Each week High Voltage tracks a list of ASX 200 battery metals stocks including explorers with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese and vanadium — stocks that are used in energy storage and generally driven by battery news, even if their main application is not yet battery storage.

>>>Scroll down for a table showing the recent performance of 200 ASX battery metal stocks

It’s been a bloodbath for most ASX small caps stocks this week.

Battery metals-exposed small caps didn’t escape the carnage, despite the strong outlook for lithium, cobalt, manganese, graphite and vanadium.

Of the 200 battery metals stocks on our list, about 130 lost ground, 30 were ahead and 40 were steady.

The biggest winners were all micro caps – Blina Minerals (ASX:BDI) up 100 per cent, Monax Mining (ASX:MOX) up 50 per cent, and Pacifico Minerals (ASX:PMY) up 20 per cent.

West Australian manganese and lithium explorer Pure Minerals (ASX:PM1) was also up 8.5 per cent for the week to 1.3c – it’s shares are currently suspended pending an acquisition announcement.

For the first time, explorer Corazon Mining (ASX: CZN) has included cobalt as part of a resource upgrade at the historic ‘Lynn Lake’ project in Canada.

This helped boost its share price about 14.5 per cent to 0.8c for the week; but it is still about 65 per cent in the red over the past year.

The newly upgraded resource – a 60 per cent boost on its previous 2015 estimate – now contains 110,300 tonnes of nickel, 51,400t of copper and 5200t of cobalt.

The low-grade, near-surface Lynn Lake deposits “provide the opportunity for mining using large tonnage, low cost methods”, Corazon told investors yesterday.

Industry News

Chile’s mining minister is the latest to complain about the lack of transparency around lithium pricing, which Reuters says could be having a “chilling effect” on investment.

Chile is the world’s second largest lithium producer after Australia, which took the number one spot this year.

The London Metals Exchange is working on a benchmark price for the battery metal next year – but it’s a laborious process, because individual prices decided between sellers and buyers are not made publicly available.

A benchmark price is an independently discovered market price used as a ‘starting point’ to set specific contract prices.

Battery metals data leader Benchmark Minerals Intelligence calls this “the next logical evolution in markets that are growing as quickly as lithium”.

Next year will mark the start of a huge EV ramp-up for the world’s biggest carmakers — and that’s expected to have a serious impact on demand for key battery metals such as lithium, cobalt, manganese, HPA and nickel.

Euro car-makers have a lot of ground to make up on EV leaders Tesla, Nissan and various Chinese manufacturers – who continue to break production and sales records every month.

Tesla sold an estimated 22,250 Model 3s in September in the US alone according to this report — the highest ever for sales of a single plug-in electric car in a month, and the first time an EV has beaten 20,000 sales a month in the US market.

Peugeot's e-Legend concept vehicle. Pic: Peugeot
Peugeot’s e-Legend concept vehicle. Pic: Peugeot

This EV ramp-up will see the world’s lithium battery-making capacity more than triple from 175 gigawatt hours to 630GwH by 2022, says a top expert.

“That’s not a forecast from us,” Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst Logan Goldie-Scot told a conference in Perth on Monday.

“That’s purely based on announcements from different battery manufacturers on the size of their new plants, and when they expect to commission them,” he said.

There was a lot of talk of lithium scarcity last year – now that’s changed, but supply is still very vulnerable.

This is because production rarely, if ever, comes online as planned, Mr Goldie-Scot said.

Then — like clockwork — Chile rejects a request from world-leading lithium producer Albemarle to increase production from 80,000t to 125,000t a year.

Niv Dagan, executive director at Peak Asset Management, said this could have “a positive bearing on lithium prices going forward”.

And the vanadium price could stay high “for some years” with the Chinese government serious about shutting down domestic production as part of its environmental reform agenda, Mastermines boss David Gillam says.

“Anyone that thinks the Chinese government is not serious about environmental reforms is wrong,” he said.

“The number of companies being affected is enormous.”

