• Prime Minister Anthony Albanese solidifies his stance on establishing a critical minerals value chain here in Australia
  • Omnia engages Canadian based APEX Geoscience to assist with advancement of the Lac des Montagnes project
  • Mineral Resources enters into two binding agreements with Albermarle

All your lithium news, Thursday February 23.

 

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used an address to the National Press Club on Wednesday to solidify his stance on establishing a critical minerals value chain here in Australia to compete in global export markets, improve our sovereign capability, and take advantage of the abundance of resources.

“I want to make sure we use the lithium, nickel, and other products we have to make batteries here,” he said.

“That’s part of the vision of protecting our national economy going forward.

“I think we should be making solar panels here. I think we should be making so many more things here in order to protect our national sovereignty.

“Rare earths and critical minerals are part of the National Reconstruction Fund, it is about taking those things here, providing financing for Australian-based businesses to invest and value-add here.”

 

The comments came in response to a question about Chinese foreign investment in Australia and the critical minerals sector, particularly in the lithium space.

“Why aren’t we making more batteries here? We have almost half of the world’s lithium deposits,” Albanese said.

“I was in Perth and Port Hedland yesterday, if you went to Port Hedland as I did, I have been there many times – but 20 years ago, no-one would have been coming up to you and saying, ‘Hi, I’m a lithium company.’

“They were queuing up.

“I’m certain there were, without doing a head count, there were over 200 people there – lithium has an extraordinary capacity, we need to not just dig it up.”

 

Here’s how ASX lithium stocks are tracking:

