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[the grumpy old men] 11/1/2018 09:25

Rio Tinto (LSE:RIO)
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Today : Thursday 11 January 2018
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--Rio Tinto has dropped out of the bidding for a stake in Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile, one of the world's top lithium producers, as it pursues other ways to capitalize on the electric-car boom, Bloomberg reports, citing unnamed sources.

--Rio decided not to proceed with an offer for Nutrien Ltd.'s 32% stake in Santiago-based SQM--worth about $5 billion at current market prices--after conducting research, according to Bloomberg.

--Rio is studying the development of a Serbian lithium project that could meet 10% of global demand and begin production as soon as 2023, Bloomberg reports.



Full story: hxxps://bloom.bg/2DiZFli



Write to Barcelona editors at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 11, 2018 02:18 ET (07:18 GMT)

[waldron] 08/1/2018 22:39

Is This Lithium Battery Breakthrough Too Good To Be True?
By Irina Slav - Jan 08, 2018, 4:00 PM CST Lithium

It would be a dull month if a new rechargeable battery project didn’t make headlines amid all the excitement surrounding electric cars. This month’s indisputable winner is the lithium-ion battery that replaces cobalt with iron, and—rather surprisingly—works, at least according to the people who came up with the idea.

The potential implications of this invention are huge: Cobalt is enjoying a very strong rally as demand is estimated to skyrocket with the influx of electric cars in the world’s biggest markets, notably China and the United States. So is lithium, but the iron battery is unlikely to have an impact on lithium demand. Also, theoretically, the iron battery could put some battery makers out of business.

The idea of using iron in batteries isn’t new, but so far, attempts to substitute the cheap metal for costlier cobalt and other metals have ended in disaster. Christopher Wolverton, professor of materials science and engineering at Northwestern University, had two problems to solve to make his battery work. First, replace cobalt with iron. Second, trick oxygen into taking part in the reaction that moves the lithium ions from the anode to the cathode and back again as the battery is charged and discharged.

The second challenge was the bigger one. The widespread opinion in science circles is that using oxygen in the reaction taking place in a rechargeable battery makes the concoction inside unstable and oxygen escapes, making the reaction irreversible and the battery non-rechargeable. That’s why Wolverton and his team first made the battery on a computer to see if it would work. Surprisingly for all, it did—and better than the most popular lithium-ion batteries.

The iron battery uses four lithium ions instead of just one like current batteries do. For now, it can only utilize one of these, but there’s potential for making use of all four, considerably increasing the battery’s efficiency.


That’s really exciting, but the official news release is shy on the experimental aspect of the team’s work. There’s mention that there was an author in charge of the experimental work, but all the details about the composition of the battery and the reaction are about the computations the team made. These computations were used to make the physical battery, but the experimental stage of the project is likely at an early stage.

Should further experiments confirm the initial results, this battery has the potential to transform many markets—all that deal in rechargeable devices—from cars to smartphones and wearables. Iron is among the cheapest metals in the world, with a metric ton currently trading for less than $77. To compare, the three-month futures on cobalt on the London Metal Exchange is $75,000 per metric ton. Even that would be enough to make the new battery a hit if its viability is confirmed. The greater durability would also be a welcome bonus.

With a battery like that, the EV revolution could truly take off.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

[the grumpy old men] 04/1/2018 22:24

January 04, 2018 16:58 ET | Source: Lithium Exploration Group, Inc.

PHOENIX, Jan. 04, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lithium Exploration Group (USOTC:LEXGD) announced today that the financing of the White Top project in Louisiana continues to progress nicely. The initial data scrubbing on the seismic data is complete, with the time depth migration expected by the end of January. The independent consultant will be meeting with the whole team again in Houston on January 17 to get a final update of the seismic results and update the report and findings.

Crude oil prices have risen more than $10 per barrel over the past few months, and continue to climb higher which has substantially increased the overall value of the royalty LEXG controls. Once the seismic data is fully processed, the company intends to have another independent reserve report completed to place a value on the future cash flows, with the goal of adding that asset to its balance sheet.

"The team in Houston continues to work on the closing documents with their lead investor. Their hope is to begin the development drilling in February," commented CEO Alex Walsh. "The price of oil is up over 20% since we made the investment last spring, and the steady increase in the price of oil over the past few months has been a true blessing that we hope to see turn into substantial cash distributions this year."

