Posted by AGORACOM
at 4:50 PM on Wednesday, November 4th, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
Electrification, online learning, alternative credentials and low-cost degrees at scale.
What about this $112,595 1,000-horsepower electric vehicle, this still unknown price or specifications e-bike, has anything to do with colleges and universities? The answer to this question depends on how you think about the future of higher ed.
For cars and trucks, the destination of the future is clear, if not the timing. Eventually, at some point, batteries will replace internal combustion. Electric cars are not only emissions-free, they contain exponentially fewer moving parts than traditional vehicles. The electric car or truck of the future will be simpler to produce and will have few parts to break down. This simplicity and reliability will eventually drive down the total costs of ownership.
How long the transition to electric vehicles takes will depend on how long it takes for battery technology to improve. While coming down in price quickly, batteries large enough to power a car for any reasonable range are still hugely expensive. Beyond range anxiety, charging times remain significantly longer than filling up a gas tank, and the charging infrastructure is nowhere near as built out as gas stations.
The Hummer EV is straight out of the Tesla playbook for vehicle electrification. Start with a high-priced luxury model and then use those revenues to drive down the production costs for less expensive models. Nobody needs a $112,000 electric truck. I highly doubt that almost any Hummer EV buyers will drive the thing off-road. The Hummer EV is a status symbol, pure and simple. We may think that this thing is ridiculously over-the-top, but if it helps get us to the transition to affordable electric vehicles, we are happy that GM is going for it.
In higher ed, neither the future destination nor timing is as clear as it is with cars and trucks. There are no direct analogs for internal combustion engines or batteries across the postsecondary ecosystem.
However, we can make some broad projections about the dominant trends shaping the future of higher education. As with the need to move away from internal combustion due to the necessity to decarbonize in the face of a climate emergency, higher ed faces its own reckoning in the form of demographic shifts and diminished public funding. The environment that almost every college and university must navigate will only get more challenging in the years to come. The declining number of high school graduates in the Northeast and Midwest, combined with dwindling state support levels, will force schools to evolve their business models.
Just as GM is not doing away with gas-powered cars, colleges and universities will not abandon their core residential degree programs. These residential degree programs, however, will be increasingly joined and supplemented by online programs. Schools have no choice but to go after new markets for students, especially at the master’s level. The full-time master’s student will still exist but in ever-diminishing proportions. The future of graduate school belongs to the adult working professional, and that means online programs.
The question is, will most schools stop at online learning? I don’t think so. We are likely to see an industrywide shift to both alternative online credentials (certificates) and lower-cost online degrees at scale. If online education is like vehicle batteries, alternative credentials and low-cost scaled degrees are like autonomous driving. The future of mobility is not only electric but also self-driving (and perhaps ride sharing).
Today, autonomous vehicles are still controversial. Nobody knows when the self-driving future will arrive, and automakers are pursuing different strategies to develop these technologies. Alternative online credentials and low-cost degrees at scale are similarly controversial within higher ed. Some schools are going all out in creating that future. Others are hanging back. Like auto companies, colleges and universities that wait too long to develop the capabilities for certificates/scaled degrees might find themselves on the wrong side of the future.
What about the electric bicycle from Harley-Davidson? I think that lesson here is about a willingness to experiment. Harley might find that e-bikes serve as a gateway drug to electric motorcycles. Who knows. A technology-forward electric bike will make the Harley brand relevant to a segment of consumers that doesn’t think much about motorcycles.
Too often, colleges and universities are afraid to experiment in adjacent sectors (motorcycles to e-bikes) out of fear of damaging their brands. Many more colleges and universities could be following the lead of Georgia Tech or Boston University or Illinois by offering affordable online degrees at scale. We don’t know if these scaled online programs can be delivered with high quality or if offering them reduces the demand for existing residential programs.
The only way to figure this out, however, is to experiment. If a company as traditional as Harley-Davidson can try something new with an e-bike, shouldn’t we be willing to do the same?
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:37 AM on Tuesday, October 27th, 2020
Hole ND-10-03 intersected 4.53% Ni, within a larger interval averaging 1.02% Ni, 0.38% Cu over 4 metres.
The mineralization remains open along strike and to depth.
Claims previously owned by Canadian Arrow Mines Limited in 2010
TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / October 27, 2020 / Tartisan Nickel Corp. (CSE:TN)(OTC PINK:TTSRF)(FSE:A2D) (“Tartisan”, or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Company has acquired the Night Danger, Glatz nickel-copper claims located in the Turtle Pond Project area near Dryden, Ontario.
The Company has acquired a 100% interest in the Glatz, Night Danger Nickel-Copper Claims located approximately 70 kms from the Company’s flagship Kenbridge Nickel Deposit. The property is situated in an area of excellent infrastructure and consists of 16 claim units. The 16 claim unit property hosts the historical Glatz and Night Danger nickel-copper showings. Previous exploration efforts identified nickel-copper sulphide mineralization in twelve trenches along a 700 metre trend at the Glatz nickel copper showing. The zone, discovered in 1965 by local prospector A. Glatz, is up to 40 metres wide and is open along strike and at depth. Historical grab samples were reported to contain up to 1.95% Ni. In 2007, Canadian Arrow Mines Limited conducted a surface grab sampling program which produced the following results: 1.28% Ni, 0.26% Cu re Glatz Trench 3; 0.99% Ni, 0.18% Cu re Glatz Trench 3; 0.39% Ni, 4.06% Cu re Trench 4. The mineralization varies from disseminated sulphides to narrow semi-massive sulphide bands. Six short drill holes were completed at that time with hole GZ-09-02 encountering 0.34% Ni, 0.16% Cu and 0.02% Co over 5.9 m from 45.0-50.9 m.
Exploration diamond drilling work completed in 2009 and 2010 on the Night Danger nickel-copper showing reported a nine metre wide section of stringers and blebs of sulphide which assayed 0.57% Ni and 0.45% Cu at a drill depth of 79m in hole ND-09-1. Two sections within this interval assayed greater than 1% nickel. Drill hole ND-10-1 intersected 4.53% Ni over 0.7m at a drill depth of 57.5m (Source; MNDM assessment files and Canadian Arrow Mines Limited news release dated June 1, 2010).
