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Premier1 Lithium
Overview
Premier1 Lithium (ASX:PLC) is an Australian company focused on lithium exploration in Western Australia. The company was formed following the restructuring of SensOre. SensOre demerged its non-core software and AI technology business and the remaining company was rebranded as Premier1 Lithium to focus on the lithium business.
Premier1 employs artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to choose its lithium prospects. Through a data-driven approach, the company can strategically allocate resources to prioritize the most promising targets.
The company’s portfolio comprises one wholly-owned project and three other projects with joint venture (JV) partners. The wholly owned Abbotts North project is its flagship asset, with the Buttamiah Prospect as the primary area of focus. The Buttamiah Prospect is characterized by lithium-bearing pegmatite occurrences and has returned assays up to 1.25 percent lithium oxide at the surface.
The other three JV projects are: 1) Yalgoo and Yalgoo West Project, with JV partners Venture Minerals and Firetail; 2) Montague Project, with JV partner Gateway Mining; and 3) Gecko North Project, with JV partner LithGold.
Western Australia represents one of the best jurisdictions for lithium exploration. The state offers a stable investment environment supported by a transparent regulatory system, access to export markets, and minimal barriers to international trade. Archean cratons in the region are the most prospective and represent some of the world’s largest lithium-bearing pegmatite deposits. The company’s Abbotts North Project is in the Archean cratons making it a sought-after lithium asset.
According to the Office of the Chief Economist within the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Western Australia is projected to possess around 10 percent of the global lithium hydroxide refining capacity by 2024. That projection is expected to further increase to over 20 percent of the global lithium refining capacity by 2028.
Lithium as a mineral is in great focus, given its application in batteries for electric vehicles. It represents the most in-demand metal required for the energy transition. The global shift away from fossil fuels is ongoing, which should fuel demand for lithium in the next decade. According to a report by the International Energy Agency, global battery and minerals supply chains must expand by 10 times to meet the demand in 2030. This should benefit lithium which remains a key battery ingredient.
Projections by mining giant Albemarle suggest that lithium demand will reach 3.7 million tons by 2030 driven by favorable government policies in many countries aimed at phasing out new internal combustion engine car sales. As the global demand for lithium continues to expand, Premier1’s exploration and development initiatives are well-timed, providing investors with an opportunity to participate in the swiftly growing lithium market.
Company Highlights
- Premier1 Lithium is focused on lithium exploration in Western Australia, one of the best jurisdictions in the world for hard rock lithium.
- The company was formed following the restructuring of SensOre Limited. SensOre demerged its non-core software and AI technology business, and the remaining company was rebranded as Premier1 Lithium to focus on the lithium business.
- The company holds a pipeline of promising lithium projects led by its wholly owned flagship project, Abbotts North, and three joint venture projects – Yalgoo and Yalgoo West, Montague and Gecko North.
- The company’s lithium prospects are selected using AI and machine learning. This data-driven approach allows Premier1 to prioritize resource allocation toward the most prospective targets.
- Premier1 is on track to commence a 2,000-meter RC drilling program at Abbotts North in February 2024. All the environmental and heritage approvals required for the drilling program have been received.
- The focus of the drilling program is on the Buttamiah Prospect within the Abbotts North Project, which is characterized by lithium-bearing pegmatite occurrences and has returned assays up to 1.25 percent lithium oxide at the surface.
- In addition to Abbotts North, Premier1 has planned extensive exploration work at its JV projects. This includes pegmatite mapping and sampling, as well as soil and auger geochemistry to delineate drill targets at Montague and Yalgoo beginning the second half of 2024.
- Premier1 Lithium offers investors an attractive way to benefit from the growing demand for lithium.
Key Projects
Abbotts North Project
Abbotts North is the company’s 100 percent-owned flagship lithium project. This project is situated in the Abbotts Greenstone Belt region, which has not been previously explored for lithium. The Buttamiah prospect, the key target area within the Abbotts North, has shown confirmed pegmatite occurrences that yield up to 1.25 percent lithium oxide at the surface.
