Ken Brinsden

In the Lithium business it can be very profitable to own a mine, however, turning that Lithium into battery grade chemicals, commonly known as downstream processing, can be even more lucrative. Market darling Pilbara Minerals have given a hint of their medium term strategy after signing an MOU to move into the Lithium downstream processing business with the Chinese. 

Pilbara Minerals have more than doubled their ore reserves at Pilgangoora in WA, paving the way for the world’s biggest lithium project to get even bigger. A 136% increase in reserves has more than doubled the life of the planned mine to 35 years and prompted studies to double output after mining begins in late 2017.

Getting along with your neighbours is always good policy, especially in the mining game when you have common tenements sitting on the same ore body. Pilbara Minerals and Altura Mining have led the way at Pilgangoora in the north west of W.A with a new agreement to share infrastructure and support each others tenure. 

The global Lithium industry will be sitting on the edge of their chairs later this month when Pilbara Minerals tells the market just how much money you can make out of the largest reported Lithium resource in the world. The company has flagged the impending release of their highly anticipated definitive feasibility study into the giant Pilgangoora Lithium project in the north of W.A.

Well its official – Lithium mining is very lucrative and the hype surrounding the industry is real and justified. Pilbara Minerals had the market sitting upright with eyes and ears at the ready this week when they released their stunning financial projections for what could be the world’s largest Lithium mine just 100km south of Port Hedland in W.A.

If Lithium is the new iron ore for W.A, then Pilbara Minerals are potentially the new Rio Tinto. The company is already sitting on arguably the largest Lithium resource in the world and they have just dramatically expanded their footprint in the Pilgangoora lithium district by paying $8m for Dakota Minerals' neighboring Lynas Find project covering 268 sq km's. 

You know you're onto something when you cant even find a spot to build your mine because you keep discovering more Lithium under areas designated for mining infrastructure. Such is the predicament of Pilbara Minerals who are strugging to find a non-mineralized spot to build their mine.

Pilbara Minerals have snapped up the 300-person Roy Hill Rail Camp in a deal that symbolises the emergence of Lithium as the new iron ore of the Pilbara. The camp is surplus to Roy Hill’s needs and located only 90km south of the Pilgangoora Lithium project which means capital cost savings for Pilbara Minerals and a terrific boost to plans to fast-track development.

In a sure fire sign that the Chinese are becoming insatiable for our Lithium and will take it any way they can get it, Pilbara Minerals have signed a deal with a Chinese Lithium Carbonate manufacturer to supply direct shipping ore straight out of their Pilgangoora mine near Port Hedland without it even being processed - and the Chinese will pre-pay $10m for the privilege. 

Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora Lithium deposit is growing like topsy, with the ASX-listed Lithium developer flagging another reserve upgrade after releasing exceptional results from the latest drilling program. The looming upgrade, would strengthen Pilbara Minerals’ case for doubling mine throughout and dramatically improving the economics of an already lucrative project.

Pilbara Minerals’ rapid rise reached a key milestone this week with the start of earthworks at Pilgangoora, one of the world’s largest Lithium development projects. The news coincided with the company’s AGM where shareholders were told how their company had achieved remarkable growth from a market cap of just $11 million two years ago to $700 million today.

Mineral explorers often stumble over approvals when it comes to getting into development. Pilbara Minerals however are showing how it’s done with news of several key approvals, including an all-important Native Title agreement this week for their giant Pilgangoora Lithium mine. Project permiting is expected in Q1 2017 with first ore shipped by July 2017.

Pilbara Minerals have blazed a trail from exploration to Jorc Resource to feasibility study to the letting of an engineering contract this week in a remarkable text book example of how to make money from mining quickly. This week the company announced they have awarded RCR Tomlinson the $138m contract to build their giant Pilgangoora Lithium mine near Port Hedland. 

Pilbara Minerals’ Lithium deposit at Pilgangoora has increased in size yet again after more drilling success and the acquisition of the neighbouring Lynas Find deposit. The Pilgangoora project near Port Hedland is now firmly established as one of the world’s largest hard rock Lithium deposits and is on track to become a globally significant producer this year.