CODE COMPANY PRICE % TODAY MARKET CAP
MTM Mtmongerresources 0.12 60% $4,276,817
FTL Firetail Resources 0.16 23% $8,450,000
QPM Queensland Pacific 0.1 10% $158,917,661
THR Thor Energy PLC 0.006 9% $8,115,871
WML Woomera Mining Ltd 0.014 8% $12,430,096
FRS Forrestaniaresources 0.15 7% $8,524,782
SYA Sayona Mining Ltd 0.2275 6% $1,868,269,240
KTA Krakatoa Resources 0.041 5% $13,443,687
ZEO Zeotech Limited 0.042 5% $65,628,227
DAL Dalaroometalsltd 0.084 5% $2,390,000
PLS Pilbara Min Ltd 4.47 5% $12,771,515,081
RAS Ragusa Minerals Ltd 0.11 5% $14,972,873
RGL Riversgold 0.023 5% $20,800,290
LLI Loyal Lithium Ltd 0.355 4% $20,226,600
1MC Morella Corporation 0.012 4% $70,133,675
AML Aeon Metals Ltd. 0.025 4% $26,313,615
VMC Venus Metals Cor Ltd 0.145 4% $24,931,016
LIS Lisenergylimited 0.295 4% $47,285,543
PAM Pan Asia Metals 0.36 3% $51,399,457
LLL Leolithiumlimited 0.54 3% $517,994,879
PNN Power Minerals Ltd 0.4575 3% $32,149,400
AGY Argosy Minerals Ltd 0.735 3% $1,004,151,361
PSC Prospect Res Ltd 0.19 3% $85,518,000
LKE Lake Resources 0.62 2% $859,066,545
DTM Dart Mining NL 0.042 2% $6,380,443
AOU Auroch Minerals Ltd 0.059 2% $24,815,018
EMH European Metals Hldg 0.62 2% $76,858,421
LRV Larvottoresources 0.1575 2% $10,424,482
MIN Mineral Resources. 85.03 1% $16,017,196,935
PGD Peregrine Gold 0.435 1% $16,668,042
NMT Neometals Ltd 0.805 1% $442,192,941
IGO IGO Limited 13.31 1% $10,026,225,844
VUL Vulcan Energy 6.2 0% $887,864,513
ADV Ardiden Ltd 0.007 0% $18,818,347
AVZ AVZ Minerals Ltd 0.78 0% $2,752,409,203
EUR European Lithium Ltd 0.07 0% $101,446,742
GLN Galan Lithium Ltd 1.12 0% $343,745,254
INF Infinity Lithium 0.11 0% $50,885,130
LIT Lithium Australia 0.041 0% $50,068,859
PLL Piedmont Lithium Inc 0.925 0% $391,700,500
RLC Reedy Lagoon Corp. 0.008 0% $4,533,757
TKL Traka Resources 0.007 0% $5,059,422
TON Triton Min Ltd 0.033 0% $45,631,878
BMM Balkanminingandmin 0.35 0% $15,670,205
AAJ Aruma Resources Ltd 0.067 0% $10,516,421
AM7 Arcadia Minerals 0.22 0% $10,273,536
BYH Bryah Resources Ltd 0.022 0% $6,187,576
EMS Eastern Metals 0.071 0% $2,773,573
GSM Golden State Mining 0.04 0% $4,680,568
IMI Infinitymining 0.21 0% $16,060,447
MMC Mitremining 0.3 0% $10,795,530
RAG Ragnar Metals Ltd 0.016 0% $6,066,958
CTN Catalina Resources 0.0085 0% $10,527,139
EMC Everest Metals Corp 0.086 0% $9,153,247
WCN White Cliff Min Ltd 0.012 0% $9,408,653
KZR Kalamazoo Resources 0.165 0% $24,555,197
SCN Scorpion Minerals 0.072 0% $24,890,846
ENT Enterprise Metals 0.008 0% $5,640,646
AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.003 0% $6,401,370
BNR Bulletin Res Ltd 0.11 0% $32,295,021
RMX Red Mount Min Ltd 0.005 0% $11,359,255
A8G Australasian Metals 0.17 0% $6,998,984
MQR Marquee Resource Ltd 0.032 0% $10,470,640
SRZ Stellar Resources 0.011 0% $11,050,940
LSR Lodestar Minerals 0.005 0% $8,692,187
AOA Ausmon Resorces 0.006 0% $5,539,736
VKA Viking Mines Ltd 0.011 0% $11,277,843
ZNC Zenith Minerals Ltd 0.23 0% $80,892,390
EVR Ev Resources Ltd 0.015 0% $14,039,761
CZL Cons Zinc Ltd 0.02 0% $9,647,156
MXR Maximus Resources 0.035 0% $11,166,952
MM1 Midasmineralsltd 0.165 0% $9,426,741
M2R Miramar 0.072 0% $5,089,085
XTC Xantippe Res Ltd 0.006 0% $63,480,598
LRD Lordresourceslimited 0.165 0% $5,493,200
WMC Wiluna Mining Corp 0.205 0% $74,238,031
ALY Alchemy Resource Ltd 0.016 0% $18,849,220
DAF Discovery Alaska Ltd 0.027 0% $6,054,337
IR1 Irismetals 1.16 0% $74,506,800
LNR Lanthanein Resources 0.019 0% $21,309,936
TKM Trek Metals Ltd 0.067 0% $24,384,321
CY5 Cygnus Metals Ltd 0.3 0% $55,162,264
A11 Atlantic Lithium 0.63 0% $381,617,246
CMD Cassius Mining Ltd 0.033 0% $13,480,266
VSR Voltaic Strategic 0.021 0% $6,453,304
AKE Allkem Limited 11.47 0% $7,333,067,989
JRL Jindalee Resources 2.31 0% $133,119,201
LTR Liontown Resources 1.3125 -1% $2,901,960,116
INR Ioneer Ltd 0.3775 -1% $797,368,541
NVA Nova Minerals Ltd 0.555 -1% $117,630,313
ESS Essential Metals Ltd 0.495 -1% $133,783,347
LLO Lion One Metals Ltd 0.91 -1% $10,847,226
WR1 Winsome Resources 1.985 -1% $323,572,849
LPI Lithium Pwr Int Ltd 0.36 -1% $229,620,609
GT1 Greentechnology 0.645 -2% $124,933,647
WES Wesfarmers Limited 48.455 -2% $55,815,107,355
AZL Arizona Lithium Ltd 0.063 -2% $156,320,297
CXO Core Lithium 0.935 -2% $1,762,265,954
GL1 Globallith 1.56 -2% $338,945,477
TUL Tulla Resources 0.26 -2% $56,404,840
CRR Critical Resources 0.049 -2% $79,516,631
MLS Metals Australia 0.048 -2% $29,744,773
LRS Latin Resources Ltd 0.1175 -2% $264,198,590
CAI Calidus Resources 0.23 -2% $103,294,447
RIO Rio Tinto Limited 122.8 -2% $46,591,347,019
GW1 Greenwing Resources 0.225 -2% $34,099,539
EPM Eclipse Metals 0.02 -2% $41,575,226
LEL Lithenergy 0.78 -3% $48,120,000
MNS Magnis Energy Tech 0.385 -3% $383,280,936
ASN Anson Resources Ltd 0.185 -3% $224,074,587
ARN Aldoro Resources 0.185 -3% $21,453,340
EFE Eastern Resources 0.0165 -3% $21,113,090
LPD Lepidico Ltd 0.0155 -3% $122,204,348
AX8 Accelerate Resources 0.029 -3% $11,328,053
WC8 Wildcat Resources 0.029 -3% $19,860,682
DRE Dreadnought Resources Ltd 0.086 -3% $293,141,812
SRI Sipa Resources Ltd 0.027 -4% $6,388,428
AUN Aurumin 0.052 -4% $9,625,013
KGD Kula Gold Limited 0.024 -4% $9,030,298
TEM Tempest Minerals 0.023 -4% $12,114,393
G88 Golden Mile Res Ltd 0.022 -4% $4,705,564
TMB Tambourahmetals 0.105 -5% $4,531,186
FG1 Flynngold 0.08 -5% $8,641,377
QXR Qx Resources Limited 0.039 -5% $36,771,355
AS2 Askarimetalslimited 0.57 -5% $29,698,517
KAI Kairos Minerals Ltd 0.019 -5% $39,281,870
AZI Altamin Limited 0.075 -5% $30,945,623
IPT Impact Minerals 0.009 -5% $23,573,020
SGQ St George Min Ltd 0.07 -5% $61,966,531
STM Sunstone Metals Ltd 0.033 -6% $91,715,625
OCN Oceanalithiumlimited 0.33 -6% $12,744,900
RDT Red Dirt Metals Ltd 0.39 -6% $184,636,608
MRR Minrex Resources Ltd 0.031 -6% $35,800,628
CHR Charger Metals 0.365 -6% $17,048,604
PAT Patriot Lithium 0.33 -8% $21,829,501
TYX Tyranna Res Ltd 0.025 -11% $67,351,909
NWM Norwest Minerals 0.039 -15% $10,216,940
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A total of 32 companies finished in the green, 32 fell flat, while another 50 tumbled into the red zone.