Several parallel lithium-bearing pegmatites have been mapped and sampled at the Buttamiah Prospect. The individual pegmatites exhibit an average width ranging from 2 meters to 3 meters and can be followed along a strike length of up to 350 meters. The main Buttamiah Prospect extends over a total area of 1.5 kilometers.
Premier1 is on track to commence a 2,000-metre RC drilling program in February 2024, designed to test the depth and extent of the mineralized pegmatite field at the Buttamiah Prospect. All the environmental and heritage approvals required for the drilling program have been received.
Several additional priority targets have been identified at the Abbotts North Project following the completion of the initial phase of field mapping, rock chip sampling and soil geochemistry in December 2023. The soil survey results unveiled areas of interest with a geochemical structure similar to those observed over the primary Buttamiah Prospect. Subsequent fieldwork will be undertaken to evaluate these newly identified priority targets and plan for additional heritage clearance surveys.
Yalgoo and Yalgoo West Project
Yalgoo and Yalgoo West are key projects in the company’s lithium portfolio. AI and machine learning were used to identify these projects as having significant potential for lithium. These assets are part of the Greenstone Belt region, which is underexplored. The greenstone belt is characterized by multiple phases of granitic intrusions, including known LCT pegmatites.
Premier1 can earn up to 70 percent of the lithium rights for the Yalgoo project from Venture Minerals and 80 percent of mineral rights (except rare earth elements) from Firetail Resources for the Yalgoo West project.
The land access approvals are in place and the company is planning extensive fieldwork, including pegmatite sampling, soil and auger geochemistry, to identify targets for initial drilling beginning H2 2024.
Montague Project
Montague project, located within the Greenstone Belt, is a joint venture between Premier1 and Gateway Mining. Premier1 can earn up to 80 percent interest in the JV by meeting certain expenditure criteria. Premier1 has selected tenements within the Montague project for lithium, using AI and machine learning.
The project comprises historical mining leases and is situated in proximity to geological formations that indicate the presence of lithium-bearing pegmatites.
Land access approvals are in place for the project and the next steps include pegmatite mapping and sampling, and soil geochemistry, which will be followed by drilling in H2 2024.
Gecko North Project
Gecko North project is a joint venture between Premier1 and LithGold Minerals. The company used AI and machine learning to generate lithium targets at Gecko North. Premier1 can earn up to 80 percent interest in this JV project. This includes earning 51 percent interest by spending $2.5 million over four years, and an additional 29 percent interest by completing a bankable feasibility study.
Land access approvals for this project are in place and the next steps include extending soil geochemistry and shallow drilling to test soil anomaly in H1 of 2024.
Management Team
Richard Taylor – Executive Director and CEO
Richard Taylor is a qualified lawyer and holds an MBA from Cambridge University and a master’s degree in law from ANU. He has more than 15 years of experience and has held several senior leadership roles in the resource sector. Previously, he has worked with Terramin Australia, Mineral Deposits, PanAust, MMG, and Oxiana. His experience spans various domains including strategy, business development and governance.
Jason Froud - Managing Director
Jason Froud is a geologist with over 25 years of experience in the resources sector working for major mining companies including Newcrest and WMC as well as global consultancies with experience across the mining cycle and numerous commodities. He was recently responsible for business development at Liontown Resources including the generation of new lithium and battery metals projects of Tier 1 potential including the execution of various farms-ins and joint ventures across Australia. With his wide range of experience including commercial and stakeholder engagement, Jason is ideally suited to drive PLC’s growth and success into the future.
Anja Ehser - Non-Executive Director
Anja Ehser is a geologist with over 15 years of experience in the mineral exploration sector in Europe, and Canada, focusing on base, precious and battery metals. She has held several senior leadership roles within the Deutsche Rohstoff Group and its subsidiaries.
Nicholas Limb – Non-Executive Chairman
Nicholas Limb is a professional geoscientist. He has held senior-level positions in various ASX-listed companies in the gold, mineral sands, and oil and gas sectors. He has rich experience in multiple domains including finance, risk and governance.
This article was written in collaboration with Couloir Capital.
Addendum to Announcement Significant High-Grade Lithium Achieved at Drill Hole 1 at Rio Grande Sur
ASX Listing Rule 5.7.2 requires certain items of disclosure in the body of the announcement in addition to the accompanying JORC Tables. The following items lacked adequate disclosure in the original announcement are now presented in further detail in this Addendum to Announcement.
