Member Info for jimb2

r7632,

Spodumene is currently shipped from Australia to China for processing and then to Japan for making the cathode before heading to the US for Tesla to produce the final finished battery cell and so from North Carolina to Nevada to be processed directly into batteries will cut that down significantly and Tesla makes big savings.

That's why I asked if Sonora might sell an intermediate product for perhaps Tesla to process as a means of cost reduction?

Any thoughts if the clays from Sonora might be supplied without being fully converted-?

https://www.benchmarkminerals.com/membership/exclusive-tesla-becomes-first-automaker-to-enter-lithium-supply-chain-reshapes-foundations-of-china-dominated-spodumene-2/

The Pilot Plant has completed the bulk sampling required for the Sonora plant and engineering designs. These samples have been sent to the Company's relevant partners in the USA and China for optimisation of the final designs.

Just this bulk sampling could be at various stages for different customer requirements.

I posted this on BCN, Lithium Australia has global projects including Canada and of course had been in Sonora in 2017 with Alix:

Strange that there doesn't appear to be any further development on the Electra project from Lithium Australia / Alix Resources since 2017 after such a positive news release. it's not even commented on in their website?

https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Lithium-Australia-ups-stake-in-Mexico-Lithium-clays

http://lithium-au.com/projects-and-alliances/

The Perth-based Lithium processing specialist announced they had lifted their stake in the Electra joint venture in Sonora, Mexico, to 54% under the farm-in agreement with Canada’s Alix Resources Corporation.

The increase in Lithium Australia’s interest in the Electra JV was triggered by spending on a 16-hole RC program at AguaFria that produced some encouraging results. The drilling identified a 2.5km-long mineralised Lithium clay zone between 25 and 50 metres thick on the western bank of the prospect. Assay results included 1,058 ppm Lithium over 33 metres from a depth of only 3 metres and 1,031 ppm Lithium over 48 metres from 63 metres. Metallurgical test work already conducted on Agua Fria samples showed that acid leaching at relatively low temperatures achieved 99% extraction of Lithium in just four hours. No roasting and no expensive reagents were required.

https://apnews.com/press-release/business-wire/7fb231fd5cac4cb6a0eb5c267697e13a

Piedmont Lithium Limited ( “Piedmont” or “Company” ) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a binding agreement (“Agreement”) with Tesla, Inc. (“Tesla”) for the supply of spodumene concentrate (“SC6”) from Piedmont’s North Carolina deposit to Tesla.

The Agreement is conditional upon Tesla and Piedmont agreeing to a start date for spodumene concentrate deliveries between July 2022 and July 2023 based on the development schedules of both parties.

So Tesla is planning to be processing from Spodumene in 2022, strange if they are going to do so in Nevada at a similar time from clays?

Strange that there doesn't appear to be any further development on the Electra project from Lithium Australia / Alix Resources since 2017 after such a positive news release. it's not even commented on in their website?

https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Lithium-Australia-ups-stake-in-Mexico-Lithium-clays

http://lithium-au.com/projects-and-alliances/

The Perth-based Lithium processing specialist announced they had lifted their stake in the Electra joint venture in Sonora, Mexico, to 54% under the farm-in agreement with Canada’s Alix Resources Corporation.

The increase in Lithium Australia’s interest in the Electra JV was triggered by spending on a 16-hole RC program at AguaFria that produced some encouraging results. The drilling identified a 2.5km-long mineralised Lithium clay zone between 25 and 50 metres thick on the western bank of the prospect. Assay results included 1,058 ppm Lithium over 33 metres from a depth of only 3 metres and 1,031 ppm Lithium over 48 metres from 63 metres. Metallurgical test work already conducted on Agua Fria samples showed that acid leaching at relatively low temperatures achieved 99% extraction of Lithium in just four hours. No roasting and no expensive reagents were required.

Yes, I did notice that TC and also they don't define Carbonate or Hydroxide:

the Company's joint venture partner, Ganfeng Lithium ("Ganfeng"), has also completed its flow sheet design testwork for the production of battery-grade lithium from the samples provided by the Pilot Plant;

From the battery day the graphic shows lithium clays in Nevada, Nickel and lithium in Canada, lithium looks to be North Carolina (Piedmont no secret) and Nickel and lithium in the Gulf of Mexico!

around 10 seconds in:

https://youtu.be/U6x2pD6-EiM

Why Lithium Americas Stock Just Popped 16% | The Motley Fool
https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/09/25/why-lithium-americas-stock-just-popped-16/

People are now questioning Tesla’s ability to get lithium production underway anytime soon.

Why are we questioning where North and South America lies?

Tesla is now potentially invloved in a Clay deposit in 'NEVADA'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMocGy7DC-g&feature=youtu.be&t=7260

Am I missing some news that is relevant to Sonora?

