Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 4:25 PM on Monday, May 27th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)
Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14
million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has
interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro
Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information
Benchmark nickel on the London Metal Exchange surged nearly $500 in about 10 minutes in the morning, spurred by Chinese investors covering short positions, traders said, continuing the rally in the afternoon.
That sent nickel surging 5 per cent to a peak of $12,495 a tonne, the highest since April 30, before paring gains in closing open outcry activity to a bid of $12,370, a rise of 4 per cent.
Published on: May 26, 2019
Nickel — the key metal mined in Sudbury — spiked to its highest level
in over two weeks last week as bearish investors covered positions,
while other industrial metals gained on a weaker American dollar and
hopes for a U.S.-China trade deal.
World stocks edged higher and oil prices also recovered from bruising
falls last week after U.S. President Donald Trump nurtured hopes of
progress in U.S.-China talks.
“With the stock markets popping up a tad this morning and also the
dollar strength pausing, that’s giving the market an excuse to cover
some shorts ahead of the weekend, which is a long weekend in the UK and
US,†said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank in
Copenhagen.
“But we are by no means out of the woods yet, if anything, it may just be the market pausing before we hit the next headline.â€
Benchmark nickel on the London Metal Exchange surged nearly $500 in
about 10 minutes in the morning, spurred by Chinese investors covering
short positions, traders said, continuing the rally in the afternoon.
That sent nickel surging 5 per cent to a peak of $12,495 a tonne, the
highest since April 30, before paring gains in closing open outcry
activity to a bid of $12,370, a rise of 4 per cent.
Put another way, nickel finished At US$5.5980 on Friday, up 0.2161 cents from the day before.
The move higher in nickel gained steam as it broke through its 200-day moving average, a key technical level, traders said.
* NICKEL FORECAST: Fitch on Friday revised down its London
three-month nickel average price forecast for 2019 to $13,250 a tonne,
from $14,500 estimated earlier, on rising global economic risks, an
escalating trade dispute and disappointing refined nickel demand from
China so far this year.
* COPPER: Three-month LME copper (another key metal in Sudbury)
climbed 0.5 per cent to finish at $5,955 a tonne in closing rings, but
on a weekly basis it marked a sixth consecutive decline.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:00 PM on Sunday, May 26th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)Â Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information
Nickel Prices Could “Go Through The Roof”; Watch For Signs – Expert
In the next five to ten years, the electric vehicle (EV) revolution will likely dominate the nickel space and will be sending prices much higher…
Guest(s): Alex Laugharne Principal Consultant, CRU Group
Laugharne said that nickel sulfide producers and the metallurgical laterite producers, who are most closely linked to EVs, are undergoing technological changes that may leave a supply gap in the nickel market.
“I think you’re seeing a lot of people being hesitant to invest in
new supply in the space because of this potential latent capacity. If
they do encounter technical difficulties, may fail to materialize, and
in that scenario, we may end up with a real crunch that could cause
nickel prices, and in particular, nickel sulfide prices, or pure nickel
prices to go through the roof,†he told Kitco News on the sidelines of
the Mines and Money New York conference.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:37 AM on Tuesday, May 21st, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE)Â Kenbridge Property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property. Click her for more information
Right now, many cannot see the forest for the trees. By that I mean the big picture for EVs and EV metals demand.
What percentage of buyers do you think will buy an electric car by
end 2022 if it is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, and cheaper to
maintain?
What if 50% of buyers want to buy an electric car in 2022, and 75% by 2025.
In a recent British survey, 71% of British car buyers said they are considering an electric car as their next vehicle.
In this article, my goal is to remind investors that the electric
vehicle [EV] and EV metal miners (lithium, cobalt, graphite, nickel)
opportunity is a long-term event. By this I mean the next decade or two.
If as I have forecast electric cars continue to gain in popularity,
then the demand boom for EVs and the EV metal miners will be
unprecedented in history and we will see an EV metals super-cycle over
the next decade or two.
Right now, many cannot see the forest for the trees
In the world of electric vehicle metals (particularly the key battery
metals lithium, cobalt, graphite and nickel) market participants
continually focus on what will happen this year, and what will stock
prices do in the next 1 year. The problem here is that short-term market
events can mean we sell down our stocks at the worst possible time when
the market is negative and we forget to see the big picture.
Take the lithium and cobalt markets the past year. Concerns of
oversupply have caused large sell-offs in the lithium and cobalt miners.
