• Could lithium prices be heading towards a rebound?
  • Sayona, Piedmont restart production at North American Lithium project
  • Green Technology Metals’ drilling intersects thick, high-grade pegmatites

All your lithium news, Friday March 31.

 

Lithium prices have been in freefall for several weeks now with lithium carbonate chemical prices crashing from US$85,000/t to about US$38,000/t due to increasing global supply and a recent pullback in Chinese demand.

There is likely more room for lithium prices to continue falling in the short-term but some analysts are already forecasting a rebound in the second half of this year, though the lofty peaks that we have seen might be a thing of the past.

Australian miners are clearly feeling at least a little bullish.

Unlike the moves to slash production the last time that lithium prices dived, steps are being taken to increase output.

This is clearly highlighted by Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) approving earlier this week a plan to ultimately increase production from its Pilgangoora project to about 1Mtpa while Sayona Mining (ASX:SYA) and Piedmont Lithium (ASX:PLL) have restarted production from their North American Lithium project.

Sayona clearly has the eye on the long-term, with chief executive officer Keith Phillips saying that the project is positioned to be a key contributor to the electric vehicle and battery supply chains in Canada and the US.

After all, Tesla – unlike its Chinese counterparts – has been the recipient of an upbeat forecast by Barclays, which project the EV manufacturer delivering 425,000 vehicles globally in the first quarter of this year, just a little higher than the consensus estimate of 420,000 vehicles.

In the longer-term, Fastmarkets also expects lithium demand from EVs to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 20% to 2.28Mt of lithium carbonate equivalent in 2033, from 321,000t in 2022.

And while China is likely to boost lithium production, the market is expected to remain in deficit until 2026.

 

Here’s how ASX lithium stocks are tracking:

CODE COMPANY PRICE % TODAY MARKET CAP
MQR Marquee Resource Ltd 0.024 26% $6,216,943
AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.0025 25% $4,267,580
PNN Power Minerals Ltd 0.43 19% $26,008,503
VMC Venus Metals Cor Ltd 0.17 17% $25,821,409
A11 Atlantic Lithium 0.56 13% $299,842,122
IPT Impact Minerals 0.01 11% $22,332,335
PAT Patriot Lithium 0.3 11% $16,439,626
MRR Minrex Resources Ltd 0.0165 10% $16,273,013
CMD Cassius Mining Ltd 0.024 9% $8,986,844
RAS Ragusa Minerals Ltd 0.085 9% $11,122,705
CHR Charger Metals 0.37 9% $14,862,885
AML Aeon Metals Ltd. 0.025 9% $25,217,214
BMM Balkanminingandmin 0.25 9% $10,297,563
EFE Eastern Resources 0.013 8% $14,903,358
WCN White Cliff Min Ltd 0.0075 7% $5,488,381
WC8 Wildcat Resources 0.03 7% $18,536,636
M2R Miramar 0.045 7% $3,281,113
LPI Lithium Pwr Int Ltd 0.35 6% $207,602,195
RDT Red Dirt Metals Ltd 0.39 5% $164,615,771
LNR Lanthanein Resources 0.02 5% $21,309,936
FTL Firetail Resources 0.105 5% $6,500,000
PLL Piedmont Lithium Inc 0.885 5% $365,698,255
CRR Critical Resources 0.045 5% $68,574,459
QPM Queensland Pacific 0.115 5% $192,098,271
MNS Magnis Energy Tech 0.265 4% $257,634,528
PGD Peregrine Gold 0.4 4% $15,101,560
NWM Norwest Minerals 0.028 4% $6,679,023
AAJ Aruma Resources Ltd 0.062 3% $9,417,690
LLO Lion One Metals Ltd 0.96 3% $11,168,336
PSC Prospect Res Ltd 0.165 3% $73,961,514
PAM Pan Asia Metals 0.33 3% $49,633,789
A8G Australasian Metals 0.18 3% $7,204,836
ASN Anson Resources Ltd 0.185 3% $219,394,275
ARN Aldoro Resources 0.185 3% $20,324,217
RIO Rio Tinto Limited 120.4 3% $43,525,101,092
FG1 Flynngold 0.081 3% $8,127,009
MLS Metals Australia 0.041 3% $24,281,448
LLL Leolithiumlimited 0.5125 3% $493,328,456
BNR Bulletin Res Ltd 0.089 2% $25,542,426
NVA Nova Minerals Ltd 0.46 2% $94,900,399
CAI Calidus Resources 0.235 2% $101,096,693
VUL Vulcan Energy 5.75 2% $808,975,098
TUL Tulla Resources 0.265 2% $83,669,041
IGO IGO Limited 12.8 2% $9,534,001,766
EUR European Lithium Ltd 0.067 2% $98,289,786
LEL Lithenergy 0.67 2% $39,699,000
AZI Altamin Limited 0.0705 1% $27,224,314
FBM Future Battery 0.077 1% $32,516,230
WES Wesfarmers Limited 50.36 1% $56,427,463,267
AS2 Askarimetalslimited 0.44 1% $23,271,425
MIN Mineral Resources. 80.82 1% $15,407,180,271
ESS Essential Metals Ltd 0.49 1% $129,769,847
DRE Dreadnought Resources Ltd 0.0645 1% $210,798,606
GLN Galan Lithium Ltd 1.08 0% $329,934,060
ADV Ardiden Ltd 0.007 0% $18,818,347
1MC Morella Corporation 0.009 0% $54,887,224
AVZ AVZ Minerals Ltd 0.78 0% $2,752,409,203
EMH European Metals Hldg 0.62 0% $78,118,395
JRL Jindalee Resources 2.62 0% $150,332,891
LPD Lepidico Ltd 0.011 0% $84,015,489
RLC Reedy Lagoon Corp. 0.008 0% $4,533,757
TKL Traka Resources 0.006 0% $4,336,647
TON Triton Min Ltd 0.031 0% $42,866,309
AX8 Accelerate Resources 0.025 0% $9,440,044
AM7 Arcadia Minerals 0.21 0% $9,806,557
BYH Bryah Resources Ltd 0.022 0% $6,187,576
EMS Eastern Metals 0.062 0% $2,421,994
FRS Forrestaniaresources 0.091 0% $5,541,109
GSM Golden State Mining 0.036 0% $4,212,511
LRV Larvottoresources 0.155 0% $10,424,482
MMC Mitremining 0.275 0% $10,514,653
RAG Ragnar Metals Ltd 0.015 0% $5,687,773
TEM Tempest Minerals 0.021 0% $10,636,560
EMC Everest Metals Corp 0.069 0% $7,343,885
KGD Kula Gold Limited 0.016 0% $5,779,391
LRS Latin Resources Ltd 0.115 0% $253,190,316
KZR Kalamazoo Resources 0.125 0% $18,727,422
MTM Mtmongerresources 0.11 0% $7,783,627
ENT Enterprise Metals 0.008 0% $5,640,646
KAI Kairos Minerals Ltd 0.018 0% $35,353,683
RMX Red Mount Min Ltd 0.004 0% $9,087,404
SRZ Stellar Resources 0.0105 0% $10,548,625
LSR Lodestar Minerals 0.005 0% $8,692,187
VKA Viking Mines Ltd 0.012 0% $12,303,101
SRI Sipa Resources Ltd 0.023 0% $5,247,637
RGL Riversgold 0.017 0% $16,072,951
ZNC Zenith Minerals Ltd 0.165 0% $58,031,497
EPM Eclipse Metals 0.018 0% $36,505,076
EVR Ev Resources Ltd 0.015 0% $14,039,761
THR Thor Energy PLC 0.005 0% $7,390,564
CZL Cons Zinc Ltd 0.017 0% $8,200,083
XTC Xantippe Res Ltd 0.004 0% $42,320,399
LLI Loyal Lithium Ltd 0.32 0% $19,036,800
LRD Lordresourceslimited 0.205 0% $7,427,585
WMC Wiluna Mining Corp 0.205 0% $74,238,031
LIS Lisenergylimited 0.26 0% $43,137,689
KTA Krakatoa Resources 0.029 0% $9,996,588
TYX Tyranna Res Ltd 0.019 0% $45,722,081
DAF Discovery Alaska Ltd 0.03 0% $6,727,041
IR1 Irismetals 1.16 0% $74,506,800
DAL Dalaroometalsltd 0.06 0% $1,792,500
TKM Trek Metals Ltd 0.065 0% $23,656,430
OCN Oceanalithiumlimited 0.32 0% $12,024,480
PLS Pilbara Min Ltd 3.98 0% $11,962,073,941
AKE Allkem Limited 11.97 0% $7,671,026,775
AGY Argosy Minerals Ltd 0.4425 -1% $624,961,337
LTR Liontown Resources 2.575 -1% $5,693,997,499
NMT Neometals Ltd 0.595 -1% $331,644,706
CXO Core Lithium 0.86 -1% $1,613,864,611
INR Ioneer Ltd 0.295 -2% $629,501,480
SGQ St George Min Ltd 0.053 -2% $45,387,570
AZL Arizona Lithium Ltd 0.052 -2% $142,621,183
GT1 Greentechnology 0.72 -2% $140,192,719
GW1 Greenwing Resources 0.205 -2% $31,235,821
SYA Sayona Mining Ltd 0.2 -2% $1,821,518,999
MM1 Midasmineralsltd 0.19 -3% $11,140,694
QXR Qx Resources Limited 0.035 -3% $32,287,044
STM Sunstone Metals Ltd 0.035 -3% $94,336,071
LIT Lithium Australia 0.033 -3% $41,520,517
GL1 Globallith 1.3975 -3% $306,969,489
SCN Scorpion Minerals 0.065 -3% $23,162,315
AUN Aurumin 0.03 -3% $6,130,505
TMB Tambourahmetals 0.088 -4% $3,789,719
CY5 Cygnus Metals Ltd 0.22 -4% $42,291,069
MXR Maximus Resources 0.04 -5% $13,400,342
VSR Voltaic Strategic 0.018 -5% $5,838,704
LKE Lake Resources 0.445 -5% $668,549,012
IMI Infinitymining 0.175 -5% $14,148,489
INF Infinity Lithium 0.155 -6% $76,327,695
G88 Golden Mile Res Ltd 0.014 -7% $3,951,484
ZEO Zeotech Limited 0.054 -7% $95,160,929
WR1 Winsome Resources 1.69 -7% $295,709,344
WML Woomera Mining Ltd 0.011 -8% $11,473,935
AOA Ausmon Resorces 0.0045 -10% $4,846,447
DTM Dart Mining NL 0.05 -11% $8,714,751
ALY Alchemy Resource Ltd 0.013 -13% $17,671,144
CTN Catalina Resources 0.005 -17% $7,430,921
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Far more lithium companies swam rather than sunk today with 53 companies in the green, and 32 companies posting share-price losses. The remaining 52 companies were unchanged.

