Overseas lithium news this week (7.7-7.11) [SMM Weekly Overseas New Energy News]

[EnergyX, Backed by General Motors, Acquires Lithium-Rich Mining Area in US Smackover Formation]

Lithium technology startup EnergyX, backed by General Motors (GM), has acquired 35,000 acres of land in the Smackover Formation from Pantera Lithium. This marks the company's latest deal to secure access to US lithium-rich brine resources critical for battery production.

The transaction expands privately held EnergyX's total holding in the Smackover Formation to approximately 47,500 acres. Spanning from Florida to Texas, the subsurface geological structure contains lithium-rich brine deposits. Despite current low lithium market prices, the deal underscores growing market focus on boosting US lithium production.

In recent weeks, Chevron also acquired Smackover Formation acreage, joining Exxon Mobil, Albemarle, Standard Lithium and other companies already established in the region.

The A$40 million (approximately $26.1 million) transaction with Australia-based Pantera includes A$6 million in cash and approximately 2.3 million EnergyX shares valued at A$14.50 per share (approximately $9.47) by both parties.

EnergyX, controlled by CEO Teague Egan, previously explored potential public listing. After initially agreeing to acquire the acreage in 2023, Pantera will become a minority shareholder in EnergyX upon transaction completion expected later this year.

EnergyX is constructing a lithium refinery near Texas to process Smackover brine resources. The company aims to achieve 12,500 mt annual lithium production by 2028, scaling to 30,000 mt capacity by 2030.

GM led EnergyX's $50 million funding round in 2023 and holds first refusal rights for lithium produced from any projects developed by EnergyX.

All companies planning lithium extraction from Smackover Formation must employ Direct Lithium Extraction (DLE) technology, which has yet to achieve commercial-scale deployment.

EnergyX still needs to apply for lithium mining royalty rates from Arkansas officials. The state recently approved rates for Exxon Mobil and Standard Lithium's neighboring lithium projects.

EnergyX previously attempted but failed to acquire assets of Argentina's Galan Lithium last year. A consortium led by South Korea's Posco Holdings is among EnergyX's investors.

Additionally, EnergyX is developing a lithium project in northern Chile.

Source: ming.com

[Trump to Host African Leaders, Promote Major Cooperation in Critical Minerals]

U.S. President Donald Trump plans to meet with leaders from five African nations this week, countries that could offer significant investment opportunities for American companies in critical minerals and other natural resource sectors.

The invited nations are Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal.

While these five countries have relatively small economies in Africa—with a combined GDP of approximately $75 billion—they possess abundant mineral resources and substantial potential to expand mining production.

Notably absent from the summit are South Africa, one of Africa's largest economies currently facing proposed 30% reciprocal tariffs from the Trump administration, and Nigeria, the continent's top oil producer.

On the eve of the summit, Liberia's government announced a $1.8 billion agreement with U.S. mining firm Ivanhoe Atlantic Inc., a company controlled by Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. Chairman Robert Friedland. The deal permits the American miner to rehabilitate and utilize Liberia's railway infrastructure to transport iron ore from neighboring Guinea for export purposes.

Central African nation Gabon—the world's second-largest manganese producer, with the metal primarily used to harden steel products—has expressed interest in exploring mining investment opportunities with the U.S., according to Gabon's Ambassador to the U.S., Noël Nelson Messone.

"The President of the Gabonese Republic strongly desires to see our natural resources processed domestically to create economic value, diversify the economy, and generate employment," he stated.

Four of the five invited nations border the unstable Sahel region, which has faced prolonged Islamist insurgencies and military coups. This security crisis intensified after the U.S. was forced to close its drone base in Niger last year, with relations straining further as Burkina Faso, Mali, and Chad—the latter terminating its security cooperation agreement with Washington in April 2024—have complicated U.S. Africa strategy considerations.

Source: ming.com

[Comet Lithium Discovers Spodumene-Bearing Pegmatite at Elmer East Mine for First Time]

Comet Lithium is pleased to announce the first discovery of spodumene-bearing pegmatite veins at its wholly owned Elmer East mine. This finding emerged from the company's summer field exploration program targeting the Triple L and Elmer East properties in Quebec's Eeyou-Istchee James Bay region. The program aimed to conduct initial systematic exploration of high-priority target areas.

The newly identified pegmatite veins, located in the southwest portion of the southern claims block, measure approximately 1-2 meters wide and have been traced over at least 80 meters along strike with potential for eastern extension. Petrographic observations confirm the presence of very pale green spodumene crystals associated with muscovite and minor tourmaline, aligning closely with characteristics of classic LCT-type (lithium-cesium-tantalum) pegmatite systems.