Retail investors have fled the market. Does this really make sense when
we look at the big picture over the next decade?
The big picture for EVs and EV metals over the next decade or two
Investors should focus on what lies ahead in the next decade or two. For example:
According to Bloomberg, we can expect EV sales to increase (from 2017 levels of 1.1%) 10x by 2025, 27x by 2030, 50x by 2040.
CNBC reported that JP Morgan forecasts “electric cars would take 35 percent of the global market by 2025 and 48 percent by 2030.”
The chart below compares my electric car penetration forecast to Bloomberg’s forecast.
Bloomberg forecasts annual electric vehicle sales – 30m by 2030, 60m by 2040
Do these forecasts sound realistic or possible? Only readers can decide for themselves.
My view remains that by end 2022, an electric car will start to
become cheaper than a conventional Internal Combustion Engine [ICE] car
(assuming zero subsidies). This is based on lithium-ion battery prices
falling ~16% pa, which has been the case the past decade. With 76
lithium-ion battery megafactories to be in production by about 2028
(~45 in production now) this looks highly realistic as scale and fierce
competition take effect.
My model forecasts a 60kWh battery will sell for less than an ICE engine system by end 2022 (earlier for a 50kWh battery)
Source: My Model
My forecast above states by end 2022, a 60kWh lithium-ion battery
will sell for US$5,300 which is less than the cost of a standard car’s
engine system (includes the engine, exhaust, transmission, petrol tank,
etc.).
If the above forecast is correct, it will mean a consumer by end 2022 can buy an electric car cheaper than a comparable ICE car. Furthermore, the electric car will have up to 10x cheaper running costs (electricity vs. gasoline) and up to 10x cheaper maintenance costs.
Once this happens, who would buy an ICE car if they are happy with a range of at least 208 miles or 335 kms (Tesla (TSLA) Model S 2012 model range).
The chart below shows by ~2017/18, an electric car can sell cheaper
than the average US conventional car, and by ~2031, an electric car can
be cheaper than the lowest priced new US conventional car. In 2018,
Reuters reported
in ‘VW plans to sell electric Tesla rival for less than $23,000:
source’ “Volkswagen intends to sell electric cars for less than 20,000
euros ($22,836).”
Electric car selling prices are forecast to fall rapidly as battery costs fall
What percentage of buyers do you think will buy an electric car by
end 2022 if it is cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, and cheaper to
maintain than a comparable ICE car?
Added to the above headline the electric car will have better acceleration and be more trendy than an ICE car.
Given the above, it would seem quite clear to me that most people if
given the option will choose an electric car post 2022. Certainly, by
2025, when an electric car is even cheaper it would seem almost everyone
will want one.
If again the above assumptions are correct, then electric car
penetration rates will be way higher than my forecasts above. For
example, my end 2022 forecast is at 10%, and end 2025 is at 20%. The
real demand could in fact be 3-5x higher than my forecasts, and higher
than Bloomberg’s forecasts. Perhaps JP Morgan’s forecasts of 35% by 2025 (and 48% by 2030) will be a better guide.
Nearly 75% of car buyers are considering an electric car as their
next vehicle. Sales of electric and hybrid cars will overtake petrol and
diesel by 2030, report claims. Searches for alternative fuel vehicles
on Auto Trader up by 40% in 2018. The British public’s appetite for electric vehicles
is growing significantly, according to a new report published by Auto
Trader. Almost three quarters (71%) of car owners said they’d consider
buying an electric vehicle as their next car, which is a huge leap from the 25% who answered positively when asked the same question in 2017.
What if 50% of buyers want to buy an electric car post 2022, and 75% by 2025
Clearly, if we get to levels above 50% by 2022, the electric car industry would probably not be able to meet this demand.
For example, the lithium demand to meet 50% electric car penetration
rates by end 2022 would be ~2.6mtpa. This would be almost 10x the level
of lithium demand from 2018. Similar problems would occur with the other
EV metals as well as the battery and electric car producers.
In other words, we could very well see a period post 2022 until
perhaps 2030 where people will be on waiting lists to get an electric
car. Similar to the ~400,000 list for the Tesla Model 3, but several magnitudes higher. Even the expensive Porsche Taycan (OTCPK:POAHY) already has a 20,000 waiting list.
The car companies and 76 megafactories confirm the boom is coming
BNEF forecasts by 2020 there will be over 289 different models of
electric cars across the spectrum. Added to this will be electrification
across the entire transport sector (limited for planes) and widespread
adoption of energy storage (home, office, utility).
