American Lithium Corp. (“
American Lithium” or the
“
Company”) (TSX-V:LI | NASDAQ:AMLI |
Frankfurt:5LA1) announces it has filed an independent National
Instrument 43-101 Technical Report (the “
Report”)
on the Preliminary Economic Assessment (“
PEA”) for
the Tonopah Lithium Claims (“
TLC”) project located
in the Esmerelda lithium district northwest of Tonopah, Nevada.
Highlights of the PEA were previously announced on February 1,
2023. The PEA and accompanying Technical Report were completed by
DRA Global and Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
(“
Stantec”) and demonstrate that the TLC project
has the potential to become a substantial, long-life producer of
low-cost, high purity lithium carbonate (“
LCE”).
The Company also announces that it has engaged
DRA Global as lead engineer for the TLC Preliminary Feasibility
Study (“PFS”). As part of the initial PFS work,
large diameter (5.7”) diamond core drilling has commenced at TLC
with 10 holes planned to target 10-15 tonnes of high grade TLC
lithium claystone mineralization. The 10-hole program is spread
throughout the proposed PEA mine plan footprint and will provide
sufficient quantity and variability of mineralized material for
detailed metallurgical and pilot process plant testing later in the
year.
Simon Clarke, CEO of American Lithium states,
“We are extremely pleased to have filed the PEA for TLC which shows
the strong economic potential of the Project utilizing best of
breed conventional mining and recovery techniques. The report is
based on detailed process metallurgical work with robust mining and
processing operating and capital costing, which allows us to move
directly into our PFS work and should enable us to fast-track that
process. We have commenced large diameter drilling at TLC to
collect sufficient material for our detailed metallurgical test
work to be undertaken in close consultation with DRA, enabling the
completion of the PFS and running of pilot operations.”
Key Highlights of February 1, 2023 News
Release:
TLC PEA Highlights (Base Case – Ramp-up
Production Li only production):
- Pre-tax Net Present Value
(“NPV”)8% $3.64 billion at $20,000/tonne
(“t”) LCE
- After-tax
NPV8% $3.26 billion at $20,000/t LCE
- Pre-tax Internal Rate of
Return (“IRR”) of 28.8%
- After-tax IRR of
27.5%
- PEA mine and processing plan
produces 1.46 Mt LCE LOM over 40
years
- Pre-tax initial capital
payback period 3.6 years; after-tax
payback 3.7 years**
- Average LOM annual pre-tax
cash flow: $435 million; annual after tax cash
flow: $396 million
- Initial Capital Costs
(“Capex”) estimated at $819 million
- Total Capex
estimated at $1,456 million; Sustaining Capital
estimated at $767 million
- Operating cost
(“Opex”) estimated at $7,443/t LCE inclusive of power
credits
** Payback is based on Phase
1 capital alone, with undiscounted cashflows
TLC PEA Highlights (Alternate Case –
Ramp-Up Production Li + Magnesium Sulfate production):
- Identical LCE
production scenario, but with added LOM average production of
1,681,856 tpa of magnesium sulfate (“MgSO4” - monohydrate and
heptahydrate) by-products
- Pre-tax Net Present Value
(“NPV”)8% $6.06 billion at $20,000/t LCE
& $150/t MgSO4
- After-tax
NPV8% $5.16 billion at $20,000/t LCE
& $150/t MgSO4;
- Pre-tax Internal Rate of
Return (“IRR”) of 38.6%
- After-tax IRR of
36.0%
- Pre-tax initial capital
payback period 2.6 years; after-tax
payback 2.8 years
- Average LOM pre-tax annual
cash flow: $684 million; annual after tax cash
flow: $591 million
- Initial Capital Costs
(“Capex”) estimated at $827 million
- Total Capex
estimated at $1,464 million; Sustaining Capital
estimated at $738 million
- Operating cost
(“Opex”) estimated at $7,443/t LCE inclusive of power
credits
- Operating cost
(“Opex”) estimated at $817/t LCE, inclusive of power &
MgSO4 credits
- PEA mine plan
produces 1.46 Mt LCE and 64.9 Mt
MgSO4 LOM over 40
years
Readers are encouraged to review the related
February 1, 2023 News Release, and the Report titled “Tonopah
Lithium Claims Project NI 43-101 Technical Report – Preliminary
Economic Assessment” dated March 17, 2023, with an effective date
of January 31, 2023, which was prepared by DRA Global and Stantec
and can be found under the Company’s profile on SEDAR
(www.sedar.com) and on the Company’s website. There are no material
differences in the Report from the information disclosed in the
February 1, 2023 news release.
Updated to Option, RSU and PSU
Grant
The Company notes that its news release of
February 2, 2023 referred to the grant of certain incentive stock
options (the “Options”), restricted share units
(the “RSUs”) and performance share units. The
Options are exercisable over a term of sixty-months until February
2, 2028, and the RSUs vest after twenty-four months on February 2,
2025, and not as previously noted.
Qualified PersonsMr. Ted
O’Connor, P.Geo., Executive Vice President of American Lithium, and
a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 –
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, has reviewed and
approved the scientific and technical information contained in this
news release.
About American
LithiumAmerican Lithium is actively engaged in the
development of large-scale lithium projects within mining-friendly
jurisdictions throughout the Americas. The Company is currently
focused on enabling the shift to the new energy paradigm through
the continued development of its strategically located TLC lithium
claystone project in the richly mineralized Esmeralda lithium
district in Nevada, as well as continuing to advance its Falchani
lithium and Macusani uranium development-stage projects in
southeastern Peru. All three projects, TLC, Falchani and Macusani
have been through robust preliminary economic assessments, exhibit
strong significant expansion potential and enjoy strong community
support. Pre-feasibility work has now commenced at TLC and
Falchani.
