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Eye on Lithium: Mexico advances energy reform, nationalisation of future lithium assets

Pic: John W Banagan / Stone via Getty Images

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  • Mexico could be jumping on the nationalisation bandwagon
  • A total of 63 stocks were in the green today with only 8 in the red

 All your ASX lithium news for Friday, March 18.

 

Another Latin American company is leaning towards nationalisation of its lithium resources.

This week Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador told a press conference discussing the country’s proposed reforms – that include nationalising lithium production – that Mexico can only phase out oil once it has domestic lithium production underway.

It’s just one aspect of constitutional reforms to the electric power sector now before congress that would see current lithium concessions scrapped, with future exploration and development of the minerals controlled by the state.

But the key word there is future.

The company doesn’t have any lithium mines in production yet. The closest is the JV between Bacanora Lithium and Ganfeng Lithium who’s US$420mn Sonora project is scheduled for first production next year.

Overall, the country only hosts about 1.7 million tonnes – compared to Chile’s 8 million tonnes.

Mexico is just a little fish in a big pond with some big sharks, so whether or not a) nationalisation happens and b) it impacts supply growth is yet to be seen.

 

Here’s how ASX lithium stocks are tracking today:

Code Company Price % Month % Week % Today Market Cap
ESS Essential Metals Ltd 0.425 16% 23% 16% $89,154,438.64
EUR European Lithium Ltd 0.115 10% 15% 15% $115,188,439.90
NVA Nova Minerals Ltd 0.695 -23% 29% 14% $109,923,393.85
SCN Scorpion Minerals 0.068 -4% 5% 13% $16,170,371.52
GL1 Globallith 2.04 39% 28% 13% $246,378,238.94
CRR Critical Resources 0.077 -14% 5% 12% $102,491,668.64
AZL Arizona Lithium Ltd 0.15 11% 7% 11% $269,698,471.43
RDT Red Dirt Metals Ltd 0.57 6% 16% 11% $154,032,363.52
WR1 Winsome Resources 0.435 7% 28% 10% $53,111,697.63
LRS Latin Resources Ltd 0.057 46% 43% 10% $76,907,465.49
IPT Impact Minerals 0.012 -14% -25% 9% $24,095,077.45
NMT Neometals Ltd 1.725 36% 24% 8% $871,918,469.64
KAI Kairos Minerals Ltd 0.026 4% 8% 8% $47,090,243.78
RLC Reedy Lagoon Corp. 0.027 -10% 8% 8% $13,708,930.75
INR Ioneer Ltd 0.5175 -10% 0% 8% $1,003,463,231.52
LKE Lake Resources 1.525 69% 27% 8% $1,792,062,277.82
LEL Lithenergy 0.915 -9% -1% 8% $38,250,000.00
CHR Charger Metals 0.71 0% 14% 8% $21,492,482.88
1MC Morella Corporation 0.029 32% 12% 7% $139,757,777.62
BNR Bulletin Res Ltd 0.15 -17% 0% 7% $39,978,387.40
AVZ AVZ Minerals Ltd 0.905 15% 8% 7% $2,916,993,302.60
ASN Anson Resources Ltd 0.1175 -2% 2% 7% $112,353,920.80
A8G Australasian Metals 0.47 -12% -2% 7% $17,675,017.36
LTR Liontown Resources 1.6425 6% 3% 7% $3,376,026,804.92
GLN Galan Lithium Ltd 1.495 7% 8% 6% $422,492,621.26
EFE Eastern Resources 0.05 -6% 4% 6% $46,444,859.78
ZNC Zenith Minerals Ltd 0.335 -4% -1% 6% $108,329,808.83
SYA Sayona Mining Ltd 0.17 31% 13% 6% $1,135,906,593.60
RAS Ragusa Minerals Ltd 0.068 1% 24% 6% $8,042,101.12
PNN PepinNini Minerals 0.435 -6% 4% 6% $25,099,508.74
VUL Vulcan Energy 10.13 9% 13% 6% $1,259,843,511.30
BMM Balkanminingandmin 0.275 -20% 10% 6% $8,515,000.00
STM Sunstone Metals Ltd 0.08 -6% 3% 5% $170,203,594.40
CXO Core Lithium 1.11 40% 14% 5% $1,799,347,744.73
PLS Pilbara Min Ltd 2.83 -3% 0% 5% $8,037,452,321.10