My purpose in this article is to encourage investors to think outside
the box, or to have a clearer view of the big picture. Demand levels of
50% electric cars by end 2022 once an electric car is cheaper to
buy/run/maintain would seem very logical.
Should this occur, then we will see an EV metals super-cycle. Waiting
lists for electric cars will become normal, battery shortages the norm,
and very strong EV metal prices a reality.
While 2018 and early 2019 have been bleak for the EV metal miner
stocks, I would encourage investors to think beyond 2019, and towards
2022 which is less than 3 years away. The quality EV metal miners that
are very oversold today may look like absolute bargains tomorrow.
I suggest to investors that 2019 is very likely the “calm before the storm of demand” for the EV metal miners.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:00 PM on Sunday, May 12th, 2019
Investment Highlights
Kenbridge property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper
17.5 (21.8 fully diluted) percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property
Kenbridge Ni Project (ON, Canada)
Advanced stage deposit remains open in three directions, is
equipped with a 623m deep shaft and has never been mined.
Preliminary Economic Assessment completed and updated returned robust project economics and operating costs including a NPV of C$253M and cash costs of US$3.47/lb of nickel net of copper credits.
Plans for Kenbridge include updating PEA,
advancing the project through to feasibility and exploring the open
mineralization at depth
FULL DISCLOSURE: Tartisan Nickel Corp. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:00 AM on Thursday, May 9th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE) Kenbridge Property has a measured
and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33%
copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent
equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria
property. Click her for more information
Tesla’s warning on battery mineral shortage addressed in new mining-reform legislation
Representatives in the US government who are both aware and focused on the shortage issue have introduced legislation in the Senate to address delays rooted in the federal approval process.
The bill, titled the “American Mineral Security Actâ€, was presented at the same closed-door conference where Tesla expressed its concerns last week.
Tesla is concerned about a global shortage of minerals required for
production of electric vehicle batteries, with the electric car maker
recently warning major industry players and US government
representatives of an upcoming mineral supply challenge due to
underinvestment in mining sources, according to a report published by Reuters.
Representatives in the US government who are both aware and focused on
the shortage issue have introduced legislation in the Senate to address
delays rooted in the federal approval process. The bill, titled the
“American Mineral Security Actâ€, was presented at the same closed-door
conference where Tesla expressed its concerns last week.
“Our bill takes steps that are long overdue to reverse our damaging
foreign dependence and position ourselves to compete in growth
industries like electric vehicles and energy storage,†Lisa Murkowski
(R-Alaska), the main sponsor of the bill,
said in a statement about the legislation. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.
Virginia), Martha McSally (R-Arizona), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) are
co-sponsors.
The bill specifically requires that a list of critical minerals be compiled
at least every three years along with a resource assessment of those
minerals nationwide. This data is then used to target and implement
reforms in the federal regulatory process aimed at reducing
government-driven delays in the mining approval process.
Aerial images of the Tesla Gigafactory as of August 28, 2018. [Credit: Joshua Mcdonald]
As a major consumer of minerals required for the production of
electric vehicle (EV) batteries and other vehicle parts, Tesla will need
stable access to mined resources like copper, nickel, and lithium in
the long term. The expansion of the EV market will continue to increase
demand for these resources. Other tech players such as Amazon and
Alphabet also need the same resources for the production of their
digital assistants and home connectivity devices.
Tesla’s global supply manager for battery metals, Sarah Maryssael,
spoke with representatives present at the industry conference about
Tesla’s concerns regarding the company’s mineral needs. Maryssael noted
that a “huge potential†existed for mining partnerships in Australia and
the US to help with the supply issue, possibly citing a preliminary
deal between the two countries for a joint effort towards research and
development in the area.
The global demand for copper, in particular, is expected to increase
from the current 38,000 tons per day to 1.5 million tons by 2030, and
this estimate has driven major copper production companies to expand its
mining activities in the US and Indonesia. Electric cars use twice as
much copper as gas-powered cars, making the EV industry particularly
sensitive to its market availability.
Tesla’s needs from the mineral industry go well beyond copper. The
company’s Nevada-based Gigafactory 1 facility is expected to hit 255 GWh
annual production of batteries once complete. At that rate, the current
global supply of lithium will need to increase nearly three times over
to meet the demand. Unlike copper, though, investments in lithium
production are ongoing, and Tesla’s ramping need for the mineral is
driving significant expansion in part of the mineral market.
