TIDMBCN
RNS Number : 9270O
Bacanora Minerals Ltd
11 November 2016
Bacanora Minerals Ltd
("Bacanora" or the "Company")
Sonora Lithium Project Update
Bacanora, the London and Canadian listed (AIM: BCN and TSXV:
BCN) lithium company developing the Sonora Lithium Project[1]
("Project") in northern state of Sonora, Mexico, is pleased to
provide an update on activities being undertaken as part of the
Company's upcoming definitive Feasibility Study ("FS").
The FS is aimed at establishing the Company's production plan
for a 35,000 ("tpa") lithium carbonate operation at the Project
(production is contemplated to ramp up following an initial phase
of producing 17,500 tpa). The Company's strategy is to position
itself to satisfy continued growth for lithium carbonate in the
fast growing sectors of electric vehicles and energy storage. The
FS is targeted for completion in late Q1, 2017 and the Company is
fully financed through this process.
Overview
-- Resource upgrade and mine planning work has commenced
following completion of infill drilling programme
-- Preliminary reserve model and mine plan are being prepared by
International Mining Consultants ("IMC")
-- Ausenco Limited is approximately 35% of the way through the FS process engineering:
o The initial process flow sheet has been finalised
o Quotations are being sought from international vendors for
larger equipment and machinery
o Development and optimisation of preliminary operating cost
models has commenced
-- The expanded Pilot Plant has been operating since May 2016,
producing battery grade samples of lithium carbonate which has been
supporting the following:
o Distribution of battery-grade lithium carbonate samples to
potential off-takers in Asia and Europe
o Flow sheet development and optimisation of lithium recoveries
and reagent consumption
o Operator training
-- The Company is working with the SignumBox Group in Santiago
to develop long-term lithium pricing scenarios and supply-demand
models.
Exploration and Resources
The infil drilling programme to upgrade the resource
classifications has been completed. A total of 3,896 metres in 31
NQ-Core infill holes for resource estimations were drilled in the
Ventana area. A total of 1,870 samples were collected from the
drill core and analysed in ALS-Chemex for a multi-element suite.
Duplicated samples, standards and blanks were intercalated with the
samples for QA/QC analysis.
Intercepts of the Upper Clay range from 11 to 49 metres in
length and those for the Lower Clay range from 7 to 26 metres; the
average thickness, including all of the drilling in this zone is
for the upper clay unit of 30.7 metres and for the lower clay 20.7
metres. This is consistent along the deposit within the first
20-years pit area.
Also, a total of 1,566 metres in 18 HQ-Geotechnical holes were
drilled in the projected 20-years pit area, tailings and plant
facilities locations. Rock mechanics, hydrology and pit slope
stability studies are being conducted by Ausenco.
Analyses received for the recent infill drillholes indicate that
lithium content in the Upper Clay Unit varies from 25 ppm to 6,900
ppm Li with a weighted average of 1,791 ppm Li; for the Lower Clay
Unit lithium content varies from 172 ppm to 10,000 ppm with a
weighted average of 4,345 ppm Li. As previously announced, the
Company has retained SRK Consulting (UK) Limited to provide an
updated independent lithium resource estimate.
