Overview
Stage | Permitting |
Mine Type | Underground |
Commodities |
- Lithium
- Spodumene
- Quartz
- Feldspar
|
Mining Method |
- Longhole open stoping
- Cemented backfill
|
Mine Life | 12 years (as of Jan 1, 2018) |
The Project holds an exclusive license to repurpose a former Austrian government constructed lithium mine that contains a substantial amount of lithium, minimizing the overall environmental impact of the discovery and processes. |
Source:
p. 1
On October 31, 2022, European Lithium AT (Investments) Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of European Lithium Ltd (ASX: EUR) (“European Lithium”), and Sizzle Acquisition Corp. recently announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for a business combination that will result in the formation of Critical Metals Corp.
Upon closing of the business combination, Critical Metals will own European Lithium’s Wolfsberg Lithium Project (the “Project”), which is currently owned by European Lithium’s wholly owned subsidiary, European Lithium AT (Investments) Limited.
Contractors
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Deposit Type
- Vein / narrow vein
- Pegmatite
Summary:
The currently explored deposit has an extension in strike of 1500 m. The maximum vertical extension is about 400 m (1600 masl to 1320 masl), but varies along strike due to varying exploration strategies in the past. The veins are steep to medium dipping and most of them have expressions on the surface. It is expected that the deposit continues deeper than currently explored.
The resource comprises multiple parallel lithium-bearing pegmatite veins dipping at around 60° hosted in eclogitic amphibolite and mica schists.
The width of the veins averages 1.35 m with maximum width recorded at 5.5 m. Intersection lengths in the boreholes were logged but not sampled if less than 0.5 m.
Underground development and drilling shows that there is good continuity of the veins along strike. 15 veins have been included in the mine design. The pegmatites are predominantly quartz-feldspar-spodumene with only minor impurities. Spodumenesize varies from a few mm up to 15mm in the coarser pegmatite hosted by the amphibolite rock unit.
Mining Methods
- Longhole open stoping
- Cemented backfill
Summary:
SRK has determined that long hole open stoping is the preferred mining method and, following geological mapping underground and rock characterisation, a standard stope of 25m high by 75m wide with 4m rib and sill pillars is deemed appropriate for design. A crown pillar of 25m was considered adequate.
A minimum mining width of 1.2m has been considered practical and a dilution skin of 0.5m in the hanging wall and 0.3m in the footwall has been applied. This results in average dilution of 40% and a ROM grade of 0.71% Li2O. Ore sorters will be used to reject waste such that the grade to the concentrator is increased to 1.03% Li2O.
Mine access will be by the existing adit, increased in size to 5m x 5m, and a main decline developed in the competent amphibolite. Mining will be carried out using 25m sub levels and cross cuts will be developed from the decline every 25m and all veins intersected.
Remote loaders will be used to load from the stopes to a local stockpile where 30 tonne trucks will be loaded for transfer of RoM to the underground crusher and ore sorter. A second decline will be developed from the underground crusher/sorter to the surface plant for product haulage. Mica schist waste from the sorters will be returned to mined out stopes whilst amphibolite waste from the sorters will be trucked to surface and used for construction material. This allows the project to proceed without permanent surfac ........

Flow Sheet:
RoM is crushed in two stages underground and screened. The +8mm goes to ore sorting using lasers in two stages where the waste is rejected. The accepted material is combined with the -8mm material and undergoes two further stages of crushing and is then trucked to surface.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:

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Projected Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | Avg. Annual | LOM |
Lithium
|
Hydroxide
|
kt
| 8.4 | 101 |
Spodumene
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| ......  | ......  |
Quartz
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| ......  | ......  |
Feldspar
|
Concentrate
|
kt
| ......  | ......  |
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Annual mining rate
| 620 kt * |
Annual ore mining rate
| 400 kt * |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| 4.92 Mt * |
Total tonnes mined, LOM
| 7.44 Mt * |
* According to 2018 study.
Reserves at April 5, 2018:
Cut-off grade is 0.3% Li2O.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
4.319 Mt
|
Li2O
|
0.69 %
|
29.7 kt
|
Probable
|
3.116 Mt
|
Li2O
|
0.75 %
|
23.2 kt
|
Proven & Probable
|
7.435 Mt
|
Li2O
|
0.71 %
|
52.9 kt
|
Measured
|
2.86 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.28 %
|
|
Indicated
|
3.44 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.08 %
|
|
Measured & Indicated
|
6.3 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1.17 %
|
|
Inferred
|
4.68 Mt
|
Li2O
|
0.78 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
10.98 Mt
|
Li2O
|
1 %
|
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| Commodity | Average |
Credits (by-product)
|
LiOH-H2O
|
-1,578 / t * USD
|
Cash costs
|
LiOH-H2O
|
8,739 / t * USD
|
Credits (by-product)
|
Spodumene
|
-197.3 / t * USD
|
Cash costs
|
Spodumene
|
882.9 / t * USD
|
Cash costs
|
LiOH-H2O
|
7,160 / t *† USD
|
Cash costs
|
Spodumene
|
685.6 / t *† USD
|
Assumed price
|
Feldspar
|
31.5 / t * EUR
|
Assumed price
|
Quartz
|
74 / t * EUR
|
Assumed price
|
LiOH-H2O
|
18,351 / t * USD
|
* According to 2018 study / presentation.
† Net of By-Product.
2018 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :
Metrics | Units | LOM Total |
Total CapEx
|
$M USD
|
......
|
UG OpEx
|
$M USD
|
......
|
Backfill costs
|
$M USD
|
......
|
Transportation (haulage) costs
|
$M USD
|
5
|
G&A costs
|
$M USD
|
29.7
|
Total OpEx
|
$M USD
|
......
|
Gross revenue (LOM)
|
$M USD
|
......
|
Pre-tax NPV @ 8%
|
$M USD
|
......
|
After-tax NPV @ 8%
|
$M USD
|
......
|
Pre-tax IRR, %
|
|
......
|
After-tax IRR, %
|
|
......
|
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Mine Management:
Job Title | Name | Profile | Ref. Date |
.......................
|
.......................
|
|
Sep 27, 2021
|
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Staff:
Total Workforce | Year |
|
2021
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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