Mark Appleby, President and CEO of Tartisan stated, “The Glatz and Night Danger nickel-copper showings display similar nickel and copper tenors as what we find near surface at our Kenbridge Nickel Deposit. Acquisition of these showings complements the company’s larger objective of developing the Kenbridge Nickel Deposit into an operating mine with a central milling facility.”
About Tartisan Nickel Corp.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. is a Canadian based mineral exploration and development company which owns; the Kenbridge Nickel Project in northwestern Ontario; the Sill Lake Silver property in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario as well as the Don Pancho Manganese-Zinc-Lead-Silver Project in Peru. The Company has an equity stake in; Eloro Resources Limited, Class 1 Nickel and Technologies Limited and Peruvian Metals Corp.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. common shares are listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE:TN; US-OTC:TTSRF; FSE:A2D). Currently, there are 101,603,550 shares outstanding (107,203,550 fully diluted).
For further information, please contact Mr. D. Mark Appleby, President & CEO and a Director of the Company, at 416-804-0280 ([email protected]). Additional information about Tartisan can be found at the Company’s website at www.tartisannickel.com or on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:29 AM on Monday, October 26th, 2020
Lomiko Metals Inc. is focused on the exploration and development of graphite for the new green economy. Lomiko has been monitoring emerging legislation aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese supply of graphite, lithium and other electric vehicle battery materials. One hundred per cent of graphite is currently imported to the United States as there are no domestic graphite mines able to produce material for graphite anodes used in electric vehicles. Please also refer to news releases dated Sept. 9, 2020, and Oct. 7, 2020, related to changing government policies regarding critical minerals.
U.S. Election Bonus for Critical Minerals Mining
In a boon for the critical minerals mining industry, former vice-president and current presidential frontrunner Joe Biden’s campaign has privately told U.S. miners it would support boosting domestic production of metals used to make electric vehicles, solar panels and other products crucial to his climate plan, according to three sources familiar with the matter.
Mr. Biden, who served as Barack Obama’s vice-president and is well regarded in conservation circles, has been expected to continue in that vein. The U.S. Democratic presidential candidate also supports bipartisan efforts to foster a domestic supply chain for graphite, lithium, copper, rare earths, nickel and other strategic materials that the United States imports from China and other countries, the sources said. Mr. Biden is also well regarded by the Canadian government on issues of mining and green energy which has a Canada-U.S. supply strategy agreement.
On Sept. 28, 2020, Canadian ministers discussed opportunities to drive Canada’s natural resources advantage by building on Canada’s strong environmental, social and governance performance record to attract investment, generate new value chains and create job opportunities across Canada, including for indigenous businesses and communities. Ministers agreed that an inclusive approach that builds capacity and ensures diversity is a key ingredient to Canada’s successful economic recovery.
Co-chaired by Seamus O’Regan, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, and Ranj Pillai, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources for Yukon, they agreed to work together to build an all-Canadian critical minerals and battery value chain across sectors and pursue engagement with Lomiko’s partners in the United States and beyond.
“Canada’s economy is in a strong position to recover and excel post-COVID because of our natural resource potential. All communities across Canada should play a part, whether it is contributing critical minerals to the supply chain, advancing innovative energy development, or adding jobs and capacity to our remote and northern communities,” said Mr. Pillai.
Lomiko’s opportunity in the supply chain
Graphite demand is expected to increase exponentially for the mined natural graphite material, as more is used in the production of spherical graphite for graphite in the anode portion of electric vehicle lithium-ion batteries.
With the completion of a $750,000 financing on Oct. 23, 2020, Lomiko plans to work on its near-term goals as follows:
Complete 100-per-cent acquisition of the property, currently 80 per cent owned by Lomiko Metals;
Complete metallurgy and graphite characterization to confirm lithium-ion anode-grade material;
Complete a technical report to confirm the extent of the mineralization equals or surpasses the nearby Imerys mine, owned by an international mining conglomerate;
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:58 AM on Wednesday, October 7th, 2020
By Ellsworth Dickson
Nickel is a most useful base metal. Because rust never sleeps, some 75% of nickel produced is used to make stainless steel, most being what is known as Class 2 nickel. Class 1 nickel, or pure nickel, is used for making steel alloys, storage batteries for laptops and cell phones and, of increasing importance, electric vehicle (EV) batteries.
Nickel is part of the cathode in a Li-ion battery. It is these Li-ion batteries that are kick-starting a sea change in the nickel market.
Combining all uses, nickel demand grew 9.4% during 2018 and 2018 – outperforming all other major base metals – making it a US$20 billion per year industry. In 2018, Canadian exports of nickel-based products totaled $4.2 billion with Canada ranking fifth in the world for mine production.
Nickel prices are currently trading around US$14,000/tonne, or US$6.42/lb, up more than 30% from March lows and near its highest levels in November 2019.
And while stainless steel and other nickel usages continue to steadily grow as the world’s population increases, it is the EV market that is expected to see a huge growth in nickel demand, according to senior miner Glencore. For the first time, in 2017, sales of EVs passed the 1 million mark; however, this is just the beginning.
According to the International Energy Agency, (IEA), sales of electric cars topped 2.1 million globally in 2019, surpassing 2018 – already a another record year – to boost the stock to 7.2 million electric cars, 47% of which were in China. It’s hard to believe that in 2010, there were only 17,000 EVs on the road. Electric cars, which accounted for 2.6% of global car sales and about 1% of global car stock in 2019, registered a 40% year-on-year increase.
In their recent report, the IEA stated that nine countries had more than 100,000 electric cars on the road. At least 20 countries reached market shares above 1%. However, this growth has sometimes been disrupted by various events and circumstances that negatively affected EV sales.
Deloitte’s outlook shows EV sales reaching 21 million vehicles in 2030 as the cost of manufacturing batteries falls significantly and range anxiety becomes less of a concern. Another challenge for would-be EV buyers is availability of charging stations out of town and, in tow, lacking of charging stations in older apartment buildings.
