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REMINDER: Deadline for Avalon Q&A Question Submission is End of Business Today

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 10:25 AM on Tuesday, May 19th, 2015

We are happy to announce the first Avalon Rare Metals Q&A in which investor questions posted to the Avalon HUB will be incorporated into an upcoming interview.

Format of the Q&A is as follows:

1. To post your question, please use the subject line “Q&A”.

2. When you post your question, please check “Question For AGORACOM’ box.

Register Now!

3. Avalon can’t respond to questions related to current, present or future performance of its share price, nor can they provide non-disclosed material information that would violate securities laws.

4. To this end, please try to review questions already posted by fellow shareholders to avoid duplication

5. Please limit your questions to a maximum of 3

6. Deadline for submitting questions is end of business today.

Thank-you and we look forward to your participation in our first Avalon Rare Metals Q&A.

Regards,

AGORACOM

US DOJ believes Silicon Metal a critical ingredient

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:18 AM on Thursday, May 14th, 2015

Globe Specialty, FerroAtlantica Face Extended Scrutiny on Planned Merger

By William McConnell Follow|05/12/15 – 05:27 PM EDT

NEW YORK The Deal) —Globe Specialty Metals(GSM) faces an extended U.S. Department of Justice review of its $3.1 billion acquisition of rival Grupo FerroÁtlantica. Miami-based Globe disclosed the DOJ’s second request for information in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission Monday.

The combination with Madrid-based FerroÁtlantica would create the world’s largest producer of silicon metals, which are critical ingredients for making aluminum, solar panels and other products. FerroÁtlantica is wholly owned by Spain’s Grupo Villar Mir, which will own 57% of the new London-headquartered, Nasdaq-listed company after the merger, with current Globe shareholders holding 43%.

The companies said they continue to expect the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of 2015 despite the DOJ’s decision to extend the investigation beyond the initial 30-day waiting period. Regarding the antitrust investigation, the companies said in their SEC filing that they “continue working cooperatively with the DOJ as it conducts its review of the proposed business combination.”

The companies’ merger agreement contains few antitrust safeguards, indicating little concern for antitrust risk. FerroÁtlantica is not entitled to a reverse breakup fee if the deal is terminated due to failure to obtain regulatory approval. The parties are not obligated to accept divestitures or other conditions sought by regulators if such as move would cause a material adverse effect on their businesses.

Globe Specialty Chairman Alan Kestenbaum side-stepped an analyst’s question about the companies’ possible overlaps during a Feb. 23 conference call to announce the deal. “This has been analyzed and we look forward to working with the regulators and are confident that we’ll be able to get through the process successfully,” was all he would say when asked about potential competition issues raised by the merger during a Feb. 23 conference call.

Globe Specialty maintains that its business is highly competitive. According to the company’s 10-K its primary competitors in the silicon metal and silicon-based alloy markets are Elkem AS, owned by China National Bluestar Group, and FerroAtlantica. There are other significant competitors, though, according to the company, including Rima Industrial and Ligas de Alumino as well as producers in China and the former republics of the Soviet Union. The company also said it faces “continual threats from existing and new competition.”

Nevertheless, Globe Specialty characterized itself as a “highly efficient, low-cost producer” which it attributed in part to manufacturing processes that allow it to capture most of its production by-products for reuse or resale. It also has the capacity to react to changes in market demand by switching production between silicon-based alloy and silicon metal production at low cost.

The company, in its 10-K, did acknowledge that new competitors face difficulty entering the market because of a three- to five-year lead time to obtain the necessary governmental approvals followed by construction time and the need to secure supply sources for raw materials and energy. Those barriers to entry could make the DOJ skeptical that any competition lost by the merger could be replaced by new players in the market.

Source: http://www.thestreet.com/story/13149101/1/globe-specialty-ferroatlantica-face-extended-scrutiny-on-planned-merger.html

Tesla launches Powerwall home battery with aim to revolutionize energy consumption

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:55 AM on Friday, May 1st, 2015

Larger version of battery has been tested in pilot program

The Associated Press Posted: May 01, 2015 12:35 AM ET Last Updated: May 01, 2015 9:54 AM ET

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk unveils large utility scale home batteries at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, Calif. on Thursday night.

Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk unveils large utility scale home batteries at the Tesla Design Studio in Hawthorne, Calif. on Thursday night. (David McNew/AFP/Getty Images)

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is trying to steer his electric car company’s battery technology into homes and businesses as part of an elaborate plan to reshape the power grid with millions of small power plants made of solar panels on roofs and batteries in garages.

