The document discusses the changing global availability of lithium. It notes that world lithium reserves are estimated at 12.6 million tonnes and resources at 32.5 million tonnes. Forecasted global lithium demand is expected to grow from 134,672 tonnes in 2010 to 190,500 tonnes in 2015 and 254,300 tonnes in 2020. Several new lithium mining and production projects are under development that could help meet this increasing demand if brought online successfully. The long-term outlook for sufficient lithium supply depends on the ability of both existing and new projects to ramp up production levels to satisfy cumulative demand growth.
14. Announced LCE Capacity Rises (‘000 tpa)*SQM will also increase capacity but not yet announced
15. Near Projects in Development Company Start Location Plan capacity* Galaxy Resources 2011 Aus/China 17k Orocobre 2012 Argentina 15k Canada Lithium 2012 Quebec 19k Western Lithium 2014 Nevada 27k Lithium Americas 2014 Argentina 15k Total 93k tpa LCE *Company published LCE annual capacity By 2012 Talison’sGreenbushes, WA capacity will equal 2010 world demand: 110k tpa LCE Reserves: 9.6m. te 3.9% Li20 (920k LCE) M&I Resources: 22.0m te 3.7% Li20 (2m LCE) Capacity: 315k tpa concentrates (47k LCE) going to 740k tpa(110k LCE) June 2012 Li2CO3 plant: Undertaking engineering & location studies for Li2CO3 plant & targeting first stage 20ktpa fiscal 2015 with a second 20ktpa stage to follow. Total: 40,000 tpa Courtesy: Talison Lithium, Greenbushes, WA
17. SQM’s final LiCl evaporation pond In 2010 the brine volume (2,700 ppm Li) pumped to produce 1.5m tonnes of potash contained such a large volume of lithium in excess of the 44k tpa LCE capacity that 400k tonnes LCE were reinjected into the aquifer.
18. Emerging & Advanced Projects Brines Mines Rincon Lithium 2010 Galaxy Resources 2010 Orocobre2012 Reed Resources 2011 Albemarle 2012 Canada Lithium 2012 Lithium Americas 2014Nemaska Exploration 2013 Lithium One 2014 Western Lithium 2014 POSCO 2014 Rodinia2015 International Li 2016Rio Tinto 2016 Plus other projects further out------and------China?
23. Project initiated 2002 by Equity-1 Resources morphed into Admiralty Resources 2004 and developed project to envisaged 17,000 tpa Li2CO3 2007 starting mid-2008.
60. PEA Q1 2012 for 10-15ktpa LCE start 2015Esmeralda Co, Clayton Valley, Nevada, USA: 29,275 ha Ratones & Centenario, Salta, Argentina: 1,282 ha Salinas Grandes, Jujuy, Argentina: 4,500 ha
104. Lithium Resources in China Continental Brines: One in Tibet, two in Qinghai: Remote west Hard Rock: Four in Sichuan, two in Jiangxi, one in Hunan Mineral Conversion: Ten companies 2011 capacity: 52.5k LCE Sichuan Tianqi, Xinjiang Lithium Salt, Ganfeng Lithium, Sichuan Ni&CoGuorun are the majors now being joined by Galaxy Resources at Zhangjiagang, Shanghai (17k tpa LCE) External reliance: Spodumene imports from Australia, partnering new resource development in Canada (Tianqi/Nemaska) & Argentina (Internat’l Lithium/Ganfeng) High altitude, high magnesium, remoteness & robust growth in traditional lithium mineral uses especially glass/now battery
105. Other projects further out Simbol Materials, S California KGRA, Geo brines Bollore-Eramet: Minera Santa Rita, Argentina Salares Lithium Inc, Salares 7, Atacama RIII East Coast Minerals: Austria Li3 Energy, Salar de Maricunga, Chile American Lithium Minerals, Borate Hills, NV, USA Perilya Canada, Moblan, QC, Canada (Globestar) Rock Tech Lithium, Georgia Lake, ON, Canada And many more: see LAWM June 2011
118. Buyers support supply diversification allowing several only to enter at low occupacity levels restraining prices and slowing project development
119. Market volume growth to 2020 too slow causes project delays, shelving, abandonment.
120. Market volume growth to 2100 requires all projects (except seawater) to meet cumulative demand of 20m. tonnes Li -- 50% of broad based reserves of over 39m. tonnes (LAWM 2009) just covers need for double demand levels to cover extraction losses (Miller, Ford Motor Co. 2011).