"The discovery of spodumene mineralization at Elmer East represents an exciting advancement for Comet Lithium and validates our systematic exploration strategy," stated Vincent Metcalfe, Chairman and CEO of Comet Lithium. "This marks the first confirmed lithium-bearing zone at the property, underscoring the significant exploration potential of our James Bay land package in Quebec. We look forward to subsequent work programs to evaluate the scale and continuity of this emerging mineralization trend."

The exploration program included geological mapping, structural measurements, and rock sampling focused on prioritized outcrops identified through geophysical anomalies and satellite imagery. A total of 66 samples were collected, including certified control samples, with a subset submitted to AGAT Laboratories in Thunder Bay, Ontario for lithium and gold assay analysis. Final results remain pending.

Pending assay outcomes, follow-up exploration may include trenching and channel sampling to test the eastern extension of mineralized veins and assess lithium potential in other areas within the southern claims block.

The Elmer East property, situated in the Eastmain Greenstone Belt approximately 100 kilometers from the Nemiscau Cree community, comprises 37 claims totaling 1,942 hectares. It represents a strategic asset in one of Canada's most prospective and active lithium-bearing regions for Comet Lithium.

This Elmer East exploration formed part of Comet Lithium's 17-day field program. At this property, priority targets were identified through satellite imagery analysis focusing on areas with potential bedrock exposure or near-surface expression. Geological mapping and sampling work have been completed in multiple outcrop areas, particularly in the southern block, including the spodumene-bearing pegmatite confirmed in this instance. Two representative samples (E6481494 and E6481203) were collected from different east-west trending outcrops that are spatially alignedZ32/>All collected samples have been sent to AGAT Laboratories in Val d'Or, Quebec for geochemical analysis. The analysis results have not yet been released and will be published promptly upon availability.

Source: Junior of ming

[Power Metals Confirms High-Grade Spodumene and Tantalite Concentrate Production at Case Lake Project]

Power Metals Corp is pleased to announce significant progress in the latest metallurgical test work at its Case Lake cesium project in Ontario, Canada, confirming the capability to produce high-grade spodumene and tantalite concentrates.

This testing round further validates the development potential of Case Lake as a multi-element deposit capable of simultaneously producing three high-grade concentrates: cesium, tantalum, and lithium. This achievement solidifies Case Lake's position as a world-class polymetallic deposit within Canada's mining landscape.

Power Metals CEO Haydn Daxter stated: "The latest metallurgical test results confirm Case Lake's ability to simultaneously produce three high-grade concentrates - cesium, tantalum, and lithium - which is extremely rare in North America. With project commissioning targeted for 2026, Case Lake is poised to become the world's fourth largest hard-rock cesium resource project. We will continue to advance project development efficiently to fully realize its commercial value."

Power Metals Chairman Johnathan More added: "We are very satisfied with the latest metallurgical test results from Case Lake. The project stands out among Ontario's polymetallic deposits, with strong development potential demonstrated across all three key metals. This testing round has further de-risked the project and validated its feasibility as the world's fourth largest hard-rock cesium project."

The company has released metallurgical test results for lithium and tantalum concentrates from the Case Lake deposit, utilizing the following methodologies:

• Lithium: Dense Media Separation (DMS) and Flotation processes

• Tantalum: Wet Table (WT) and Magnetic Separation (MS) processes

Test results show:

• Lithium concentrates achieved 7.70% Li₂O grade with iron oxide (Fe₂O₃) impurities below 0.66%

• Tantalum concentrates reached 12,508 ppm Ta (1.25% Ta)

This testing was conducted by Nagrom, a renowned metallurgical laboratory in Perth, Australia, using samples from the West Joe orebody within the Case Lake project. The experiment enriched spodumene ore using DMS and flotation processes, while sorting tantalum ore using WT and MS processes.

The experimental results have been independently reviewed and interpreted by the SGS Lakefield team in Canada. SGS has extensive experience in mineral processing and metallurgy, ensuring the authority and reliability of the experimental data.

The main objective of this experiment was to assess the feasibility and efficiency of recovering spodumene using DMS and flotation processes, as well as tantalum using WT and MS processes, from the tailings generated during the production of cesium concentrate. The experimental results were positive, providing an important basis for the subsequent optimization of the process flow and the economic evaluation of the project.

Source: Jun of Ming