Musk announced Tesla’s expansion into the home battery market amid a party atmosphere at the company’s design studio near Los Angeles International Airport. The festive scene attended by a drink-toting crowd of enthusiasts seemed fitting for a flashy billionaire renowned for pursuing far-out projects. For instance, colonizing Mars is one of Musk’s goals at Space X, a rocket maker that he also runs.

Now, he is setting out on another ambitious mission. “Our goal here is to fundamentally change the way the world uses energy,” Musk told reporters gathered in Hawthorne, Calif.

Although Tesla will make the battery called “Powerwall,” it will be sold by a variety of other companies. The list of partners includes SolarCity, a solar installer founded by Musk’s cousins, Lyndon and Peter Rive. Musk is SolarCity’s chairman and largest shareholder.

I don’t believe this product in its first incarnation will be interesting to the average person.– Peter Rive, CTO of Tesla partner SolarCity

As with Tesla’s electric cars, which start around $70,000 US, the battery might be too expensive for most consumers. When it goes on sale, the system will carry a suggested price of $3,000 to $3,500, depending on the desired capacity. That could discourage widespread adoption, especially for a product that may only have limited use.

“I don’t believe this product in its first incarnation will be interesting to the average person,” conceded Peter Rive, SolarCity’s chief technology officer. Rive, though, still expects there to be enough demand to substantially increase the number of batteries in homes.

Hopes to ship internationally next year

Musk is so encouraged by the initial demand that he believes Tesla and other future entrants in the market will be able to sell two billion battery packs around the world — roughly the same number of vehicles already on roads. Although that may sound like a “super crazy” goal, Musk insisted it “is within the power of humanity to do.”

TESLA-MOTORS/BATTERIES

Tesla Energy batteries for businesses and utility companies are pictured providing energy for the Tesla Motors Powerwall Home Battery on Thursday. (Patrick T. Fallon/Reuters)

It will take a long time to get there. Tesla hopes to begin shipping a limited number of Powerwall batteries this summer in the U.S. before expanding internationally next year.

The long-term goal is to reduce the world’s reliance on energy generate from fossil fuels while creating regional networks of home batteries that could be controlled as if they were a power plant. That would give utilities another way to ensure that they can provide power at times of peak demand.

For now, the battery primarily serves as an expensive backup system during blackouts for customers like David Cunningham, an aerospace engineer from Foster City, California. He installed a Tesla battery late last year to pair with his solar panels as part of a pilot program run by the California Public Utilities Commission to test home battery performance.

Can be recharged with solar panels

Although Cunningham’s home has not endured a blackout in the six months that he has had the battery, it’s capable of running critical home appliances like lights and refrigeration and can be recharged by solar panels during the day.

“As long as a person has solar panels, it’s just a natural fit for the two to go together,” Cunningham, 77, said. “I consider it to be a whole power system right here in my home.”

Tesla Battery Power For Homes

In this April 20, 2015 photo, David Cunningham shows a prototype Tesla battery system that powers his Foster City, Calif. home. Cunningham installed the battery late last year to pair with his solar panels as part of a pilot program run by the California Public Utilities Commission. (Jeff Chiu/The Associated Press)

The battery Cunningham got had a whopping sticker price of $18,300, but he took advantage of state incentives that reduced the battery’s price to $7,500.

“The value proposition now is around reliability and backup power more than it is around savings, but over time that may change,” said Shayle Kahn, an analyst at GTM Research.

The batteries are likely to become more useful if, as expected, more utilities and regulators allow power prices to change throughout the day based on market conditions. That way, the software that controls the solar and battery system will allow customers to use their home-generated power — and not expensive grid power — when grid prices spike.

Many commercial customers already buy power this way, and Tesla also announced battery systems designed for them, along with bigger battery packs that utilities can use to manage their grids. Analysts say these utility and commercial markets will probably be more promising for Tesla during the next few years than residential customers.

Several businesses, including Amazon.com and Target, plan to use Tesla’s battery storage system on a limited basis. Southern California Edison is already using Tesla batteries to store energy.

Tesla is building a giant factory in Nevada that will begin churning out batteries in 2017, so Musk needs to begin drumming up customers now. The spotlight may help Musk push policy makers and utilities to consider reshaping regulations so solar and battery storage could be more easily incorporated into the larger electric system, Kahn said.

Tesla’s ambitions already have intrigued homeowners like Mike Thielen, who installed one of the prototype batteries with SolarCity panels on his Redondo Beach, Calif., home last year. Although he hasn’t needed the backup power yet, he has embraced the concept.

“I think it’s brilliant,” he said. “I would consider upgrading to a more powerful home battery if they could figure out a way to get me totally off the grid.”

