Overview
Stage | Preliminary Economic Assessment |
Mine Type | In-Situ |
Commodities |
|
Mining Method |
|
Mine Life | 12 years (as of Jan 1, 2023) |
Francisco Basin to become a major supplier of battery grade lithium to European and US markets based on sustainable direct lithium extraction (“DLE”) technology.
Francisco Basin project affords significant potential development and operational advantages and has direct access to existing infrastructure and renewable power.
A Pre-Feasibility Study on the Francisco Basin project is planned to commence on the completion of the resource drill programme, which is expected to be in 2H 2024. |
Source:
p. 5
CleanTech Lithium, via its 100% owned subsidiary Laguna Negro Francisco SpA, owns a total of 47 exploitation and exploration mining concessions at the Francisco Basin Project.
Contractors
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Summary:
Francisco Basin is classified as an immature clastic salar characterised by greater moisture regimes and a sediment profile with higher porosities than mature halite salars. The Francisco Basin is an elongated basin aligned on a NW-SE axis bounded on all sides by volcanic mountain ranges. The surface of the salar is at an elevation of approximately 4,136m. To the south-east the basin forms a gently rising plain which forms the focus area of the project. The basin fill is characterised by sedimentary deposits that can be separated into three general units:
1. An upper unit of fine to coarse sands intercalated with fine gravels, minor clay and tuff levels
2. A middle unit of clay beds intercalated with minor levels of fine sands and gypsum
3. A basal unit of moderately consolidated gravels and sands, transitioning to silt beds
The brine aquifer is contained mainly from the middle unit down to the basement.
Dimensions
The Brine Resource is a sub horizontal lens with an approximately area of 9 km x 5 km and 320 m wide
Summary:
Mining will be undertaken by pumping brine from production wells and re-injection.
Lithium enriched brine occurring within the porous sub-surface sediments is to be extracted utilising a well field. A total of twenty-three extractions wells have been considered in the study. The extracted brine will be transferred to a tank to be mixed prior to being fed into the first stage of plant processing, which is the DLE adsorption columns. The spent brine from the adsorption process, which is the brine with lithium removed, will be reinjected into the salar basin through deep wells, in areas where the mineral resource will not be affected by dilution. Further hydrogeological work is required to develop the extraction and reinjection model for the production phase of the project.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Source:
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Projected Production:
Commodity | Units | Avg. Annual |
Lithium
|
t
| 20,000 |
All production numbers are expressed as carbonate.
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Annual processing capacity
| ...... |
Annual brine extraction
| ...... |
* According to 2023 study.
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Reserves at August 24, 2023:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Indicated
|
377,547,013 m3
|
Lithium
|
220.5 mg/L
|
83,264 t
|
Indicated
|
377,547,013 m3
|
LCE
|
|
443,215 t
|
Inferred
|
458,182,522 m3
|
Lithium
|
195.2 mg/L
|
89,448 t
|
Inferred
|
458,182,522 m3
|
LCE
|
|
476,130 t
|
Total Resource
|
835,729,536 m3
|
Lithium
|
206.6 mg/L
|
172,712 t
|
Total Resource
|
835,729,536 m3
|
LCE
|
|
919,346 t
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| Commodity | Units | Average |
Cash costs
|
LCE
|
USD
|
......
|
Assumed price
|
LCE
|
USD
|
......
|
* According to 2023 study / presentation.
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2023 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :
Metrics | Units | LOM Total |
Initial CapEx
|
$M USD
|
......
|
Net revenue (LOM)
|
$M USD
|
......
|
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM)
|
$M USD
|
......
|
After-tax NPV @ 10%
|
$M USD
|
......
|
After-tax NPV @ 8%
|
$M USD
|
......
|
After-tax IRR, %
|
|
......
|
After-tax payback period, years
|
|
......
|
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
Document | Year |
...................................
|
2023
|
...................................
|
2023
|
...................................
|
2023
|
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