Tags: CSE, nickel, nickel demand, small cap stocks, stocks, tsx, tsx-v Posted in Tartisan Nickel | Comments Off on Tartisan #Nickel $TN.ca – Tesla’s $TSLA warning on #battery mineral shortage addressed in new mining-reform legislation $ROX.ca $FF.ca $EDG.ca $AGL.ca $ANZ.ca
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:37 AM on Friday, May 3rd, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE) Kenbridge Property has a measured
and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33%
copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent
equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria
property. Click her for more information
Tesla warns of upcoming shortages of battery minerals, like nickel, copper, & lithium
Tesla is worried that there soon will be some upcoming global shortages of minerals used to make batteries for electric cars, like nickel, copper, and lithium.
The battery supply chain is an essential part of the electric revolution and the automakers who want to achieve mass production, like Tesla, need to be involved in every aspect of it.
Tesla is worried that there soon will be some upcoming global
shortages of minerals used to make batteries for electric cars, like
nickel, copper, and lithium.
The electric revolution in the auto industry is increasing the demand
for batteries at an incredible pace and in turn, it’s increasing the
demand for some specific minerals used in the production of li-ion
battery cells.
It’s difficult to understand just how big of an impact electric vehicles are on the battery market.
For example, Tesla became the world’s biggest battery consumer just a
few years after achieving volume production of its electric vehicles.
At a Benchmark Minerals Intelligence conference today in Washington,
Sarah Maryssael, Tesla’s global supply manager for battery metals, said
that the automaker is concerned about some of those minerals, according
to sources at the event via Reuters:
“Sarah Maryssael, Tesla’s global supply manager for battery metals,
told a closed-door Washington conference of miners, regulators and
lawmakers that the automaker sees a shortage of key EV minerals coming
in the near future, according to the sources.â€
Update: Reuters updated their story to that a Tesla
spokesman said: the comments were industry-specific and referring to the
long-term supply challenges that may occur with regards to these
metals.
Many companies are worried about cobalt, which is not widely mined.
Tesla uses less cobalt on average in its batteries than the rest of the
industry.
Instead, Tesla is more concerned with nickel even though its more widely mined around the world:
“Maryssael added, according to the sources, that Tesla will continue
to focus more on nickel, part of a plan by Chief Executive Elon Musk to
use less cobalt in battery cathodes. Cobalt is primarily mined in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and some extraction techniques –
especially those using child labor – have made its use deeply unpopular
across the battery industry, especially with Musk.â€
The Tesla executive also said that the automaker sees “huge potential†to work with mines in Australia or the United States.
The battery supply chain is an essential part of the electric
revolution and the automakers who want to achieve mass production, like
Tesla, need to be involved in every aspect of it.
Tesla knows that and it has been deeply involved down to the mining
level since embarking in the Gigafactory 1 project with Panasonic.
The company rarely comments on supply problems at the mineral level and when it has in the past, it mainly brushed off concerns.
That’s partly because cobalt has been the main concern for many
automakers and Tesla’s use in cobalt in its proprietary battery
chemistry is somewhat limited.
Nickel and copper are the most common minerals in its batteries, but there are also the most commonly mined.
It’s interesting that they are now warning that there could be
shortages. It’s another indication that the growth in the industry is
going to happen fast in the next few years with so many different mass
market EV programs in the work.
Those are good problems to have because they indicate that we are
going in the right direction and they are somewhat easily solvable. They
just require investments.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:59 AM on Thursday, May 2nd, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE) Kenbridge Property has a measured
and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33%
copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent
equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria
property. Click her for more information
Nickel use in electric vehicle batteries has doubled year-on-year, according to research consultancy Adamas Intelligence.
Adamas said this week that 104% more nickel was deployed in new passenger EV batteries in February, up 104% year-on-year.
Manganese deployment was up by 96% and cobalt deployment was up 87% for the same period.
“While usage of all three cathode metals saw major gains from
February 2018 through February 2019, nickel enjoyed the greatest gains
on account of the auto industry’s ongoing shift from no or low-nickel
cathodes, such as LFP or NCM 111, to varieties with higher
concentrations of nickel, such as NCM 523, NCM 622, and NCM 811,” Adamas
said.
Batteries are still only estimated to account for less than 5% of global nickel demand.
The Tesla Model 3 accounted for more than 400 tonnes of nickel use in
February, followed by the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model X, Tesla Model S and
Hyundai Kona.