Independent Analysis of White Top Seismic Data

About Lithium Exploration Group

Lithium Exploration Group is a US-based exploration and development company focused on the acquisition and development potential of lithium brines and other precious metals that demonstrate high probability for near-term production. Currently the company is focused testing the Sonic Cavitation Ltd. technology and the acquisition of oil and gas related assets in the US and Canada. Lithium Exploration Group is traded on the OTC Markets under the symbol LEXG.

Website: www.lithiumexplorationgroup.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

This news release contains "forward-looking statements". Statements in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future testing of the ultrasonic technology.

Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of lithium prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact Info
Shanon Chilson

480-641-4790

[e-mail]

[la forge] 03/1/2018 11:44

Electric Cars Charge Up Cobalt -- WSJ
03/01/2018 8:02am
Dow Jones News

Vale Pref (EU:VALE5)
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Today : Wednesday 3 January 2018
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Labor strife, rights issues in Congo spur Canadian mining firms to seek other sources

By David George-Cosh

This article is being republished as part of our daily reproduction of WSJ.com articles that also appeared in the U.S. print edition of The Wall Street Journal (January 3, 2018).

TORONTO -- A handful of Canadian miners are ramping up operations to mine cobalt, betting on demand for a socially responsible source of the metal that is in high demand as a key component of electric cars.

Most cobalt currently comes from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where supply is threatened by political, legal and labor issues. That means car makers and battery suppliers are increasingly looking elsewhere for the mineral.

Miners in Canada such as Vale SA, which has a cobalt-producing mine in Sudbury, Ontario, Sherritt International Corp., and smaller firms such as Royal Nickel Corp., First Cobalt Corp. and Fortune Minerals Ltd. are raising funds and engaging in exploratory drilling.

Mainly through operations led by Vale, Canada is the world's third-biggest producer of cobalt, after the Congo and China, accounting for about 6% of the world's supply, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The metal is a crucial component of lithium-ion batteries, which are used to power electric vehicles as well as portable electronic devices due to its ability to conduct electricity when stacked with other metals such as lithium and nickel.

The demand for socially responsible sources of cobalt comes as the price of the metal has soared to $75,000 a metric ton on the London Metal Exchange, more than double the price from the start of 2017.

BMO Capital Markets expects current cobalt prices to double in the next two years as demand for electric-vehicle batteries continues to outstrip existing supply of the metal, the bank said in a report released in December.

The Congo produces roughly two-thirds of the world's cobalt, or about 66,000 metric tons a year, but mines there have been criticized over reports of child labor and unsafe conditions.

Amnesty International released a report in 2016 that found thousands of children, some as young as 7 years old, and adults, mine cobalt in the country and work in perilous conditions without basic protective equipment. The organization was able to trace the sale of that cobalt to Chinese refiners, which then resold the mineral to battery component manufacturers.

In addition, a major mine there that is jointly owned by state mining firm Gécamines, and Belgian-based Groupe Forrest International SA, has been caught up in a labor-contract dispute. And an analysis by the Carter Center, a human-rights nonprofit, found nearly $750 million in royalties, bonuses and proceeds from asset sales that are estimated to go to the Congolese government are missing from Gécamines's accounts. Gécamines has disputed the report and declined to comment.

Volkswagen AG and nine other leading car makers, including Ford Motor Co. and Daimler AG, whose supply chains include cobalt buyers, in November set up a "raw materials observatory" that aims to address ethical and labor-rights issues in sourcing raw materials, including cobalt.

A Volkswagen spokesman said the company remains in "intensive discussions" with its suppliers to determine how to improve the sustainability of its supply chain, especially for raw materials used in electric vehicles.

Electrovaya Inc., a battery maker based in Toronto, is in discussions with Canadian cobalt miners, including Fortune, to lock down supply contracts for the coming years, said Chief Executive Sankar Das Gupta. "All our customers want ethical sourcing," Mr. Gupta said.

A Fortune spokesman said the company has signed numerous confidentiality agreements with partners they are in discussions with, and declined to provide further comment on Electrovaya.