This huge increase in EV sales will be even more jump-started with the introduction of electric pickup trucks, SUVs, delivery trucks and semi tractor trailers. This could cause a supply crunch for Class 1 nickel.
Interestingly, the IEA noted that electric two/three-wheelers will continue to represent the lion’s share of the total electric vehicle fleet, as this category is most suited to rapid transition to electric drive. The future electric two/three-wheeler fleet is concentrated in China, India and the ten countries of ASEAN.
Wood Mackenzie predicts an increase in nickel demand for EVs from 128 kt in 2019 to 265 kt in 2025 and 1.23 Mt in 2040, increasing nickel battery demand from 4% in 2018 to 31% by 2040.
It has been estimated that by 2025 the world need almost 1 million tonnes per year of new nickel supply. By 2030, 2.5 million tonnes, or double that of today, is required.
Wood Mackenzie is forecasting an average annual nickel deficit of 60,000 tonnes through to 2027 – a situation that bodes well for nickel explorers, developers and producers.
About one-half of the world’s nickel supply is suitable for use in batteries such as the nickel sulphide mines in Sudbury, Voisey’s Bay and Russia.
Those companies involved in discovering and mining nickel deposits are participating in a massive unstoppable global event with the electrification of the world’s vehicles – a good place to be.
Tartisan Nickel Corp. [TN-CSE; TTSRF-OTC; A2D-FSE] has favourably positioned itself to participate in the growing electric vehicle sector with its advanced-stage Kenbridge nickel-copper-cobalt project in northwestern Ontario.
While copper and cobalt are important for the EV battery and vehicle market, Elon Musk of Tesla Motors recently stated that nickel remains a key ingredient to its rapidly improving EV battery technology. Stainless steel production still accounts for the majority of nickel usage; however, commodity research firm Roskill has stated that the current EV nickel demand will grow from 4% to 15-20% of the market.
Longer term, California Governor Gavin Newsom just signed an executive order that will ban the sale of new gas-powered passengers cars starting in 2025.
Tartisan’s Kenbridge Project, located near Atikwa Lake in the Kenora-Fort Frances area, has undergone an updated mineral resource estimate.
The updated estimates were done for pit constrained and out-of-pit nickel, copper, and cobalt resources. Total Measured & Indicated Mineral Resources, based on a Net Smelter Return (NSR) cut-off value of CDN$15/tonne for pit constrained Mineral Resources and CDN$6/tonne NSR for out-of-pit Mineral Resources is 7.5 Mt at 0.58% nickel and 0.32% copper for a total of 95 Mlb of contained nickel. An additional 0.985 Mt at 1.0% nickel and 0.62% copper (22 Mlb contained nickel) were calculated as Inferred Resources. Pit constrained Measured & Indicated Resources total 5.27 Mt of 0.45% nickel, 0.26% copper and 0.009% cobalt at an NSR cut-off value of CDN$15/tonne. The out-of-pit Measured & Indicated Resources total 2.23 Mt of 0.86% nickel; 0.45% copper; and 0.006% cobalt. Inferred Mineral Resources out-of-pit total 0.985 Mt at 1.00% nickel, 0.62% copper and 0.003% cobalt, at an NSR cut-off value of CDN$60/tonne.
Mark Appleby, President and CEO, notes that the deposit is open to depth with the highest nickel grades having a strong down-plunge orientation such as hole KB07-180 that returned 2.95% nickel and 0.82% copper over 21.5 metres, including 7.2% nickel and 0.67% copper over 5.5 metres.
Highlights of an Updated PEA were: average nickel recovery life-of-mine was 86%; recovered nickel was 84.6 Mlb; NPV7.5% pre-tax was $253M; and IRR% pre-tax was 65%.
The Kenbridge property has good access to roads and power. It has a shaft to a depth of 622 metres, with level stations at 45-metre intervals below the shaft collar and two levels developed at 107 metres and 152 metres below the shaft collar.
Tartisan Nickel has planned a surface exploration and definition drilling plan, in addition to geotechnical, metallurgical and environmental work to advance the project in the upcoming 2020 winter season and into summer 2021.
The company also owns equity stakes in Eloro Resources Ltd. that is exploring the 99%-optioned ISKA ISKA Project, a gold-silver-zinc-lead target with a 3,500-metre underground drilling program underway in the Potosi district, Bolivia, and the low-sulphidation epithermal 82%-owned La Victoria gold-silver project in Peru.
Tartisan is a shareholder in Class 1 Nickel and Technologies that holds the past-producing Alexo-Kelex Dundonald nickel project near Timmins, Ontario in which Tartisan has a 0.5% NSR. The property hosts an estimated total NI 43-101 compliant Indicated Mineral Resources of 571.7k tonnes averaging 0.77% nickel plus Inferred Resources.
Being a prospect generator, Tartisan spun out the Alexco-Kelex Project to Class 1 Nickel as well as the La Victoria Project to Eloro.
Tartisan is a shareholder in Peruvian Metals Corp. that is operating a toll mill in Peru and announced an exploration and bulk sampling program on the high-grade gold-silver-copper Palta Dorada Project.
Tartisan also has a 100% interest in the Sill Lake silver-lead project near Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Tartisan’s investment portfolio is in excess of $7 million which can provide funds for its activities and avoids share dilution through further share issuances. The company has 101.6 million shares outstanding.
Though its acquisitions and investments, Tartisan Nickel is poised to benefit from the burgeoning EV battery sector as well as its precious metal and base metal prospects.
Garibaldi Resources Corp. [GGI-TSXV; GGIFF-OTC; RQM-FSE] has been following up its 2017 magmatic nickel massive sulphide discovery in the Golden Triangle region of northwestern British Columbia.
Located on Nickel Mountain, the flagship E&L deposit hosts nickel, copper, cobalt, platinum, palladium gold and silver. The latest drill results from the 2020 program have extended the strike length of the mineralized E&L system from 200 metres to over 650 metres to the east, where the intrusion remains open.
The 100%-owned project is the Golden Triangle’s first magmatic nickel-copper-rich massive sulphide system in the heart of the prolific Eskay Camp. The 2017 discovery drill hole EL-17-14 intersected 8.3% nickel, 4.2% copper, 0.19% cobalt, 1.96 g/t platinum, 4.5 g/t palladium, 1.1 g/t gold and 11.1 g/t silver over 16.75 metres starting 100.4 metres downhole, within a broader 40.4-metre core length highlighted by 3.9% nickel and 2.4% copper.