The five models were responsible for almost 50% of all nickel deployed in EV batteries globally during February.
Adamas said lithium carbonate equivalent deployment in EV batteries rose by 76% year-on-year in February.
The top five cell suppliers by LCE deployed in February 2019 were
Panasonic, LG Chem, CATL, BYD and Samsung SDI, which accounted for
nearly 75% of all LCE deployed in passenger EV batteries.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 10:03 AM on Thursday, April 18th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE) Kenbridge Property has a measured
and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33%
copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent
equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria
property. Click her for more information
Under a 100 percent renewable energy scenario, metal requirements could rise dramatically, requiring new primary and recycled sources
Clean technologies rely on a variety of minerals, principally cobalt, nickel, lithium, copper, aluminum, silver and rare earths. Cobalt, lithium and rare earths are the metals of most concern for increasing demand and supply risks
The growing demand for minerals and metals to build the electric vehicles, solar arrays, wind turbines and other renewable energy infrastructure necessary to meet the ambitious goals of the Paris Climate Agreement could outstrip current production rates for key metals by as early as 2022, according to new research by the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures.
The study, commissioned and funded by U.S. non-profit organisation
EarthWorks, shows that as demand for minerals such as lithium and rare
earths skyrockets, the already significant environmental and human
impacts of hardrock mining are likely to rise steeply as well. In a
companion white paper, Earthworks makes the case for a broad shift in
the clean technologies sector towards more responsible minerals sourcing.
“We have an opportunity, if we act now, to ensure that our emerging clean energy
economy is truly clean – as well as just and equitable – and not
dependent on dirty mining,” said Payal Sampat, Earthworks Mining
Director. “As we scale up clean energy technologies in pursuit of our
necessarily ambitious climate goals, we must protect community health,
water, human rights and the environment.”
“The responsible materials transition will need to be scaled up just as ambitiously as the 100 percent renewable energy transition,” said Dr Sven Teske, Research Director at the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures.
Doing so will require a concerted commitment from businesses and
governments, according to the report’s lead author Elsa Dominish, Senior
Research Consultant at the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures. “We
must dramatically scale up the use of recycled minerals, use materials
far more efficiently, require mining operations to adhere to stringent,
independent environmental and human rights standards, and prioritise
investments in electric-powered public transit.
“The renewable energy transition will only be sustainable if it
ensures human rights for the communities where the mining to supply
renewable energy and battery technologies takes place. If manufacturers
commit to responsible sourcing this will encourage more mines to engage
in responsible practices and certification. There is also an urgent need
to invest in recycling and reuse schemes to ensure the valuable metals
used in these technologies are recovered, so only what is necessary is
mined,” Ms Dominish said.
Research highlights:
Under a 100 percent renewable energy scenario, metal requirements
could rise dramatically, requiring new primary and recycled sources
Clean technologies rely on a variety of minerals, principally
cobalt, nickel, lithium, copper, aluminum, silver and rare earths.
Cobalt, lithium and rare earths are the metals of most concern for
increasing demand and supply risks
Batteries for electric vehicles are the most significant driver of accelerated minerals demand.
Recycled sources can significantly reduce primary demand, but new
mining is likely to take place and new mining developments linked to
renewable energy are already underway
Responsible sourcing is needed when supply cannot be met by recycled sources
Minerals extraction already exacts significant costs on people and the environment, fuelling conflict and human rights
violations, massive water pollution and wildlife and forest
destruction. Most of the world’s cobalt, used in rechargeable batteries
for electric vehicles
and phones, is mined in the Democratic Republic of Congo, often by hand
in unsafe conditions using child labor. Earlier this year in Brazil,
the collapse of two tailings dams at Vale’s Brumadinho iron ore mine
killed hundreds of workers and local residents. Independent research
that analyses decades of data on mine waste dam failures reveals that
these catastrophic failures are occurring more frequently and are
predicted to continue to increase in frequency.
“In Norway, the government tell us we have to sacrifice our fjords to
mine copper for clean energy,” said Silje Karine Muotka, a member of
the Saami Parliament, which is fighting a mine proposal in their
traditional reindeer herding grounds. “I recognise that we need
materials for new technologies, but we should look for ways to get them
that do not harm the environment or threaten native culture.”
“Solar and wind production is growing rapidly, while the cost of clean energy technologies
has continued to fall,” said Danny Kennedy, Managing Director at the
California Clean Energy Fund. “If the clean tech revolution has taught
us anything, it is that humanity possesses boundless capacity for
innovation. Our task is to establish the parameters within which
innovators can innovate to ensure that clean energy is truly clean.”
