Last checked at 15 Mar 2024 07:00
15 March 2024
Interim Results
Award of the historic Ewoyaa Lithium Project Mining Lease serves as key catalyst for the advancement of the Project through the permitting phases towards construction
The Board of Atlantic Lithium Limited (AIM: ALL, ASX: A11, OTCQX: ALLIF, "Atlantic Lithium" or the "Company"), the African-focused lithium exploration and development company targeting to deliver Ghana's first lithium mine, is pleased to announce its unaudited Interim Results for the half-year period ended 31 December 2023.
A full copy of the report is available through the Investor Centre of the Company's website (https://www.atlanticlithium.com.au) or can be viewed in the PDF version via the following link:
http://www.rns-pdf.londonstockexchange.com/rns/0186H_1-2024-3-15.pdf
Highlights from the Reporting Period:
Project Development:
- Mining Lease granted in respect of the Ewoyaa Lithium Project ("Ewoyaa" or the "Project"), representing a major milestone in the advancement of the Project towards production.
- Completion of Flotation Scoping Study, confirming the viability of the inclusion of a flotation circuit at Ewoyaa, to run independently from the Dense Media Separation-only ("DMS") processing plant, for the beneficiation of naturally-occurring fines and middlings.
- Environmental Protection Agency authorisation granted to divert two transmission lines currently traversing planned mining areas of the Mankessim licence, which contains the Ewoyaa Mining Lease area.
- Bulk Customer Permit awarded to Ewoyaa for electricity requirements, expected to deliver a 30-50% overall power cost reduction for the Project.
Exploration:
- Positive results delivered from the ongoing 2023/2024 drilling programme:
o Drilling outside current Mineral Resource Estimate returned multiple broad intervals of visible spodumene and the longest continuous pegmatite interval of 106m reported in the current drilling programme and, post-period end, reported 83m at 1% Li2O from 36m and 47m at 1.05% Li2O from 87m within the same area.
o Drilling programme has been extended from the planned 18,500m to 26,500m and, post-period end, by a further 3,000m of sterilisation drilling over the proposed processing plant area to support construction, bringing the total planned programme to 29,500m.
- Maiden JORC (2012) compliant 15.7Mt at 40.2% Feldspar Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE), including 13.7Mt (87%) in the Measured and Indicated categories, reported for the Project, based on approximately the first five years of the mine plan.
- Grant of highly prospective, undrilled Bewadze and Senya Beraku prospecting licences in the eastern portion of the Company's Cape Coast Lithium Portfolio in Ghana.
Corporate:
- Successful Equity Placing raising A$8m, enabling the completion of the activities agreed under the grant of the Mining Lease for the Project, key items of early works and permitting-related Project expenditure, further extensional drilling, and for working capital purposes.
- Appointment of several strategic hires, strengthening the Company's leadership team ahead of mine construction.
- Appointment of Jonathan Henry as an Independent Non-Executive Director.
- Rejection of two conditional and non-binding offers from the Company's largest shareholder, Assore International Holdings Limited ("Assore"), to acquire all the shares in the Company that it does not already own at an offer price of £0.33 per share (A$0.63).
- Strong cash position of A$9.6 million at 31 December 2023.
- Exploration and evaluation expenditure held on the balance sheet for the period ended 31 December 2023 was A$19.7 million (30 June 2023: A$18.0 million) which is net of Piedmont contributions.
Post-period end:
- Completion of Minerals Income Investment Fund of Ghana's ("MIIF") US$5m subscription for 19,245,574 Atlantic Lithium shares, representing the first stage of its agreed US$32.9m total Strategic Investment in the Company and the Project.
- Completion of the first stage of the competitive offtake partnering process to secure Project funding for a portion of the remaining 50% available feedstock from Ewoyaa.
- The Company's largest shareholder, Assore, increased its stake in the Company through the purchase of shares at a premium from Piedmont.
Commenting, Neil Herbert, Executive Chairman of Atlantic Lithium, said:
"In granting the Mining Lease in respect of the Ewoyaa Lithium Project, the Government of Ghana has demonstrated its support for the advancement of the Project towards production as the country's first lithium mine. This is a historic development for both the Company and for Ghana.