Source: http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/tesla-launches-powerwall-home-battery-with-aim-to-revolutionize-energy-consumption-1.3056587

Avalon Announces Public Offering of up to $5 million

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:19 AM on Wednesday, April 29th, 2015

Toronto, Ontario–(April 29, 2015) – Avalon Rare Metals Inc. (TSX and NYSE MKT: AVL)(“Avalon” or the “Company“) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agency agreement with Secutor Capital Management Corp. (“Secutor“), pursuant to which Secutor will act as agent on a best efforts basis in an offering of units of the Company (the “Units“) and flow-through shares of the Company (the “Flow-Through Shares“) for up to $5 million in gross proceeds (the “Offering“).

The Offering is comprised of up to 7,352,941 Units at a price of $0.34 per Unit, and up to 6,410,256 Flow-Through Shares at a price of $0.39 per Flow-Through Share. Each Unit consists of one common share (a “UnitShare“) and one-half of one non-transferrable common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant, a “Warrant“). Each Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price $0.425 per share, for a period of 18 months following the issuance of the Warrants. Each Flow-Through Share will qualify as a “flow-through share” within the meaning of the Income Tax Act (Canada).

The Company intends to use the gross proceeds from the sale of the Flow-Through Shares for work on three mineral properties: the Nechalacho Rare Earth Elements Project, the East Kemptville Tin-Zinc-Copper-Indium Project and the Separation Rapids Lithium Minerals Project and the net proceeds from the sale of the Units for working capital and general corporate purposes.

The Corporation has granted Secutor an option (exercisable in whole or in part, in Secutor’s sole discretion), for a period of 30 days from closing of the Offering to purchase up to an additional 2,064,479 Units at a price of $0.34 to cover over-allotments, if any, and for market stabilization purposes.

The Offering is expected to close on or before May 12, 2015, subject to customary closing conditions, including the conditional approval of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the NYSE MKT.

The Offering is being made outside of the United States by way of a prospectus supplement dated April 29, 2015 to the Canadian base shelf prospectus dated September 10, 2013. The prospectus supplement relating to the Offering has been filed with the applicable provinces and territories in Canada and is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The prospectus supplement forms part of the shelf registration statement filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC“), File No. 333-190771, which was declared effective by the SEC on September 12, 2013, and will be filed with the SEC pursuant to General Instruction II.L. of Form F-10 under the U.S. Securities Act registering for distribution under the U.S. Securities Act the Unit Shares, Warrants and Flow-Through Shares and will be available at the SEC’s websitewww.sec.gov.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, and these securities may not be offered or sold in any jurisdiction in which their offer or sale would be unlawful.

About Avalon Rare Metals Inc.

Avalon Rare Metals Inc. is a mineral development company focused on rare metal deposits in Canada, with three advanced stage projects. Its 100%-owned Nechalacho Deposit, Thor Lake, NWT is exceptional in its large size and enrichment in the scarce “heavy” rare earth elements, key to enabling advances in clean technology and other growing high-tech applications. Avalon is also advancing its Separation Rapids Lithium Minerals Project, Kenora, ON and its East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project, Yarmouth, NS. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.

For questions and feedback, please e-mail the Company at [email protected], or phone Don Bubar, President & CEO at 416-364-4938.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to how the Companyplans to use the net proceeds from the Offering and the anticipated closing date of the Offering. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as potential, scheduled, anticipates, continues, expects or does not expect, is expected, scheduled, targeted, planned, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be or will not be taken, reached or result, will occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Avalon to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made. Although Avalon has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to market conditions, the need for continued cooperation and performance of the parties to the transaction, as well as those risk factors set out in the Companys current Annual Report,Managements Discussion and Analysis and other disclosure documents available under the Companys profile at www.SEDAR.com. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Such forward-looking statements have been provided for the purpose of assisting investors in understanding the Companys plans and objectives and may not be appropriate for other purposes. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Avalon does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that are contained herein, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

KWG Encouraged by Federal Budget; Delisting From TSX Venture Exchange Completed

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 4:39 PM on Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015

TORONTO, ONTARIO–(April 22, 2015) – KWG Resources Inc. (CSE:KWG)(TSX VENTURE:KWG)(FRANKFURT:KW6)(OTCBB:KWGBF) is extremely encouraged by the Federal Budget tabled by Federal Finance Minister Joe Oliver on April 21st. It was announced that the federal government will dedicate $23 million over five years from Natural Resources Canada to “stimulate the technological innovation needed to separate and develop rare earth elements and chromite”. As previously reported, KWG is developing a new method of refining chromite ore into ferrochrome by means of natural gas. The company has filed an international patent application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty that will provide it with the right to file patent applications in over 140 countries around the world. The new process could enable KWG to become the lowest cost producer of ferrochrome in the world, so securing Canada’s involvement in a significant global commodity marketplace.

