Jindalee’s McDermitt asset, positioned in southeast Oregon, accommodates a singular sort of lithium mineralisation. Most lithium tasks in North America are lithium brine or pegmatite deposits; nonetheless, the McDermitt undertaking is an unconventional sediment-hosted lithium asset.
Sediment-hosted lithium deposits reminiscent of McDermitt are long-life belongings with low strip ratios and low mining prices. Jindalee can leverage this benefit over different lithium belongings, each when it comes to reaching manufacturing sooner and decreasing working bills.
There may be at present no commercially working sediment-hosted lithium undertaking in North America. Two just lately introduced tasks, nonetheless, are beneath growth and exhibit McDermitt’s future trajectory as each firms transfer towards manufacturing.
The 2023 mineral sources estimate (MRE) for McDermitt accommodates a mixed indicated and inferred mineral useful resource stock of three billion tons at 1,340 elements per million (ppm) lithium for a complete of 21.5 million tons (Mt) lithium carbonate equal (LCE) at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade. At 21.5 Mt LCE, McDermitt is the most important lithium deposit within the US by contained lithium in mineral useful resource, and a globally vital useful resource, with the deposit remaining open to the west and south.
In June 2023, Jindalee commenced a pre-feasibility examine (PFS) on the McDermitt Lithium Undertaking appointing Fluor Company as lead engineer. The corporate expects completion of the PFS by mid-2024. Jindalee additionally introduced preliminary metallurgical outcomes from acid leaching of the beneficiated samples of McDermitt ore. Lithium extraction from composite samples averaged 93 p.c (250 micron (µm)) and 94 p.c (75 µm) whereas lithium extraction from all items exceeded 98 p.c with greater acid additions.
In a transfer that signifies the US authorities’s assist of the McDermitt lithium undertaking, the US Division of Power’s Ames Nationwide Laboratory signed a Cooperative Analysis and Improvement Settlement with Jindalee’s subsidiary HiTech Minerals to develop cutting-edge extraction strategies for the McDermitt undertaking. The Ames Nationwide Laboratory spearhead the DOE’s Important Supplies Innovation Hub
An skilled administration group, with the proper mix of expertise and experience in geology, company administration and worldwide finance, leads Jindalee to totally capitalise on the potential of its belongings.
The McDermitt Undertaking is positioned in Malheur County on the Oregon-Nevada border and is roughly 35 kilometres west of the city of McDermitt. The 100-percent-owned asset covers 54.6 sq. kilometres of claims on the northern finish of the McDermitt volcanic caldera. Following optimistic outcomes from its 2022 drill marketing campaign, the useful resource at McDermitt has elevated to 21.5 Mt LCE, making McDermitt the most important lithium deposit in North America.
Undertaking Highlights:
- Uncommon Sediment-hosted Lithium Deposits: The McDermitt asset helps low-cost mining operations because of its flat-lying sediments. One of these lithium deposit is amenable to low-cost mining operations, whereas nonetheless producing glorious metallurgical outcomes.
- Useful resource Elevated by 62 p.c early 2023: Compilation of the 2022 drilling outcomes noticed the estimated indicated and inferred sources at McDermitt improve to three billion tons at 1,340 ppm lithium, a 62 p.c improve in contained lithium. The up to date useful resource launched by the corporate accommodates a mixed indicated and inferred complete of 21.5 Mt LCE at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade.
- Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with POSCO Holdings: Jindalee entered into an MOU with POSCO Holdings (NYSE:PKX), beneath which POSCO will fund metallurgical testwork on McDermitt ore and undertake joint analysis for the asset. POSCO is partnering with Normal Motors to provide cathode energetic materials (together with lithium) for its electrical autos.
- Fluor really useful processing route: In March 2023, US engineering group Fluor reviewed all testwork undertaken at McDermitt and really useful beneficiation and acid leaching because the optimum processing route.
- Extremely encouraging metallurgical testwork: Outcomes from beneficiation and acid leaching checks have exceeded expectations. Beneficiation testwork accomplished in late 2023 (on pattern representing a nominal life-of-mine common feed) recovered 92 p.c of the lithium to leach feed and rejected 25.3 p.c of the mass at a lower dimension of 250 µm. Moreover the acid leach take a look at work introduced in early 2024 demonstrated very excessive lithium extraction charges on beneficiated ore. Particularly, the calculated lithium extraction for a composite pattern utilizing 250 µm leach feed was 92.9 p.c which compares favourably with the extraction price (94 p.c) achieved by testwork from the finer (75 µm) leach feed utilizing 500 kg/t acid. Additional testwork is now underway.
- PFS in progress: Jindalee has appointed Fluor Company to begin the PFS for McDermitt, set to be accomplished by mid-2024.
