Australia

Core Lithium confident Finniss Project well-placed to cater for post-COVID demand for lithium

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) has progressed development of the Finniss Lithium Project during 2020 as it prepares to cater for an expected surge in demand for lithium in the post-COVID economy.

During FY20, the company received a non-binding indicative term sheet with the Local Jobs Fund (LJF) from the Northern Territory Government for a $5 million concessional Finance Facility to help fund development of the project.

With project approvals now in place and the mine management plan approved by the Northern Territory Government, the next steps are to finalise the definitive feasibility study (DFS) and project financing.

Offtake agreements secured[hhmc]
During the past six months, the company has signed offtake agreements with its first European Offtake MOU with Geneva-based Transamine for 50,000 tonnes per annum and an MOU for 20,000-30,000 tonnes per annum with Xinfeng, which are in addition to a binding offtake for 75,000 tonnes per annum with Sichuan Yahua.

Core chairman Greg Engli..

Core Lithium Ltd (ASX:CXO) has progressed development of the Finniss Lithium Project during 2020 as it prepares to cater for an expected surge in demand for lithium in the post-COVID economy.

Offtake agreements secured

During the past six months, the company has signed offtake agreements with its first European Offtake MOU with Geneva-based Transamine for 50,000 tonnes per annum and an MOU for 20,000-30,000 tonnes per annum with Xinfeng, which are in addition to a binding offtake for 75,000 tonnes per annum with Sichuan Yahua.

Core chairman Greg English said: “The three offtake agreements collectively represent approximately 85% of our first three years of annual spodumene production from the Finniss Lithium Project.

“We aim to convert the Xinfeng and Transamine agreements to legally binding offtake agreements with the possibility of project finance.”

World map of Darwin port relative to existing and potential offtake partners.

DFS pending

The company has delivered successive resource upgrades, increasing the Finniss ore resources by more than 50%, ore reserves by in excess of 150% and extended the mine life to seven years.

English said: “Over the past two years, we have completed several technical studies to support the development of the Finniss Lithium Project and to integrate new and expanded mining operations at BP33 and Carlton.

“The inclusion of underground mining at BP33 and Carlton improves the overall economics of the Finniss Lithium project and allows Core to extend the mine life to seven years.”

Test-work to date has confirmed that the project could produce a 6.0% Li2O concentrate at an overall lithium recovery of 71% (6.3 millimetre crush size).

The company is in the process of completing a DFS for the more extensive operation and this is expected to enhance the prospects of the project.

Exploration ongoing

While the company did not experience any material disruption, COVID-19 restrictions hindered its short-term ability to explore the project and other Northern Territory tenements.

However, recent government changes have seen the company recommence fieldwork and exploration activities.

English said: “Our recent exploration activity has been focused on the Finniss Lithium Project, and this work has led to significant discoveries at BP33, Carlton, Sandras and Hang Gong.

“Regional exploration was limited to our newly acquired Adelaide River Gold Project where we have undertaken some reconnaissance rock chip and associated low impact exploration activities.

“While we remain focused on developing the Finniss Lithium Project, we believe that our Adelaide River project, Napperby uranium and Blueys silver project hold considerable value and will look for opportunities to realise value from these projects.”

Spodumene price outlook

English noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to adverse economic conditions and a general worldwide economic downturn which had caused softer market conditions in China and weaker customer demand for lithium raw materials.

This not only impacts spodumene prices but prices across the entire lithium raw materials and chemicals product suite.

He said: “Many market analysts expect spodumene prices to recover soon as the demand increases for lithium-ion batteries and green energy products.

“Current modelling shows that the Finniss Lithium Project offers attractive returns for shareholders with the scope and economic potential of this operation will take more precise shape as we complete the DFS.”

Benchmark Mineral intelligence Q2 2020 forecast.Read More – Source

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Australia

Indoor dance floors banned, Victorian government to mandate booster shots for workers in high-risk sectors

The Victorian government has announced deadlines for when workers in certain high-risk settings must have received a third dose of a COVID vaccine under a new vaccine mandate to be approved on Monday.

