Piedmont Lithium (ASX:NASDAQ:PLL, OTC:PLLTL) Inc partner in the Ewoyaa Lithium Project in Ghana, West Africa, Atlantic Lithium Ltd (AIM:ALL, OTCQX:ALLIF, ASX:A11) has released a maiden feldspar mineral resource estimate (MRE) that is expected to further enhance the project’s economics.
Of the 15.7 million tonnes resource at 40.2% feldspar, 13.7 million tonnes, or 87%, is in the higher confidence measured and indicated JORC resource categories.
Feldspar is widely used in the ceramics industry and the hope is that Ewoyaa can become a major producer of domestic feldspar in Ghana to supply the local Ghanaian ceramics market.
The feldspar MRE is based on the same geological model that resulted in the 35.3 million tonnes at 1.25% lithium oxide resource for the project that includes 31.1% quartz and 11.7% muscovite, as additional potential by-products of spodumene concentrate production at Ewoyaa.
This maiden resource could see feldspar by-product credits included in future revisions of the Ewoyaa feasibility studies, believed to drive down operating costs and further enhance the value of the project.
The resource will be incorporated into the ongoing feldspar definitive feasibility study that’s being undertaken to assess the viability and prospective market conditions for the production of feldspar at Ewoyaa.
Ewoyaa, which was awarded a mining lease in October 2023, is being developed by Atlantic Lithium under a funding agreement with Piedmont.
“Potential major source of domestic feldspar”
Atlantic Lithium executive chairman Neil Herbert said: “Identified early on by the company as a by-product of spodumene concentrate production at Ewoyaa, the definition of the maiden feldspar MRE now confirms the project’s potential as a major source of domestic feldspar in Ghana, capable of delivering industry-standard saleable ware.
“Currently supplied only by small-scale mining operations, we intend to supply the feldspar into the local Ghanaian ceramics market. The feldspar MRE indicates Ewoyaa’s potential to meet and even surpass Ghana’s demand requirements, further demonstrating the significant contribution the project is expected to bring to Ghana.
“The Feldspar MRE is based on the same geological model that delivered the 35.3Mt MRE for the Project, as announced in February 2023, and incorporates approximately the first five years mine schedule, as outlined in the DFS. With 87% of the resource in the higher confidence Measured and Indicated categories, the Feldspar MRE represents a further significant de-risking and potentially value-enhancing milestone for the Project as we move closer towards construction.
“Currently, the economic outcomes indicated by the definitive feasibility study for the project do not consider the production of feldspar at Ewoyaa. The definition of the feldspar MRE, therefore, enables the inclusion of feldspar byproduct credits in future revisions of the project’s economics, offering the potential to further enhance the already impressive financial outcomes expected to be delivered at Ewoyaa.
“With only the first approximate five years of planned lithium production included in the feldspar MRE, there is significant potential to further grow the resource. The feldspar MRE will then be incorporated into the ongoing feldspar study which is evaluating the prospective market conditions and viability of producing feldspar at the project. Results of the feldspar study are expected in Q1 2024.
“Initial feldspar quality test work has delivered good quality vitreous hotelware, high-end earthenware and floor tiles and successfully substituted industry accepted feldspar in trial firings. The results of the trials are very encouraging for the manufacture of saleable feldspar products.
“The results of the feldspar study are expected in the first quarter of 2024 and, later in the year, a revised feldspar resource estimate considering the life of the mine. These represent, respectively, just two of the major milestones in our sights in 2024 before we break ground at Ewoyaa.”