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So a rail car can hold 200 tonnes. You need to transport 15,000 tonnes for a million EV batteries. So, a 75-car load is going to make or break the price? But Tesla now is building a refinery in Texas. Transporting the ore there from Arizona, is going to cost more than if they bring it from nearby Arkansas (brine) or Mexico (clay). BHL lithium isn't going to end up in any Arizona-made batteries. Those factories will continue to rely on China, until the Salton Sea goes online.
Vauxhall, like Stellantis, is always good for a laugh in the US. And they are leaving the UK, live everyone else, because Brexit told them in no uncertain terms that they are not welcome.
Well I'm not the one who chose the word, I'm just recycling one that I thought British investors would recognize because it comes from a phrase made famous by Samuel Johnson, who was criticizing Prime Minister William Pitt. Would you prefer rascal or rogue, a couple of synonyms suggested online? Meanwhile, I would call unfortunate your use of the term "pans out," since it refers to a process for obtaining wealth without actually doing any mining.
Lithium is a minor ingredient of batteries BY WEIGHT. Batteries, at 25%, are not a major ingredient of EV's BY WEIGHT. Now, does that make you feel better? Again, claiming your lithium mine is near a battery factory is the last refuge of a scoundrel. Most recently claimed by people in Australia, where they ship rocks thousands of miles to China for processing, because other factors are more important than proximity.
I do not now nor did I ever dispute that lithium is a key ingredient of batteries, and that batteries are a key component of EV's. The point is that the distance from mine to factory is irrelevant when you are talking about as little as 15kg of metal. Especially, when the distance from source to factory for other critical components would be much further if you insisted on placing production next to lithium mines. If all you have is "my mine is better because it is closer to the battery plant," you have nothing and it approaches the point of stupidity.
When they start talking about how near they are to battery and EV manufacturers, it means they are desperate for any good reason to buy. Lithium is a minor ingredient of batteries, batteries are a minor ingredient of EV's. If anything, BHL should be looking at availability of cheap labor for the refining process, like nearby Mexico. But Tesla prefers Texas workers even for imported hard rock.
Speed? The dispute goes back to at least 2019, doesn't it? And they have been negotiating since at least 2021. AZL has been waiting for BLM approval to drill and fill exploratory holes, since 2019. And if it comes, the Native American nation that owns adjacent property will keep it tied up in court for a couple years, as happened with LAC. BHL is somewhat farther away from the Hualapai property, so may have a better chance at approval.
Dividing up 2400 acres isn't going to make a difference in the general scheme of things.
So do like BHL's competitor that bought an electric truck. Is Bradda Head going to process pegmatite in Arizona, or ship it to Tesla for refining? That's the plant in Texas, 1,300 miles away, not the one in Reno, at 600 miles.
5 kilos of lithium in a Tesla Model 3. Tractor/trailer big rig capacity, 18,000kg. Carbon footprint of hauling enough lithium for 3,600 cars? If that's all you have, you've got nothing.
Please, don't play that silly "Battery Corridor" game that the Aussies use because they have nothing else. There is very little lithium by weight in an EV, and the difference in cost per vehicle of shipping it 2000 miles, instead of 600, is negligible.
Sounds like an 8-year prediction for start of production. But before 2030, how many other North American miners will be meeting that need? Salton Sea alone could be producing half the projected demand. Slow progress on exploration is due to lack of capital. Until big miners get involved, like nearby Freeport-McMoran in Arizona, the ship is becalmed. What happened to Bacanora with Ganfeng, may happen here. I'll take the 50% buyout premium, but others may be disappointed with it.
I know little about geology, although I have read most of Simon Winchester's books. I know something about Arizona geography and federal lands. If they don't know how to spell the name of the town nearest their claim, it reflects poorly on their education at Cambritch (or maybe they went to Achsfert). If they don't think investors want to know the who, what and where of their news releases, it reflects poorly on their attitude about keeping the market informed.