In February, 2019, Garibaldi confirmed an even shallower new zone (Northeast Zone) with drill hole EL-18-33 that returned 7.7% nickel and 2.95% copper over 4.8 metres within a broader interval of 49 metres grading 1.34% nickel and 0.89% copper (core length) plus cobalt, platinum, palladium, gold and silver credits.
Diamond drilling continues to build out on the persistent widespread nickel-copper mineralization, which includes massive sulphides featuring top-tier nickel-copper grades in addition to palladium, platinum, cobalt, gold, silver and strategic PGE (platinum group element) rare metals, including rhodium.
Hole EL-20-88, collared 350 metres east of pivotal hole EL-19-80, intersected 142.79 metres of mineralized taxitic gabbro and olivine pyroxenite along trend of the E&L system. This large step-out hole exhibited an E&L geochemical signature which expanded the strike length of the E&L gabbroic intrusion to over 650 metres within a 2-km structural corridor that remains untested and open.
Hole El-20-89 has produced the widest mineralized intercept so far from 71.34 metres to 223 metres returning nickel-copper mineralization over 151.6 metres grading 0.56% nickel and 0.61% copper. This intersect included 80.53 metres of 0.88% nickel and 0.85% copper, which expanded the northeastern massive sulphide zone six metres south, the LDZ 15 metres north and the Second Chamber 45 metres west.
Semi-massive veins along the contact edge with sediments assayed 0.33 metres (100.54 to 100.87 m) of 6.87% nickel and 1.69% copper, and 0.15 metres (147.48 to 147.63 m) of 3.04% nickel and 1.62% copper.
Garibaldi has drilled 10 additional holes at the E&L project on Nickel Mountain and is up to hole 94 so far this season. With new geochemical and geophysical targets located at depth, the immediate goal of the drill program is to follow the steeply-plunging E&L gabbro to the east. The conductors detected off hole will be drill tested for mineralization.
Garibaldi owns 100% of more than 200 km2 in Eskay Camp, including newly discovered high-grade gold quartz vein system at Casper, located 15 km north of Nickel Mountain. Assays are pending. The company also has four projects in Mexico.
Garibaldi’s nickel discovery is a unique development in the Golden Triangle with excellent potential for significant expansion at a time of increasing nickel demand from the electric vehicle market.
Just 12 km north of the E&L nickel deposit is Garibaldi’s 100%-owned Casper high-grade gold quartz vein discovery. The Casper gold vein is a strategic low elevation target (420 metres) within a km of road access and hydroelectric power.
Field crews collected 165 samples within 250 metres north of and 250 metres south of the northwest-southeast-striking Casper vein. High-grade grab samples at Casper were reported up to 249 g/t gold and assays for 86 Casper channel samples have been released with up to 92 g/t gold and 5.69 g/t gold over 52 metres.
Mechanical trenching at the Casper gold quartz vein has further uncovered the high-grade vein over more than 120 metres, from the initial 43 metres of hand trenching exposing the discovery.
The quartz vein remains open with mineralized rock samples extending along trend for 330 metres within a 500-metre gold-in-soil and MMI (mobile metal ion) geochemical anomaly.
The latest assays from 61 channel sample assays returned gold grades ranging from 0.676 g/t gold up to 93.29 g/t gold from a channel sample that contained visible gold.
The company has 116 million shares outstanding.
Sama Resources Inc. [SME-TSXV; SAMMF-OTC.PK] is a Canada-based mineral exploration and development company with projects in West Africa, in particular, the Samapleu nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group metals project in Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast).
Sama’s projects are located approximately 600 km northwest of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire and adjacent to the Guinean border in West Africa.
In 2010, Sama discovered nickel-copper-PGE mineralization, including veins and lenses of high grades material near surface at numerous locations within the then discovered Yacouba intrusive complex.
In October, 2017, Sama announced that it had entered into a binding term sheet in view of forming a strategic partnership with HPX TechCo Inc., a private mineral exploration company in which mining entrepreneur Robert Friedland is a significant stakeholder, in order to develop the Samapleu Project. HPX is spending $18 million on the project.
Since March 2010, Sama has performed surface IP and Mag surveys as well as Airborne Mag-Radiometric and HTEM surveys and 388 boreholes for a total of 54,000 metres of drilling. Mineral resources assessments have been completed at one site, the Samapleu deposit, aiming for a modest scale Ni-Cu open pit mining and processing operation, while continuing to explore newly discovered prospective ground. Sama’s objective is to delineate massive sulphide reservoirs that could be the source of these high-grade nickel–copper-cobalt-palladium lenses. The newly discovered Yacouba complex can be compared to other world class bases metals camps like Jinchuan in China and Voisey’s Bay in Canada, etc.
Highlights of a Preliminary Economic Assessment at Samapleu, include average annual production of 3,900 tonnes of carbonyl nickel powder, 8,400 tonnes of carbonyl iron powder and 14,100 tonnes of copper concentrate over a 20-year mine life. Capital costs are estimated to be $282 million, including a contingency of $37 million with operational costs of $23.96/tonne milled.
Pre-tax Net Present Value (8% discount rate) is $615 million and an Internal Rate of Return of 32.5%. After-tax NPV (8% discount rate) of $391 million and an after-tax IRR of 27.2%.
Geophysical activities have resumed with downhole electromagnetic surveys planned in four deep drill holes at the Yepleu target zone and in one deep drill hole at the Bounta target zone. The holes at Yepleu and Bounta were drilled in the early months of 2020, with both zones part of the large Yacouba Ultramafic-Mafic intrusive complex discovered by Sama in 2010.
Future production will be managed by a JV controlled 66⅔% by Sama Nickel Corp. a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sama Resources, and 33⅓% by SODEMI. Sama Resources has $2.5 million in its treasury and holds $12.4 million in securities with no debt. The company has 216,466,410 shares outstanding.
