany. To date, Tin International AG has received a one-off payment of €50,000 and 1.72 million LIT shares. LIT has the right to earn 15% of the proposed incorporated joint venture company by spending a total of €750,000, either on exploration or as a cash payment to Tin International AG by 30 June 2018. By investing a further €1.25 million over a 3-year period, LIT earns the right to increase its interest in the joint-venture company to 50%. Tin International AG (TIN), a subsidiary of Deutsche Rohstoff AG (ETR: DR0), dated 28 February 2017 and 6 April 2017, Lithium Australia NL (LIT) announced that it has signed the Joint Venture Agreement with Tin International following the completion of a due diligence by LIT on the Sadisdorf project and by TIN on the Sileach™ process respectively. The Joint Venture will initially focus on the Sadisdorf Project which is located in the Erzgebirge of Saxony, Germany , where tin mining has been widespread since the Middle Ages.The Joint Venture aims to extend and upgrade the existing Sadisdorf JORC (2012) resource (3.36 Mt inferred resource grading 0.44% Sn at a cutoff of 0.25% Sn) initially by the addition of lithium data to quantify a poly metallic Resource. TIN and LIT intend to expand that resource by further drilling in the first year of the Joint Venture. The tin ore body is thought to contain the order of 15% zinnwaldite. LIT and Pilbara Minerals Limited (‘PLS’) have entered into an agreement to establish a Sileach™ joint venture on a 50:50 basis, the aim being to produce lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide from a Sileach™ processing plant fed by spodumene concentrates from PLS’s Pilgangoora project, Pilbara, Western Australia. LIT and Venus Metals Corporation (‘VMC’) have an agreement to jointly explore certain exploration licences (and current applications) in Australia. LIT will undertake exploration primarily with respect to evaluating the lithium mica potential of the area controlled by VMC, using, among other things, advanced proprietary exploration techniques developed by LIT and the LIBZ® technology provided by SciAps (USA). Using the latter, real-time lithium assays can be undertaken in the field. The area the subject of the joint venture contains abundant pegmatites, which will be evaluated both for their lithium potential and for the possibility of both parties benefiting from any lithium mica occurrences within the project area. LIT has applied for four exploration licences – 102 square kilometres (‘km2‘) in total – covering prospective geological terrain 80 km south-west of Marble Bar in Australia.. Historic workings within the project are documented as containing the lithium minerals lepidolite, zinnwaldite and spodumene. Despite the reported lithium mineralisation, there has been no focused exploration to date to evaluate the lithium potential of the ground. LIT has agreements with Focus Minerals Limited (‘FML’) and Cazaly Resources Limited (‘CAZ’) to explore lithium prospective holdings in the southern Goldfields region of Western Australia. The area contains extensive pegmatite swarms and has a long history of tantalum mining. Under the terms of the Coolgardie Rare Metals Venture (‘CRMV’)with Focus Minerals Limited (‘FML’), LIT will sole-fund exploration to the point of committing to a definitive feasibility study within 5 years of the commencement date, at which time the CRMV will be replaced by a contributing joint venture (80% LIT, FML 20%). In May 2016, LIT and CAZ announced the formation of the Goldfields Lithium Alliance (‘GLiA’), in which they would combine their present and future lithium mineral interests within a 100 km radius of Kalgoorlie, initially for a period of 5 years. The alliance will significantly enhance the technical and land management resources available to advance lithium projects within the Goldfields region. Equity in the GLiA will be 50% LIT, 50% CAZ. The GLiA will encompass all LIT and CAZ interests within the designated area, including the Coolgardie and Widgiemooltha projects, thereby providing LIT with immediate access to further prospective ground. Coolgardie project – comprising CAZ’s Kangaroo Hill tenements, this project adjoins the CRMV. Having recently completed reconnaissance fieldwork within the tenements, CAZ has confirmed the presence of pegmatites. Widgiemooltha project – this covers an area of approximately 81 km2 unexplored for lithium to date. The project does, however, host extensive pegmatites identified by the Geological Survey of Western Australia. The Seabrook Rare Metals Venture (‘SRMV’)(LIT 80%, Tungsten Mining NL 20%) consists of five exploration licences located 385 km east-north-east of Perth. Tungsten mineralisation is associated with extensive skarn mineralisation that exhibits strong alkali metal halos, similar to those around lithium pegmatites identified further south. LIT’s 100% owned Ravensthorpe lithium project consists of one exploration licence located within a 20-km long structural corridor that also contains the Mt Cattlin lithium and tantalum mining operations of Galaxy Resources Limited. LIT plans a 35-hole reverse circulation drill programme during 2017 to test for lithium mineralisation at the Horseshoe pegmatite. LIT’s 100% owned Greenbushes project comprises four exploration licences, another five exploration licence applications and seven prospecting licence applications. Located 200 km south of Perth – adjacent to the world’s largest lithium mine, which currently produces around 40% of global lithium supply – the LIT tenements overlie some 50 km of the prospective Donnybrook-Bridgetown Shear