Chinese players also need more vanadium after the government introduced stricter standards for rebar – a reinforcing steel used in concrete.

“Vanadium is just off the charts at the moment,” Mr Gillam said.

“We saw the vanadium spot price spike around 23 per cent in a week. It’s unheard of for minerals.”

 

Here’s a list of ASX battery metal stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, manganese and vanadium.

Swipe or scroll to reveal full table. Click headings to sort:

ASX code Company Focus One-week price change 12-month price change Price Oct 4 (intraday) Market Cap
AML AEON METALS cobalt -0.0422535211268 1.1935483871 0.34 202.2M
AYR ALLOY RESOURCES cobalt 0 -0.2 0.004 7.3M
AZI ALTA ZINC cobalt -0.142857142857 -0.6 0.006 8.2M
AJM ALTURA MINING lithium -0.0980392156863 -0.148148148148 0.23 427.7M
ADN ANDROMEDA METALS lithium 0.166666666667 0.4 0.007 7.6M
ASN ANSON RESOURCES lithium -0.0888888888889 1.05 0.082 43.0M
ARU ARAFURA RESOURCE vanadium -0.056338028169 -0.336633663366 0.067 42.8M
AXE ARCHER EXPLORATI cobalt -0.0804597701149 0.35593220339 0.08 15.3M
ARL ARDEA RESOURCES cobalt 0.00826446280992 -0.314606741573 0.61 65.1M
ADV ARDIDEN lithium 0 -0.631578947368 0.007 11.7M
ARE ARGONAUT RESOURC lithium -0.0869565217391 0.5 0.021 32.6M
AGY ARGOSY MINERALS lithium -0.14 -0.306451612903 0.215 207.8M
AMD ARROW MINERALS L lithium -0.105263157895 -0.65306122449 0.017 5.2M
AGO ATLAS IRON lithium 0 1.70588235294 0.046 432.9M
AEE AURA ENERGY lithium -0.0952380952381 -0.24 0.019 21.5M
AUR AURIS MINERALS L vanadium -0.0869565217391 -0.447368421053 0.042 17.6M
AOU AUROCH MINERALS lithium -0.05 -0.525 0.095 10.9M
ARM AURORA MINERALS lithium -0.0769230769231 -0.428571428571 0.024 2.8M
ANW AUS TIN MINING L cobalt 0 1.55555555556 0.023 49.5M
AUZ AUSTRALIAN MINES cobalt -0.136363636364 1.23529411765 0.038 111.3M
AVL AUSTRALIAN VANAD lithium -0.046511627907 1.92857142857 0.041 72.1M
AVZ AVZ MINERALS lithium -0.0721649484536 -0.333333333333 0.09 170.0M
BAR BARRA RESOURCES cobalt -0.05 -0.424242424242 0.038 21.8M
BSM BASS METALS lithium -0.16 0.909090909091 0.021 59.6M
BAT BATTERY MINERALS graphite -0.133333333333 -0.6 0.026 31.2M
BAU BAUXITE RESOURCE lithium -0.0175438596491 -0.222222222222 0.056 12.2M
BMT BERKUT MINERALS lithium -0.117647058824 -0.75 0.075 4.1M
BGS BIRIMIAN lithium -0.203703703704 -0.245614035088 0.215 54.9M
BKT BLACK ROCK MININ graphite -0.0571428571429 -0.365384615385 0.033 16.7M
BEM BLACKEARTH MINER graphite -0.0714285714286 0 0.13 8.5M
BSX BLACKSTONE MINER cobalt -0.09375 -0.516666666667 0.145 14.9M
BDI BLINA MINERALS N cobalt 1 1 0.002 4.3M
