While this may be against the backdrop of bad times for lithium stocks overall, it has actually created a situation in which lithium companies are significantly undervalued, yet of critical importance to our energy transition future. 

That makes for the best buying opportunity in this space in years. 

And the best of the best opportunities, where the risk-reward ratio is the most potentially rewarding for investors, are found in the juniors who make big discoveries, particularly in lithium-starved North America. 

Canadian based EMP Metals Corp (CSE:EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) has gained significant traction over the past three quarters, testing the highest  lithium concentrations in a brine in Canada to-date, attracting one of the biggest names in battery metals financing, and gearing up for pilot production in the first-quarter of 2024. From here on out, the news pace is expected to be fast and intense for this first-mover lithium explorer in Canada’s high-profile Saskatchewan mining hub. 

Five Reasons to Invest in EMP Metals Corp. right now: 

#1 >200,000 Acres in 3 Key Project Areas in Mining-Friendly Saskatchewan

Saskatchewan is one of the most important lithium hubs in North America, and in energy transition terms, it’s a vital critical minerals venue of national security urgency to both the U.S. and Canada. It’s awash with everything from lithium and graphite to nickel, cobalt, aluminum and manganese. And it’s a long-time high-producing area for uranium, potash and helium. 

Despite its critical mineral abundance, Saskatchewan still has vast areas that are underexplored. 

EMP Metals has over 200,000 acres here in the most advantageous area of the South Saskatchewan’s Williston Basin: The Duperow formation, which is fast becoming the flashpoint for North American battery metals. 

While explorers have been descending upon two separate formations here—Duperow and Leduc—the advantage goes to the former because of its generally higher grades of lithium and shallower drilling depths, which in turn allow for operating cost advantages in the quicker to production direct lithium extraction (DLE) scenario compared to hard rock mining. 

* compiled using publicly available data, company press releases and SEDAR+ filings

Duperow is a higher-margin play, and EMPS is taking full advantage of this and moving swiftly, with the latest test flows enough to push this junior player over the lithium edge.   

But this isn’t the run-of-the-mill junior lithium exploration story …

Two major developments have combined very recently to make this one of the most captivating North American lithium projects of the year …

#2 One of the Highest-Grade Lithium Drills in Canadian History

EMPS has already completed its NI 43-101 Inferred Resources Assessment for its Mansur and Viewfield areas, and the results are some of the most remarkable in the lithium space. 

More to the point, we’re looking at lithium concentrations that are among the highest on record in Canada. 

Viewfield and Mansur tested up to 259 mg/L and 148 mg/L respectively, lithium in brine.  The preliminary assessment confirmed a high-quality Inferred Resource of 1.2 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) at a weighted average grade of 143 mg/L.

For both Mansur and Viewfield areas, which includes 152 sections, EMPS is looking at a total of over 1.8 million tonnes of LCE (gross). 

To put these concentrations into perspective, the 259 mg/L EMPS tested at Viewfield is the highest concentration among explorers in the Leduc/Duperow Lithium area, and among the highest on record in North America.  

#3 New Strategic Investor Validates Assets

The fact that this is a massive, ~200,000-acre play with an inferred resource of 1.2-million-tonne LCE  testing at impressively high grades has now netted EMP Metals a new strategic investor that changes everything. 

On November 1, after six months of the type of heavy-handed due diligence investors like to see, London-based Tembo Capital private equity group took a 19.9% stake in EMP Metals, gaining a seat on the board to steward their investment. 

Tembo Capital invests in and supports mining companies currently in the evaluation, development and production phases, providing capital to bring discoveries into production, to expand existing production or to acquire assets.

The deal shored up EMP Metals’ accounts with $9,757,600, as well as expertise from a private equity group focused on sustainable natural resources and clean energy metals, with an impressive track record of identifying and supporting the best emerging resource companies.

This isn’t Tembo’s first big hedge on a junior battery metals explorer. 

Since 2021, after raising $380 million for its third mining fund, Tembo has been increasing its mining bets in North America, eyeing critical battery metals. That same year, Tembo took a 50% stake in Cherish Metals, in partnership with U.S.-based Black Mountain Metals, to advance the Lanfranchi nickel mine in Western Australia. Tembo took a 34.6% stake in US-based copper developer Arizona Sonoran (TSX:ASCU; OTC:ASCUF), along with giant Rio Tinto, in 2022. 

“You have to be quite selective,” Tembo Capital’s CEO David Street told Northern Miner in 2021. “We look at probably hundreds of assets a year, but we’ve got a good team of people here, with three geologists, a couple of mining engineers, a metallurgist. So, we do screen a lot of things, and we’re very selective. We’re probably making, on average, two or three investments a year. We do a high level of due diligence on the companies we invest in,” Street said.

Saskatchewan, and the Duperow formation in particular, is the place to be for North American lithium, and while junior explorers are rushing to this scene, EMP Metals passed the Tembo selection, with high grades, the best lithium well drill yet in Canada and its plans to use DLE, a more environmentally sustainable method while producing lithium at faster speeds with high recovery rates.  

In a further boost of confidence for investors, Karl Kottmeier and Craig Foggo, Tembo’s Investment Director since 2014, will now be joining the board of directors.  Both bring over 20 years of  experience in the mining industry, ranging from operations, finance and administration. 

