[SMM News] Surge Evolution Nevada North Joint Venture Produces Battery-Grade Lithium Carbonate

September 15th Lithium Africa has defined a second spodumene trend at its Agboville Project in Côte d'Ivoire, with rock samples returning up to 1.98% lithium oxide (Li2O). The company reports 19 spodumene-bearing pegmatite samples from the Kanien trend, 14 above 1% Li2O, extending 2.8 km along a sheared muscovite granite within the licence. Kanien is the district's second primary spodumene trend, alongside the Saby trend, where trenching returned 8 m at 1.1% Li2O. CEO Thomas Benson said the results point to an emerging lithium district rather than isolated occurrences. Kanien lies along strike of spodumene samples up to 1.36% Li2O on an adjacent licence, together defining a spodumene pegmatite corridor of about 7 km across the licence boundary. The company holds about 485 km² of granted licence via a 50/50 joint venture, and has applied for the adjacent 368 km² Sikensi licence. A 2,000 m RC drilling program at Saby was paused for the rainy season after 1,137 m, with results targeted for Q4 2026. The Agboville licence covers 399.27 km², about 85 km north of Abidjan, adding a new West African exploration target to the global spodumene pipeline.

Lithium Corporation has fully commissioned and started operating its Falchani lithium pilot plant, in Peru, with operating systems performing as expected. The plant, advanced by consultancy TECMMINE in Lima, is achieving average lithium extraction rates of 88.7%, above the 80% recovery rate expected in a 2024 preliminary economic assessment. With all flowsheet equipment installed and testing, American Lithium is advancing toward full end-to-end flowsheet validation at scale in continuous mode, to confirm bench-scale results. The pilot plant is expected to run continuously at target rates for three months, processing six to ten tonnes of ore from Falchani. Results will feed into future feasibility work.Falchani's volcanic-hosted lithium mineralisation has naturally low impurities, supporting a simple flowsheet capable of producing battery-grade lithium carbonate exceeding 99.5% purity, adding a potential new South American lithium supply source to the market.

US lithium-ion battery recycling company Blue Whale Materials has achieved mechanical completion of its full processing line at its Bartlesville, Oklahoma facility, having begun commissioning earlier this month. The full line enables Blue Whale to process battery cells, modules, and packs through its Blacksand technology, a thermally treated black mass carrying nickel, cobalt, and lithium recovered from end-of-life batteries and production scrap. The milestone completes phase one of the company's Department of Energy expansion grant, raising yearly processing capacity from 14,000 t to 20,000 t of battery feedstock. CEO Jack Johnson said the line is now being brought to rate. Ara Partners partner Cory Steffek said the expanded capacity solidifies Blue Whale's position in the domestic critical minerals supply chain. Commissioning continues through year-end as the facility ramps to expanded capacity, adding domestic recycled-lithium supply to the US battery materials chain.