KWG President Frank Smeenk stated, “We are pleased that the federal government recognizes the immense economic opportunity this new process provides for Canada, and that they are investing in further chromite refining research.”

KWG also announces that its common shares will be delisted from the TSX Venture Exchange (the “TSXV“) effective at the close of business on Wednesday, April 22, 2015. The common shares of the Company will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) under the symbol “KWG“. The delisting was approved by the Company’s Board of Directors.

As described in KWG‘s Press Releases of March 13, 2015 and March 17, 2015, the delisting became necessary for KWG to satisfy its obligations under the option agreement with Bold Ventures Inc. (“Bold“) (TSX VENTURE:BOL) in respect of the Black Horse claims. KWG’s management and Board determined that it was in the best interests of its shareholders to continue to earn an 80% interest in Bold’s interest in the chromite resources comprising the Black Horse claims and a 20% interest in their non-chromite resources and to husband its cash resources by issuing 35,000,000 shares of KWG rather than making a cash payment of $700,000, especially in light of the difficulty in raising equity in the current markets. As the value of the shares being issued was $0.02 per share (reflecting current market prices), that TSXV policies do not permit listed issuers to issue shares at less than $0.05 each in this type of transaction, and that the TSXV would not grant KWG an exemption from the policy, the KWG Board concluded that it was necessary to delist the Company’s shares from the TSXV to continue its option to earn such interest in the Black Horse claims.

KWG’s common shares have been inter-listed for trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange (“CSE“) and TSXV for a number of years. Recently the CSE market facilities were made available to all of Canada’s discount brokerage trading services. It is anticipated that, following the delisting of KWG’s shares from the TSXV, shareholders, investors and brokers will experience no disruption in their ability to trade such shares through the facilities of the CSE and that trading liquidity will not be adversely affected. In addition, such change in trading markets is not expected to affect KWG’s ability to raise capital. Additionally, KWG shares will continue to be traded on the facilities of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and on the OTC Market in the USA.

About KWG: KWG has a 30% interest in the Big Daddy chromite deposit and the right to earn 80% of the Black Horse chromite where resources are being defined. KWG also owns 100% of Canada Chrome Corporation which has staked claims and conducted a $15 million surveying and soil testing program, originally for the engineering and construction of a railroad to the Ring of Fire from Aroland, Ontario. KWG subsequently acquired patent interests, including a method for the direct reduction of chromite to metalized iron and chrome using natural gas. The company has determined that the reduction method can be employed to metalize finely ground chromite which may be recovered from slurry delivered to Aroland in an underground pipeline constructed within the Canada Chrome claims.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward-Looking Information: This news release contains forward-looking information. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that KWG believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding payments to be made under the option agreement with Bold, and the voluntary delisting of KWG’s common shares from the TSXV) constitute forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of KWG based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of KWG to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on KWG. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: the delisting of KWG’s shares from the TSXV adversely affecting trading liquidity, trading prices or the ability of KWG to raise equity capital on favourable terms or at all. Forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, KWG disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although KWG believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

Shares issued and outstanding: 812,983,718

KWG Resources Inc.
Bruce Hodgman
416-642-3575
[email protected]

Uragold Subsidiary, Quebec Quartz, Signs MOU with Dorfner Anzaplan to Evaluate Potential of its High Purity Quartz Deposit

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 9:49 AM on Monday, April 13th, 2015

Montreal, Quebec / April 13 2015 – Uragold Bay Resources Inc. (“Uragold”) (TSX Venture: UBR) is pleased to announce the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between its 100% owned subsidiary Quebec Quartz and Dorfner Anzaplan (Anzaplan) of Hirschau, Germany regarding the development of property specific beneficiation processes for the production of ultra high purity quartz sands (99.99+% SiO2).

This milestone is in accordance with our go forward plan for Q1/Q2 2015 and was predicated by our press release on March 2, 2015 in which we announced “Major Producer Confirms Interest in Purchasing Significant Tonnage of High Purity Quartz From Uragold Quartz Property in Quebec”.

Patrick Levasseur, President and COO of Uragold stated, “ANZAPLAN will allow us to become a vertically integrated supplier of ultra high purity quartz sands. Along with our recent announcement about interest from a major producer in purchasing significant tonnage of our high purity quartz, our collaboration with Anzaplan represents another major milestone in our quartz strategy. We are now even more focused on determining the full potential of our industry leading quartz portfolio.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF ANZAPLAN

The leading consultancy and engineering company in high purity quartz project valuation, ANZAPLAN has a wide range of international clients in the mining, engineering, and production industries. The company’s’ renowned international reputation in the glass and ceramics industry has steadily extended into the high purity market sectors.

