Nigel Ferguson

AVZ Minerals has delivered a dazzling DFS for its Manono lithium-tin project in the Democratic Republic of Congo that dwarfs pretty much every lithium project in WA. A DFS tabled this week on the project shows the project pumping out a stunning AUD$600m a year in EBITDA for at least the next 20 years based on today’s USD conversion. The company is now in advanced discussions with international debt providers.

With an estimated A$600m a year in annual EBITDA, the economics at AVZ Minerals’ giant Manono lithium project in the DRC don’t need much turbo-charging, but that is exactly what the Perth-based, ASX-listed company is planning to do after it managed to produce separate, very high grade tin and tantalum concentrates in test work using traditional low cost processing equipment.

Chinese lithium giant Yibin Tianyi will take up a 9 per cent stake in AVZ Minerals by ploughing AUD$10.6M into a 4.5c a share placement. AVZ has also entered into an underwriting agreement to exercise listed options, potentially raising another AUD$5.3M after it tabled a stellar DFS on its giant Manono lithium project in the DRC.

In a sign that it is nearing the pointy end of development, AVZ Minerals has tested the market by calling for pre-mining tender submissions at its massive Manono lithium project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The tenders are for infrastructure estimated to be worth USD$300m at Manono that boasts a gigantic 400 million tonne resource grading 1.65 per cent Li2O.

ASX-listed lithium hopeful, AVZ Minerals, says it is knee-deep in negotiations with potential offtake partners and debt financing providers to breathe life into the staged, US$545 million development of its Manono open-pit lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that boasts one of the largest hard-rock lithium deposits on the planet.

ASX-listed lithium developer, AVZ Minerals, has agreed to buy out its junior partner’s 10 per cent stake in the massive Manono lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo for $15.5 million. AVZ will now move to 75 per cent ownership of the project and it is currently advancing discussions with potential debt providers and offtake partners for the proposed US$545 million project development.

ASX-listed equatorial Africa lithium hopeful, AVZ Minerals, has finally made solid headway in its efforts to set up a Special Economic Zone agreement inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo. If ratified, the agreement would enshrine significant tax concessions to the company in relation to its 75 per cent owned Manono lithium and tin project in the DRC.

AVZ Minerals will end 2020 on a high-note after locking in a 5-year offtake deal with China’s largest lithium compound producer, Ganfeng Lithium. The coup will see Ganfeng purchase up to 160,000 tonnes of spodumene concentrate per annum from AVZ’s world-class Manono lithium-tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The deal sees AVZ clear yet another hurdle on its development pathway as Manono edges ever closer to production.

AVZ Minerals has taken another decisive step towards production, with the company’s metallurgical test work successfully generating a high-purity lithium sulphate product for potential use in the production of lithium-ion batteries. The current testing program forms a key part of the development program over its Manono lithium-tin project in the central Africa, which is also assessing the viability of downstream processing at the evolving operation.

AVZ Minerals has received a ringing endorsement of its green credentials, with an independent study of the company’s developing Manono lithium operation in Africa suggesting the aspiring producer may boast one of the lowest carbon footprints of any hard rock lithium mine in the world. The company’s proposed minimisation and offset program may result in close to zero greenhouse gas emissions.

AVZ Minerals is set to expand its lithium resource at its Manono project in the DRC with drilling below the current pit floor delivering an incredible 279.2 metre intercept grading 1.45 per cent lithium oxide from only 24.06m down-hole. With lithium companies currently enjoying a resurgence, AVZ continues to show that it may well have the biggest and best undeveloped lithium deposit in the world today.

AVZ Minerals’ resource drill out continues to impress with broad drill intersections of pegmatite discovered in the Roche Dure pit floor at the company’s massive Manono lithium and tin project in the DRC. AVZ says the project will spit out an incredible US$400 million a year in average EBITDA when fully developed. The most notable new intersection came in at 173m grading 1.63 per cent lithium oxide.

Central African lithium hopeful, AVZ Minerals has taken a significant step towards the ultimate development of its massive Manono lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this week awarding a front-end engineering and design study contract to Melbourne-based engineering firm Mincore. AVZ says the study will also contain a project execution schedule for the proposed US$545 million development of Manono.