BOA BOADICEA RESOURC lithium -0.0816326530612 -0.4375 0.09 4.8M
BPL BROKEN HILL PROS cobalt -0.0298507462687 1.03125 0.065 9.6M
BYH BRYAH RESOURCES manganese 0.111111111111 0 0.1 5.6M
BUX BUXTON RESOURCES graphite 0 -0.0625 0.15 17.7M
CAD CAENEUS MINERALS lithium 0 -0.5 0.001 14.1M
CFE CAPE LAMBERT RES lithium -0.0454545454545 0.05 0.021 22.3M
CZI CASSINI RESOURCE cobalt -0.0277777777778 -0.0277777777778 0.07 23.8M
CCZ CASTILLO COPPER cobalt -0.05 -0.05 0.038 22.0M
CDT CASTLE MINERALS graphite -0.1 -0.181818181818 0.009 2.5M
CAZ CAZALY RESOURCES lithium 0 -0.347826086957 0.03 7.1M
CLA CELSIUS RESOURCE cobalt -0.0769230769231 1.2641509434 0.12 86.1M
CHN CHALICE GOLD MIN vanadium 0 -0.347826086957 0.15 40.0M
CMC CHINA MAGNESIUM lithium 0.153846153846 1.30769230769 0.03 9.4M
CLQ CLEAN TEQ HOLDIN cobalt -0.175438596491 -0.56880733945 0.47 391.3M
COB COBALT BLUE HOLD cobalt -0.0625 0.818181818182 0.3 35.4M
CHK COHIBA MINERALS lithium 0 -0.272727272727 0.008 3.9M
CLL COLLERINA COBALT cobalt -0.0909090909091 1.27272727273 0.1 56.7M
CRL COMET RESOURCES graphite -0.0882352941176 -0.392156862745 0.031 6.6M
CNJ CONICO cobalt 0 -0.545454545455 0.025 9.0M
CZN CORAZON MINING L cobalt 0.142857142857 -0.666666666667 0.008 8.9M
CXO CORE EXPLORATION lithium -0.0888888888889 -0.211538461538 0.041 28.5M
CGM COUGAR METALS NL lithium -0.2 -0.733333333333 0.004 4.8M
CZR COZIRON RESOURCE vanadium -0.0666666666667 -0.44 0.014 25.0M
CGN CRATER GOLD MINI graphite -0.0526315789474 1.25 0.018 5.0M
CAS CRUSADER RESOURC lithium 0 -0.79381443299 0.02 10.0M
CUL CULLEN RES lithium 0 -0.5 0.001 2.6M
DHR DARK HORSE RESOU lithium -0.222222222222 0 0.007 13.5M
DTM DART MINING NL lithium 0 0 0.007 6.0M
DEG DE GREY MINING lithium -0.0322580645161 -0.333333333333 0.15 54.5M
DEV DEVEX RESOURCES lithium -0.2 -0.2 0.004 4.4M
DGR DGR GLOBAL lithium -0.142857142857 0.0434782608696 0.12 85.8M
E25 ELEMENT 25 manganese 0.0263157894737 0.0263157894737 0.195 15.9M
EME ENERGY METALS vanadium 0 0.761363636364 0.155 32.5M
ENT ENTERPRISE METAL lithium 0.176470588235 0.0526315789474 0.02 6.1M
ESR ESTRELLA RESOURC lithium -0.136363636364 -0.424242424242 0.019 9.3M
EUC EUROPEAN COBALT cobalt -0.0392156862745 -0.760975609756 0.049 37.3M
EUR EUROPEAN LITHIUM lithium -0.2 0.811320754717 0.096 60.1M
EMH EUROPEAN METALS lithium -0.0810810810811 -0.585365853659 0.34 49.5M
FEL FE cobalt -0.176470588235 -0.44 0.014 5.2M
FCC FIRST COBALT cobalt -0.112676056338 0 0.315 117.0M
FGR FIRST GRAPHENE L graphite -0.2 0.481481481481 0.12 56.5M
4CE FORCE COMMODITIE lithium -0.147058823529 -0.216216216216 0.029 13.1M