The Samapleu nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group metals project is located in mining-friendly West Africa, home to a number of successful mining operations. The polymetallic project hosts a suite of metals – nickel-copper-cobalt-platinum group metals – all of which are currently in demand.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 8:28 AM on Wednesday, October 7th, 2020
Lomiko Metals Inc. (“Lomiko”) (TSX-V: LMR, OTC: LMRMF, FSE: DH8C) is focused on the exploration and development of graphite for the new green economy. Lomiko has been monitoring actions by government in Canada and the USA that are focused on reducing dependence on Chinese supply of graphite, lithium and other electric vehicle battery materials. Canada and the USA have worked closely and confirmed supply agreements between the two countries.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here:
“…the United States is 100 percent reliant on imports for graphite, which is used to make advanced batteries for cellphones, laptops, and hybrid and electric cars. China produces over 60 percent of the world’s graphite and almost all of the world’s production of high-purity graphite needed for rechargeable batteries.”
“(i) the United States develops secure critical minerals supply chains that do not depend on resources or processing from foreign adversaries;
(ii) the United States establishes, expands, and strengthens commercially viable critical minerals mining and minerals processing capabilities; and
(iii) the United States develops globally competitive, substantial, and resilient domestic commercial supply chain capabilities for critical minerals mining and processing.”
In September, Congressmen Lance Gooden (R-TX) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) recently introduced a bill that seeks to decrease the U.S.’s dependence on China for critical metals. The bill, dubbed the Reclaiming American Rare Earths (RARE) Act, aims to establish tax incentives for domestic production of rare earths.
The Congressmen statement sounds the alarm regarding critical metals production: “The United States is more dependent than ever on the importation of the resources that drive our economy, enable us to build advanced technology, and ensure our national security,” Gooden’s office said in a release. “Thirty-five of these rare earth minerals are designated by the Department of Interior as ‘critical’, and we source fourteen of them entirely from foreign suppliers. China is a leading supplier for twenty-two of the thirty-five. The RARE Act is specifically designed to change that.”
Earlier this year, Sen. Ted Cruz introduced similar legislation, dubbed the Onshoring Rare Earths Act of 2020, or ORE Act. Further, on December 18, 2019 Canada announced that it had joined the U.S.-led multilateral Energy Resource Governance Initiative (ERGI). ERGI aims to support secure and resilient supply chains for critical minerals by identifying options to diversify supply chains and facilitate trade and industry connections.
Canada, and especially Quebec, are perfectly situated to supply the U.S. with many of the critical minerals it is seeking to secure due to an extensive selection of mineral projects. Also, strong political and economic ties, a stable political, economic and regulatory environment and a robust metals and mining sector. Of the 35 critical metals identified by the U.S., Canada is a sizable supplier of 13 of such minerals including graphite, lithium and manganese to the U.S. and the second-largest supplier of niobium, tungsten and magnesium. Canada also supplies approximately one quarter of the U.S. uranium needs.
“Initial indications are that La Loutre Graphite Property is high-quality and high-grade and thus worthy of development.” stated A. Paul Gill, CEO. “The only operating graphite mine in North America which is the Imerys Graphite & Carbon at Lac-des-Îles, is 30 miles northwest of La Loutre and has operated for 30 years. It reported proven reserves of 5.2 M Tonnes at a grade of 7.42 % Cg in July 1988 before the start of production.” (Reference: Potentiel de la minéralisation en graphite au Québec, N’Golo Togola, MERN, page 31, Conférence Québec Mines, November 24 2016).
Graphite demand is expected to increase exponentially for the mined natural graphite material, as more is used in the production of spherical graphite for graphite in the anode portion of Electric Vehicle Lithium-ion batteries. The near-term goals of the company are as follows:
1) Complete 100% Acquisition of the Property, currently 80% owned by Lomiko Metals.
2) Complete metallurgy and graphite characterization to confirm li-ion anode grade material.
3) Complete a Technical Report to confirm the extent of the mineralization equals or surpasses the nearby Imerys Mine, owned by international mining conglomerate.
A “technical report” means a report prepared and filed in accordance with this Instrument and Form 43-101F1 Technical Report, and includes, in summary form, all material scientific and technical information in respect of the subject property as of the effective date of the technical report;
4) Complete Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA)
A PEA means a study, other than a pre-feasibility or feasibility study, that includes an economic analysis of the potential viability of mineral resources.
We seek safe harbor. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 10:01 AM on Tuesday, October 6th, 2020
DONALD TRUMP SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER ON THE SUPPLY OF CRITICAL MINERALS Mr. Simon Moores, pictured above, has been covering critical elements for many years and has presented to the US Senate on Critical Metals Supply. There is no doubt that this group has played a major role in alerting the US government to supply issues. Read about the critical work of Benchmark Mineral Intelligence here.
Stocks to Watch: Lomiko Metals Inc. $LMR Manganese X $MN Critical Elements $CRE Excerpts from Executive Order: “the United States is 100 percent reliant on imports for graphite, which is used to make advanced batteries for cellphones, laptops, and hybrid and electric cars. China produces over 60 percent of the world’s graphite and almost all of the world’s production of high-purity graphite needed for rechargeable batteries.” (i) the United States develops secure critical minerals supply chains that do not depend on resources or processing from foreign adversaries; (ii) the United States establishes, expands, and strengthens commercially viable critical minerals mining and minerals processing capabilities; and (iii) the United States develops globally competitive, substantial, and resilient domestic commercial supply chain capabilities for critical minerals mining and processing. Link to Full Executive OrderCEO A. Paul Gill was recently interviewed by The TMX Group which owns the Toronto Stock Exchange. See below.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 9:09 AM on Tuesday, October 6th, 2020
Volatility in the gold market continues.
I’m not sure when it will end.
With the gold market moving mostly sideways, base metals have been on my mind as of late.
Copper, zinc and nickel are all seeing nice strength in their price.
Will it continue?
That’s a great question.
One of the biggest lessons I have learned over the last few years is that markets are complex and, therefore, impossible to predict with any consistency.
As such, I don’t let my view on the metal price dictate how I invest my money in the junior resource sector.
Remember, junior resource companies are speculations on management’s ability to pick the right projects, form action plans to add value and, of course, raise the money needed to execute on their action plan.