For Robin Goad, chief executive of Fortune, which is developing a mine in Canada's Northwest Territories, that may be an opportunity.

Mr. Goad said that early next year he plans to announce project financing for the mine, which is expected to produce 2,000 metric tons of cobalt annually, as well as a refinery it plans to build in Saskatchewan estimated at a total cost of 650 million Canadian dollars ($516 million). He declined to give further details about the financing.

"You can draw a straight line from our mine in the Northwest Territories to the refinery in Saskatchewan and know that is being produced here," Mr. Goad said. "When you get [refined] cobalt from China, you don't know where it's being sourced from."

Miners outside of Canada are looking to cash in on demand for cobalt. Toronto-based Sherritt International has nickel-cobalt mines in Cuba and Madagascar that produce about 7,000 metric tons of cobalt, roughly 6% of the world's total production.

"Market dynamics are right now in our favor with respect to cobalt," said David Pathe, Sherritt's chief executive, adding that the company is in a good position to source cobalt from mines free of conflict and labor violations.

First Cobalt sees potential in abandoned open-pit silver mines just outside Cobalt, Ontario, which is located approximately 300 miles north of Toronto and is named for its historic links with the metal. More than 50 million pounds of cobalt and 600 million ounces of silver were mined in the region before miners abandoned the area shortly following the World War II after exhausting the region's silver mines.

Now, there is enough pink-hued oxidized cobalt shown in discarded rock piles in the 25,000 acres of land claimed by First Cobalt to conduct exploration drilling, said Trent Mell, president and chief executive of First Cobalt. Initial drilling activity shows enough potential for a high-grade cobalt-silver vein system in some mines, he said.

"Next year, we gotta drill the hell out of this thing," Mr. Mell said.

Write to David George-Cosh at [e-mail]



(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 03, 2018 02:47 ET (07:47 GMT)

[joy division still] 22/11/2016 15:18

I'm still in... up +200% in GBP only wish i put more in, but that would be greedy! I have a target of USD11 before selling position. I thought that would take +2years but it seems it might be earlier. Does anyone have a view on timescales of typical recovery stocks

[joy division still] 06/7/2016 18:38

Anyone else in this , I'm in at just under $3 ( I hold the vale.p) so 6 months in and I've doubled. Looking to hold long term, I reckon it's a commodity AND Brazil recovery then hold for divi (prob +2 years away)

[joy division still] 04/12/2015 18:23

Sub $3.25 even i'm interested
seems to me,
1. Lowest cost Ore producer ( inc transprt once S11d starts)
2. Has been hit VERY hard ref the Brazil debacle
3. After the recent Samarco hit

Talk abt blood on the street? its gotta be worth a small punt?

[dil] 15/3/2002 23:39

Anyone see Ebbooo v "super dooper six Newport" ???

Had a chat with their chairman 2 mins after his half time interview and after the match.

We don't need the greedy six !

COME ON ENGLAND !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dil

[gain] 28/1/2002 07:18

Typical Ebbw easing up in second half either through complacency or lack of fitness, haven,t changed in this respect in 17 yrs.

[dil] 27/1/2002 11:16

hehe , hope you catch something

[hterag1] 26/1/2002 21:58

I think Holland is closer to Pontypool rather than Ebbw Vale as the crow flies :-)

and Munster were awesome this afternoon against the froggy side.

[gain] 26/1/2002 21:23

Dil Holland

[dil] 26/1/2002 18:05

Hope the beers flat , crisps are soggy and they have a power cut.

Git

:-)

[mr euro] 26/1/2002 15:08

ok, so I was out by 13 points :-)

Off to the pub (Swan Mike if your around!) to watch St. Francias, should be a good game. Shame about the conditions in Bath.

[dil] 26/1/2002 12:48

Bloody ref

:-)

Dil

[dil] 26/1/2002 11:40

... pass the asprin :-)

[cat] 26/1/2002 10:27

Winning at half time, then virtually all 2nd half with 13 men - 2 sin-binned for being offside twice. Hmmm.....

[bullshare] 26/1/2002 09:17

So the cherry reds won 44-11. I suppose Ebbw Vale were not trying , just like Agen.

[clerman] 26/1/2002 02:24

LOL !!!!!!!! :-}