Earthworks commissioned the ISF research as part of its
newly-launched ‘Making Clean Energy Clean, Just &
Equitable’ initiative, which aims to ensure that the transition to
renewable energy is powered
by responsibly and equitably sourced minerals, minimizing dependence on
new extraction and moving the mining industry toward more responsible
practices.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 2:23 PM on Monday, April 15th, 2019
Investment Highlights
Kenbridge property has a measured and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33% copper
17.5 (21.8 fully diluted) percent equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria property
Kenbridge Ni Project (ON, Canada)
Advanced stage deposit remains open in three directions, is
equipped with a 623m deep shaft and has never been mined.
Preliminary Economic Assessment completed and updated returned robust project economics and operating costs including a NPV of C$253M and cash costs of US$3.47/lb of nickel net of copper credits.
Plans for Kenbridge include updating PEA,
advancing the project through to feasibility and exploring the open
mineralization at depth
FULL DISCLOSURE: Tartisan Nickel Corp. is an advertising client of AGORA Internet Relations Corp.
Posted by AGORACOM-JC
at 9:45 PM on Sunday, April 14th, 2019
SPONSOR: Tartisan Nickel (TN:CSE) Kenbridge Property has a measured
and indicated resource of 7.14 million tonnes at 0.62% nickel, 0.33%
copper. Tartisan also has interests in Peru, including a 20 percent
equity stake in Eloro Resources and 2 percent NSR in their La Victoria
property. Click her for more information
Healthy growth in nickel demand from the stainless steel and battery sectors and shrinking inventories on the Shanghai Futures Exchange and London Metal Exchange bode well for nickel prices
Nickel inventories at both LME and SHFE warehouses have been on a downward trajectory since 2018
Stainless steel demand still dominates, but EV sector grows faster
By: Violet Li
Healthy growth in nickel demand from the stainless steel and
battery sectors and shrinking inventories on the Shanghai Futures
Exchange and London Metal Exchange bode well for nickel prices,
Macquarie Capital senior commodities consultant Jim Lennon said.
“Our view is that we have these two drivers in demand: stainless steel
and batteries, and nickel inventories have been falling over the last
few years. I think it will [continue to] fall over the next few years;
the nickel market will remain in a deficit between supply and demand,
which should push prices higher,†Lennon said at Fastmarkets Battery
Materials Conference in Shanghai on Thursday April 11.
Lennon did not give a breakdown of the forecast price at the presentation.
Nickel inventories at both LME and SHFE warehouses have been on a
downward trajectory since 2018. LME nickel stocks totaled 182,446 tonnes
as of April 1, down by 50% from 368,430 tonnes on January 1, 2018.
Meanwhile, nickel stocks in SHFE-approved warehouses fell by 80% during
the same period, to 9,749 tonnes on April 4 from 48,920 tonnes on
January 1, 2018.
Lennon concluded the large decline in stock levels reflects deficits and some financial buying of stocks.
“Last year there’s probably about 50,000 tonnes of inventories
transferred from the LME warehouses in Asia into non-reported
inventories in Europe, held by banks and traders, partly for reasons of a
positive outlook for the market or better premiums in the European
area,†Lennon said.
Stainless steel demand still dominates, but EV sector grows faster Stainless
steel takes up 70% of global nickel usage compared with a small
fraction of 6% of nickel used by the electric vehicle (EV) sector,
Lennon said. But EV demand growth is speeding up, he said.
“Total world production of stainless steel in 2016 grew by 8.5%, 2017 by
6% and last year by 5%. This year, our projection is 3.5-4%, so we do
see some slowdown but still a steady growth rate. Nickel usage in
batteries will grow by 30-40% [in 2019], so the underlying growth in
nickel [consumption] continues to be quite impressive,†Lennon said.
Notably, more nickel briquette was used in the EV sector following
rising demand for batteries and this has raised the nickel briquette
premium over the past year.
Fastmarkets MB’s monthly duty-free
nickel briquette premium cif Shanghai stood at $240-270 per tonne at the
end of March, up from $220-260 per tonne at the launch of the
assessment in August last year.
Nickel briquette is the one of
the main raw materials of nickel sulfate, a key material used in the
production of nickel-cobalt-manganese (NCM) and nickel-cobalt-aluminium
(NCA) batteries used in EVs.