GLN GALAN LITHIUM lithium -0.0338983050847 3.67213114754 0.285 28.1M
GXY GALAXY RESOURCES lithium -0.157142857143 -0.205387205387 2.36 1.0B
GSC GLOBAL GEOSCIENC lithium -0.0771929824561 0.168888888889 0.263 396.8M
GBE GLOBE METALS AND graphite 0.0769230769231 0 0.014 6.5M
GME GME RESOURCES cobalt 0.05 0.346153846154 0.105 50.6M
GED GOLDEN DEEPS vanadium 0 0 0.04 7.4M
GPX GRAPHEX MINING L graphite -0.109090909091 -0.0925925925926 0.245 20.1M
GPP GREENPOWER ENERG lithium 0 -0.764705882353 0.004 5.8M
GWR GWR GROUP lithium 0 0.375 0.11 30.3M
HMX HAMMER METALS cobalt -0.0740740740741 -0.193548387097 0.025 7.0M
HNR HANNANS lithium -0.153846153846 -0.153846153846 0.011 23.8M
HAV HAVILAH RESOURCE cobalt -0.025 -0.315789473684 0.195 41.5M
HWK HAWKSTONE MINING lithium -0.0344827586207 0.333333333333 0.028 16.0M
HXG HEXAGON RESOURCE graphite -0.0769230769231 0.2 0.12 36.5M
HGM HIGH GRADE METAL cobalt -0.0769230769231 -0.142857142857 0.024 13.6M
HIG HIGHLANDS PAC cobalt 0 0.71875 0.11 120.2M
IDA INDIANA RESOURCE graphite 0 -0.0983606557377 0.055 5.3M
INF INFINITY LITHIUM lithium -0.0454545454545 -0.659459459459 0.063 12.7M
IRC INTERMIN RES vanadium -0.0625 0.515151515152 0.15 36.5M
IEC INTRA ENERGY COR lithium 0 0.625 0.013 5.0M
JRV JERVOIS MINING cobalt -0.107142857143 -0.180327868852 0.25 55.8M
JMS JUPITER MINES manganese -0.0735294117647 0 0.315 646.5M
KAI KAIROS MINERALS lithium -0.0588235294118 -0.542857142857 0.032 28.1M
KLH KALIA lithium 0 -0.571428571429 0.006 15.1M
KNL KIBARAN RESOURCE graphite 0 0.147058823529 0.195 53.8M
KDR KIDMAN RESOURCES lithium -0.108910891089 -0.0526315789474 0.9 387.6M
KRC KING RIVER COPPE vanadium -0.237288135593 5.42857142857 0.045 58.2M
KSN KINGSTON RESOURC lithium -0.0454545454545 0.3125 0.021 26.9M
KOR KORAB RESOURCES lithium -0.0333333333333 0.380952380952 0.029 9.2M
KTA KRAKATOA RESOURC lithium -0.1 -0.4 0.027 3.2M
LKE LAKE RESOURCES lithium -0.0217391304348 0.475409836066 0.09 32.4M
LRS LATIN RESOURCES lithium 0 0.25 0.005 14.1M
LCD LATITUDE CONSOLI lithium 0.0952380952381 0.769230769231 0.023 6.3M
LPD LEPIDICO lithium -0.190476190476 0.545454545455 0.017 63.8M
LML LINCOLN MINERALS graphite -0.272727272727 -0.813953488372 0.008 4.6M
LTR LIONTOWN RESOURC lithium 0 1.77777777778 0.025 30.1M
LIT LITHIUM AUSTRALI lithium -0.047619047619 -0.310344827586 0.1 46.4M
LI3 LITHIUM CONSOLID lithium 0.0379746835443 -0.219047619048 0.082 7.2M
LPI LITHIUM POWER IN lithium 0.0566037735849 -0.348837209302 0.28 74.8M
MNS MAGNIS RESOURCES graphite -0.10447761194 -0.294117647059 0.3 192.3M
MZN MARINDI METALS L lithium 0 -0.454545454545 0.006 12.5M