ANZAPLAN offers complete process development for high purity quartz, from the first characterisation of high purity quartz, through application tests up to market introduction. Besides laboratory scale equipment, ANZAPLAN provides a local test plant for the production of high purity quartz samples, which allows production of up to 1,000 kg sample quantities. At ANZAPLAN’s test plant, technical samples are produced for customer tests as well as for end-user approval.

THE ULTRA HIGH PURITY QUARTZ MARKET

Ultra High purity quartz sand has become one of today’s key strategic minerals with applications in pharmaceutical and high-tech industries, semiconductors, telecommunication, optics, microelectronics, and solar applications.

The price of ultra high purity quartz can range from $US 2,000 – $US 10,000 per ton (http://www.ssrg.com.sg/quartz/qtztech/), due to the importance of this mineral to almost every industry in the world. The size of the worldwide market specifically for the 99.99% plus purity material is estimated at 70,000 TPA.

GOAL OF QUEBEC QUARTZ TO ACHIEVE UP TO C$7,000/TON

Beneficiation of Quebec Quartz high purity quartz into refined Ultra High Purity products involves several steps, which need to be adapted to minimize the specific impurities of the individual raw quartz feed for end-use applications. As a result, Ultra High Purity Quartz with impurity levels less than 20 ppm (99.99+% SiO2) may be achieved, creating a valuable raw material that commands up to C$7,000/ton.

PURPOSE OF THE MOU

Quebec Quartz will furnish ANZAPLAN with 150 kg of sample material in the form of quartz lumps, in the following size: 120 kg in 40 – 150 mm, and 30 kg in 150-300 mm, from material to be extracted during our Spring 2015 sample program on the Roncevaux Quartz property

ANZAPLAN will complete quartz processing and beneficiation tests and elaborate on the potential for high value applications, including Ultra High Purity Quartz Sands.

About Quebec Quartz

Quebec Quartz, a 100 % wholly owned subsidiary of Uragold, is the largest holder of distinct High Purity Quartz properties in Quebec. Despite the abundance of quartz, very few deposits are suitable for high purity applications.

Our goal is to transform our High Purity Quartz into Ultra High Purity Quartz Sands to generate significantly greater profits and become a leading supplier of Ultra High Purity Quartz.

Quartz from our Roncevaux property successfully passed the rigorous testing protocol of a major silicon metal producer confirming that our material is highly suited for their silicon metal production plant.

About Uragold Bay Resources Inc.

Uragold Bay Resources is a TSX-V listed Gold and High Purity Quartz exploration junior focused on generating free cash flow from mining operations. Our business model is centered on developing mining projects suited for smaller-scale start-up and that could potentially generate high yield returns. Uragold will reach these goals by developing Quebec’s first paleoplacer mine in 50 years, the Beauce Placer Project and, in partnership with Golden Hope Mines, the Bellechasse-Timmins Gold Deposit.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For further information contact

Bernard J. Tourillon, Chairman and CEO
Patrick Levasseur, President and COO

Tel: (514) 846-3271
www.uragold.com

Garibaldi to drill high-grade zone at La Patilla

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 5:14 PM on Thursday, April 9th, 2015

TSXV: GGI
OTC: GGIFF
Frankfurt: RQM

VANCOUVER, April 9, 2015 /CNW/ – Garibaldi Resources Corp. (TSX.V: GGI) (the “Company” or “Garibaldi”) is pleased to report that a diamond drill rig has been mobilized to begin a follow-up program at a high-grade gold zone discovered last year at the La Patilla Property in Sinaloa, Mexico.

The final hole of 2014 drilling at the main zone at La Patilla, LP-14, intersected 10.4 g/t Au over 8.5 meters within a broader 30-meter interval grading 3.1 g/t Au at a depth between 11 and 41 meters.

Immediate objectives of this program are as follows:

  • To offset drill intercepts in the area of LP-14 and test for continuity of the high-grade structure along strike;
  • To test for depth extensions to the mineralized structures identified in the previous program;
  • To test the potential of the La Patilla vein system along strike.

Meanwhile, Garibaldi crews continue to stockpile mineralized material at La Patilla for an initial mill feed test at Gainey Capital’s processing facility approximately 40 miles to the southeast.

