“200-300Mt resource is being considered longer term” at Patriot’s Corvette: E&P Financial Group
Would make the Corvette one of the top 5 lithium resources in the world
But much of the Corvette deposit sits below a large lake, which will have to be drained first
Macquarie Equity Research names lithium stocks it believes are a buying opportunity
Our High Voltage column wraps the news driving ASX stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, rare earths, manganese, magnesium, and vanadium.
Before you take a good look at the ASX’s battery metal players’ form guide (see table further below)… there are a couple of headline acts you might want to power through first, because they certainly caught our attention…
Some intel from PMT’s Corvette
Wealth management and investment advisory group E&P Financial Group (ASX:EP1) was recently invited to attend a Patriot Battery Metals (ASX:PMT) site out at the exploration company’s world-class Corvette project in the James Bay region of Quebec, Canada.
And the financial services group, specifically analysts Adam Martin and Branco Skocic, have noted a couple of pretty eye-opening takeaways from the trip, which we’ll get to in a sec.
Just a super quick recap, on Corvette, first. If you know your lithium stocks, you’ll be aware this project is a pretty big deal in the increasingly competitive world of spodumene-rich pegmatite hunting over in Canada. It’s right in the thick of the hottest Tier 1 lithium region this year – James Bay – with seven drill rigs currently on site.
The main Corvette deposit has a resource of 109.2Mt @ 1.42% Li2O and 160 ppm Ta2O5 (at a cut-off of 0.4% Li2O).
It’s said to be the largest lithium pegmatite resource in the Americas, based on contained LCE, and one of the top 10 in the world.
PMT is currently engaged in a 30km drilling program, largely focused on what’s known as the CV13 pegmatite cluster, of which the company believes to be connected to CV5 based on similar geological traits. If CV5 and CV13 are connected, this would create a >10km long orebody, notes E&P Capital.
A maiden CV13 resource is expected to be released in Q2 next year, and PMT is fully funded for a massive 80km of drilling to prove up further resources.
Right then, some facts established, what were the E&P analysts’ two big takeaways from the PMT visit?
A massive resource that could be EVEN MASSIVE-er
“We came away with the impression that a 200-300Mt resource is being considered longer term,” wrote Martin and Skocic.
That would make the Corvette deposit one of the top 5 lithium resources in the world.
“Our conversations suggest a progressive increase in resource size over time is most likely (similar to how Pilgangoora grew across the 2015-18 timeframe).”
See the E&P graphics below for some context around where Corvette sits in the grand scheme of global spodumene deposits.
It seems PMT has potential, then, to double, maybe even close to triple the lithium resource capacity out at Corvette.
There’s just one dampener that lies in the way, though…
An entire lake will have to be drained first
Yep. Much of the Corvette deposit sits below a large lake in the region. And it’s a lake that Patriot will have to first drain if it wants to achieve its lofty resource goals.
Thanks to the wonders of modern engineering, it’s not that such a thing is not doable, the sticking point is the fact PMT will need approval to do so from the local First Nations population – the Cree.
As for the lake’s aquatic life, it won’t get much of a say in the matter.
Drill rig on barge at Corvette. Source: E&P Research
Notes E&P:
“While Patriot is currently drilling out acreage away from the lake, draining lakes is not without precedent in this part of Canada.
“We spent time with the company understanding how the required HADD permit is obtained, what circumstances could prevent one being issued and how the company is engaging with the Cree (local native population). We came away confident that the lake could be drained providing Cree approval is obtained.”
As you might expect, Patriot has reportedly spent a lot of time engaging with the Cree and, notes E&P, “the relationship appears to be on good terms”.
“This feedback is consistent with our conversations with other investors who have suggested the Cree have been pragmatic in their dealing with other operators in the region. Pleasingly, the acreage is not a primary Cree fishing/hunting zone either.”
In other headlining lithium news: ‘buy the dip’
Macquarie Equity Research is pointing to Aussie lithium and rare earths miners as a buying opportunity for long-term investors amid dipping share market prices broadly, as noted here by Howard “@LithiumIonBull” Klein.
Macquarie says "buy the dip" in #lithium. Mr. Market overly bearish, pricing in $1,500/t spod & $18,000/t LCE. Summary highlights reference $PLL$PMT$PLS#GL1$AKE$MIN$IGO
And what specific ASX plays might a long-term lithium investor want to consider?
Speaking for itself, Macquarie says the $12.3bn beast Pilbara Minerals (ASX:PLS) is its “preferred producer” for long-term upside, with Patriot Battery Metals (ASX:PMT) “presenting the greatest upside on exploration in the near term”.
As for the broader picture that this narrative fuels, and indeed vice-versa … EV sales. Macquarie notes global sales have been solid and are expected to see a boost in China in September, which it puts down to Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day. Holiday deals a-go-go?
Here’s a snapshot of ASX stocks with exposure to lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel, rare earths, magnesium, manganese, and vanadium are performing lately>>>
Battery metals stocks missing from our list? Shoot a mail to [email protected].
OZM has been leading that charge, at least in terms of share price gains. However, it’s retraced a fair bit so far this week (-7% yesterday). Even still, it’s up 114% over the past 30 days.
Almost two weeks ago, this now-$11m market capped explorer broke news of its diversification into lithium with the acquisition of the Linopolis Jaime project in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, where it appears to be onto some juicy-looking spodumene. It’s also coming off the back of a $2.4m cap raise.
Near term producer Lake Resources (ASX:LKE) has wrapped up lithium carbonate testing, which is one of the steps towards a definitive feasibility study at its Kachi project in Argentina.
Anson Resources (ASX:ASN) has submitted a Plan of Operation (POO) to commence a drilling program at its Green River lithium project in Utah, USA.
And another potentially hot lithium junior to watch, says Garimpeiro columnist Barry Fitzgerald, is Bulletin Resources (ASX:BNR), which he notes has a highly anticipated drilling program pending. The project sits 12km southwest and along strike from Allkem’s (ASX:AKE) ageing Mt Cattlin mine.
It’s not just ALL about lithium, of course. (Or is it?)…
Castle Minerals (ASX:CDT), which produces bulk fine-flake graphite over at its Kambale project in Ghana, recently announcedmore multiple, wide, high-grade, near-surface intercepts.
Meanwhile, back in Bow River… Lycaon Resources (ASX:LYN) has drilled into a thick, 45.2m of nickel-copper sulphides at its Bow River prospect, “one of the best regional nickel-copper prospects in the Kimberley outside of Panoramic’s Savannah mine”. More on this… here.
At Stockhead, we tell it like it is. While NickelSearch, Latin Resources, Olympio Metals, Anson Resources, Resolution Minerals and Lyacon Resources are Stockhead advertisers at the time of writing, they did not sponsor this article.
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