BCN.L Regulatory News (BCN)

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

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 Li2CO3) 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.

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 Li2CO3 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: 

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.