"The grant of the Mining Lease enabled the commencement of the permitting process, which is now well underway. Key milestones, therefore, lie ahead of the Company, namely EPA approval, parliamentary ratification of the Mining Lease and, as the final step before we can begin construction, the grant of the mine operating permit. With overwhelmingly strong support from our local stakeholders, the permitting phases are advancing as anticipated and we remain on track to break ground in Q4 2024.
"We are delighted to have welcomed the Minerals Income Investment Fund of Ghana on board as a shareholder and funding partner following the completion of its US$5m subscription in the Company. We believe that MIIF's strong desire to contribute towards driving the Project to production reflects Ghana's aspirations to establish itself as a leading critical minerals jurisdiction. We look forward to completing the second stage of MIIF's planned investment, which will enable increased Ghanaian ownership of the Project, further aligning the Project's continued progress with Ghana's long-term strategic and economic objectives.
"The agreed terms of the Mining Lease highlight the Ewoyaa Lithium Project as one of the most attractive, low-cost hard rock lithium assets globally. The considerable interest in the Project has been evident through our ongoing offtake partnering process. Representing a major milestone for the financing of the Company's allocation of the development expenditure of the Project, we look forward to completing the process in the coming months.
"With these corporate developments ongoing, our focus remains on permitting and achieving shovel-readiness. The recent addition of 3,000m of sterilisation drilling, which is being prioritised over resource growth drilling, demonstrates the Company's mine build ambitions.
"Encouraging results also continue to be returned from the ongoing drilling programme, offering strong confidence for further upgrades to the current 35Mt Resource. Further updates on our ongoing drilling activities will be provided as they become available. In parallel, we continue to grow our pipeline of exploration targets with the recent grant of the Bewadze and Senya Beraku licences, where we are securing remaining permits ahead of field work commencing.
"2024, therefore, represents an exciting year for Atlantic Lithium. We look forward to delivering upon the significant milestones ahead of us, with sights set on breaking ground towards the end of the calendar year."
This announcement contains inside information for the purposes of Article 7 of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 ("MAR"), and is disclosed in accordance with the Company's obligations under Article 17 of MAR.
Competent Persons
Information in this report relating to the exploration results is based on data reviewed by Mr Lennard Kolff (MEcon. Geol., BSc. Hons ARSM), Chief Geologist of the Company. Mr Kolff is a Member of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists who has in excess of 20 years' experience in mineral exploration and is a Qualified Person under the AIM Rules. Mr Kolff consents to the inclusion of the information in the form and context in which it appears.
For any further information, please contact:
Atlantic Lithium Limited
Neil Herbert (Executive Chairman)
Amanda Harsas (Finance Director and Company Secretary)
| www.atlanticlithium.com.au | |||
| IR@atlanticlithium.com.au | |||
| Tel: +61 2 8072 0640 | |||
SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP Nominated Adviser Jeff Keating Charlie Bouverat Tel: +44 (0)20 3470 0470 |
Yellow Jersey PR Limited Charles Goodwin Bessie Elliot atlantic@yellowjerseypr.com Tel: +44 (0)20 3004 9512
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Notes to Editors:
About Atlantic Lithium
www.atlanticlithium.com.au
Atlantic Lithium is an AIM and ASX-listed lithium company advancing its flagship project, the Ewoyaa Lithium Project, a significant lithium spodumene pegmatite discovery in Ghana, through to production to become the country's first lithium-producing mine.
The Definitive Feasibility Study for the Project indicates the production of 3.6Mt of spodumene concentrate over a 12-year mine life, making it one of the largest spodumene concentrate mines in the world.
The Project, which was awarded a Mining Lease in October 2023, is being developed under an earn-in agreement with Piedmont Lithium Inc.
Atlantic Lithium holds a portfolio of lithium projects within 509km2 and 774km2 of granted and under-application tenure across Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire respectively, which, in addition to the Project, comprises significantly under-explored, highly prospective licences.