MQR MARQUEE RESOURCE lithium 0.0333333333333 0 0.155 6.6M
MZZ MATADOR MINING lithium 0 0.304347826087 0.3 15.9M
MXR MAXIMUS RESOURCE lithium 0 -0.5 0.001 3.5M
MCT METALICITY lithium -0.111111111111 -0.666666666667 0.016 10.1M
MLM METALLICA cobalt 0.0909090909091 -0.357142857143 0.036 11.3M
MLS METALS AUSTRALIA lithium 0 -0.2 0.004 8.2M
MTC METALSTECH lithium -0.0285714285714 -0.433333333333 0.068 8.0M
MEI METEORIC RESOURC cobalt 0.0625 -0.645833333333 0.017 9.8M
MIN MINERAL RESOURCE lithium -0.0896888346553 -0.135573580533 14.92 2.9B
MRR MINREX RESOURCES cobalt 0 -0.333333333333 0.03 2.9M
MTH MITHRIL RESOURCE lithium -0.111111111111 -0.733333333333 0.008 1.6M
MOX MONAX MINING lithium 0.5 -0.5 0.003 1.8M
MTB MOUNT BURGESS vanadium -0.166666666667 -0.5 0.005 2.2M
NMT NEOMETALS lithium -0.0943396226415 -0.225806451613 0.24 136.0M
NWC NEW WORLD COBALT cobalt -0.0566037735849 -0.295774647887 0.05 26.5M
N27 NORTHERN COBALT lithium -0.2 -0.52380952381 0.1 5.8M
NVA NOVA MINERALS lithium -0.192307692308 2.5 0.021 18.0M
NZC NZURI COPPER cobalt -0.193548387097 0.470588235294 0.25 81.4M
OAR OAKDALERESOURCES lithium 0 -0.5 0.018 1.2M
OKR OKAPI RESOURCES cobalt 0.0526315789474 -0.402985074627 0.2 6.9M
OMH OM HLDGS manganese -0.00299401197605 2.50526315789 1.665 1.3B
ORN ORION MINERALS L lithium 0 0.526315789474 0.029 58.1M
ORE OROCOBRE lithium -0.20652173913 -0.244306418219 3.65 1.0B
PMY PACIFICO MINERAL manganese 0.2 0 0.006 7.6M
PAN PANORAMIC RESOUR cobalt -0.0545454545455 0.614906832298 0.52 272.0M
PSM PENINSULA MINES lithium 0 -0.684210526316 0.006 4.8M
PNN PEPINNINI LITHIU lithium 0.142857142857 -0.5 0.008 5.0M
PLL PIEDMONT LITHIUM lithium -0.0666666666667 -0.243243243243 0.14 78.3M
PLS PILBARA MINERALS lithium -0.104651162791 0.175572519084 0.77 1.4B
PIO PIONEER RESOURCE lithium 0 0.1875 0.019 30.1M
PGM PLATINA RESOURCE cobalt -0.139240506329 -0.352380952381 0.068 19.5M
POS POSEIDON NICKEL lithium -0.0740740740741 0.923076923077 0.05 137.4M
PSC PROSPECT RESOURC lithium -0.176470588235 -0.125 0.028 59.4M
POW PROTEAN ENERGY L vanadium -0.16 -0.16 0.021 6.7M
PM1 PURE MINERALS lithium. Manganese 0.0833333333333 -0.35 0.013 4.1M
PUR PURSUIT MINERALS vanadium -0.063829787234 -0.795348837209 0.044 3.6M
RMX RED MOUNTAIN MIN cobalt -0.142857142857 -0.625 0.006 4.7M
RDS REDSTONE RESOURC vanadium -0.0555555555556 0.307692307692 0.017 7.9M
RLC REEDY LAGOON lithium 0.1 -0.266666666667 0.011 3.6M
RNU RENASCOR RESOURC graphite -0.0555555555556 -0.346153846154 0.017 17.3M
RIE RIEDEL RESOURCES cobalt 0 -0.318181818182 0.03 12.5M
RIO RIO TINTO lithium -0.037148217636 0.141628355331 76.98 123.7B
