Name of the Project
Authier lithium project.

Location
Canada.

Client
Sayona Mining.

Project Description
An optimised prefeasibility study (PFS) has confirmed the technical and financial viability of building a simple, low-strip-ratio, opencut mining operation and processing facility producing spodumene concentrate.

The PFS has incorporated the new expanded Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant mineral resource, results from several technical optimisation programmes and realignment of pricing to reflect a concentrate grade of 6% lithium oxide (LiO₂).

The Authier project has total mineral reserves of 11.66-million tonnes grading 1.03% LiO₂ at a 0.45% LiO₂ cutoff grade, delivering a mine life of about 17 years, and total mineral resources of 18.35-million tonnes grading 1.02% LiO₂.

The mine design outlines a pit about 1 000 m long (east to west) and, on average, 600 m wide (north to south), with a final pit depth of 200 m. The maximum planned total material movement including waste, stockpile reclaim and ore to the run-of-mine pad is 9.5-million tonnes.

The concentrator plant will process 700 000 t/y of ore feed using conventional flotation technology suitable for a pegmatite orebody. The plant will include:
• three-stage crushing – comprising jaw crushing and two stages of cone crushing;
• ball mill grinding;
• magnetic separation to reduce the iron content of the concentrate;
• mica flotation;
• spodumene flotation;
• concentrate dewatering and drying; and
• tailings thickening and filtering for co-disposal with the main waste dump.

The plant will produce a 6% LiO₂ concentrate suitable for sale to lithium carbonate conversion plants that supply feedstock to the lithium battery manufacturers.

Further metallurgical testwork will be undertaken to improve the metallurgical recovery and concentrate grades.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of C$221-million and a pretax internal rate of return of 56%, with a payback of 2.5 years.

Value
The initial capital cost estimate to build to a new 700 000 t/y process plant, including selected mobile equipment, site infrastructure, and all direct and indirect costs, is C$64-million. This estimate includes a contingency of 10%.

Duration
Not stated.

Latest Developments
The definitive feasibility study has now started and is expected to be completed early this year. A Phase 3 drilling programme has also started to collect a large sample for pilot metallurgical testing and further optimisation of the Authier resource and reserve.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Sayona Mining, tel +61 7 3369 7058 or email info@sayonamining.com.au.