Without successful execution, it doesn’t matter how high the metal price goes, there is a high probability of losing money.
With that said, I do like to understand the metals markets as best I can and form a view of where the market is and where it is going.
Let’s take a closer look at the nickel market.
The Musk Effect
“In the short-term, the market is a voting machine and in the long-term, it’s a weighing machine.” ~ Rick Rule
Sentiment or narrative can be a major driver of a market in the short term, however, in the long term, the fundamentals of a company or a metals market need to be solid for gains to be sustained and perpetuated.
The cream always rises to the top.
In my view, the current nickel market is driven more by sentiment than its underlying fundamentals and, therefore, I’m skeptical of whether the nickel price can continue on its trajectory upwards.
Nickel’s bullish sentiment, I believe, has been derived from the comments made by Elon Musk, Billionaire Founder of Tesla, earlier this year.
Musk made a reference to nickel during one of Tesla’s post-earnings conference calls saying,
“Well, I’d just like to re-emphasize, any mining companies out there, please mine more nickel. Okay. Wherever you are in the world, please mine more nickel and don’t wait for nickel to go back to some long — some high point that you experienced some five years ago, whatever. Go for efficiency, obviously environmentally friendly nickel mining at high volume. Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time, if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way. So hopefully this message goes out to all mining companies. Please get nickel.”
In my view, these comments set off two narratives;
The first, and arguably the most potent, is Musk’s request for efficient and environmentally sensitive nickel mining.
The second is Musk’s general request for more nickel to be produced.
Environmentally Sensitive Nickel Mining
A big question for me is whether Musk really understands what he is asking for when he says,
“Tesla will give you a giant contract for a long period of time, if you mine nickel efficiently and in an environmentally sensitive way.”
Efficient and environmentally sensitive mining, I find that very vague.
Does it mean he is making a distinction between nickel sulphide and laterite mining?
Or, does it mean, nickel mining operations that derive their power from renewable sources?
Or, is it nickel mining operations that are carbon neutral?
If this narrative is driving the market, more questions need to be asked.
Class #1 Nickel – Sulphide Versus Laterite
For those who don’t know, nickel sulphide mines produce nickel concentrates that are sold to smelters, which then convert the concentrate into the chemical nickel sulphate which is used by battery manufacturers.
In the case of nickel laterite mines, the ore is mined and then processed through a high pressure acid leach (HPAL) circuit, which is then further processed to produce nickel sulphate.
To add, the HPAL process is more complex, requiring more steps to get to the end product and, generally speaking, has a higher carbon foot print due to emissions from the process.
It, therefore, could be the distinction that Musk is trying to make with his comments.
It’s hard to tell.
Renewable Energy Source
No matter how you slice it, most of the energy generated worldwide is still derived from fossil fuels.
Therefore, even if the mining operation is fully electrical, to be deemed environmentally sensitive, you must determine how the electricity was produced.
Was it via nuclear power or renewables?
In fact, you really have to go a step further and realize that the dams for the hydro power, the construction and materials used in nuclear power plants, the solar panels and the wind turbines were all made with metals and/or concrete, which were mined and by equipment that was most likely fueled by fossil fuels.
My point?
Stating a nickel mine has to produce its nickel in an environmentally sensitive way needs to be further defined before it’s a realistic narrative driving the nickel market.
With this said, at the moment, I’m only aware of one junior nickel company that can actually say that it has the potential to be carbon neutral.
That company is FPX Nickel Corp. (FPX:TSXV).
This isn’t meant to be an advertisement for FPX, but the reality is, it’s the only junior nickel company that I can see could even come close to fitting Musk’s criteria.
Remember from my update on FPX earlier this year, I mentioned that UBC and Trent University were collaborating on a research program which is investigating carbon capture and storage at mining sites.
FPX’s Decar Nickel District is at the centre of this research as the study looks to maximize the reaction between carbon dioxide and magnesium silicate mine tailings.
The Decar mine waste is high in Brucite, which makes it a prime candidate for carbon sequestration.
It’s, therefore, possible that a future mine at Decar could be carbon neutral.
Class #1 Nickel
On to the 2nd narrative – Class #1 nickel supply.
I’m bullish on nickel; my bullishness is supported by the overall fundamentals of the market and the potential for the increase in Class #1 nickel demand.
For those who don’t know, 2/3s of nickel demand is from stainless steel.
Therefore, undoubtedly, if you’re bullish on nickel, you’re bullish on stainless steel.
While stainless steel represents the backbone of the nickel market, however, it’s battery demand that holds the potential to really disrupt the nickel market in the future.
Currently, battery manufacturers make up less than 5% of the global 2 Mt nickel market.
Roughly half of the 2Mt market is derived from Class #1 nickel and this is where it gets really interesting.
In 2018, Glencore commissioned CRU to model the metal requirements of a 30% adoption rate of EVs in the global vehicle market.
The results revealed the following:
As you can see, a 30% adoption rate would result in roughly 1.1 Mt of Class #1 nickel demand.
This is interesting because, as I mentioned, the current Class #1 nickel demand worldwide is roughly 1 Mt.
Given the long duration and expense of exploration and development, which is at least 10 years from discovery to construction, it begs the question, where will the nickel come from?
This is a great question and really speaks to the amount of disruption that could occur.
The next most obvious question, therefore, is what are the odds of the EV adoption rate hitting 30% within the next 10 years?
For me, it will be determined by the following points:
In the short term, what is the affect of a 2nd wave of Covid-19 in the last QTR of 2020?
There are a lot of unanswered questions regarding the last quarter of the year, especially when it comes to a 2nd wave of Covid-19. Further lockdowns would be devastating to the economy.
What is the health of the global economy?
High unemployment and a stagnant economy could stall adoption of EVs for as long as the recession or depression lasts.
Will governments around the world give further incentives to purchase EVs?
Especially in the case of poor global economics, I believe governments will have to continue, if not increase, subsidies for EV adoption. For example, we have seen in China, when the subsidy is removed, people stop buying them.
EV infrastructure spending
Large scale EV adoption will require more EV infrastructure to be built, at home, at work and in the public realm – malls, restaurants, highways, etc.
