Plateau Energy Metals appoints DRA Global to lead Falchani lithium project PEA

“DRA Global, Wardell Armstrong and The Mineral Corporation, working alongside our internal team, bring some very current lithium project experience and processing depth,” Alex Holmes, CEO of Plateau, commented.

“We have discovered, delineated and metallurgically advanced a significant new lithium project in a short period of time, and it is now critical to support our project advancement with a project team that has lithium processing bench strength and the know-how to scope out a robust project that can meet the stringent battery grade lithium product specifications of end-users.”

The PEA is estimated to take approximately six months from initiation. DRA Global, as part of the PEA process, will work with ANSTO Minerals, Plateau’s metallurgical consultant, in completing a techno-economic concept level trade-off study of alternative processing routes prior to determining the most viable route(s) to be utilised in the PEA. It is anticipated preliminary results from ANSTO’s work will be completed in February 2019, followed by a series of optimisation programmes working in collaboration with Plateau and its project team.

Falchani PEA project team

Plateau is pleased to announce the following appointments to the PEA project team:

DRA Global (DRA), as the lead consultant, is a diversified global engineering, project delivery and operations management group, with an impressive track record spanning more than three decades. The organisation is known for its collaborative approach and extensive experience in project origination and delivery, as well as turnkey operations and maintenance services. DRA, through its wholly owned subsidiary DRA Met-Chem, based in Montreal, as well as their regional offices in Perth and Cape Town, possess significant lithium process and metallurgical experts who are able to identify and develop the process requirements, through flowsheet development to the selection of process equipment, in order to minimise costs and ensure overall plant efficiency.

DRA has recently been involved in a number of lithium projects from Preliminary Economic Assessment to Feasibility Study and EPCM for in-construction/expansion projects, including the recent Feasibility Study for Nemaska Lithium’s Whabouchi Mine and Hydromet plant in Shawinigan and is currently EPCM for the concentrator at Whabouchi.

Wardell Armstrong, as lead on mine planning, scheduling and optimisation, is a full-service technical mining consultancy with global expertise in the whole mine life cycle. Wardell Armstrong has been at the forefront of several strategic metals mining projects that are part of the electric vehicle revolution. Wardell Armstrong has professionally qualified and experienced industry specialists including mining engineering, rock mechanics, and financial evaluation with a proven record of delivering scoping, Preliminary Economic Assessments and feasibility level studies.

Wardell Armstrong has been involved in multiple LSE main board and AIM listings as well as NI 43-101 Technical Reports in line with the TSX and Competent Person’s Reports in line with the ASX. Wardell Armstrong has acted on behalf of numerous lithium exploration and producing companies in geological, mining, and mineral processing activities.

The Mineral Corporation, as lead independent mineral resource estimator, was established in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1997 and is home to a well-informed, globally-focused corporate and technical advisory team of mining sector professionals. They have expertise in mineral exploration, geology, mineral resource estimation, mining engineering and development, mineral processing, mining infrastructure, sustainability, statutory compliance, mineral asset valuation and techno-economic modelling.

Corporate update

In connection with the appointment of Alex Holmes as the company’s CEO (announced 17 August 2018), the board of directors has approved a subsequent grant of incentive stock options to Holmes to purchase an aggregate of 400 000 common shares of Plateau exercisable at a price of CAN$0.81 per share for a period of five years in accordance with the company’s stock option plan.

The company has also awarded a one-time bonus amounting to CAN$875 000 to the Falchani discovery team for the November 2017 discovery and delineation of the maiden lithium resource. The bonus will be paid by the issuance of 633 333 common shares at a deemed value of CAN$0.75 per share, and the remainder as CAN$400 000 in cash. The grant and share award remain subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

 

Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/14012019/plateau-energy-metals-appoints-dra-global-to-lead-falchani-lithium-project-pea/