AVZ Minerals continues to kick goals at its Manono lithium project in Africa with recent drilling to facilitate ground-water monitoring returning wide intercepts of high-grade lithium mineralisation, extending the known ore envelope an additional 90 metres beyond the current pit design. New drill intercepts include a stunning 98.0m grading 1.79 per cent lithium oxide and 1,174 parts per million tin from only 2m down-hole.

ASX-listed AVZ Minerals has nailed down a second offtake contract with a major Chinese lithium outfit – its second in less than three months. The aspiring central African lithium developer has struck a binding agreement with new offtake partner, Shenzhen Chengxin Lithium Group for the supply of spodumene concentrate from AVZ’s mammoth Manono lithium-tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

AVZ Minerals has locked in yet another offtake partner relating to its proposed Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Perth-based company says it has struck a binding three-year offtake contract for the sale of 600 tonnes of tin concentrate per annum from the Manono project to Kalon Resources, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-headquartered Noble Group Holdings.

ASX-listed aspiring central African lithium developer, AVZ Minerals continues to attract offtake partners at its proposed Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Perth-based company has entered into a binding lithium offtake agreement for the sale of spodumene concentrate from Manono to another Chinese group, Yibin Tianyi Lithium Industry Co.

Aspiring Central African lithium developer, AVZ Minerals’ resource drill out has reeled off a further batch of stunning broad pegmatite drill hits from beneath the Roche Dure open-pit floor at its Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The company says it has now kicked off an update of the existing mineral resource estimate for the massive Roche Dure deposit.

AVZ Minerals hopes to have a key precursor to the planned development of its Manono hard-rock lithium and tin mining and processing operation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ratified by the end of May. The new DRC Government will shortly consider applying a proposed tax and fiscal incentive arrangement called the “Manono Special Economic Zone” to the project following AVZ’s presentation to a government delegation last month.

AVZ Minerals continues to make giant strides towards its goal of becoming a significant lithium producer in central Africa, this week securing approval for a draft “Cooperation Agreement” with the newly installed government in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The accord opens the door for the establishment of a Special Economic Zone to assist in bringing the world class Manono project into production.

ASX-listed central Africa lithium hopeful, AVZ Minerals has lodged the all-important mining licence application for its proposed Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Perth-based company says the DRC Government now has all the required documentation to support its application.

AVZ Minerals has extended the massive mineral resource for the cornerstone Roche Dure deposit at its proposed Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The deposit now has an estimated overall resource of 401 million tonnes at average grades of 1.65 per cent lithium oxide, 752ppm tin and 34ppm tantalum for 6.64 million tonnes of contained lithium oxide.

AVZ Minerals has locked in a long-term lease over an industrial site earmarked as an integral logistics hub for the transfer of concentrate for export from its proposed Manono hard-rock lithium project in the DRC. The company says the Kabondo Dianda “intermodal staging station”, where the Manono concentrate will be trucked, forms part of its logistics plan to export finished products to global markets.

ASX-listed aspiring central Africa lithium developer AVZ Minerals has poured $40 million into its coffers via a “heavily oversubscribed” capital raise, paving the way for the company to increase its ownership stake in its flagship Manono lithium and tin project in the DRC to 75 per cent. Funds from the share placement will also help advance early project capital works.

AVZ Minerals has unveiled a 41.6 per cent increase in the proved and probable ore reserves for the centrepiece Roche Dure deposit at its monster Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project in the DRC. Reserves now stand at 131.7Mt at average grades of 1.63 per cent lithium oxide and 990 g/t tin, up from 93Mt at 1.58 per cent lithium oxide and 988 g/t tin.

Central Africa lithium developer AVZ Minerals hopes to secure an all-important mining licence for its advancing flagship Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project in the DRC in the not-too-distant future as it builds relationships with the newly formed Congolese Government. The company says some timelines for regulatory approvals have been prolonged due to the change in the country’s government earlier this year.

ASX-listed central African lithium developer AVZ Minerals has completed four diamond drill holes on the Carriere de l’Este prospect at its flagship Manono hard-rock lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Intercepts grading up to 2.49 per cent lithium oxide have extended the known lithium and tin mineralisation over an impressive strike length of 1.2km.

