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  • Pages
  • Editions
01 Cover
02 Welcome Letter / Sections
03 Article & Interview Directory
04 Section 1: Introduction
05 An Evolving Constitutional Landscape
06 Chile Ministry of Mining Interview
07 Consejo Minero Interview
08 APRIMIN Interview
09 Expert Opinion Article: Francisco Acuña, CRU
10 Expert Insights: Chile’s Evolving Sociopolitical Landscape
11 ESG & Renewable Energy
12 ICMM Interview
13 Aggreko Interview
14 Mining Investment Climate
15 Appian Capital Advisory Interview
16 Expert Insights: Attracting Sustainable Investment
17 Section 2: Production & Development
18 Copper Production & Development
19 BHP Interview
20 Antofagasta PLC Interview
21 Freeport McMoRan Interview
22 Teck Resources Limited Interview
23 Amerigo Resources Interview
24 Precious Metals
25 Kinross Interview
26 Rio2 Limited Interview
27 Lithium
28 SQM Interview
29 Albemarle Interview
30 Section 3: Junior Exploration
31 Study-stage Copper Projects
32 Expert Insights: Chile's Junior Exploration Community
33 World Copper Limited Interview
34 Early-stage Opportunities
35 ATEX Resources Interview
36 Torq Resources Interview
37 Pampa Metals Interview
38 VerAI Discoveries Interview
39 Lithium Exploration and Development
40 Lithium Chile Interview
41 Wealth Minerals Interview
42 Monumental Minerals Interview
43 Section 4: Engineering, Construction & Consultancies
44 Engineering & Consultancies
45 Water and the Environment
46 JRI Interview
47 Wood Interview
48 SRK Consulting Interview
49 Construction & Contractors
50 Sigdo Koppers Interview
51 Züblin Strabag Interview
52 Echeverría Izquierdo Interview
53 Thiess Interview
54 Going Underground
55 Master Drilling Interview
56 Robbins Interview
57 INCIMMET Interview
58 Section 5: Equipment & Technology
59 The Evolution of Mining Equipment
60 Scania Interview
61 Expert Insights: OEMs on Sustainability and Innovation
62 Comminution & Material Handling
63 Metso Outotec Interview
64 ME Elecmetal Interview
65 TAKRAF Interview
66 Haver & Boecker Interview
67 Innovation & Technology
68 Hexagon Interview
69 DSI Underground Interview
70 Dingo Interview
71 Pipes, Valves, Components & Wear Protection
72 Hofmann Engineering Interview
73 Expert Insights: The Benefits of AI and Automation
74 Section 6: Services
75 Drilling & Blasting
76 Geotec Boyles Bros Interview
77 Enaex Interview
78 Services
79 SGS Interview
80 Section 7: Sponsored Company Profiles
81 FreePort-McMoRan Profile
82 Rio2 Company Profile
83 Lithium Chile Profile
84 Metso Outotec Company Profile
85 SGS Company Profile
86 Credits

Steve Cochrane, President & CEO,

LITHIUM CHILE

“The government has spoken about creating a national lithium company, with the goal of partnering up with private sector companies to jointly advance lithium projects in Chile. This would be a far better, more transparent pathway to co-develop Chile’s lithium assets rather than the current regulatory environment.”

Can you provide a brief overview of Lithium Chile’s portfolio of projects in Chile?

We currently have 11 projects in Chile, covering approximately 80,000 hectares. Our Laguna Blanca asset is JV’d with Monumental Minerals in Vancouver, who have the option to acquire 75% of the project.

We have a couple of major projects we are keeping to ourselves including Coipasa, the second largest salar in the world. Approximately 80% of Coipasa is on the Bolivian side and 20% on the Chilean side, and we control approximately 67% of the property on the Chilean side.

What progress has the company made with its Argentinian assets and what are your plans for 2022?

The Argentinian environment for lithium mining development is more favorable and less regulated than in Chile due to the provinces controlling their resources and wanting to develop revenue streams for the benefit of their citizens. The Salta province of northwest Argentina, where our Arizaro project is located, has been most proactive in promoting the development of their lithium assets.

We were introduced to the Galli family who have extensive experience in all aspects of lithium exploration and have a great asset in the heart of Salar de Arizaro, the fourth biggest salar in the world. We entered into a JV with SMG S.R.L. in April 2021, where we committed to a drilling campaign. Previously, an exploration well had been drilled which identified a lower aquifer showing a deposit with grades between 500 to 600 mg/l of lithium. We agreed on drilling a pump test well into that zone to evaluate the commerciality, and consequently drilled a 465 m production well and found a classic brine aquifer between approximately 320 - 452 m. Subsequent pump testing of that lower zone produced flow rates up to 50 liters/sec, some of the highest flow rates seen in Salta. Assay results from brines collected during that test showed lithium grades ranging from 250 mg/l to as high as 555 mg/l

In January 2022, we announced an initial 1.4 million t of lithium carbonate equivalent resource from our initial pump test well on Arizaro. For the rest of 2022, we have a seven well program designed to drill four exploration holes and three production wells to expand the extent and the size of the resource.

Can you give details of the recent C$34 million investment by Chengxin Lithium Group?

We are pleased to have Chengxin as a partner, who recently increased their stake in Lithium Chile from 5% to 19.86% via a private placement of 29,380,000 common shares of Lithium Chile at $0.95 Cdn for gross proceeds of C$27,911,000. The private placement, combined with Lithium Chiles current cash balance, gives the company working capital of C$43 million with no debt.

As the second largest lithium carbonate processor in China, Chengxin not only brings financial clout to Lithium Chile but their production and processing expertise will prove invaluable in advancing our Argentinian play on Arizaro.

What are your thoughts on the current discourse in Chile surrounding lithium?

The global media has portrayed the new government and reforms as being negative for the mining industry, however, people on the ground in Chile and the Ministry are keen on advancing the lithium industry. The government has spoken about creating a national lithium company, with the goal of partnering up with private sector companies to jointly advance lithium projects in Chile. This would be a far better, more transparent pathway to co-develop Chile’s lithium assets rather than the current regulatory environment.

Salta in Argentina is a fantastic jurisdiction, but prices are higher due to a shortage of rigs and skilled mining professionals, and from a value/investment standpoint Chile provides great opportunities that have not yet seen explosive demand.

What do you think makes Lithium Chile an attractive proposition?

The optionality Lithium Chile has is second to none as not many juniors have the combination of capital, strategic backing, and multiple lithium projects in two of the top global jurisdictions. We now have an initial resource at Arizaro in Argentina with medium-term goals to advance this asset from 1.4 million tons to 6 million tons. Finally, we have a number of JV opportunities to advance some of our Chilean projects and two major projects in Chile we intend to advance ourselves.

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