 

Who’s got news out?

OMNIA METALS (ASX:OM1)

Omnia has engaged Canadian based APEX Geoscience to assist with advancing the Lac des Montagnes Project in Quebec, Canada through in-country geological services and technical reporting as part of the due diligence process.

The company has started planning for an aggressive exploration, initially focusing on mapped pegmatite granites, which have been identified by MERN as high priority and highly prospective to host spodumene.

These high-priority pegmatites have been identified and termed the “Spodumene Suite” by the Government of Quebec’s, Ministère des Ressources Naturelles et des Forêts due to their striking geological similarities with the world class Wabouchi lithium deposit – 38km along strike from Omnia’s Lac des Montagnes project.

“The geology and potential is there so there is a sense of excitement as we confirm our exploration plans for the year ahead,” OM1 executive director James Warren says.

 

MINERAL RESOURCES (ASX:MIN)

~$16.01bn market cap company, Mineral Resources, has entered into two binding agreements with Albermarle, the part owner of the world’s largest active lithium mine in the world, for two separate transactions.

The first is a restructure of its arrangements relating to the existing MARBL Joint Venture in Western Australia while the second revolves around MinRes’ investment in lithium conversion assets in China.

MIN says it will increase its stake in the Wodgina lithium mine from 40% to 50% while continuing to operate the site.

At the same time, Albermarle is set to increase its interest in two spodumene conversion trains at the Kemerton processing plant from 60% to 85%, as well as operate them.

The two companies have committed to jointly own lithium conversion assets, which will convert Wodgina spodumene concentrate lithium battery chemicals such as lithium hydroxide or lithium carbonate.

This will see involve a nominal capacity of up to 100ktpa and subject to receipt of required regulatory approvals, a downstream joint venture will be established.

In China, MinRes will acquire a 50% interest in Albemarle’s 100% owned Qinzhou and Meishan plants.

 

KOBA RESOURCES (ASX:KOB)

Koba has raised received commitments for a placement to raise $4m, which will primarily be used to expedite exploration within its portfolio of high-quality lithium-pegmatite projects in Australia and Canada.

The company said it will also provide funding in its hunt for new opportunities in the battery metals sector.