Steve Regoci, Garibaldi President and CEO, commented: “From Rodadero to La Patilla we continue moving forward on all fronts in Mexico. The La Patilla gold project has a very opportunistic profile with shallow drill targets and potential for near-term exploitation, so we look forward to building shareholder value as we advance these initiatives. In addition, invaluable exploration protocols gained in Mexico will complement the 2015 launch, now underway, of our fully-funded B.C. projects led by the Grizzly in the prolific Sheslay district.”

Corporate Fact Sheet

To view the updated corporate Fact Sheet for Garibaldi Resources, please visit the following URL:

http://www.garibaldiresources.com/i/pdf/GGI_Factsheet.pdf

Qualified Person

Dr. Craig Gibson, Certified Professional Geologist and a director of Garibaldi, is a non-arms-length Qualified Person for the Company’s Mexico projects and the direct manager of the technical programs operated under contract by Prospeccion Y Desorrollo Minera del Norte (ProDeMin). Dr. Gibson has reviewed this news release and approved the contents thereof.

About Garibaldi

Garibaldi Resources Corp. is an active Canadian-based junior exploration company focused on creating shareholder value through discoveries and strategic development of its assets in some of the most prolific mining regions in Mexico and British Columbia.

We seek safe harbor.

GARIBALDI RESOURCES CORP.

Per: “Steve Regoci”

Steve Regoci, President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or the accuracy of this release.

SOURCE Garibaldi Resources Corp.

GARIBALDI RESOURCES CORP., 1150 – 409 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1T2, Telephone: (604) 488-8851, Web Site: GaribaldiResources.comCopyright CNW Group 2015

Clean Energy Revolution Is Ahead of Schedule

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:16 AM on Wednesday, April 8th, 2015

By Noah Smith

The most important piece of news on the energy front isn’t the plunge in oil prices, but the progress that is being made in battery technology. A new study in Nature Climate Change, by Bjorn Nykvist and Mans Nilsson of the Stockholm Environment Institute, shows that electric vehicle batteries have been getting cheaper much faster than expected. From 2007 to 2011, average battery costs for battery-powered electric vehicles fell by about 14 percent a year. For the leading electric vehicle makers, Tesla and Nissan, costs fell by 8 percent a year. This astounding decline puts battery costs right around the level that the International Energy Agency predicted they would reach in 2020. We are six years ahead of the curve. It’s a bit hard to read, but here is the graph from the paper:

battery efficiencyThis puts the electric vehicle industry at a very interesting inflection point. Back in 2011, McKinsey & Co. made a chart showing which kind of vehicle would be the most economical at various prices for gasoline and batteries:

competitive
Looking at this graph, we can see the incredible progress made just since 2011. Battery prices per kilowatt-hour have fallen from about $550 when the graph was made to about $450 now. For Tesla and Nissan, the gray rectangle (which represents current prices) is even farther to the left, to about the $300 range, where the economics really starts to change and battery-powered vehicles become feasible.

QuickTake Batteries

But in the past year, the price of gasoline has fallen as well, and is now in the $2.50 range even in expensive markets. A glut of oil, and a possible thaw in U.S.-Iran relations, have moved the gray rectangle down into the dark blue area where internal combustion engines reign supreme.

Still, if battery prices keep falling, the gray rectangle will keep moving to the left. The Swedish researchers believe that Tesla’s new factories will be able to achieve the 30 percent cost reduction the company promises, simply from economies of scale and incremental improvements in the manufacturing process. That, combined with a rebound in gas prices to the $3 range, would be enough to make battery-powered vehicles an economic alternative to internal combustion vehicles in most regions.

But this isn’t the only piece of good energy news. Investment in renewable energy is powering ahead.

The United Nations Environment Programme recently released a report showing that global investment in renewable energy, which had dipped a bit between 2011 and 2013, rebounded in 2014 to a near all-time high of $270 billion. But the report also notes that since renewable costs — especially solar costs — are falling so fast, the amount of renewable energy capacity added in 2014 was easily an all-time high. China, the U.S. and Japan are leading the way in renewable investment. Renewables went from 8.5 percent to 9.1 percent of global electricity generation just in 2014.

That’s still fairly slow in an absolute sense. Adding 0.6 percentage point a year to the renewable share would mean the point where renewables take half of the electricity market wouldn’t come until after 2080. But as solar costs fall, we can expect that shift to accelerate. In particular, forecasts are for solar to become the cheapest source of energy — at least when the sun is shining — in many parts of the world in the 2020s.

Each of these trends — cheaper batteries and cheaper solar electricity — is good on its own, and on the margin will help to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, with all the geopolitical drawbacks and climate harm they entail. But together, the two cost trends will add up to nothing less than a revolution in the way humankind interacts with the planet and powers civilization.

