Frontier Lithium Commences Advanced Phase Lithium Concentrate Pilot
SUDBURY, ON, Nov. 3, 2021 /CNW/ - Frontier Lithium Inc. (TSXV: FL) (OTCQX: LITOF) (FSE: HL2) ("Frontier" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the commencement of an advanced metallurgical program for its PAK Lithium Project. Led by a reputable third-party lab, the lithium concentrate pilot will:
- Optimize the concentrator flowsheet(s),
- Generate data required for the Pre-Feasibility study (PFS) and the corresponding Definitive Feasibility study (DFS) engineering work, and
- Generate concentrate to be used for downstream chemical processing test work.
Completion of the work is expected by the end of 2021.
Frontier is encouraged by recent initial flotation tests from the Spark deposit material, producing chemical grade concentrates that met the company's internal specifications criteria and an average grade of 6.6% lithium oxide. The 20kg of chemical grade concentrate recently produced is currently being used for a bench-scale assessment of the alkaline process route to produce lithium hydroxide. The mineral processing pilot test work program announced is expected to result in a robust process flowsheet to produce high quality chemical grade concentrates with recoveries greater than 80% and grades greater than 6% Li2O.
Dr. Naizhen Cao, Vice President of Technology for Frontier Lithium, commented "The mineral processing test work program will allow the Company to discern the options and optimize production capabilities for both technical grade and chemical grade concentrates from our resource." He further added "All of the mineral processing test work to support the company's advancing trade-off for chemical process selection and feasibility studies. The pilot will also produce representative bulk flotation concentrates required to pilot the selected lithium chemicals process for battery-grade lithium hydroxide production."
The pilot scope of work to optimize the concentrator flowsheet will be completed using up to a 10 tonne bulk sample comprised of representative pegmatite samples from both the Spark and PAK deposits.
In 2020, Frontier successfully produced a high quality technical-grade spodumene concentrate with an average grade of 7.2% lithium oxide with low impurities and yields greater than 25% from a PAK Deposit composite sample.
Due Diligence
All scientific and technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by Garth Drever, P.Geo., the qualified person (QP) under the definitions established by National Instrument 43-101.
About Frontier Lithium Inc.
Frontier Lithium is a preproduction business that is targeting to become a manufacturer of battery-quality lithium hydroxide to support electric vehicle and battery supply chains in North America. Frontier owns the PAK Lithium Project which contains one of North America's highest-grade, large-tonnage hard-rock lithium resources in the form of a rare low-iron spodumene. The project continues to have significant exploration upside with potential to increase the lithium resource. It is a pure-play lithium company with the largest land position in the Electric Avenue, a premium lithium mineral district located in Northern Ontario.
About PAK Lithium Project
The PAK Lithium Project a tier one lithium resource in North America and one of the global top three premium resources by quality. A 2021 preliminary economic assessment of a fully integrated lithium operation utilizing spodumene concentrate generated from the PAK lithium project resource to achieve downstream conversion for production of battery-quality lithium chemicals resulted in an after-tax net present value (discounted at 8 per cent) of $974-million (U.S.) with a 21-per-cent internal rate of return. The Project encompasses 26,774 hectares at the south end of Ontario's Electric Avenue, the largest land package hosting premium lithium-bearing pegmatites in Ontario. The Project covers 65 kilometres of the Electric Avenue's length and remains largely unexplored; however, since 2013, the company has delineated two premium spodumene-bearing lithium deposits (PAK and Spark), located 2.3 kilometres apart. The Project supported by a measured and indicated resource of 10.49 million tonnes (Mt) averaging 1.78 per cent lithium oxide (Li2O) and inferred resource of 18.48 Mt averaging 1.45 per cent Li2O.Considerable exploration upside is supported on the PAK Lithium Project through two other spodumene-bearing discoveries: the Bolt pegmatite (located between the PAK and Spark deposits), as well as the Pennock pegmatite (30 kilometres northwest of PAK Deposit within the project claims).
Forward-looking Statements
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. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future production, reserve potential, exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and those actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's registered filings available at sedar.com.
SOURCE Frontier Lithium Inc.
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