EMP Metals CEO, Rob Gamley, stated, “The fact that these successful industry participants agreed to join our Board is another significant endorsement of our Saskatchewan lithium brine projects.  As we advance our PEA and pilot production plans their extensive background with mining operations, finance and capital markets will bring significant strategic guidance that is integral to the Company’s growth.”  

Adding to the optimizing news flow, on November 20, EMP Metals announced a new COO for the team. Paul Schubach, P Eng. spent over ten years for $11-billion-market-cap Mosaic Potash (NYSE:MOS), working onsite at its Mosaic Potash Belle Plaine, the world’s largest potash solution mine. He brings 12 years of top-dollar diversified engineering experience to add shareholder value. 

#4 The Next Big Push: Pilot Production in 2024

With all their ducks in order, one of the biggest names in battery metals, a new world-class board member and a new COO joining EMP right from a $11B market cap mining company, EMP Metals is ready to take off. 

After consulting with several direct lithium extraction (DLE) service providers, in early Q4, EMP Metals selected their two preferred, with ongoing brine testing  at both. They’ve also consulted with three CRC (concentration, refinement, and crystallization) providers, and are running a detailed evaluation of the preferred provider proposal.

The engineering partner has already been selected in the form of Sproule Associates Limited, with resource to be developed by multi-lateral horizontal wells of shallow depths from 1500-3000 meters.

By the first quarter of next year, EMP Metals plans to have its field pilot plant up and running and is in the process of acquiring the DLE permit, with Viewfield evaluation to continue in the first two quarters of the New Year.   

At the beginning of the year, we should see EMP Metals start drilling horizontal wells to test for flow rates and pressures in multiple zones, and we expect that all the while they will continue new land acquisitions.

This is a fast-moving plan of action that all leads up to the coup de grace: A commercial pilot plant by the first quarter of 2025—just over a year from now.

EMP Metals is currently evaluating proposals for the DLE commercial plant, based on lithium concentration, impurity removal, CAPEX/OPEX costs, availability and guarantees of scale of production.

At the same time, drilling will continue with multilateral horizontal wells in the higher concentration Upper Wymark zones, continually building on EMP Metals’ high-grade hits to date. 

#5 Junior Discoveries Are Key for the North American Supply Chain

On the mining scene, and particularly deep in the battery metals playing field, the speculative junior explorers have the potential to offer investors the biggest rewards, for investors with the necessary risk appetite.

In the case of EMP Metals, we’ve already got high-grade test results that break Canadian records for lithium drill holes. We’ve got a huge play in one of the most advantageous mining and metals hubs, Saskatchewan. This play is highlighted by shallower drilling depths and projects that are amenable to direct lithium extraction which offers  a faster cheaper, and more sustainable process than traditional hard-rock lithium mining.

With concentrations up to 259 mg/L, the economic drivers on this one are stronger than usual for a junior play, and investor confidence is buoyed in the aftermath of the 19.9% stake acquisition by a global name in battery metals financing—Tembo Capital, which is also brining on an industry veteran to serve as a board member to help guide this project through to a successful production scenario.  

** IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER — PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! **

PAID ADVERTISEMENT. This article is a paid advertisement.  FTB Capital and its owners, managers, employees, and assigns (collectively “the Publisher”) is often paid by profiled companies or a third party to disseminate these types of communications. In this case, the Publisher has been compensated by EMP Metals Corp (CSE:EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) to conduct investor awareness advertising and marketing. EMP Metals paid the Publisher to produce and disseminate this article and related banner ads for $23,500. This compensation should be viewed as a major conflict with our ability to be unbiased.  

Readers should beware that third parties, profiled companies, and/or their affiliates may liquidate shares of the profiled companies at any time, including at or near the time you receive this communication, which has the potential to hurt share prices. Frequently companies profiled in our articles experience a large increase in volume and share price during the course of investor awareness marketing, which often ends as soon as the investor awareness marketing ceases. The investor awareness marketing may be as brief as one day, after which a large decrease in volume and share price may likely occur.

This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Neither this communication nor the Publisher purport to provide a complete analysis of any company or its financial position. The Publisher is not, and does not purport to be, a broker-dealer or registered investment adviser. This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, personalized investment advice directed to or appropriate for any particular investor. Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company’s SEC, SEDAR and/or other government filings. Investing in securities, particularly microcap securities, is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This communication is based on information generally available to the public, and does not (to the Publisher’s knowledge, as confirmed by EMP Metals Corp) contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the Publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. This publication contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expected continual growth of the featured companies and/or industry. The Publisher notes that statements contained herein that look forward in time, which include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the companies’ actual results of operations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the size and growth of the success of the company’s drilling explorations, the market for the company’s products and services, the company’s ability to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term, pricing pressures, etc.  

INDEMNIFICATION/RELEASE OF LIABILITY. By reading this communication, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this disclaimer, and further that to the greatest extent permitted under law, you release the Publisher, its affiliates, assigns and successors from any and all liability, damages, and injury from this communication. You further warrant that you are solely responsible for any financial outcome that may come from your investment decisions.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. GlobalInvestmentDaily.com is the Publisher’s trademark. All other trademarks used in this communication are the property of their respective trademark holders. The Publisher is not affiliated, connected, or associated with, and is not sponsored, approved, or originated by, the trademark holders unless otherwise stated. No claim is made by the Publisher to any rights in any third-party trademarks.

The post Global Name in Metals Equity Jumps into Canada’s High-Grade Lithium Exploration Play appeared first on Global Investment Daily.