Drill Hole Collar
The Company advises the drill hole collar of Drill Hole 1 or DDH-1 are as follows:
This release was approved by the Board.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Pursuit Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Metals Australia: High-quality Graphite Project, Outstanding Portfolio of Exploration Properties
Metals Australia (ASX:MLS) rapidly advances its high-quality portfolio of advanced battery minerals and metals projects in Tier 1 mining jurisdictions of Western Australia and Canada. Comprised of two critical minerals projects in Quebec, Canada, the portfolio includes the Lac Rainy flake graphite project and the Corvette River lithium (and gold) project. The company also explores four other projects in Australia: Tennant Creek (copper-gold) in the Northern Territory and Warrambie (lithium, nickel-copper, gold), Murchison (gold) and Manindi (lithium, vanadium-titanium, zinc) – all in Western Australia.
Metals Australia is progressing with its flagship Lac Rainy flake graphite project in Quebec, Canada. Lac Rainy is well-positioned to supply high-quality graphite products, including battery-grade graphite to the North American market – including for lithium-ion and EV battery production. The company has planned a drilling program to test new high-grade zones identified from the sampling program, which will form the basis for upgrading the existing Lac Rainy mineral resource.
Location of Metals Australia’s projects in the Tier 1 Mining Jurisdictions in Quebec, Canada and Australia’s Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The Lac Rainy graphite project in eastern Quebec, Canada has access to excellent infrastructure, including hydroelectric power facilities. The project hosts an existing JORC 2012 mineral resource of 13.3 million tons (Mt) @ 11.5 percent graphitic carbon, which was announced in 2020 and a scoping study was completed and reported on in early 2021.
Company Highlights
- Metals Australia is rapidly advancing its flag ship Lac Rainy Graphite Project in Quebec, Canada. In addition, the company has a suite of high-quality exploration projects – including Lithium, Gold and Silver in Quebec, Canada and Lithium, Gold, Copper & Vanadium in Western Australia (WA) and the Northern Territory (NT).
- All projects are in Tier-1 mining jurisdictions (Canada and Australia) with world-class prospectivity and stable geo-politically.
- The company has six key exploration and development projects:
- two in Canada: the Lac Rainy high-grade flake graphite project and the Corvette River lithium and gold-silver-copper exploration project, and,
- four in Australia: Warrambie (lithium, nickel-copper, gold), Murchison (gold) and Manindi (lithium, vanadium-titanium, zinc-silver) in WA, and Tennant Creek (Warrego East copper-gold) in the NT.
- The focus is to rapidly advance its flagship Lac Rainy Graphite Project towards development. A drilling program is already contracted to substantially increase the existing JORC 2012 Mineral Resource of 13.3 Mt @ 11.5 percent graphitic carbon (Cg) and test the potential of the many other identified high-grade graphite trends.
- The 2020 Scoping Study on Lac Rainy based on the existing resource, representing only 1km of drilling out of the total 36kms of identified graphite trends, indicates a 14-year mine life with a production of 100,000 tons per annum and a pre-tax NPV @ 8 percent of US$123 million (~AUD$190 million).
- There are multiple catalysts at Lac Rainy in the near term including a pre-feasibility study (PFS) (underway), a scoping study on downstream battery (anode) - grade graphite production, and planned drilling aiming to at least double the resource as well as test other identified high-grade graphite trends.
- Furthermore, other projects in Canada including the Corvette River lithium and gold targets, and exploration in Australia at Manindi, Warrambie, Murchison and Warrego – are all seeing active progress.
- The company is well-funded to complete all its planned exploration and project studies. The cash position at the end of Q1 2024 was AU$17.86 million.
- Metals Australia is led by a seasoned board and management team possessing extensive mining sector experience and a proven track record of successful discoveries and project developments. With funding in place, the company is well-positioned to capitalise on growth prospects.