LPD Lepidico Ltd 0.0335 2% 5% 5% $200,078,823.87
TMB Tambourahmetals 0.23 -6% 12% 5% $9,062,371.56
LPI Lithium Pwr Int Ltd 0.705 15% 18% 4% $235,419,647.40
CAI Calidus Resources 0.92 35% 8% 4% $356,032,852.08
QXR Qx Resources Limited 0.053 36% 13% 4% $42,373,978.37
AGY Argosy Minerals Ltd 0.4 18% 16% 4% $509,196,812.36
MTM Mtmongerresources 0.14 -20% -10% 4% $4,679,104.46
FFX Firefinch Ltd 0.86 28% 13% 4% $977,853,046.00
QPM Queensland Pacific 0.145 -15% 4% 4% $216,035,838.34
AS2 Askarimetalslimited 0.44 11% 17% 4% $16,205,260.63
RAG Ragnar Metals Ltd 0.031 -21% 7% 3% $11,180,546.67
INF Infinity Lithium 0.16 0% 10% 3% $64,298,563.36
PLL Piedmont Lithium Inc 0.96 36% 4% 3% $492,420,027.00
AZI Altamin Limited 0.065 -3% 2% 3% $24,498,932.98
AKE Allkem Limited 9.96 6% -1% 3% $6,171,247,672.48
RGL Riversgold 0.037 68% 9% 3% $14,545,519.06
LRV Larvottoresources 0.2 -18% 3% 3% $8,035,462.50
AM7 Arcadia Minerals 0.225 -10% -2% 2% $7,698,350.00
PAM Pan Asia Metals 0.505 -10% -2% 2% $36,461,028.78
AX8 Accelerate Resources 0.051 2% 9% 2% $12,672,944.95
BYH Bryah Resources Ltd 0.051 -7% 13% 2% $11,310,358.75
MRR Minrex Resources Ltd 0.056 -14% -2% 2% $48,541,221.30
PSC Prospect Res Ltd 0.88 2% 4% 2% $373,069,030.61
MLS Metals Australia 0.075 79% 4% 1% $26,782,679.03
GT1 Greentechnology 0.76 -3% 1% 1% $79,500,000.00
AAJ Aruma Resources Ltd 0.086 -18% 5% 1% $13,341,727.76
MIN Mineral Resources. 46.225 -4% 2% 1% $8,639,897,153.25
IGO IGO Limited 11.98 -2% -7% 1% $9,011,486,974.70
ADV Ardiden Ltd 0.013 0% 0% 0% $34,588,350.63
GXY Galaxy Resources 0 -100% -100% 0% $2,715,139,305.12
LIT Lithium Australia NL 0.105 -13% 0% 0% $108,419,912.58
TKL Traka Resources 0.011 -21% 22% 0% $7,576,520.17
TON Triton Min Ltd 0.029 -9% 0% 0% $36,040,741.13
DTM Dart Mining NL 0.08 -7% 0% 0% $9,959,274.40
EMS Eastern Metals 0.19 -16% 3% 0% $6,764,000.00
FG1 Flynngold 0.14 -13% -13% 0% $8,968,547.00
FRS Forrestaniaresources 0.305 -14% -10% 0% $8,570,135.22
GSM Golden State Mining 0.075 -16% -4% 0% $6,231,598.88
IMI Infinitymining 0.17 0% -6% 0% $9,775,000.00
MMC Mitremining 0.18 -10% 0% 0% $4,875,318.00
TEM Tempest Minerals 0.021 -16% -9% 0% $8,355,918.86
TSC Twenty Seven Co. Ltd 0.004 0% 0% 0% $10,643,255.62
WCN White Cliff Min Ltd 0.027 -13% -4% 0% $17,566,912.77
WML Woomera Mining Ltd 0.017 -6% -11% 0% $11,591,162.12
KZR Kalamazoo Resources 0.29 -8% 0% 0% $42,106,368.46
ENT Enterprise Metals 0.014 -7% 4% 0% $8,644,237.95
PGD Peregrine Gold 0.46 -26% -8% 0% $17,566,251.38
AVW Avira Resources Ltd 0.006 0% 20% 0% $12,712,740.00
RMX Red Mount Min Ltd 0.0085 -15% 6% 0% $13,960,092.79
MQR Marquee Resource Ltd 0.1 -17% 0% 0% $21,640,260.20
SRZ Stellar Resources 0.029 -12% 7% 0% $24,281,776.15
AOA Ausmon Resorces 0.008 14% 0% 0% $6,858,314.74
VKA Viking Mines Ltd 0.011 -21% -4% 0% $11,277,842.74
SRI Sipa Resources Ltd 0.051 -2% -6% 0% $10,456,264.95
VMC Venus Metals Cor Ltd 0.175 -10% -5% 0% $26,438,769.53
JRL Jindalee Resources 3.07 5% 8% -1% $168,263,334.26
ARN Aldoro Resources 0.33 -16% -4% -1% $30,062,427.32
EMH European Metals Hldg 1.085 -13% -7% -4% $159,077,970.45
AML Aeon Metals Ltd. 0.048 -2% -2% -4% $43,290,444.40
KGD Kula Gold Limited 0.043 2% -2% -4% $9,682,903.44
NWM Norwest Minerals 0.062 13% -6% -5% $11,739,480.16
SHH Shree Minerals Ltd 0.02 5% 5% -5% $22,327,974.73
LSR Lodestar Minerals 0.011 22% 0% -8% $20,861,248.18
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A total of 63 stocks were in the green today, with 27 flatlining and 8 in the red.