Almost immediately, lithium mining stocks nose-dived. Albemarle Corp (ABM) shares dropped from $198 to $173 in just two days. Other lithium suppliers have also taken a short-term hit on Chile’s announcement..

• Sigma Lithium Corp (SGML) fell from $40 to $34 
• Piedmont Lithium Inc. (PLL) dropped from $59 to $54
• FMC Corp (FMC) fell from $124 to $120

Daily Chart for Albemarle Corp (ALB) – Tradingview

Could this pullback in Lithium stocks signal a buying opportunity?

It’s possible. The demand for lithium continues to spike as Electric Vehicles are continuing to roll off the assembly lines from multiple automakers. The advent of Biden’s push to build a national network of charging stations could also stimulate EV sales.

We will keep a close eye on this sector to see where these stocks go. Stay tuned.

The post <strong>Chile’s Bid to Nationalize Lithium Production Shocks the Mining World</strong> appeared first on Global Investment Daily.

Lithium is a critical component in the production of electric vehicle (EV) batteries, and therefore, it is essential for the growth of the EV industry. Lithium is used as a key material in the cathode of the battery, which is the part of the battery that stores and releases energy during the charging and discharging cycles. 

Lithium-ion batteries are the most common type of batteries used in electric vehicles, and they require a significant amount of lithium. In fact, an EV battery typically contains around 10-20 kilograms of lithium. Without lithium, it would not be possible to produce the high-performance, lightweight, and long-lasting batteries needed for EVs. 

Currently, lithium is the most widely used material in EV batteries, and its importance is only expected to grow as the demand for electric vehicles continues to rise. As a result, lithium production has become a critical issue for the EV industry, and there are ongoing efforts to increase the global supply of lithium to meet the growing demand.

General Motors Invests $50 Million in Innovative U.S. Lithium Company

EnergyX is a company that extracts Lithium, refines it and develops cutting-edge battery technologies. With headquarters in San Juan, Puerto Rico and laboratories in Austin, Texas, the company is on the cutting edge supplying next generation lithium battery storage devices to the market.

“Electric vehicles need a lot of Lithium. There’s about 10,000 iPhone batteries that go into one electric vehicle.” said EnergyX founder Teague Egan. “Therefore, the demand curve for Lithium is exorbitant, while the supply is lagging behind. The current methods of production are extremely inefficient, so we decided to re-invent how Lithium is produced.”

Providing a reliable source of Lithium in the Western Hemisphere is a priority for General Motors as it commits to full-scale production of EVs, and EnergyX can potentially become a major supplier. Read news story here(CNBC).

EnergyX is a privately-held company that is exploring a potential IPO in the near future.

The post <strong>General Motors Invests $50 Million in this Lithium Company</strong> appeared first on Global Investment Daily.

As Electric Vehicles (EVs) continue to proliferate across the United States, the Biden Administration is doing everything possible to support the movement, from offering tax credits to building a national “highway system” of charging stations to make sure EVs can be used for driving greater distances. It’s no surprise that the demand for Lithium is growing.

And it’s not just batteries and energy storage systems. Here are some other uses for Lithium:

• Glass and ceramics: Lithium compounds are used in the production of glass and ceramics to lower the melting point and improve the durability and strength of the materials. 
• Pharmaceuticals: Lithium is used as a mood stabilizer in the treatment of bipolar disorder and depression. 
• Aerospace: Lithium is used in the aerospace industry for the production of lightweight alloys and as a lubricant in aircraft engines. 
• Greases and lubricants: Lithium-based greases and lubricants are used in a wide range of applications, from automotive and industrial machinery to aerospace and marine equipment. 
• Metallurgy: Lithium is used as a flux in the production of aluminum, magnesium, and other metals.
• Nuclear power: Lithium is used in the production of nuclear fusion reactions in experimental reactors, and as a coolant in nuclear reactors. 
• Air purification: Lithium chloride is used in air conditioning systems to absorb moisture and purify the air. 
• Pyrotechnics: Lithium compounds are used in pyrotechnic devices, such as fireworks and flares, to produce a red color. 

While China remains a leading supplier of Lithium to the global markets, the U.S. isn’t far behind, with efforts to increase domestic mining operations to meet domestic demand.

Here are some of the Leading Suppliers of Lithium in the U.S. (source: Lithium Investing News)

1. Atlas Lithium (NASDAQ: ATLX)
   Market Cap as of 3/30/2023: $105.391M
   Current Share Price: $17.90
   
   
   
2. Piedmont Lithium (NASDAQ: PLL)
   Market Cap as of 3/30/2023: $1.157B
   Current Share Price: $58.36
   
   
   
3. Sigma Lithium (NASDAQ: SGML)
   Market Cap as of 3/30/2023: $4.028B
   Current Share Price: $38.18
   
   
   
4. Lithium Americas (NYSE: LAC)
   Market Cap as of 3/30/2023: $3.225B
   Current Share Price: $21.35
   
   
   

5. Livent (NYSE: LTHM)
Market Cap as of 3/30/2023: $3.897B
Current Share Price: $21.69

Stayed tuned for further updates on Lithium production.

The post <strong>These North American Companies Could Fuel America’s Demand for Lithium</strong> appeared first on Global Investment Daily.

The defining venues for North America will be the U.S. northwest and Canada, where explorers are starting to return impressive drilling results that could set the stage for the next phase of lithium supply. This is paramount to meeting soaring demand. 