Perth-based AVZ Minerals is set to have all required permits and licences approved by the Democratic Republic of Congo government in the coming weeks at its flagship Manono hard rock lithium and tin project. Final approval of the mining licence is due to follow propelling the company to the cusp of reaching bankable status amid intense global interest and the background of a green battery revolution.

AVZ Minerals has locked down US$400 million in funding, a new off-take partner and Chinese backers with very deep pockets and an intimate understanding of lithium battery manufacturing. It looks like it’s game on now for AVZ’s extraordinary Manono lithium project in the DRC after Suzhou CATH Energy Technologies agreed to pick up 24 per cent of the project for US$240 million and also stump up its share of the project’s CAPEX.

AVZ Minerals has joined the newly established DRC Battery Council creating a strategic opportunity to promote battery, electric vehicle and renewable energy sector development in the DRC and Africa. AVZ was the only aspiring mining company invited to join the DRC Battery Council that is presided over by influential leaders including the President of the DRC.

AVZ Minerals has locked in $75 million from tier 1 global institutions in a heavily oversubscribed capital raise. The company issued 150,000,000 shares at $0.50 per share to fund the commencement of site works. A definitive feasibility study for the monster Manono lithium and tin project turned out a robust set numbers with a final investment decision expected to follow the approval of a mining license.

Congolese focused battery metals explorer, AVZ Minerals, is now a dual listed company after its shares commenced trading on the United States OTCQX financial market. The company says the listing will help it capitalise on growing US interest in its majority-owned Manono lithium and tin project. OTCQX is the world’s largest market for over-the-counter securities.

Battery metals developer AVZ Minerals is set to plough $25 million into an early works program and exploration drilling campaign at its Manono lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Central Africa. The outlay follows a $75 million cash injection from a heavily oversubscribed capital raise and aims to fund the company’s shift to lithium production.

AVZ Minerals has announced the expeditated completion of a US$240m cornerstone investment from Chinese operator Suzhou CATH Energy Technologies for its Manono lithium-tin project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. According to the company the agreement provides certainty of funding to progress the venture, pending the award of a mining licence and collaboration development agreement from the local government.

The Democratic Republic of Congo Minister of Mines has signed a ministerial decree to award a mining licence to AVZ Minerals and its flagship lithium and tin deposit – hailed as one of the largest undeveloped hard rock lithium deposits in the world. The inking of the decree was the last of the procedural hurdles ahead of the official award of the licence the junior explorer so eagerly awaits.

AVZ Minerals has completed eight more extensional diamond drill holes at the company’s Manono lithium project in Democratic Republic of the Congo as it looks to significantly increase its lithium resources and reserves. The eight holes constitute about a tenth of the total metres planned in the ongoing 15,000m program at the project’s Roche Dure deposit with 40 more holes at a minimum depth of 200m to follow.

AVZ Minerals continues to record impressive assays from its Manono lithium and tin project in the Democratic Republic of Congo including a whopping 113m hit at 1.79 per cent lithium from 65.1m. The massive intercept was from one of four diamond drill holes sunk into the company’s Roche Dure north-east extension and also included 860 parts-per-million tin in addition to a higher grade zone with a 36m section going 2.06 per cent lithium and 887ppm tin from 141m.

AVZ Minerals has unveiled a monster lithium hit, with credible tin additions, from five holes in a wider 54-hole drilling campaign at its Manono project in the Congo. Headline results include 308m at 1.53 per cent lithium oxide and 731ppm tin from 22.5m, with another 176.3m grading 1.67 per cent lithium oxide and 898ppm tin from 23.7m.

AVZ Minerals has laid claim to having the world’s biggest hard-rock lithium deposit after pumping up the resource at its Manono play in the DRC to a whopping 574 million tonnes at 1.63 per cent lithium oxide. It comes on the back of tabling a maiden resource for its Carrière de L’Este pegmatite of 173 million tonnes at 1.58 per cent lithium oxide.

AVZ Minerals has increased the resource at its Manono project in the Democratic Republic of Congo to an extraordinary 842 million tonnes at 1.61 per cent lithium oxide, representing a massive 47 per cent rise. The remarkable resource expansion comes after the company generated results from a 53-hole diamond drill campaign across 15,684m along strike from known mineralisation at its Roche Dure deposit.