For more information, please contact the Company
at info@americanlithiumcorp.com or visit our website
at www.americanlithiumcorp.com for project update videos
and related background information.
Follow us
on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
On behalf of the Board of Directors of
American Lithium Corp.
“Simon Clarke”
CEO & Director
Tel: 604 428 6128
Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its
Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the
policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward
Looking InformationThis news release contains certain
forward-looking information and forward-looking statements
(collectively “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of
applicable securities legislation. All statements, other than
statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are
not limited to, statements regarding the ability to appeal the
judicial ruling, and any other statements regarding the business
plans, expectations and objectives of American Lithium.
Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words
as "may", "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate",
"intend", “indicate”, “scheduled”, “target”, “goal”, “potential”,
“subject”, “efforts”, “option” and similar words, or the negative
connotations thereof, referring to future events and results.
Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and
expectations of management are not, and cannot be, a guarantee of
future results or events. Although American Lithium believes that
the current opinions and expectations reflected in such
forward-looking statements are reasonable based on information
available at the time, undue reliance should not be placed on
forward-looking statements since American Lithium can provide no
assurance that such opinions and expectations will prove to be
correct. All forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain
and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties,
including risks, uncertainties and assumptions related to: American
Lithium’s ability to achieve its stated goals; risks and
uncertainties relating to the COVID-19 pandemic and the extent and
manner to which measures taken by governments and their agencies,
American Lithium or others to attempt to reduce the spread of
COVID-19 could affect American Lithium, which could have a material
adverse impact on many aspects of American Lithium’s businesses
including but not limited to: the ability to access mineral
properties for indeterminate amounts of time, the health of the
employees or consultants resulting in delays or diminished
capacity, social or political instability in Peru which in turn
could impact American Lithium’s ability to maintain the continuity
of its business operating requirements, may result in the reduced
availability or failures of various local administration and
critical infrastructure, reduced demand for the American Lithium’s
potential products, availability of materials, global travel
restrictions, and the availability of insurance and the associated
costs; the judicial appeal process in Peru, and any and all future
remedies pursued by American Lithium and its subsidiary Macusani to
resolve the title for 32 of its concessions; the ongoing ability to
work cooperatively with stakeholders, including but not limited to
local communities and all levels of government; the potential for
delays in exploration or development activities due to the COVID-19
pandemic; the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade
and continuity of mineral deposits; the possibility that any future
exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent
with our expectations; risks that permits will not be obtained as
planned or delays in obtaining permits; mining and development
risks, including risks related to accidents, equipment breakdowns,
labour disputes (including work stoppages, strikes and loss of
personnel) or other unanticipated difficulties with or
interruptions in exploration and development; risks related to
commodity price and foreign exchange rate fluctuations; risks
related to foreign operations; the cyclical nature of the industry
in which American Lithium operates; risks related to failure to
obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms
or delays in obtaining governmental approvals; risks related to
environmental regulation and liability; political and regulatory
risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the
uncertain global economic environment and the effects upon the
global market generally, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic measures
taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, any of which could continue
to negatively affect global financial markets, including the
trading price of American Lithium’s shares and could negatively
affect American Lithium’s ability to raise capital and may also
result in additional and unknown risks or liabilities to American
Lithium. Other risks and uncertainties related to prospects,
properties and business strategy of American Lithium are identified
in the “Risk Factors” section of American Lithium’s Management’s
Discussion and Analysis filed on June 28, 2022, and in recent
securities filings available at www.sedar.com. Actual events or
results may differ materially from those projected in the
forward-looking statements. American Lithium undertakes no
obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required
by applicable securities laws. Investors should not place undue
reliance on forward-looking statements.
Cautionary Note Regarding Macusani
ConcessionsThirty-two of the 169 concessions held by
American Lithium’s subsidiary Macusani, are currently subject to
Administrative and Judicial processes (together, the “Processes”)
in Peru to overturn resolutions issued by INGEMMET and the Mining
Council of MINEM in February 2019 and July 2019, respectively,
which declared Macusani’s title to 32 of the concessions invalid
due to late receipt of the annual validity payments. In November
2019, Macusani applied for injunctive relief on 32 concessions in a
Court in Lima, Peru and was successful in obtaining such an
injunction on 17 of the concessions including three of the four
concessions included in the Macusani Uranium Project PEA. The grant
of the Precautionary Measure (Medida Cautelar) has restored the
title, rights and validity of those 17 concessions to Macusani
until a final decision is obtained at the last stage of the
judicial process. A Precautionary Measure application was made at
the same time for the remaining 15 concessions and was ultimately
granted by a Court in Lima, Peru on March 2, 2021 which has also
restored the title, rights and validity of those 15 remaining
concessions to Macusani, with the result being that all 32
concessions are now protected by Precautionary Measure (Medida
Cautelar) until a final decision on this matter is obtained at the
last stage of the judicial process. The favourable judge’s ruling
confirming title to all 32 concessions from November 3, 2021
represents the final stage of the current judicial process.
However, this ruling has recently been appealed by MINEM and
INGEMMET. American Lithium has no assurance that the outcome of
these appeals will be in the Company’s favour.
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