If left to the free market, I would say we are still a ways away from adopting EVs into our everyday life.
But we don’t live in a free market.
Governments around the world are becoming larger and larger parts of the economy and, therefore, destroy any of the logic or economic factors that usually control markets.
I can’t say with any certainty what will or won’t happen, but what I can say is that if the government decides that the push is toward renewable energy and EV adoption, that is where the money will flow.
For instance, it’s rumoured that the Canadian government will soon unveil their version of “The Green New Deal.”
If true, I would guess that it’s very likely we would see some incentive for EV adoption.
The Canadian market is small and, therefore, I don’t foresee it actually making a discernible difference to the EV market on a whole, but if this is indicative of a broader trend, things might actually fall in place.
Future Role of Nickel Laterites
As I outlined earlier, nickel laterites can be processed into Class #1 nickel with the help of the HPAL process.
Back in 2018, Tsinghan, a Chinese company, made the headlines within the nickel space as they toted the ability to construct a 50,000 tonne per year HPAL plant in Indonesia in just over a year, for $700ishM.
Tsinghan has a great reputation in the market for the pioneering of the NPI processing, which revolutionized the nickel market in the early 2000s.
This proclamation was, therefore, taken literally.
The nickel price sunk, as the market determined that the affect of an increase in demand to Class #1 market over time would be quelled if Tsinghan had this ability to construct a HPAL plant of this size, on the tight construction schedule and for under a billion dollars.
In the 2 years since, Tsinghan has experienced many of the historical delays associated with building a HPAL plant.
They have delayed construction and added upfront capital expenditures to continue to move forward with development.
With that said, in my view, I do believe that Tsinghan will be successful in constructing the plant.
Also, I think that as long as the Class #1 nickel market doesn’t require a certain environmental standard in the future, HPAL processing of nickel laterites will help quell some of the disruption caused by the potential surge in Class #1 nickel demand, albeit at a nickel price higher than US$10/lbs.
Nickel Market Fundamentals
Supply and demand fundamentals must be solid for any market to be strong over the long-term.
As I said, in my view, the current uptick in the nickel price is mainly driven by sentiment rather than underlying supply and demand fundamentals.
With that said, I think that there are many points to be bullish about.
Nickel Inventory
Over the last 5 years, the LME nickel inventories have been trending in the right direction.
As you can see from the graph, the inventory levels have steadily fallen since 2017, with a dramatic draw down in 2019.
The dramatic draw, however, was met with almost as dramatic a spike in the 10 months since, and now sits above the 200kt level.
The LME warehouses an inventory of Class #1 and is a key factor in gauging the health of the nickel market.
If we were to begin to see inventories drawn down once again, it would be very bullish for the nickel price, with the proviso that the reason for its depletion could be linked to a sustained source of demand or a permanent loss of supply.
As it stands right now, in a post pandemic world, nickel market analysts are calling for a surplus of supply to end 2020.
This is in sharp contrast to the pre-pandemic nickel market, where analysts were calling for a supply deficit.
NorNickel Corp Presentation – May 2020
Nickel Sulphide Supply
What I find most interesting about nickel sulphides is that not only are their production figures predicted to curtail over the coming years, but the amount of projects awaiting development is low.
Why is this?
In my mind, there are 2 reasons:
First, a bear market in the nickel price, which pre-dates 2016, has stunted exploration.
Second is the fact that exploring for these deep deposits is very costly. Drilling for a deposit at depths greater than 500m adds up quickly. Plus, if you add in the costs associated with tough terrain and weather, you have the perfect storm for short and costly drill seasons.
NOTE: A high percentage of nickel sulphide exploration is concentrated in cold climates – Russia, Finland, Greenland and Canada. Why? Most of the discoverable nickel sulphide deposits found around the equator or in hotter and wetter climates have mostly been converted, by nature, into nickel laterite deposits. Thus, nickel laterite deposits account for up to 70% of the known crustal nickel deposits on the earth.
Constrained nickel sulphide supply has the potential to be very bullish for the nickel price moving forward, however, it will have to be mixed with strong demand to be fully realized.
Nickel Demand
In my view, nickel demand is the key to understanding where the nickel price is headed in the future.
As I outlined earlier in the article, increased demand for Class #1 nickel from battery manufacturers and/or speciality steel makers has the potential to dramatically disrupt the nickel market.
Demand in the range of 500kt to 1Mt of Class #1 nickel per year by 2030 would very quickly reveal the short fall in supply from the nickel sulphide producers, and require much higher nickel prices to allow HPAL processing to economically participate in actively supplying the market.
Concluding Remarks
Generally speaking, I’m very bullish on the long-term potential for higher nickel prices.
With that said, I remain skeptical of the short-term longevity of the current run in the nickel price.
The global economy remains in disarray and, although governments have pledged unlimited amounts of QE to stimulate inflation, I’m still left with many questions about the remaining 3.5 months in 2020.
How will the U.S. election result affect both the U.S. and world economy?
Does a Trump re-election mean the broader stock market can continue upward?
Does a Biden win result in more socialist government policy? If so, what is the fall-out for the American economy?
Will there be a 2nd wave of Covid-19? If so, will governments revert back to complete lockdowns of their economies?
Is the U.S. headed to war with China? The world’s two largest economies remain at odds, with potential conflicts on a range of topics such as, the South China Sea, Covid-19, and human rights violations.
In my view, the next 3.5 months should provide us with a few of the answers to these questions, which will allow us to see more clearly into where things are headed in 2021.
In the end, the fact remains that markets are impossible to predict with any consistency.
Instead, I believe it’s pertinent to remain focused on the reasons why we are speculating in the junior companies.
Understand why a company is undervalued and how they will unlock that value through the execution of their action plans.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 3:12 PM on Wednesday, September 30th, 2020
Lomiko Metals (LMR: TSXV) has discovered high-grade graphite at its La Loutre property in Quebec and is working toward a Pre-Economic Assessment to increase the current resource to 10m/t of 10% Cg (graphite) in order to supply the future demand needs of a burgeoning metals battery market.