RTR RUMBLE RESOURCES vanadium -0.193548387097 -0.315068493151 0.05 20.0M
SBR SABRE RES vanadium -0.0909090909091 -0.166666666667 0.01 4.1M
SO4 SALT LAKE POTASH vanadium -0.0594059405941 0.043956043956 0.475 89.3M
SYA SAYONA MINING lithium -0.0625 2 0.03 53.2M
SCI SILVER CITY MINE lithium -0.230769230769 -0.310344827586 0.02 5.4M
SI6 SIX SIGMA METALS lithium -0.25 -0.5 0.006 3.2M
S32 SOUTH32 manganese -0.108235294118 0.14501510574 3.79 20.1B
SXX SOUTHERN CROSS vanadium -0.125 -0.222222222222 0.007 7.5M
SUH SOUTHERN HEMISPH lithium 0 -0.663157894737 0.064 5.4M
SVM SOVEREIGN METALS graphite -0.0659340659341 -0.37037037037 0.085 24.9M
SEI SPECIALITY METAL lithium -0.133333333333 0.3 0.013 7.8M
SPI SPITFIRE MATERIA manganese -0.0857142857143 -0.390476190476 0.064 62.8M
SGQ ST GEORGE MINING cobalt 0.125 0.173913043478 0.135 37.3M
SRK STRIKE RESOURCES lithium 0 0.315789473684 0.05 7.3M
SRN SUREFIRE RESOURC vanadium -0.2 -0.529411764706 0.008 3.8M
SYR SYRAH RESOURCES graphite -0.160648148148 -0.483475783476 1.813 672.4M
TLG TALGA RESOURCES graphite -0.0222222222222 -0.214285714286 0.44 97.8M
TNO TANDO RESOURCES (listed Nov 2017; adjusted for stock split) vanadium -0.246153846154 1.279069767 0.098 20.3M
TAR TARUGA MINERALS lithium -0.0547945205479 0.301886792453 0.069 9.7M
TAW TAWANA RESOURCES lithium -0.0819672131148 0.111111111111 0.28 164.8M
TMT TECHNOLOGY METAL vanadium -0.107843137255 1.33333333333 0.455 32.2M
THR THOR MINING-CDI lithium -0.0384615384615 0.785714285714 0.025 17.0M
THX THUNDELARRA cobalt 0.142857142857 -0.333333333333 0.016 8.9M
TNG TNG vanadium 0.0434782608696 -0.142857142857 0.12 97.2M
TRT TODD RIVER RESOU lithium 0 -0.309734513274 0.078 6.3M
TKL TRAKA RESOURCES lithium -0.142857142857 -0.318181818182 0.03 11.6M
TKM TREK METALS lithium 0 -0.606060606061 0.013 4.1M
TON TRITON MINERALS graphite -0.0434782608696 -0.494252873563 0.044 38.9M
VMS VENTURE MINERALS lithium 0.04 0.04 0.026 13.0M
VXR VENTUREX RESOURC lithium 0.030303030303 -0.244444444444 0.17 42.0M
VMC VENUS METALS COR lithium -0.0263157894737 1.01086956522 0.185 18.7M
VIC VICTORY MINES cobalt 0 0 0.005 6.1M
VML VITAL METALS cobalt 0 0.166666666667 0.007 12.2M
VRC VOLT RESOURCES L graphite 0.105263157895 -0.16 0.021 29.1M
WKT WALKABOUT RESOUR lithium -0.275862068966 0.220930232558 0.105 28.4M
WCN WHITE CLIFF MINE cobalt -0.142857142857 -0.900414937759 0.024 2.0M
WML WOOMERA MINING L lithium 0.117647058824 0 0.095 11.0M
ZNC ZENITH MINERALS lithium -0.0952380952381 -0.173913043478 0.095 20.2M
ZEU ZEUS RESOURCES L lithium 0 -0.2 0.012 2.2M
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