Indoor dance floors at hospitality and entertainment venues will also be closed from 11:59pm on January 12 in an attempt to limit the spread of the Omicron variant.

Indoor dancing at weddings will still be permitted, however, Victorian officials have urged attendees to take it outside.

Health Minister Martin Foley announced the “sensible” measures on Monday, saying they came in response to a “profound” rise in the number of people in hospital with COVID and soaring case numbers across the state.

Victoria reported 34,808 new cases on Monday alongside two additional deaths as the number of people in hospital rose to 818, up from 491 in the previous week.

The booster shot will be mandated for workers in the following settings:

Healthcare
Aged care
Disability care
Emergency services
Correctional facilities
Hotel quarantine
Food distribution including manufacturing, warehousing and transport
Abattoirs, meat, poultry and seafood processing

“All of these groups are already covered by existing mandates for those first two vaccinations, and this is a sensible addition for the relatively high-risk nature that these sectors operate when it comes to vaccine protection and of course their critical contribution to keeping Victoria operating,” Mr Foley told reporters.

He said he expected to sign-off on the new mandate on Monday afternoon.

The booster mandate has not yet been extended to supermarket and retail workers, with further announcements on additional workers to be made in the future, the Health Minister confirmed.

If eligible to receive a third dose of a vaccine on or before January 12, the impacted workers must receive a third dose by February 12 or show proof of a valid medical exemption from the vaccine in order to keep working.

If by January 12 some workers are not yet eligible they will have a window of three months plus two weeks to receive a third dose.

This means that all residential aged care workers will be required to get their third jab by March 1 – as the pre-existing mandate requires the second dose to have been received by November 15, 2021.

All disability, quarantine, correctional facility, emergency services, abattoir, meat, poultry and seafood workers will need to have their third dose of a vaccine by March 12 – with the deadline for the second dose coming into effect on November 26.

Healthcare workers must have received three doses of a vaccine by March 29 – with the cutoff for the second dose set for December 15.

Victorians have also been advised to work from home where possible.

The changes to restrictions come a day after Premier Daniel Andrews announced the pandemic declaration would be extended by three months – after it was due to expire on January 15.

“Extending the pandemic declaration ensures we are able to put the measures in place to slow the rate of transmission and protect the community’s health and our health system,” Mr Andrews said in the statement.

SOURCE

Australia

Alice Queen’s strong drill results reveal potential to extend Horn Island gold resource

Alice Queen Ltd (ASX:AQX) has received consistent gold results in resource extension drilling at the 100%-owned component of Horn Island Gold Project in Torres Strait, Queensland, with potential to increase the current inferred resource.

Six diamond drill holes for 1,356 metres were completed to test a strike length of around 230 metres, with all holes returning zones of greater than 0.5 g/t gold mineralisation.

The furthest intercept is about 100 metres south and down dip from the previous drilling which informs the current Horn Island inferred resource of around 500,000 ounces.

This resource and adjacent area is excluded from the company’s joint venture with St Barbara Ltd (ASX:SBM), is retained solely by Alice Queen and is able to be further progressed independently from the JV.

“Consistent results”
The drilling tested a section of the Tatooine Dipole Dipole Induced Polarisation (DDIP) chargeability target and indicates this anomaly is associated with mineralised gold-bearing sh..

Six diamond drill holes for 1,356 metres were completed to test a strike length of around 230 metres, with all holes returning zones of greater than 0.5 g/t gold mineralisation.

The furthest intercept is about 100 metres south and down dip from the previous drilling which informs the current Horn Island inferred resource of around 500,000 ounces.

“Consistent results”

The drilling tested a section of the Tatooine Dipole Dipole Induced Polarisation (DDIP) chargeability target and indicates this anomaly is associated with mineralised gold-bearing sheeted and stockwork veining.

Alice Queen managing director Andrew Buxton said: “It is very encouraging that our recent drilling to test the extensions to our existing resource continues to deliver consistent results and we are hopeful that this may potentially add further tonnes and ounces to our resource in the future.

“The extension drilling confirms that the mineralisation remains open towards the south and northwest.