You see, the two trends reinforce each other. Cheaper batteries mean that cars can switch from gasoline to the electrical grid. But currently, much of the grid is powered by coal. With cheap solar replacing coal at a rapid clip, that will be less and less of an issue. As for solar, its main drawback is intermittency. But with battery costs dropping, innovative manufacturers such as Tesla will be able to make cheap batteries for home electricity use, allowing solar power to run your house 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

So instead of thinking of solar and batteries as two independent things, we should think of them as one single unified technology package. Solar-plus-batteries is set to begin a dramatic transformation of human civilization. The transformation has already begun, but will really pick up steam during the next decade. That is great news, because cheap energy powers our economy, and because clean energy will help stop climate change.

Of course, opponents of the renewable revolution continue to downplay these remarkable developments. The takeoff of solar-plus-batteries has only begun to ramp up the exponential curve, and market shares are still small. But it has begun, and it doesn’t look like we’re going back.

To contact the author on this story:
Noah Smith at [email protected]

To contact the editor on this story:
James Greiff at [email protected]

Source: http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2015-04-08/clean-energy-revolution-is-way-ahead-of-schedule

Avalon Rare Metals (TSX and NYSE MKT: AVL) Offers Investors Exposure to Heavy Rare Earths, Tin and Lithium in their Unique Holdings in Canada

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 11:05 AM on Monday, April 6th, 2015

By Dr. Allen Alper

on 4/5/2015
Avalon Rare Metals (TSX and NYSE MKT: AVL) is currently pursuing three advanced projects that consist of critical raw materials such as heavy rare earths, tin and lithium at several different locations in Canada. Their Nechalacho Project contains exceptional heavy rare earth enrichment. Their East Kemptville Project was North America’s only primary tin producer with a significant unmined resource awaiting renewed production. Separation Rapids is the largest undeveloped petalite deposit in the world, a unique high-purity lithium mineral used in glass-ceramics. 

Don Bubar, President and CEO of Avalon Rare Metals (TSX and NYSE MKT: AVL), took a few minutes to speak with Metals News while visiting the PDAC 2015. He said, “We have a number of things going on. As you know, we have been known mainly as a rare earth story for the last six or seven years. The rare earth market has gone quiet since the big spike we saw in prices in 2010 and 2011. It has also gone quiet in terms of investor interest in Avalon. But we are well positioned to ‘hit the pause button’ until investor interest returns because we have completed our feasibility study and all of the related work at the Nechalacho project site in the Northwest Territories.” 

The pause at Nechalacho allows the company to focus on its two other advanced projects. Said Bubar, “We wanted to redirect our energies to where there is more interest in the underlying commodities and we have two other such projects in our portfolio – our Separation Rapids lithium project in Ontario and our East Kemptville tin project in Nova Scotia. Both of these are advanced projects and both tin and lithium are seeing more market interest than the rare earths are at the present time. So we are diverting our attention to those projects for the time being until we see some renewed interest in rare earths.” 

Nechalacho is still a critical part of the company’s long term plan. Mr. Bubar said, “For Nechalacho, it has always been about the heavy rare earth enrichment of the deposit. As all of your readers know, the more advanced projects like those in California and Australia are dominantly light rare earth deposits. The need in the market for additional supply outside China is for the heavy rare earths, which Nechalacho has always been in a position to offer with its relatively high grade resource. We remain the most advanced heavy rare earth development project outside of China.” 

 

The other projects on which Avalon is focused expose them to the tin and lithium markets which are seeing increasing demand and prices. Said Bubar, “In terms of the other projects, East Kemptville was a producing tin mine in the late 1980’s. It was North America’s only primary tin producer and it only closed down in 1992 because of a collapse in tin prices at the time which was related to the international tin cartel being disbanded, but most of the reserves they identified originally were never mined. Since then, there has been a fundamental change in the tin market. Now the demand is mainly related to a new use in lead-free solders, primarily for electronics applications and now accounts for over 50% of global demand. We have seen steadily rising prices over the last ten years or so and all the analysts are projecting that there is likely to be a deficit in the tin market over the next few years as in the face of diminishing supplies. Lots of people are aware of that. The advantage that East Kemptville has is that, as a brownfields site, it offers a potentially shorter timeline to production. Most of the work to be done is around managing the existing environmental liability that is related to the past operation, then pumping out the pit and building a new mill. If all goes well, we could be in production there in as little as three years which is relatively fast given the timelines that are typically associated with bringing a new greenfields project online. We just published a new economic study – we called it a conceptual redevelopment study – to confirm that there is a sufficiently strong business case to move forward with further work there. The study produced a Capex estimate of about $200 million Canadian.” 