 

WHO’S GOT NEWS OUT?

Green Technology Metals (ASX:GT1)

Maiden assays for Green Technology’s first diamond holes at the Root Bay prospect within its Root project in Ontario, Canada, has intersected thick, high-grade pegmatites.

Hole RB-23-001 returned 67.1m at 1.13% Li2O from 60.9m along with two other intersections of 7.3m at 1.44% Li2O from 162m and 5.3m at 1.34% Li2O from 174.3m while RB-23-003 returned 12.1m at 1.30% Li2O from 67.4m.

The third hole returned 6.6m at 1.47% Li2O from 129.2m, 4.5m at 1.34% Li2O from 140.5m and 2.1m at 1.09% Li2O from 149.0m.

Green Technology has completed 17 of the 20 holes planned for its phase one drill program with assays pending for 14 holes.

Iris Metals (ASX:IR1)

Iris has acquired the historical Longview and Beecher mines in South Dakota that are located within existing granted mining licences.

This complements its previous acquisitions of the Black Diamond Mine and Beecher Extended prospect, effectively giving it control of the historical Beecher lithium mining trend.

Additionally, the company will also acquire the historical Edison lithium mine and an additional 313 BLM claims in the Keystone and Tinton districts of South Dakota.

Together, these acquisitions make Iris the largest holder of lithium mining claims in South Dakota.

Lightning Minerals (ASX:L1M)

Lightning Minerals has started an infill program to test an 8km lithium-in-soil anomaly that was identified by reconnaissance soil sampling program at its Dundas South project in Western Australia.

Up to 2,200 samples will be collected within E63/2000 and E63/1993 to further refine the anomalous area and potentially define drill-ready targets.

Reverse circulation and aircore drilling is expected to start in the near-term, with drill contractor procurement still underway.

Manhattan Corporation (ASX:MHC)

The company has completed the acquisition of the Chebogue lithium project in the emerging hard rock lithium jurisdiction in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Chebogue covers a 1,200km2 area that encompasses over 100km of prospective lithium pegmatite strike length.

Data compilation and remote-sensing data interpretation have prepared detailed layer maps for planned field work to commence in April 2023. This will in turn delineate prospective lithium-bearing pegmatite zones.

Initial exploration will focus along strike both north and south of Champlain Mineral Ventures’ Brazil Lake lithium project.