Mining Intelligence and News
Chile

Francisco Basin Project

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeIn-Situ
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Lithium
Mining Method
  • Brine mining
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotFrancisco Basin was a greenfield project, where a new lithium discovery was made in 2022. A Scoping Study was published in September 2023 showing robust economics for a commercial DLE lithium operation from the current resource, which has significant potential to increase.

Francisco Basin project affords significant potential development and operational advantages and has direct access to existing infrastructure and renewable power.

Application for obtaining a permit for operation Francisco Basin was submitted in September 2023 and is currently being updated according to a new administrative procedure announced by the government after the end of the period April 2024.

It was decided to suspend further work at Francisco Basin at the present time and utilise available funds to advance the Laguna Verde project as rapidly as possible.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
CleanTech Lithium PLC 100 % Indirect
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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Deposit type

  • Sedimentary

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

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. Annual
Lithium t 20,000
All production numbers are expressed as carbonate.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual brine extraction  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs LCE USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price LCE USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study / presentation.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNameProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 27, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Feb 27, 2024

EmployeesYear
...... Subscription required 2023

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