This Metals Australia profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
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Inaugurates DLE Pilot Plant in Chile
Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim CEO of CleanTech Lithium said: "We are extremely proud to inaugurate our DLE pilot plant. The start of our plant's operations is concrete evidence of our commitment to Chile and the Atacama region to advance sustainable lithium production, preparing to meet the international markets' demand for battery-grade lithium, and adhering to the conditions established in the National Lithium Strategy by the Chilean Government. We are nearing the point of becoming one of the first DLE-based companies in Chile to produce battery-grade lithium carbonate."
Ercilia Araya Altamirano, President of the Pai-Ote Community, commented: "Today we are here in Piedra Colgada, inaugurating CleanTech Lithium's plant. We have been getting to know it; the last time we visited it was smaller, and now it is larger and more developed. The challenge of the plant is very interesting. We believe that it can be a very good methodology to implement in the upper territory (in the mountains) with minimal impact. We know there will be some impact, but in this way, I do not think we will have major problems. Regarding CleanTech's work with the communities, there is an initial phase of work before the consultation. We will conduct anthropological and human environment assessments, as well as environmental studies. In general, we will be working on all these aspects, and we will also validate the documents ourselves through the fieldwork we will undertake, because we know the territory and where it affects us. It is a great challenge, a great dream that we both share, because for the first time it is happening that we will bring in professionals whom we trust."
The Presidential Delegate of the Atacama Region, Luis Pino, stated: "It is very important that this type of project is already being established in the Atacama Region. We find it very interesting, particularly in light of the national lithium policy led by our President Gabriel Boric, which allows us to have a strategy and key guidelines on how the matter of lithium will be addressed over the next 20 or 30 years. It is extremely positive that CleanTech Lithium, in the process of establishing itself as a company, also generates this work with indigenous communities, which allows us to respect the processes involving participation, promotion, and, why not say it, respect for the sacred lands of the indigenous communities."
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Image 1: Ribbon cutting at the inauguration of the CleanTech DLE Pilot Plant in Copiapó, Chile |
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Image 2: Ercilia Araya, President of the Pai-Ote Community and Executive Chairman and Interim CEO, Steve Kesler |
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Image 3: Steve Kesler, Executive Chairman and Interim CEO joins Presidential Delegate and CORPROA representatives |
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Image 4: Attendees at the inauguration ceremony of the DLE Pilot Plant |
The inauguration ceremony of CleanTech Lithium's DLE Pilot Plant was part of a recent trip made by the Executive Chairman and Interim CEO, Steve Kesler, to meet CTL's operations and community relations teams and several of the Company's partners. The Company has recently announced encouraging results from the processing of brine from Laguna Verde and the dispatch of the first batch to Conductive Energy's processing plant in the United States.
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 cleantech@celicourt.uk |
Beaumont Cornish Limited (Nominated Adviser) Roland Cornish/Asia Szusciak | +44 (0) 20 7628 3396 |
Canaccord Genuity (Joint Broker) James Asensio | +44 (0) 20 7523 4680 |
Fox-Davies Capital Limited (Joint Broker) | +44 (0) 20 3884 8450 |
Daniel Fox-Davies |
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.
About Reach announcements
This is a Reach announcement. Reach is an investor communication service aimed at assisting listed and unlisted (including AIM quoted) companies to distribute media only / non-regulatory news releases into the public domain. Information required to be notified under the AIM Rules for Companies, Market Abuse Regulation or other regulation would be disseminated as an RNS regulatory announcement and not on Reach.
Notes
CleanTech Lithium (AIM:CTL, Frankfurt:T2N, OTCQX:CTLHF) is an exploration and development company advancing sustainable lithium projects in Chile for the clean energy transition. Committed to net-zero, CleanTech Lithium's mission is to produce material quantities of sustainable battery grade lithium products using Direct Lithium Extraction technology powered by renewable energy. The Company plans to be a leading supplier of 'green' lithium to the EV and battery manufacturing market.
CleanTech Lithium has two key lithium projects in Chile, Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin, and hold licences in Llamara and Salar de Atacama, located in the lithium triangle, a leading centre for battery grade lithium production. The two major projects: Laguna Verde and Francisco Basin are situated within basins controlled by the Company, which affords significant potential development and operational advantages. All four projects have direct access to existing infrastructure and renewable power.