Administration Group
Ian Rodger – Chief Govt Officer
Ian Rodger is a professional mining enterprise govt with nearly 15 years of expertise in numerous roles together with as a mining engineer for Rio Tinto throughout two massive greenfield mine developments, earlier than efficiently transitioning into mining company finance the place he held Govt and Director positions at RFC Ambrian overseeing origination and administration of quite a few mandates throughout a variety of company advisory roles. Rodger was the undertaking director for Oz Minerals (ASX:OZL) the place he made vital contributions to efficiently outline the worth potential of the West Musgrave nickel/copper province by the supply of a portfolio of development research. Most notably, he led technical, market and partnership growth workstreams, efficiently confirming worth potential for producing an intermediate Nickel product for the battery worth chain.
Rodger holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering from the College of Queensland, a Masters of Mineral Economics from Curtin College and can also be a graduate of the Australian Institute of Firm Administrators and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Lindsay Dudfield – Govt Director
Lindsay Dudfield is a geologist with over 40 years of expertise in multi-commodity exploration, primarily inside Australia. He held senior positions with the mineral divisions of Amoco and Exxon. In 1987, he turned a founding director of Dalrymple Sources NL and spent the next eight years serving to purchase and discover Dalrymple’s properties, resulting in a number of greenfield discoveries. In late 1994, Lindsay joined the board of Horizon Mining NL (Jindalee Lithium’s predecessor) and has been accountable for managing Jindalee Lithium since inception. Lindsay is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Geological Society of Australia and the Society of Financial Geologists. He’s additionally a non-executive director of Jindalee spin-out firms Power Metals (ASX:EME), Dynamic Metals (ASX:DYM) and Alchemy Sources (ASX:ALY).
Wayne Zekulich – Non-executive Chair
Wayne Zekulich was appointed to the board as Chair on 1 February 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Enterprise and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Zekulich is a guide and non-executive director who has substantial expertise in advising, structuring and financing transactions within the infrastructure and sources sectors. He was beforehand the top of Rothschild in Perth, chief monetary officer of Gindalbie Metals Restricted, chief growth officer of Oakajee Port and Rail and a guide to a worldwide funding financial institution. At present, he’s chair of Pantoro Restricted (ASX:PNR) and non-executive director of the Western Australian Treasury Company. Within the not-for-profit sector, he’s the previous chair of the Lester Prize and is a mentor within the Kilfinan program.
Darren Wates – Non-executive Director
Darren Wates is a company lawyer with over 23 years of expertise in fairness capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, sources, undertaking acquisitions/divestments and company governance gained by non-public apply and in-house roles in Western Australia. Wates is the founder and principal of Corpex Authorized, a Perth-based authorized apply offering company, business and sources associated authorized providers, primarily to small and mid-cap ASX listed firms. On this position, he has supplied consulting basic counsel providers to ASX listed firm Neometals (ASX:NMT) since 2016, having beforehand been employed as authorized counsel of Neometals. Wates holds Bachelor’s levels in Legislation and Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Utilized Finance and Funding.
Paul Brown – Non-executive Director
Paul Brown has over 23 years of expertise within the mining trade, most just lately with Mineral Sources (ASX:MIN) the place he was chief govt – lithium, and chief govt – commodities. Brown has held senior working roles with Leighton, HWE and Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and has a powerful observe document in technical management, undertaking/research administration, and mine planning and administration. Brown is at present CEO of Hastings Expertise Metals (ASX:HAS). He holds a Grasp in Mine Engineering.
Brett Marsh – VP Geology and Improvement (US)
Brett Marsh is an AIPG licensed skilled geologist and a registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) with over 25 years of numerous mining and geological expertise. He has labored for and held senior management roles for Kastan Mining, Luna Gold, Kiska Metals, Newmont, Freeport-McMoRan, Phelps Dodge, ASARCO and consulted to ship quite a few NI 43-101 technical reviews. Marsh has demonstrated the flexibility to ship leads to culturally numerous and geographically tough environments, reminiscent of Brazil, Peru, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Indonesia, Australia, and has additionally labored in distant areas of Alaska. He has managed all phases of the mining lifecycle together with greenfield and brownfield exploration, undertaking growth (together with preliminary financial assessments, pre-feasibility and feasibility), undertaking development, mine operations, and environmental. He efficiently led multi-cultural groups to develop enterprise processes and implementation plans for a lot of mine growth and operational tasks.
Carly Terzanidis – Firm Secretary
Carly Terzanidis has 20 years of prior expertise within the monetary providers trade, having been employed by Euroz Hartleys, DJ Carmichael and Shaw and Companions. Terzanidis’ latest expertise has been in company providers and within the position of firm secretary for resources-focused entities. Terzanidis acts as firm secretary for Alchemy Sources (ASX:ALY), Kalamazoo Sources (ASX:KZR) and Viridis Mining and Minerals (ASX:VMM). Terzanidis holds a Bachelor of Commerce with majors in Accounting and Company Administration and a Graduate Diploma in Utilized Company Governance.