That’s why lithium mining stocks have been flying. 

Patriot Battery Metals Inc (TSX:PMET) is up over 174% year-to-date… 

Lithium Ionic Corp (CVE:LTH) has gained nearly 60% in the same time period, and Lithium Bank Resources Corp (CVE:LBNK) is up over 31% …

Lithium Americas Corp (NYSE:LAC) is up 37% YTD and giant Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) has surged over 22%. 

And now, exploration and development company —EMP Metals Corp (CSE:EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) —has released drilling results that represent the highest-known recorded lithium brine concentrations found in Canada to date, according to the company and based on publicly available data. 

EMP is drilling in Canada’s Saskatchewan, a region quickly becoming one of the biggest rewarders for investors in lithium.

Saskatchewan pretty much offers it all: government support, pre-existing oil and gas infrastructure and expertise, as well as key lithium in formations that are closer to the surface than anything found in Alberta, making it potentially more cost effective to extract. 

Source: EMP Metals

EMP is focused on low-cost, high-impact lithium exploration projects, and the Duperow Formation, where much of the lithium investor attention is now focused, is exactly that. This is where EMP is drilling on over 212,000 acres, holding 37 permits.  

Saskatchewan’s Duperow Formation may be shaping up to be the crown jewel of North America’s lithium future. The Duperow is an extensive reservoir with aquifer support that is laterally equivalent to Alberta’s Leduc Formation. But it has a distinct advantage over the Leduc with significantly higher grades of lithium being discovered in the Duperow.  Further, shallower depths and typically lower concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (“sour gas”) suggest potential for direct lithium extraction approaches which allow for more efficient, economic, and sustainable, production processes compared to evaporation and hard-rock mining.  

2023 Is All About New Lithium Drilling Results

Swab tests on EMP’s 2-22-007-9W2/0 well at Viewfield confirmed high lithium concentrations ranging from 94 to 259 mg/1 within 6 zones targeted for future development within the Duperow Formation:

• The Wymark E zone tested an average of 220 mg/l from a 3.61 m thick zone with average porosity of 14.2%.   
• The Wymark D zone tested an average of 259 mg/l from a 10.6 m thick zone with average porosity of 20.4%.   
• The Wymark C zone tested an average of 167 mg/l from a 10.3 m thick zone with average porosity of 14.1%. 
• The Wymark B zone tested an average of 97 mg/l from a 16.4 m thick zone with average porosity of 16.2%. 
• The Wymark A zone tested an average of 94 mg/l from a 8.9 m thick zone with average porosity of 14.0%. 
• The Saskatoon A zone tested up to 152 mg/l from a 10.6 m thick zone with average porosity of 14.0%. 

In flow tests, all zones showed lithium concentrations ranging from 200-203 mg/L when tested together. 

While these numbers might not mean much to anyone’s who’s not a geologist, when you compare them to other drilling results in Canada to date, it looks like good news for investors. 

According to EMP, to date, the highest concentrations recorded in Canada have come from Saskatchewan and the government’s Midale test well, also in the Duperow Formation, which showed lithium concentrations of 190 mg/L. 

That means that EMP’s latest lithium brine test results appear to be of higher concentrations than anything previously recorded by the Canadian government. 

Drilling results like this for a new entrant in Canada’s lithium space could help push it to the front of the line. 

The Momentum Keeps Building

Last year, EMP started to gain solid traction with an aggressive drill campaign on its 212,000 acres in Canada’s Saskatchewan region. That early drilling paid off. It’s first test well on its Mansur Permit Area returned impressive concentrations. 

Just two weeks ago, EMP completed the flow test of its second Mansur test well, showing concentrations of up to 148 mg/L. 

So far, EMP is ticking all the right boxes …

It’s a new entrant in the number one region for new lithium exploration in North America—and at a time when the energy transition is all about securing supply and auto giants are desperate for lithium security. 

Tesla plans to triple lithium-ion cell output at its Reno, Nevada gigafactory …

That’s no surprise when you look at Q4 results. Tesla produced over 439,000 vehicles and delivered over 405,000 vehicles, with deliveries surging 40% in 2022 and production soaring 47% YoY.  

Volvo’s electric car sales have tripled despite the rising cost of raw materials, and the auto giant is in advanced talks on possible lithium mining of its own …

Scoring the highest lithium concentrations in Canada to date, could give this stock some significant impetus and investors will be watching what happens next very closely. EMP’s 212,000+ acres could become some of the hottest lithium real estate around. 

Spot prices for lithium carbonate skyrocketed for nearly two years until November last year, surging nearly 12X from early 2021 to November 2022, with demand outpacing supply heavily. It’s meant huge profits for miners. By December, those prices started to decline somewhat, but 2023 is still expected to see high-priced lithium. 

The trick here for new entrants is not betting everything on the present if Lithium prices do ease despite the ongoing supply crunch and strong global EV sales. 

That’s where EMP shines. That’s why EMP is not just drilling fast and aggressively to get to that new supply …

It’s why the company has scooped up so much valuable acreage targeting the Duperow Formation, where direct lithium extraction is possible for lower costs and a more sustainable supply relative to current evaporation and hard-rock mining operations. That’s what makes this a true lithium hotspot. 

With the best drilling results to date in—not just for EMP but for all of Canada—momentum is expected to pick up pace further. 

** IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER — PLEASE READ CAREFULLY! **

PAID ADVERTISEMENT. This article is a paid advertisement.  Fortyfive Media and its owners, managers, employees, and assigns (collectively “the Publisher”) is often paid by one or more of the profiled companies or a third party to disseminate these types of communications. In this case, the Publisher has been compensated by EMP Metals Corp. (CSE: EMPS) (OTCQB: EMPPF) to conduct investor awareness advertising and marketing. EMP Metals paid the Publisher to produce and disseminate this article and related banner ads for fifty thousand dollars. This compensation should be viewed as a major conflict with our ability to be unbiased.  

Readers should beware that third parties, profiled companies, and/or their affiliates may liquidate shares of the profiled companies at any time, including at or near the time you receive this communication, which has the potential to hurt share prices. Frequently companies profiled in our articles experience a large increase in volume and share price during the course of investor awareness marketing, which often ends as soon as the investor awareness marketing ceases. The investor awareness marketing may be as brief as one day, after which a large decrease in volume and share price may likely occur.

This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Neither this communication nor the Publisher purport to provide a complete analysis of any company or its financial position. The Publisher is not, and does not purport to be, a broker-dealer or registered investment adviser. This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, personalized investment advice directed to or appropriate for any particular investor. Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company’s SEC, SEDAR and/or other government filings. Investing in securities, particularly microcap securities, is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This communication is based on information generally available to the public and on interviews with company management, and does not (to the Publisher’s knowledge, as confirmed by EMP Metals) contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the Publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.

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FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. This publication contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expected continual growth of the featured companies and/or industry. The Publisher notes that statements contained herein that look forward in time, which include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the companies’ actual results of operations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the size and growth of the market for the companies’ products and services, the companies’ ability to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term, pricing pressures, etc.  

INDEMNIFICATION/RELEASE OF LIABILITY. By reading this communication, you acknowledge that you have read and understand this disclaimer, and further that to the greatest extent permitted under law, you release the Publisher, its affiliates, assigns and successors from any and all liability, damages, and injury from this communication. You further warrant that you are solely responsible for any financial outcome that may come from your investment decisions.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. GlobalInvestmentDaily.com is the Publisher’s trademark. All other trademarks used in this communication are the property of their respective trademark holders. The Publisher is not affiliated, connected, or associated with, and is not sponsored, approved, or originated by, the trademark holders unless otherwise stated. No claim is made by the Publisher to any rights in any third-party trademarks.

The post Who Will Come Out on Top in the North American Lithium Race? appeared first on Global Investment Daily.

Rare earth metals have been one of the best hiding places for investors amid a steep market sell-off prompted by fears of global recession, a raging Russian war in Ukraine, a complex regime of sanctions and sky-high energy prices. 

New clean energy technologies are going to divert trillions of dollars into exploration, producing and processing a list of critical minerals that are now paramount to national security. 

It’s been a great year for metals such as lithium and tantalum, and it’s now shaping up to be an exciting year for the rarest of them all—Cesium, a mineral critical to advanced research and development and used in applications across multiple industries and manufacturing chains. 

The past five years has seen lithium giant Albemarle (NYSE:ALB) jump over 102%, and 50% in the last six months alone. 

Another giant, SQM (NYSE:SQM), is up over 90% YTD, and over 35% in the past six months. 

Lithium Americas Corp (NYSE:LAC) stock has surged over 221% in the past five years.

Lithium prices have broken all kinds of records this year, driven by soaring global demand. In China, a tonne of lithium carbonate is trading for $75,000 right now—a 13X increase in only two years. 

Rare Earth stocks are hotter than ever and have the potential to get even hotter following the White House’s recent announcement of $3 billion in federal funds to boost domestic EV battery output and the minerals that make it happen. 

Tantalum, too, is soaring, riding the lithium wave as another important component of the lithium-ion battery. Where lithium goes, tantalum follows.  This is why the United States Department of the Interior included Cesium, Lithium and Tantalum on its list of Critical Metals.

Then we have Cesium, one of the rarest metals on Earth, and one of only two metals in the world that are liquid at room temperature (the other is mercury). 

A variety of forms of Cesium are used in everything from oil and gas drilling, photoelectric cells, advanced optics and fuel cells to polymer solar cells, analytical chemistry and nuclear medicine. In the entire world, there are only three pegmatite mines that produce Cesium, advancing this rarity beyond the “critical”. 

What we have here now is another rare occurrence: A small, undervalued company with all three of these critical minerals and a recent intercept of high-grade Cesium that significantly sweetens the lithium deal and advances de-risking of an exciting Canadian mining play.

Power Metals Corp (TSX.V:PWM) (OTCQB:PWRMF) is sitting on prime exploration territory for lithium and tantalum on its Case Lake property in NE Ontario, one of Canada’s largest mineral-producing provinces by value. 

Proving Up Lithium With a Second Act in Cesium

Power Metals managed to attract top lithium institutional investors when they started out in 2018. That $5.45 million in initial raises helped fund some serious drilling to impressive results. 

As far as lithium venues go, Case Lake has some significant advantages overall. It’s in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt—the gold-mine superstar. And it’s got the infrastructure to access it all with ease, including roads and rail, which translates into major cost savings and a huge logistics advantage. 