Investors rarely get interested in metallurgical flowsheets, but they should make an exception by taking a closer look at some exciting news out of Pilbara Minerals recently. The developer of the Pilgangoora Lithium project told the market that pilot plant trials had exceeded expectations by up to 23% which should look good when translated to the bottom line. 

In an era where major resource developments can take decades to get into production, Pilbara Minerals are defying all odds at their world-class Pilgangoora Lithium project near Port Hedland. The company announced this week they had cleared a key environmental hurdle and were now awaiting just one more bureaucratic sign-off before full-scale construction begins.

Pilbara Minerals’ giant Pilgangoora Lithium deposit just keeps getting better, with 10 tonnes of bulk samples from the Central pit area returning an average grade of more than 2% Lithium. The news of exceptional in-situ grades comes as Pilbara finalises a direct shipping offtake agreement and a mining proposal for a 2Mtpa development.

Pilbara Minerals now have offtake deals for 100% of Pilgangoora production, with a serious Chinese Lithium player committing to more than half of the project’s output for the next 10 years. Pilbara’s share price soared on news of the deal with Ganfeng Lithium, which has also promised at least $20m in funding support.

Pilbara Minerals have received WA Government approval for the Pilgangoora Lithium-Tantalum project, clearing the way for construction of the world’s next major Lithium supplier near Port Hedland. The company also hinted that news about project financing was imminent, which was widely expected after last week’s announcement of a major off-take agreement being struck.

A mix of local and international financial institutions have lined up for a piece of a $132 million bond issue by Pilbara Minerals, which has paved the way for the start of major site works at the giant Pilgangoora Lithium project near Port Hedland. Pilgangoora will be one of the largest Lithium mines in the world when built. 

Fresh from last week’s A$132 million bond issue, Pilbara Minerals have raised another A$80 million to finalise funding for the giant Pilgangoora Lithium development near Port Hedland. One of the world’s largest proposed lithium developments right here in W.A now looks unstoppable.

Pilbara Minerals’ Pilgangoora Lithium project has received the ultimate accolade in the form of a $20m investment by the Federal Government’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The Government finance agency emerged recently as one of several institutional investors in Pilbara’s A$130 million bond issue.

Pilbara Minerals are studying the potential for an even larger future expansion at Pilgangoora after new success with the drill bit produced a 15% increase in Lithium reserves. The company now have enough ore to mine for 40 years at stage 1 production levels of 2Mtpa and are looking to boost the stage 2 expansion to 5Mtpa.

Pilbara Minerals are on the verge of cash flow from the massive Pilgangoora Lithium mine after awarding a contract to MACA to commence mining. Lithium prices have soared since Pilbara predicted the mine would make $121m a year and possibly up to $245m a year if they can expand mine throughput from 2mt a year to 4mt a year. The project boasts 156m tonnes grading 1.25% Lithium Oxide.

With Stage 1 of the giant Pilgangoora Lithium mine racing ahead, Pilbara Minerals has stepped up work on expansion plans that could make the project the world’s largest Lithium mine. The ASX-listed Lithium developer yesterday announced it had awarded further key contracts, including power generation and was reworking its expansion plans to boost Stage 2 capacity from 4Mtpa to 5Mtpa.

Pilbara Minerals look set to become the world’s first Lithium producer with a direct investment by a global carmaker under an innovative equity, offtake and debt financing deal with China's Great Wall Motors. The deal will help underpin the Stage 2 expansion to 5Mtpa and could be the first of similar deals by global carmakers to secure Lithium supply for their rapidly expanding electric vehicle divisions.

Pilbara Minerals have received their final environmental approval from the WA Government to build and operate the massive Pilgangoora Lithium project in the Pilbara. The move clears the way for completion of construction and first production by Q2 2018. Pilbara also passed another milestone this week by achieving financial close on their US$100m bond issue, a key component of the project financing.