Zone, a regional structural feature that controls pegmatite emplacement at the nearby Greenbushes operations of Talison Lithium Australia. LIT’s 100% owned Gascoyne project consists of five granted exploration licences. Lithium, rubidium and niobium geochemical anomalies, as well as tantalum, tungsten and tin occurrences, have been documented within the holdings. These early-stage prospects, which have not been explored in recent times, will be the focus of preliminary geological reconnaissance, to assess the lithium potential of the area. At Lake Johnston, LIT holds the rights to lithium discovered within the area of two exploration licences held by Lefroy Exploration Limited (‘LEX’). In return, LEX has taken gold and nickel rights over ground held by LIT. Ground reconnaissance at the tenements has confirmed the presence of extensive swarms of lepidolite-bearing pegmatites with assays to 3.94% lithium oxide (‘LiO2‘). A strategic move to jointly evaluate the known lithium potential of the Lake Johnston region in southern WA as a source for feedstock supplying into a locally - sited lithium concentrate plant, has been announced by advanced lithium processing technology developer, Lithium Australia NL and Poseidon Nickel Ltd (ASX: POS). Under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) announced LIT and POS will undertake due diligence and negotiate key commercial terms to underpin a proposed final agreement to jointly explore for lithium hosted pegmatites on tenements held by both Poseidon and LIT at Lake Johnston and Ravensthorpe. LIT’s early-stage Cobalark project lies 670 km north-east of Perth and 60 km east-south-east of Meekatharra. LIT has applied for two exploration licences covering 355 km2 over the interpreted Cobalark structural corridor, which is characterised by scattered, late-stage Archean biotite-adamellite granitoids, intruded in places by muscovite pegmatites with the potential for greisen-style mineralisation along the contacts. LIT has established a substantial ground position in Queensland’s emerging lithium exploration and development sector with three projects in the Cape York region – the Cape York, Amber and Cobree projects, which have a combined area of 2,699 km2. Cape York and Amber are early-stage exploration plays covering large areas of leucogranites (light-coloured granitic rocks thought to have been derived from the partial melting of sedimentary rocks) in an environment favourable for pegmatite emplacement. Extending over an area of 1,380 km2, the Cape York project tenure was acquired to explore the margins of a leucogranite in an environment geologically favourable for late-stage alteration and pegmatite emplacement. The four permits comprising LIT’s Amber project, which have a combined area of 994 km2, secure a favourable tectonic setting over fertile granitic intrusions. Although no lithium exploration has been recorded to date, the region exhibits the geological hallmarks of many of the world’s most prominent lithium provinces. Comprising a single permit covering 325 km2, LIT’s Cobree project lies 100 km east-south-east of Ingham. Several mineral occurrences have been recorded in the area, including tungsten, gold and tin. Of significance to LIT, however, is the lithium potential of a new type of mineralisation found at the Bitumen and Cobree prospects central to the tenure. LIT’s attention was drawn to reports of bulk rock concentrations of up to 0.5% LiO2 in samples collected in a 1989 field survey of the Bitumen occurrence. There has been no subsequent follow-up exploration of any significance. At Bynoe, LIT has established a foothold in the Bynoe Pegmatite Field, located 50 km south-south-west of Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. Close to infrastructure, LIT’s exploration licence is part of the wider, 200-km long Litchfield Pegmatite Belt, which has been intruded by a suite of highly differentiated S-type granites, the probable source of the pegmatites and mineralisation. Only very recently has the possibility of significant lithium mineralisation there been considered. In line with its strategy of pursuing potential lithium development opportunities throughout Australia, LIT has made application for two exploration licences on Kangaroo Island, some 100 km south-south-west of Adelaide, the state’s capital. LIT’s focus is the pegmatite intrusives into the Tapanappa Formation. These form dykes and sills of predominately feldspar-quartz-muscovite, with varying amounts of topaz, tourmaline, graphite, citrine and apatite. The project contains the Dudley mine, which was operational during the 1890s and early 1900s; it was mined for gem tourmaline, ceramic-grade feldspar, silica and kaolin for brick-making. On 30 August 2017, Lithium Australia announced the intent to procure advanced Li-ion battery cathode production technology, by way of the acquisition of the Very Small Particle Company Limited (VSPC). Successful acquisition of VSPC will provide LIT with access to the technologies required to participate in all sectors of the energy metal cycle. VSPC is an Australian materials technology company established in 1999 to develop and commercialise a unique manufacturing process to produce complex metal oxides at the nanoscale. The versatile process produces metal oxides that are superior compared to competitor materials in terms of complexity, reproducibility and small size. This small size of particles and corresponding high surface area of the cathode material shortens the distance over which lithium ions must travel, making for a powerful battery capable of high-speed power delivery.