In 2018 alone, Power Metals drilled over 13,000 meters, making significant high-grade lithium discoveries at Case Lake. But that wasn’t all it discovered …

It also made tantalum discoveries and … unexpectedly, rare cesium. 

In June 2022, Power Metals started drilling again, fully funded and targeting up to 20,000 meters at West Joe Dyke to expand its earlier cesium discovery.

Phase One of the new drill program targeted 5,000 meters and did not disappoint. They intersected cesium mineralization enclosed in lithium and tantalum mineralization turning Case Lake definitively into a three-commodity venue.  

They interested incredibly high-grade cesium: 24.07% Cs₂O over 1.0 m and 7.65% Cs₂O. They also intersected their highest-grade yet of lithium: 1.45% Li₂O over 7.09 m, and 4.75% Li₂O, 2.71% Cs₂O and 396 ppm Ta over 2.0 m. 

The newest cesium intersect has been described by Power Metals’ (TSX.V:PWM) (OTCQB:PWRMF) world-class geologist and VP of exploration, Dr. Julie Selway, as “the highest and most impressive Cesium assay” in any property she has studied in her career.

2022 Highlights Include 

• 24.07 % Cs₂O, 0.63 % Li₂O, 34.2 ppm Ta over 1.0 m, 15.0 to 16.0 m, PWM-22-143
• 20.36 % Cs₂O, 2.28 % Li₂O, 15.7 ppm Ta over 1.0 m, 14.0 to 15.0 m, PWM-22-143
• 22.22 % Cs₂O, 1.46 % Li₂O, 25.1 ppm Ta over 2.00 m, 14.0 to 16.0 m, PWM-22-143
• 7.65 % Cs₂O, 1.45 % Li₂O, 247.1 ppm Ta over 7.09 m, 11.96 to 19.05 m, PWM-22-143 
• 1.94 % Cs₂O, 2.20 % Li₂O, 466.0 ppm Ta over 8.98 m, 20.97 to 29.95 m, PWM-22-144
• 2.71 % Cs₂O, 4.75 % Li₂O, 396.0 ppm Ta over 2.00 m, 24.00 to 26.00 m, PWM-22-144
• 3.66 % Cs₂O, 1.05 % Li₂O, 1440.0 ppm Ta over 1.00 m, 48.00 to 49.00 m, PWM-22-147

The Key Differential

There are several things that differentiate Power Metals from any other hard-rock lithium company in a very crowded playing field right now. 

The biggest differential is that it is sitting not only on lithium and tantalum, but on exceedingly rare cesium.

That cesium discovery was enough to land Power Metals a $1.5-million investment from the world leaders in cesium processing, Sinomine Resource Group, which had three years earlier acquired the Tanco mine in Manitoba for $300 million from Cabbot Corp. This gives Power Metals access to Tanco’s processing facility for all the cesium, lithium and tantalum extracted from Case Lake via direct rail line from Cochrane, ON to the facility.

The story gets more interesting…

Last week, on November 3^rd, Power Metals was advised that the Canadian Federal Government has ordered that Sinomine divest itself of its past and ongoing investments in the Company. The order was made on national security grounds by virtue of the strategic importance of Power Metals’ Case Lake lithium, cesium and tantalum deposits and Sinomine’s alleged relationship with the Government of the People’s Republic of China. The Company is reviewing the matter with legal counsel, Sinomine and the federal authorities with a view to advancing development of the Case Lake Project by whatever means necessary. 

Johnathan More, Chairman & CEO of Power Metals stated in the November 3^rd, 2022 press release, “While we are surprised by Canada’s stance towards Chinese investment into Canada’s critical minerals industry, it clearly shows that they see the opportunity and assets of Power Metals as too valuable for such foreign investment.  Power Metals (TSX.V:PWM) (OTCQB:PWRMF) has made a substantial discovery of cesium, lithium and tantalum and this political gamesmanship demonstrates the extreme value of Power Metals assets. Sinomine will respond to the Canadian government shortly as they look at the appeal process.” 

Why did the cesium intersection bring an instant $1.5 million to Power Metals coffers? 

Because, in the entire world, there are only three pegmatite mines that produce Cesium, which means that Power Metals could be sitting on what would only be the fourth mine in the world with the potential to produce cesium. And the U.S. states, which produces no cesium domestically, is 100% reliant on Canada for the rare metal. 

If the Canadian government is successful in their efforts to remove Sinomine from their investment in Power Metals, the potential for a bidding war is extremely high. Power Metals now sits on a discovery of extremely rare and critical minerals that even the government has recognized as significant.

Cesium is one of only two metals in the world that are liquid at room temperature. The other is mercury. Because Cesium is easily oxidized, it is not found in nature in its elemental state, rather as Cesium oxide. 

A variety of forms of Cesium are used in everything from oil and gas drilling, photoelectric cells, advanced optics and fuel cells to polymer solar cells, analytical chemistry and nuclear medicine. 

In terms of volume, the primary use is definitely oil and gas production and exploration.  

Cesium formate brines are used in oil and gas drilling, acting as a heavy mud for high pressure, high temperature offshore oil drilling operations to lubricate drill bits and prevent blowouts. 

Cesium isotopes are used in atomic clocks for cell phone networks, the internet, Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and aircraft guidance systems. Cesium clocks are the most accurate known to man–accurate to about 1 second in 300 million years. These devices make use of transitions between the spin states of the cesium nucleus and produce a frequency which is so regular that it has been adopted for establishing the world’s time standard. 

