Overview
Stage | Construction |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
- Lithium
- Sulfate of potash (SOP)
|
Mining Method |
|
Mine Life | 19 years (as of Jan 1, 2018) |
Ganfeng Lithium Group Co., Ltd. (Company) has been developing the Sonora Project, an open-pit mine and lithium chemical product processing facility located in Sonora, Mexico. The Company’s ability to develop the Project is based on a series of concessions granted in accordance with Mexican law and held by three controlled subsidiaries of the Company incorporated in Mexico
In April 2022 and May 2023, the Mexican Government approved amendments to its Mining Law, which prohibited lithium concessions, declared lithium as a strategic sector, and granted the exclusive right to engage in lithium mining operations to a state-owned entity.
The General Directorate of Mines (“DGM”) has issued a formal decision notice to the Mexican Subsidiaries in August 2023, indicating that the nine lithium concessions held by the Mexican Subsidiaries, including the principal lithium concessions for the Sonora Project, were cancelled. |
Source:
p. 4, 9
Ganfeng completed its option to increase its stake in Sonora Lithium Ltd ("SLL") from 22.5% to 50% (the "Option") on 26 February 2021. On completion of the transaction, a revised 50:50 Joint Venture Agreement (“JVA”) came into force, whereby each party is responsible for their portion of the Project capex. After review of the provisions of the revised JVA, the Company has assessed that Bacanora now has joint control over SLL and its subsidiaries (the “Sonora Lithium Group”).
Contractors
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Summary:
The Sonora deposit is believed to have formed by hydrothermal alteration as a result of alkaline volcanism effecting layers of volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks deposited in a basin environment. The origin and timing of the mineralised content remains unclear with regard to source and whether the alteration was essentially syn-genetic with deposition of the sedimentary rocks or whether the alteration is a post depositional event. Additional work is required to clarify the origin of these deposits.
Mineralisation on the concessions consists of a series of lithium-bearing clays that occur within two bedded sequences, the Upper and the Lower Clay units, which are separated by an ignimbrite sheet.
Bacanora understands there to be a number of lithium-bearing clay minerals, with polylithionite being the only one currently positively identified. The clay units are believed to have formed from supergene or diagenetic alteration of volcanic ash. The clay layers also contain relict quartz and feldspar crystal shards, lithic fragments and silica bands, and traces of other minerals. The layers are locally interbedded with reddish terrigenous beds composed of sand and silt-sized material.
Initial interpretation has indicated a high grade lithium core in the area covered by the La Ventana, El Sauz and Fleur concessions where the lithium grades are generally above 3,000 ppm Li. This high grade zone extends from the middle of La Ventana southward across Fl ........

Summary:
Mining operations will be carried out with front end loaders and haul trucks for waste mining and an ancillary fleet of dozers, graders and water trucks. Ore mining will be done with surface miners which have better selectivity for mining the lithium clays up to the contact with adjacent lithologies.
The open pit phase designs are based on 10 m mining benches (sub-divided into five 2 m benches for scheduling), 20 m wide haul roads (includes allowance for berms and ditches) and 42o inter-ramp slope angle on the hanging wall (east) side of the pits. The lithium clay beds dip to the east and there are no haul ramps on the final east wall of the reserve pit so the inter-ramp slope angle and overall slope angle are the same at 42° for the final pit based on geotechnical investigations. The internal mining phases used for the 19 year production schedule have ramps on the east wall to facilitate waste stripping when mining extends beyond the 19 year mine plan.
The mine plan covers the first 19 years of production and there are additional mineral resources and reserves to extend mining and processing beyond 19 years. For the 19 year mine schedule, a total of 37.1 Mt of ore at a diluted grade of 4,151 Li ppm and 1.76% K and a stripping ratio of 3.4:1 will be mined. The Li cutoff grade for material sent to the plant is 1,500 ppm during years 1 to 18 and 2,000 ppm during year 19.
Source:

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Source:
Summary:

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Projected Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | LOM |
Lithium
|
Carbonate
|
t
| 600,900 |
Sulfate of potash (SOP)
|
Crystals
|
t
| ......  |
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Plant annual capacity
| 2.2 Mt * |
Annual production capacity
| 35,000 t of lithium carbonate * |
Annual production capacity
| 28,805 t of Sulfate of potash (SOP) crystals * |
Stripping / waste ratio
| 3.42 * |
Waste tonnes, LOM
| 126,672 kt * |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| 37,058 kt * |
Total tonnes mined, LOM
| 163,730 kt * |
Tonnes processed, LOM
| 37,058,000 t * |
* According to 2017 study.
Reserves at December 13, 2017:
Mineral Reserves: Cut-off grade of 1,500 ppm Li.
Mineral Resources: Cut-off grade of 1,000 ppm Li.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
80,146 kt
|
Lithium
|
3905 ppm
|
|
Proven
|
80,146 kt
|
LCE
|
|
1,666 kt
|
Proven
|
80,146 kt
|
Potassium
|
1.64 %
|
|
Probable
|
163,662 kt
|
Lithium
|
3271 ppm
|
|
Probable
|
163,662 kt
|
LCE
|
|
2,849 kt
|
Probable
|
163,662 kt
|
Potassium
|
1.36 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
243,808 kt
|
Lithium
|
3480 ppm
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
243,808 kt
|
LCE
|
|
4,515 kt
|
Proven & Probable
|
243,808 kt
|
Potassium
|
1.45 %
|
|
Measured
|
103,000 kt
|
Lithium
|
3480 ppm
|
|
Measured
|
103,000 kt
|
LCE
|
|
1,910 kt
|
Measured
|
103,000 kt
|
Potassium
|
1.5 %
|
|
Indicated
|
188,000 kt
|
Lithium
|
3120 ppm
|
|
Indicated
|
188,000 kt
|
LCE
|
|
3,130 kt
|
Indicated
|
188,000 kt
|
Potassium
|
1.3 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
291,000 kt
|
Lithium
|
3250 ppm
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
291,000 kt
|
LCE
|
|
5,038 kt
|
Measured & Indicated
|
291,000 kt
|
Potassium
|
1.4 %
|
|
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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