Surprisingly no one had any news out – so let’s take a look at the top 4 performers.

 

ESSENTIAL METALS (ASX:ESS)

Last month the $89m market cap company intersected “abundant” spodumene from near surface in diamond drilling at the Cade and Davy deposits at its Pioneer Dome project in WA.

MD Tim Spencer says this supports the potential for mining at Dome North to commence at surface, with an upgrade for the current 11.2Mt at 1.21% lithium mineral resource likely.

“We are confident that the recently completed diamond drilling will, subject to satisfactory assay and metallurgical test work results, demonstrate that both the Cade and Davy deposits can be mined to produce recoverable spodumene from surface,” he said.

“We also expect to upgrade the drilled zones from Inferred to Indicated status within the Mineral Resource, supporting our development pathway.”

The recently completed air-core program didn’t locate any spodumene-bearing pegmatites, but the company intersected several pegmatites in the southern and central areas of the project.

 

NOVA MINERALS (ASX:NVA)

The $109m market cap Alaskan gold explorer holds a majority interest in NASDAQ-listed lithium explorer Snow Lake Resources Ltd (NASDAQ:LITM).

Last week drilling at the Thompson Brothers lithium deposits returned spodumene-bearing intersections at all three drill sites, including:

  • Spodumene bearing pegmatite from 422.12m to 447.47m, totalling 25.35m;
  • An intersection from 10.55m to 20m; and
  • Two intercepts from 34.8m to 40.48m, and 41.86m to 44.22m for a total intersection of 8.04m,

All samples have been sent for analysis but Snow Lake CEO Phillip Gross says the success of the drilling to date “has provided critical validation to our ambitions of delivering a multi decade resource to market”.

 

 

SCORPION MINERALS (ASX:SCN)

In Feb, a technical review at the company’s Pharos project in WA confirmed significant rare metal and Lithium, Caesium, Tantalum (LCT) pegmatite potential along a 25km strike.

And early this month, the $16m market cap company extended that strike length to 50kms.

SCN says the interpreted LCT Pegmatite Emplacement Zone has now been extended east of the recently acquired Poona Prospect into the Jacksons Reward Prospect area within Pharos.

“As we continue to build our understanding of this highly prospective and underexplored region the doubling of the LCT pegmatite intrusion at Pharos clearly highlights the underlying lithium potential of the project area and we look forward to updating the market with plans for exploration activity to commence shortly,” director Bronwyn Barnes said.

 

 

GLOBAL LITHIUM (ASX:GL1)

Earlier this week the company attracted Chris Ellison’s Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) who will take a 5% stake in the fast rising lithium explorer after joining a ~$30 million capital in the junior as a cornerstone investor.

Iron ore and lithium miner MinRes operates the Wodgina and Mt Marion JVs in the Pilbara and Goldfields, respectively, not far from GL1’s Marble Bar and Manna projects.

MinRes will top $13.6m into the placement for GL1, which is up over 500% since listing last year.

Another $11.3m of shares will be issued to institutional investors with a $4.3m placement going to Suzhou to maintain its 9.9% share in the explorer.

The $323 market cap company’s share price is up 78% this year so far, from $1.14 to $2.03.

Categories: Mining

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