Cesium bromide is used in infrared detectors, optics, photoelectric cells, scintillation counters, and spectrophotometers. It’s also used in the glass for night vision goggles, and a million other advanced chemistry and technology applications.

The U.S. government’s 2022 list of critical minerals includes Cesium, which it describes as a key to advanced research and development.

While the 2018 cesium intersection put Power Metals on the radar and won it $1.5 million in investment, it’s most recent intersection in October is even more significant due to the high-grade results that go a long way to proving up the deposit and de-risking the play.
It’s difficult to find a company that’s small enough, undervalued enough and hitting on something incredibly rare. Those are three attributes that investors search for endlessly and rarely find. 

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No earthly metal is more of a security concern right now than lithium. This ‘white gold’ underpins the entire clean energy transition, which has now become even more urgent as a Russian war on Ukraine exposes the severe vulnerability of fossil fuels to supply risks.

There is no energy transition without lithium, the battery metal that serves as the backbone of the trillion-dollar EV industry–an industry on track to top $1.3 trillion in just a few years.

As long as it has enough lithium …

Battery makers are sounding the alarm bells as they face shortages and call on governments worldwide to challenge China’s dominance of the raw material supply chain.

North America is playing catch-up here, but the urgency has now become palpable. Last week, U.S. President Joe Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to encourage mining for battery metals. Lithium is also on Canada’s critical minerals list.

That’s the perfect setup for new lithium explorers.

But exploration and development takes time, and investors will be looking for the earliest entrants who promise the fastest and biggest impact on new lithium supply.

Canadian EMP Metals Corp (CSE:EMPS) (OTC:EMPPF) is one early entrant that seems to be on track to become a leading lithium producer in Canada’s prolific Saskatchewan region. This is one of the clearest new beneficiaries of the aggressive push to get new lithium supplies to the market.

EMP is focused on large-scale, direct lithium extraction (DLE) assets, boasting over 200,000 acres in prime southeast Saskatchewan, the hotspot for lithium exploration in Canada, with  21 lithium-brine permits in four main distinct geological locations.

The company has already successfully completed one well re-entry, and lithium test results were excellent, confirming high flow rates and strong lithium brine concentrations .

What comes next?

This is the defining year for EMP, with 3-5 new wells or re-entries planned in an aggressive drill campaign that intends to harness North America’s massive push for new lithium resources.

Billions of dollars are being poured into new battery factories across North America, and even Elon Musk is ready to mine his own lithium to ensure supply security …

There has never been a more aggressive push for a critical metal than this, and the earlier entrants with the drill bit already in the ground will be at the forefront of the next wave of lithium millionaires and billionaires.

One of North America’s Most Important New Lithium Hubs

Canada’s Saskatchewan region has jumped on the lithium bandwagon with plans not just to mine new lithium supplies and help challenge China’s dominance, but to become one of the most important lithium hubs in North America, if not the world.

The provincial government is targeting the development of both lithium exploration and extraction technologies, and it is funding programs for miners to take advantage.

Lithium would add to the province’s already impressive lineup of critical minerals, including uranium, potash and helium.

It’s a region known to be rich in lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, aluminum and manganese.

That makes it the perfect hub for battery metals, at the perfect time.

For prospective lithium miners in Saskatchewan, the main geological layer of interest is the lithium-bearing Duperow formation.

The Duperow formation, which extends from Montana and North Dakota to Saskatchewan, has already seen wild success for petroleum explorers. This is exactly where EMP has acquired over 200,000 acres, with private land acquisitions still moving forward.

While the formation is laterally equivalent to the lithium-bearing Leduc formation of the Alberta basin, the Duperow has some distinct advantages, not the least of which is the fact that there are significantly higher grades of lithium being discovered in the Duperow.

The Duperow is a regionally extensive reservoir with aquifer support and the potential for less injection dilution, higher recoveries and longer project life. This formation also tends towards lower sour gas concentrations and shallower drilling depth than the Leduc.

That means potentially very attractive margins for EMP once it delineates a resource.

Impressive Results on Maiden Drill

EMP has already completed one re-entry well showing high-grade levels of lithium.

In one zone, initial showings were for 85mg/L, and in two additional zones indications were of up to 96.3mg/L.

Against the backdrop of a growing sense of urgency on a national security level, EMP plans to attack exploration over the coming months very aggressively, with plans to drill up to 5 new wells or re-entries in targeted areas this year.

And they’re doing it with a focus on DLE (direct lithium extraction), a lithium extraction process that reduces the environmental footprint by 90% compared to traditional methods. DLE is a process that employs a highly selective absorbent to extract lithium from brine water using geothermal or renewable energy sources.

Not only is most of North America’s lithium imported and sourced from South America and China …

But that lithium is processed from open-pit mines or saltwater flats from which it is pumped into huge basins to evaporate by the sun. Both open-pit mining and brine mining leave troubling environmental footprints, either by destroying the land, contaminating water or contributing to drought.

EMP is an ESG company, all the way.

It plans on using DLE methods that will provide for a more sustainable lithium supply. What makes it so much more sustainable is that it seeks to extract the lithium before the brine is pumped back underground.

With ESG a clear focus and up to 5 new wells or re-entries planned for this year, we expect the news flow to be fast-paced in line with today’s constant barrage of appeals from giant automakers and battery gigafactories.