CleanTech Lithium is committed to using renewable power for processing and reducing the environmental impact of its lithium production by utilising Direct Lithium Extraction with reinjection of spent brine. Direct Lithium Extraction is a transformative technology which removes lithium from brine, with higher recoveries than conventional extraction processes. The method offers short development lead times with no extensive site construction or evaporation pond development so there is minimal water depletion from the aquifer. www.ctlithium.com
CORFO (Corporación de Fomento de la Producción de Chile)
CORFO oversees a variety of programs aimed at generating the economic development of Chile, through the promotion of inward investment and the advocacy of competitiveness for domestic companies. https://www.corfo.cl/sites/cpp/movil/webingles
CORPORA (The Corporation for the Development of the Atacama Region)
CORPROA is a private, non-profit institution made up of regional companies and entrepreneurs whose objective is to design, promote, execute and support regional development strategies that are sustainable and that allow raising levels of quality of life of the population. Likewise, it will collaborate with the University of Atacama and other institutions for the same purposes.https://www.corproa.cl/que-es-corproa/
Major New LCT Pegmatite System Discovered at Mavis Lake East
Highlights
- 31 new LCT pegmatites discovered to the east of the Mavis Lake Main Zone, including multiple spodumene-bearing pegmatites1.
- Discoveries reinforced with the extension of multiple mapped outcrops – increasing the known outcrop of spodumene-bearing pegmatites up to 250m along strike.
- 83 grab and channel samples collected across the broader Mavis Lake Project Area.
- Muscovite samples gathered for Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) analysis, enhancing knowledge on the fractionation trends.
- Advanced planning completed for the positioning of drill pad locations targeting known spodumene-bearing pegmatites within the Northern Prospects (Gullwing and Tot).
- Planning and permits in place to undertake mechanical stripping and channel sampling of the Tot Pegmatite.
The discoveries, made just weeks into the Company’s 2024 Summer Field Exploration Campaign, highlight the outstanding potential of the Mavis Lake Project to yield further significant lithium discoveries. The exciting results also provide further validation of the JORC compliant Exploration Target announced last week for Mavis Lake (see ASX announcement, 22 May 2024).
Detailed Field Work Delivers Outstanding Initial Results
A field work program comprising prospecting, mapping and sampling began in early May, designed to identify new spodumene-bearing pegmatites, determine fractionation trends at the Northern Prospects and conduct drill pad reconnaissance throughout the Mavis Lake Lithium Project.
A total of 83 samples were collected from pegmatite outcrops across the broader Project Area. A total of 31 new pegmatite discoveries have been made. The discoveries include a ~250m extension of a known spodumene-bearing pegmatite (Pegmatite 20) and 100m extension of the Main Zone spodumene-bearing pegmatite cluster (Pegmatites 7 and 24). Samples have been prepared and will be dispatched to an independent analytical laboratory in the coming weeks, with full results expected in July/August 2024.
Critical Resources Managing Director, Alex Cheeseman said:
“It’s great to see field teams directly following up our Exploration Target and making further significant discoveries at Mavis Lake at the start of the new field season. The field program has already increased our confidence in our ability to deliver on the recently published Exploration Target, paving the way for drill testing a number of high-quality targets. We look forward to continuing our dual-track strategy of targeting resource growth while progressing our project development and permitting workstreams for Mavis Lake.”
Discoveries at Main Zone and East of Main Zone
Field crews spent three weeks prospecting across the Mavis Lake Project Area, resulting in the discovery of 31 new LCT-Type pegmatites. Most of these discoveries are located proximal to and to the east of the Main Zone.
Notable finds include a ~250-metre extension of spodumene-bearing pegmatite 20, a ~100-metre extension of spodumene-bearing pegmatites 7 and 24, and the identification of spodumene- bearing pegmatite 25.
Figure 1 – Plan map of Mavis Lake Main Zone and East of Main Zone showing locations of grab samples and discovery reference areas
Pegmatite 20 Extension
Historical exploration results within the Company’s database, including litho-geochemical assessments of both mafic volcanic host rock and pegmatite, identified a number of areas with elevated lithium values. This data was used to vector field teams onto previously un-mapped pegmatite structures.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Critical Resources 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.