Table 1. Drill intersections. Infill and geotechnical
drillholes
Hole/Unit Capping Upper Upper Ignimbrite Lower Basement Total
Basalt Sandstone Clay Clay Depth
(m)
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-40 95 7.5 36.85 5.15 21 11.4 176.9
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-41 106 25.5 16.9 25.6 5.05 179.05
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-42 20.1 8.1 32.2 6.6 11.4 9.15 87.55
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-43 59.5 11.95 40.95 18.25 18.25 6.1 155
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-44 71.8 14.3 40.73 12.76 21.95 4.41 165.95
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-45 14.94 21.52 13.95 50.41
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-46 13.18 20.82 10.8 44.8
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-47 15 22.8 7.1 44.9
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-48 14 22.4 5.25 41.65
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-49 14.14 15.51 14.07 1.18 44.9
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-50 4.29 14.58 26.33 15.45 10.38 4.37 75.4
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-51 12.35 22.7 9.85 44.9
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-52 12.93 19.32 6.55 38.8
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-53 126.8 1.15 38.83 16.89 20.88 4.85 209.4
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-54 100.93 11.07 36.92 16.63 19.48 6.17 191.2
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-55 32.25 19.83 30.22 15.8 24.2 8 130.3
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-56 5.05 26.35 27.7 14.88 21.52 7.15 102.65
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-57 2.6 6.7 6.5 19.8 9.15 44.75
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-58 40.4 4.5 17.9 11.65 21.35 4 99.8
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-59 45.86 25.49 12.6 15.8 11.25 111
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-60 145.34 15.31 11 12.12 26.08 5.7 215.55
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-61 96.67 22.16 35.03 12.2 20.72 10.47 197.25
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-62 91.67 11.78 7.11 5.42 17.27 133.25
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-63 2.41 5.59 21.57 12.28 41.85
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-64 87 18.4 19.6 24.5 7.55 157.05
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-65 128.45 21.7 7.65 14.3 172.1
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-66 99.17 7.51 49.24 15.78 26.95 7.75 206.4
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-67 141.24 4.11 11.72 12.2 24.63 11.8 205.7
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-68 133.65 16.27 33.53 13.13 20.22 7.35 224.15
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-69 154.25 16.15 32.9 15.95 22.08 13.92 255.25
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
LV-70 15.74 23.48 9.03 48.25
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
AUS-SL-16-01 136.10 7.75 26.40 12.20 182.45
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
AUS-SL-16-02 164.65 15.69 29.26 209.6
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
AUS-SL-16-03A 132.8 22.7 36.7 8.25 200.45
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
AUS-SL-16-03B 95.9 13.5 30.1 10.45 23.9 35.7 209.55
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
AUS-SL-16-04 26.65 32.15 53.30 112.1
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-01 81.65 81.65
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-02 99.90 99.9
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-03 41.95 41.95
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-04 61.95 4.60 28.80 95.35
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-05 32.90 32.9
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-06 32.80 32.8
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-07 32.90 32.9
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-08 32.80 32.8
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-09 32.65 32.65
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-10 32.80 32.8
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-11 39.00 39
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-14 51.10 51.1
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
BH-16-15 51.10 51.1
--------------- -------- ----------- ------ ----------- ------ --------- -------
Lithium Pricing, Industry Operating Costs and Consumable
Pricing
Over the past 12 months there has been a significant
strengthening in the selling price of lithium products. Increasing
demand from the vehicle electrification and the renewable energy
industry has seen lithium prices rise above the pricing used by
Bacanora in the Pre-Feasibility Study cashflows. Bacanora are
currently working with SignumBox to develop long-term lithium
pricing scenarios and supply-demand models.
In tandem with rising prices for lithium carbonate products,
average operating costs ($/t Li(2) CO(3) ) have been increasing as
a result of increasing operating costs. The recent HSBC Lithium
Global Sector Playbook of October 2016 includes a comprehensive
overview of the various operating costs of the major lithium
producers.
Click on, or paste the following link into your web browser, to
view the associated PDF document.
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/9270O_2-2016-11-10.pdf
This HSBC report indicates that brine production costs are now
between $3,000/t and $4,500/t Li(2) CO(3) for the producers that
were studied, with Australian hard rock conversion costs
significantly higher.
Martin Vidal is the Qualified Person pursuant to National
Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects
("NI 43-101") and the AIM Note for Mining and Oil and Gas Companies
who has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this
announcement.
For further information, please contact:
Bacanora Minerals Peter Secker, CEO info@bacanoraminerals.com
Ltd.
--------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Cairn Financial
Advisers LLP, Sandy Jamieson / Liam +44 (0) 20 7213
Nomad Murray 0880
--------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------
Numis Securities
Ltd, John Prior/James Black/Paul +44 (0) 20 7260
Broker Gillam 1000
--------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------
St Brides Partners, Hugo de Salis / Frank
Financial PR Buhagiar / +44 (0) 20 7236
Adviser Elisabeth Cowell 1177
--------------------- ----------------------------- --------------------------
ABOUT BACANORA:
Bacanora is a Canadian and London listed minerals explorer
(TSX-V: BCN and AIM: BCN). The Company explores and develops
industrial mineral projects, with a primary focus on lithium. The
Sonora Lithium Project, which consists of ten mining concession
areas covering approximately 100 thousand hectares in the northeast
of Sonora State. The Company, through drilling and exploration work
to date, has established an Indicated Mineral Resource (in
accordance with NI 43-101) of 4.5 million tonnes (LCE) and 2.7
million tonnes Inferred. A PFS completed in Q1 2016 demonstrated
the attractive economics associated with becoming a 35,000 tpa
lithium carbonate and 50,000 tpa SOP producer in Mexico. The
Company is led by a team with lithium expertise which have proven
mine development, construction and operational experience.
[1] 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.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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