Name of the Project
Sonora lithium project.
Location
Mexico.
Client
Bacanora Minerals.
Project Description
Sonora is one of the world’s larger known clay lithium deposits.
It has an indicated mineral resource estimate of five-million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) and an inferred mineral resource of 3.9-million tonnes of LCE.
The project involves the development of a mine and lithium carbonate (Li2CO3) processing facility.
A prefeasibility study (PFS) has highlighted the strong economic potential of producing up to 35 000 t/y of battery-grade Li2CO3.
In addition, Sonora has the potential to produce up to 50 000 t/y of potassium sulphate for sale to the fertiliser industry. The PFS envisages an openpit operation using conventional truck-and-shovel mining methods.
Hydraulic excavators and haul trucks, as well as an ancillary fleet of dozers, graders and water trucks, will be used for the mine operation.
For the Stage 1 and Stage 2 mining design, 50-million tonnes of ore, at a grade of 3 525 parts per million (ppm) of lithium and 1.49% potassium, with a stripping ratio of 3.1:1, will be mined over the initial 20-year mine life.
The processing plant design comprises a preconcentration stage involving scrubbers, hydrocyclones and reverse flotation to produce an initial concentrate prior to roasting.
The integrated plant has been designed to initially process 1.4-million tonnes of ore a year during the first two years of the project, subsequently increasing to about 2.7-million tonnes a year after Year 3.
The plant design also includes a circuit to produce 50 000 t/y of commercial-grade potassium sulphate through a series of evaporation, precipitation, filtration and packaging stages.
Potential Job Creation
Not stated.
Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The PFS estimates a pretax internal rate of return of 29% (post-tax 25%) and an associated net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $776-million (post-tax $542-million).
Value
Stage 1 has an initial capital cost of $240-million.
Stage 2 has a capital cost of $177.1-million.
Duration
The PFS estimates project commissioning to take place in the final quarter of the 2018 calendar year.
Latest Developments
Mexico’s Environmental Ministry has approved a 35 000 t/y lithium carbonate operation at Sonora.
The approval is a major milestone for Bacanora.
“One-by-one, we are ticking off our checklist ahead of our goal of developing Sonora into a world-class lithium operation. Our work to date has already established Sonora as a large and scalable project; while our pilot plant at Sonora has been producing battery-grade lithium carbonate on a continuous basis for the past 18 months,” CEO Peter Secker has said.
This has served to prove the detailed flowsheet and metallurgical process that will be deployed at the project, and has also helped to secure Hanwa as a strategic and offtake partner for up to 100% of production he has added.
Bacanora is completing a feasibility study for the project, which will be published before year-end.
Key Contracts and Suppliers
Ausenco Engineers (process engineering for DFS), SRK Consulting (mineral resource estimate) and International Mining Consultants (reserve estimate and planning).
On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Bacanora Minerals, tel +1 403 237 6122, fax +1 403 237 6144 or email info@bacanoraminerals.com.