“This is coincidental with the overall trend of the Tatooine anomaly that extends into the St Barbara JV area.”

Mineralisation remains open towards the south and northwest, coincidental with the overall trend of the Tatooine DDIP CHG anomaly and covers a total area of around 1 square kilometre.

Best gold intercepts from recent diamond drilling.

Ongoing exploration programs

The St Barbara JV diamond drilling program is in progress across the section of the Tatooine DDIP anomaly contained within the JV and will shortly begin at the Naboo DDIP target.

Buxton said: “Simultaneously to Alice Queen carrying out drilling in the excluded areas of the JV, St Barbara has also commenced drilling, so we are effectively hitting this target from both sides.

“With future RC infill drilling planned, it is key to remember that the existing Horn Island inferred resource could be increased both by volume and ounces from either or both of the two (the exclusive Alice Queen and the St Barbara JV) programs currently being carried out.”

Infill RC drilling at the current Horn Island inferred resource excluded area will commence in late November to progress resource definition activity.

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Australia

Great Southern sets development pathway for Mon Ami gold operation

Great Southern Mining Ltd (ASX:GSN) has set a development pathway for gold operations at Mon Ami in Western Australia after completing an in-house preliminary economic evaluation of the potential for an open-pit development.

Results are sufficiently positive for the company to initiate the full suite of requisite preliminary activities targeted at obtaining a mining approval under the Mining Act 1978 (WA) in 2021.

This progression towards development is expected to add significant underlying value to Mon Ami and the company’s gold strategy.

Development of the deposit offers a potential source of cash flow for ongoing funding of aggressive exploration plans across the gold portfolio – including Cox’s Find, at depth at Mon Ami and the Edinburgh Park Gold Project in North Queensland.

Testing high-grade extensions
Great Southern Mining chief executive officer Sean Gregory said: “We are pleased to announce that our in-house preliminary economic review has identified a potential low-cost..

Results are sufficiently positive for the company to initiate the full suite of requisite preliminary activities targeted at obtaining a mining approval under the Mining Act 1978 (WA) in 2021.

This progression towards development is expected to add significant underlying value to Mon Ami and the company’s gold strategy.

Testing high-grade extensions

Great Southern Mining chief executive officer Sean Gregory said: “We are pleased to announce that our in-house preliminary economic review has identified a potential low-cost development pathway for an open-pit mining operation at Mon Ami.

“The planned drilling program seeks to expand on this opportunity and test for higher grade extensions to the deposit at depth.

“Rapid development at Mon Ami has the potential to deliver a robust source of cash flow for GSN, allowing the further acceleration of the aggressive exploration plans across our Australian gold portfolio.”

Near-surface high-grade gold hits

Recent drill results at Mon Ami included several near-surface high-grade results – 11 metres at 7.9 g/t gold from 26 metres including 4 metres at 15.9 g/t and 4 metres at 12.4 g/t from 80 metres.

Initial technical studies have been scoped at the project to support a mining approval and include a review of the existing drill core and optical televiewer data by the company’s geotechnical consultants to recommend pit design parameters.

GSN believes that the high grades could extend to depth in an analogous fashion to the Ida H deposit 14 kilometres to the north of Mon Ami along the same regional shear zone, the Barnicoat Shear.

Upcoming drilling

The metallurgical characteristics of Mon Ami were tested in 2018 where the recoveries averaged 95% in the fresh and transitional rock, which will be the focus of any open pit development.

The maiden inferred resource of 1.1 million tonnes at 1.7 g/t for 59,000 ounces was estimated in 2018 and since then 2,073 metres of reverse circulation (RC) drilling has been conducted with further drilling is planned.

As a part of upcoming drilling, GSN plans to upgrade the resource to the indicated status based on an improved understanding of the deposit from the quality assured drilling and improved confidence around modifying factors.

Drill rig secured

The company has secured the services of its preferred RC drilling contractor to resume drilling operations at Laverton from the first week of December 2020.

Drilling will test these targets at Mon Ami as well as the targets at Cox’s Find.

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