 

The project also benefits from excellent infrastructure. Said Bubar, “There is a paved road and grid electrical power to the site. There is a community about 50 kilometers away that would welcome some new jobs in this economically- depressed part of the province. The study estimated it would generate 187 full-time jobs. Because we haven’t done quite enough metallurgical work to produce a NI 43-101 compliant PEA, investors will have to wait for the next iteration in order to see the details of the economic model. But we did disclose that the project can generate a healthy operating margin with annual revenues forecast to be double annual operating costs. ” 

Mr. Bubar said, “Our next steps are doing definition drilling on the deposit to bring more of the resource from the inferred category to the indicated category and to recover a bulk sample for metallurgical testing and flow-sheet design. There is also lots of room to expand the resource. Right now, our mineral tenure there is held under a special license which is up for renewal right now. Then we have to work through the process to secure full surface tenure from the surface rights owners before we can move into feasibility study work. We anticipate that will happen in 2015. Basically, this is an asset that we have had in the background for ten years, but have not had the opportunity to move forward until now.” 

As the company adds new projects, Avalon still wants to remain on the rare earth stage. Said Bubar, “Avalon still trades primarily as a rare earth company. As we move East Kemptville forward and tin gets more recognition in the marketplace we should see East Kemptville start to contribute to our market valuation. 

Separation Rapids was our original rare metals project, we acquired in 1996 not long after I started running Avalon. 

 

We have held onto it because you have to be opportunistic about bringing industrial minerals projects like these into production. We now see the market is looking for new supply sources of petalite for glasses and ceramics. That is an ideal situation for us as we are the only potential new supplier of size at the moment. The lithium chemical market is also evolving very quickly because of growing demand for rechargeable batteries. The next step is for us to do more sampling for process development work and prove that we can produce high purity lithium minerals and chemicals for these markets. 

Over the 20 years I have been running this Company, We have always offered exposure to a broad range of rare metals and minerals, being ready to supply new demand as it arises. We think this diversification of rare metals assets is a good reason to invest in Avalon.” 

http://avalonraremetals.com/

130 Adelaide St. W, Suite 1901
Toronto, ON M5H 3P5
Tel: (416) 364-4938
Fax: (416) 364-5162
[email protected]

Source: metalsnews.com

CSR Bulletin: Avalon ranked in top half of Corporate Knights’ 2015 Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders in Canada

Posted by AGORACOM-JC at 3:03 PM on Wednesday, April 1st, 2015

Avalon Rare Metals Inc. is pleased to announce that it has placed 17th in Corporate Knights’ Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders in Canada 2015 ranking, from a universe of 187 eligible small and mid-cap organizations in 2015.

Corporate Knights is an award-winning magazine and website that reports on sustainability and corporate social responsibility for a wide readership across Canada and in the US. The Future 40 Responsible Corporate Leaders in Canada ranking was first launched in 2014 in order to examine the sustainability performance of small to mid-cap organizations in Canada. As the magazine explains, “Corporate Knights considers the Future 40 as a kind of farm team that feeds future sustainability leaders into the big leagues of our Best 50 ranking.”

The full ranking can be viewed in Corporate Knights’ 2015 spring edition, released on April 1 online at www.corporateknights.com. The Corporate Knights magazine can be found as an insert in The Globe and Mail and the Washington Post.

Avalon is proud of its commitment to sustainability and has reported annually on its sustainability performance since 2011. Avalon’s most current 2014 Sustainability Report, along with past reports, can be found on the company website here:
www.avalonraremetals.com/sustainability/sustainability_reporting/. The full methodology for this year’s ranking is available from Corporate Knights here: www.corporateknights.com/2015-future-40-methodology/.

Avalon is a leader among junior mineral development companies in adopting best practices to reduce its environmental footprint, protect water resources and engage with local communities. Acting sustainably enhances shareholder value by reducing risk for all stakeholders, saving money, improving community and government relations, aiding in permitting, reducing local opposition to project advancement and optimizing opportunities for individual and community prosperity.

Don Bubar, Avalon’s President and CEO, comments, “This is well-earned recognition for our sustainability team under the leadership Mark Wiseman, VP, Sustainability. We remain committed to best practice in environmental and social responsibility, wherever we operate.”

About Avalon Rare Metals Inc.
Avalon Rare Metals Inc. is a mineral development company focused on rare metal deposits in Canada, with three advanced stage projects. Its 100%-owned Nechalacho Deposit, Thor Lake, NWT is exceptional in its large size and enrichment in the scarce “heavy” rare earth elements, key to enabling advances in clean technology and other growing high-tech applications. Avalon is also advancing its Separation Rapids Lithium Minerals Project, Kenora, ON and its East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project, Yarmouth, NS. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.