LOMIKO METALS Paul A. Gill:
“Initial indications are that La Loutre Graphite Property is high-quality and high-grade and thus worthy of development.” stated A. Paul Gill, CEO. “The only operating graphite mine in North America which is the Imerys Graphite & Carbon at Lac-des-Îles, is 30 miles northwest of La Loutre and has operated for 30 years.
Lomiko is in an ideal position to participate in the Electrical Vehicle market with the potential to become a North American supplier of graphite materials for the emerging battery EV battery market. Here is why:
WoodMac – Graphite…..forecasts that the battery sector would make up more than 35% of demand by 2030, with demand growing by 1.6 million tonnes by that date.
Simon Moores – “There is no doubt now that regardless of how well Tesla’s vehicles continue to sell, raw material availability will be the primary slowing factor on the company scaling.”
Wood Mackenzie highlight the demand impact battery production will have on the raw materials required. ” When it comes to graphite, the report forecasts that the battery sector would make up more than 35% of demand by 2030, with demand growing by 1.6 million tonnes by that date.
2 Reasons Why Battery Demand is Key to Lomiko’s Growth
2019 to 2030 demand increase forecast for EV metals as the EV boom takes off – ‘Battery’ graphite demand forecast to grow 10x.
Posted by AGORACOM
at 2:07 PM on Monday, September 28th, 2020
SPONSOR: Lomiko Metals is focused on the exploration and development of minerals for the new green economy such as lithium and graphite. Lomiko has an option for 100% of the high-grade La Loutre graphite Property, Lac Des Iles Graphite Property and the 100% owned Quatre Milles Graphite Property. Lomiko is uniquely poised to supply the growing EV battery market. Click Here For More Information
The company plans to offer a $25,000 vehicle in three years, officials say.
Tesla has announced new, internally-produced batteries for its electric cars, signaling a major shift from the automaker that, if successful, could significantly reduce the cost of electric vehicles.
“I think it’s the way all electric cars in the future will be made,” said CEO Elon Musk at Tesla’s “Battery Day” event outside its production facility in Freemont, California, on Tuesday.
Tesla’s new battery cell features a “tabless” design, which the company claims will provide five times the energy, six times the power, and 16% more range compared to its old battery cell.
The company’s current vehicles use batteries sourced from suppliers like Panasonic, where the energy stored in the battery pack is transferred to the car’s drivetrain via a conductive metal tab.
The new battery pack accomplishes the same thing by using a design that integrates a series of small bumps and spikes, which the company hopes will eliminate the need for a tab, and consequently drive down costs and production time. Musk tweeted the tech is “way more important than it sounds,” after the patent was approved back in May.
Courtesy of Tesla Elon Musk conducts Tesla’s “Battery Day” event outside its production facility in Freemont, Calif., S… Elon Musk conducts Tesla’s “Battery Day” event outside its production facility in Freemont, Calif., Sept. 22, 2020.
“This is not just a concept or a rendering; we are starting to ramp up manufacturing of these cells at our pilot ten gigawatt-hour production facility,” said Drew Baglino, Tesla’s Senior Vice President, Powertrain and Energy Engineering.
Tesla also said the new batteries would be 56% less expensive to manufacture and are being developed entirely in-house.
“They own the whole widget,” said Car and Driver Senior Editor of Technology Roberto Baldwin, “which is what gives them the ability to control every aspect, and to tweak as much efficiency as they can out of everything — out of their batteries, out of their motors, out of their inverters.”
Tesla’s investment in its own battery technology doesn’t mean it’s ramping down partnerships with other battery producers, Musk said. In a tweet prior to Tuesday’s event, the CEO said the company plans to “increase, not reduce battery cell purchases from Panasonic, LG & CATL (possibly other partners too.)” He also said the company is predicting shortages in battery cells from those suppliers and is ramping up in-house efforts to mitigate those shortfalls.
Musk said during the event that Tesla is planning to produce 100 gigawatt-hours of battery cells per year by 2022, and three terawatt-hours of cells per year by 2030.
“It allows us to make a lot more cars and a lot more stationary storage,” he said.
Bringing down the cost of battery production is part of Tesla’s plan to eventually sell 20 million vehicles annually — about fifty times more than they sell now, the company said.
“I think twenty million is doable,” said Car and Driver’s Baldwin. “As long as they can continue to grow, and continue to invest and sort of stay ahead of everyone.”
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Tesla Superchargers charge vehicles in Petaluma, Calif. on Sept. 23, 2020. Tesla Superchargers charge vehicles in Petaluma, Calif. on Sept. 23, 2020.
Part of that 20 million vehicle goal will come from a Tesla model the company is planning to sell for $25,000, expected to be available in about three years. The car, which would undercut Tesla’s current Model 3 sedan as the brand’s cheapest vehicle, would be fully autonomous, Musk said.
“It was always our goal to try to make an affordable electric car,” said Musk.
Musk said that while production on the new batteries is underway, it will take between a year and 18 months to fully ramp up production, and even longer for the technology to show up in actual vehicles.
However, “Tesla has repeatedly set timetables and timelines, and then they’ve missed them,” said Baldwin.
The Model 3 faced significant delays as the company ramped up production in 2017. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic earlier this year, Tesla has also pushed back planned releases for its “Semi” truck and “Roadster” sports car. But Baldwin says the company is making improvements, noting that the Model Y crossover was released ahead of schedule.
“On the one hand, they’re taking all the learnings they’ve gotten over the past ten, twelve years, and they’re using that to make their batteries better,” Baldwin said. “But there’s still the potential this could be delayed another year, another four years.”
Tesla’s battery announcement comes at a time of increased competition in the electric vehicle market. Earlier this month, Lucid, an EV startup founded by the former head of engineering for Tesla’s own Model S sedan, unveiled an electric sedan called the Air, with a claimed 503 miles of range. General Motors’ “Ultium” battery pack, which the company unveiled earlier this year, is set to underpin 13 new electric vehicle models across four brands, starting with a new “HUMMER” pickup truck.
Volkswagen also says it plans to produce 1.5 million EVs annually by 2025, and unveiled the ID4, an electric crossover SUV that’s expected to have 310 miles of range, on Wednesday.