Nevada, 10,000 acres

https://youtu.be/mMocGy7DC-g?t=7260

Nevada.

https://www.juniorminingnetwork.com/junior-miner-news/press-releases/1796-tsx-venture/ili/31291-alix-resources-acquires-southern-nevada-lithium-property.html

It's worth remembering Ganfeng didn't get involved in Sonora blindfolded, they have in-depth knowledge of Thacker Pass:


“Thacker Pass is an important complement to our Cauchari-Olaroz lithium joint venture currently under construction in Jujuy, Argentina. The PFS reflects the substantial synergies and value realized from leveraging the talent and operating expertise of our largest shareholder, Ganfeng Lithium,” commented Tom Hodgson, CEO of Lithium Americas. “As a large U.S.-based lithium project with strong economics, we expect Thacker Pass to attract significant strategic partnership opportunities to accelerate the path to production.”
Collaborated with Ganfeng Lithium to develop and test process flowsheet. Flowsheet developed and tested with support from Ganfeng Lithium’s technical team and facilities to produce Li2CO3 from lithium-bearing claystone at an average recovery rate of 83% using conventional sulfuric acid leaching.

https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/06/21/1527699/0/en/Lithium-Americas-Announces-Preliminary-Feasibility-Study-Results-for-the-Thacker-Pass-Project.html

Pure energy - Clayton valley brines had a supply agreement with Tesla in 2015

https://www.pureenergyminerals.com/

Cypress development Clayton valley clays

https://www.cypressdevelopmentcorp.com/

Still, neither producing, so all in all very little coming from Nevada and even the established producer can't make it pay:

US miner Albemarle (NYSE: ALB), the world’s no. 1 lithium producer, said this week it would temporarily shut two operations due to weaker demand for the commodity used in batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs).

The decision affects portions of the Silver Peak lithium mine in Nevada and Kings Mountain lithium hydroxide production facility in North Carolina starting this September.

Not forgetting that Tesla will aim to produce just to cut out the middleman, still, Sonora must be looking good for anyone wanting to take a position in lithium - several years of pilot plant production and off-take agreements.

BCN could be very cheap if the concerns over the Mexican gov aims for nationalisation can be addressed.

The Nevada story for ABML (several name changes)

Oroplata Resources
LithiumOre
American battery metals
This is interesting on extraction from brines from 2018 (LithiumOre)
Obs, I believe this was discussed a long while back if my memory serves me.

https://youtu.be/MdAxByXoWC0?t=124


No known as ABML neighbours of MMS and had some big claims that they would be producing lithium in Railroad valley by late last year or early 2020, they seem to have dropped all mention of lithium being mined after years of work with a twenty hole drilling programme in 2019 and aerial surveys, looking at their website they now just mention mining Sodium carbonate with a big shift to building a battery recycling plant in Nevada:
https://americanbatterytechnology.com/media/

Strange because they have been involved with the US senate and Benchmark minerals and now seem to have dropped all mention of mining lithium -

Just thought as there's been a great deal of coverage with Tesla producing lithium in Nevada this week that the reality is many have failed.

Yes obs,

I did note that in the battery day event they did say processing in Nevada would be fully electric and so if they use solar and mass storage for the kilns that should help keep costs down,

What puzzles me is the simple explanation of Clays plus water and table salt NaCl - which to me is a brine slurry can be converted so cheaply when in Nevada there are massive expanses of brine containing high concentrates of lithium.

Maybe he plans to use the Boring company to get seawater (Nacl and water) to the Clay resources in Nevada?

However, the Railroad valley has massive brine resources a few thousand feet down -- !!

EM's battery day claims of easy processing of clays to lithium are being challenged by lots of industry commentators, I do wonder if he is using this as a ploy to keep the price of lithium low by underplaying mining and processing?

Barksy1,
When ABM was active at Railroad valley they claimed their process would extract lithium from brine and pump back clean water, they had so many different processes they were trying.

This might interest you,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLBHgzckWmo

Although bear in mind Tesla was talking about clays.

Barksy1,

their neighbour ABM found huge brine reserves a year or two back but seem to be focussing on a battery recycling plant.

https://youtu.be/U1M8AVzwNKQ

Macarthur still has an interest in Nevada, it's on their website and in the recent September 2020 report around page 14/15.

https://macarthurminerals.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Macarthur-Minerals-September-Report-2020-D4.pdf

wind it in Y1101288,

From my reckoning you have very little support for your criticism and have the option of the Filter button, now if you only have FrankieH on filter and can therefore only deduct all green filtered message notifications are those of FrankieH then please add me to your filter so that way you will never know who is being flagged.

FrankieH - please continue posting at will, I am always happy to be reminded that life continues as near normal outside of AIM BB's - your do remind me of 'The Darling Buds of May' did you write the scripts or perhaps you are not old enough?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_Ks49JIeG4

Tesla has plans to significantly increase range and reduce costs within three years, the figures are in this YT link.

https://youtu.be/iU-poglarHc?t=10315

This is battery costs as well as car production, they plan to have a fully autonomous car for under $25,000 fitted with batteries with these performance improvements and cost reductions - built in Berlin.

Of course, cost savings are partly due to from Tesla mining and processing lithium and for their own cells but that's North America so what are their plans for other locations - is their claim they can produce from clays with the addition of sodium chloride and water proven with no real environmental issues.

Good for clay producers I hope!