Billions Being Poured into Batteries

North America is fast becoming a mega-center for EV and energy storage batteries–the lynchpin of our clean energy future.

In the United States, 13 gigafactories are in the works, almost all of them slated to be operational by 2025.

Source: Electrek.co

They will require an enormous amount of raw materials, and everything depends on new lithium discovery and development.

Canada, too, is seeing an aggressive push into this domain.

Just recently, LG Energy Solutions announced a $5-billion EV battery plant in Ontario in partnership with Stellantis, and giant GM agreed to build a $500-million factory in Quebec to manufacture integral components of EV batteries.

At its current pace, supply simply cannot meet soaring demand.

By 2025, that demand will be out of this world.

Everyone Wants Lithium and Relationships Are Key

Car-makers and battery makers around the world are scouring the planet for more lithium supply and scrambling to secure off-take deals.

EMP is a team of veterans who already have key relationships with developers up and down the EV and battery supply chain–all of them will require major lithium resources.

EMP’s President, CEO and Director, Rob Gamley, is a finance and capital markets veteran, supported by an exploration and development team that has experience with the biggest names in the business, including American Lithium Corp.

The operational team has been running large oilfield brine lifting operations in southeast Saskatchewan since 2001.  Cam Taylor, Bryden Wright and Jared Lukomski are all former senior management from Villanova 4 Oil Corp. and collectively have decades of experience in Saskatchewan’s Williston Basin building large scale brine lifting and disposal infrastructure as well as drilling wells to all depths within the basin.  

Peter Polland, Ph.D., is EMP’s chief geologist and director with over 30 years mineral exploration experience, while Advisor Mike Kobler is the former present and current general manager of U.S. operations for American Lithium Corp. He’s responsible for advancing the company’s TLC lithium project in Nevada–the only place in the United States where lithium is produced.

Advisor Brian Balazs also has more than three decades of experience in oil and gas exploration and development in western Canada and around the world, as does Director Greg Bronson.

This is a team that has the necessary experience and industry relationships to move fast on its Saskatchewan drilling and bring this to the finish line at the height of a lithium supply frenzy.

Everyone Wants Lithium

The land rush for North American lithium started a few years back when the first alarm bells started sounding with respect to a future supply shortage. For investors, that earlier rush was premature. The timing wasn’t quite right. It left new lithium entrants without enough funding to see their projects through because the “shortage” was still a few years off.

Several years have passed since that initial false start. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic and now Russia’s war on Ukraine have sped up the clean energy transition exponentially, and market conditions are now fully on board with new lithium exploration and development.

While it’s still a crowded space, with all kinds of junior miners trying to get in on the coming largesse, investors are looking for earlier entrants with the right management teams–that’s what makes or breaks a new lithium project.

EMP ticks all of those boxes, with a lineup of world-class geologists with specific lithium experience in North America, and capital markets experts who have closed all the right deals.

This is all going down in Canada’s new “lithium hub” in Saskatchewan, where EMP has been busy scooping up acreage that is surrounded by infrastructure in a basin that is already showing high grades high-grade lithium.

The drill bit is already in the ground on this one and first results are already in. Up to five more wells or re-entires are planned this year, making this a fast-moving lithium play that is more likely to start pinging investor radar than some of its peers.

IMPORTANT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER!!

Neither GlobalInvestmentDaily.com nor its owners, managers, employees, and assigns (collectively “the Publisher”) owns shares of EMP Metals Corp (CSE:EMPS) (OTC:EMPPF).  The Publisher may, however, buy shares in the future, and does not undertake any obligation to notify the market when it decides to buy or sell shares of the issuer in the market. This share ownership should be viewed as a major conflict with our ability to be unbiased. This is why we stress that you conduct extensive due diligence as well as seek the advice of your financial advisor or a registered broker-dealer before investing in any securities.

Readers should beware that third parties, profiled companies, and/or their affiliates may liquidate shares of the profiled companies at any time, including at or near the time you receive this communication, which has the potential to hurt share prices. Frequently companies profiled in our articles experience a large increase in volume and share price during the course of investor awareness marketing, which often ends as soon as the investor awareness marketing ceases. The investor awareness marketing may be as brief as one day, after which a large decrease in volume and share price may likely occur.

This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Neither this communication nor the Publisher purport to provide a complete analysis of any company or its financial position. The Publisher is not, and does not purport to be, a broker-dealer or registered investment adviser. This communication is not, and should not be construed to be, personalized investment advice directed to or appropriate for any particular investor. Any investment should be made only after consulting a professional investment advisor and only after reviewing the financial statements and other pertinent corporate information about the company. Further, readers are advised to read and carefully consider the Risk Factors identified and discussed in the advertised company’s SEC, SEDAR and/or other government filings. Investing in securities, particularly microcap securities, is speculative and carries a high degree of risk. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

This communication is based on information generally available to the public and on interviews with management and does not contain any material, non-public information. The information on which it is based is believed to be reliable. Nevertheless, the Publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy or completeness of the information.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS. This publication contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding expected continual growth of the featured companies and/or industry. The Publisher notes that statements contained herein that look forward in time, which include everything other than historical information, involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the companies’ actual results of operations. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, the size and growth of the market for the companies’ products and services, the companies’ ability to fund its capital requirements in the near term and long term, pricing pressures, etc. 

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The post New Lithium for North America: Let’s See Who Gets There First appeared first on Global Investment Daily.