International Lithium: PEA for the Raleigh Lake Lithium Project Outlines Highly Favourable After-Tax NPV (Discounted at 8%) of CAD$342.9 million and After-Tax IRR of 44.3% P.A.

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Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - December 4, 2023) - International Lithium Corp. (TSXV: ILC) (OTCQB: ILHMF) (FSE: IAH) (the "Company" or "ILC") is pleased to announce a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") for a proposed lithium mining operation to produce spodumene concentrate at Raleigh Lake, 25 kilometres west of Ignace, Ontario. The PEA relies on recent metallurgical test work (Phase 1) which indicates that a spodumene concentrate containing 6% Li2O ("SC6") can be produced using a simple crushing circuit and heavy liquid separation techniques. In the Phase 1 tests lithium recoveries were above 81% while iron oxide content remained within acceptable limits. As originally foreshadowed, the very near proximity of Raleigh Lake to existing service infrastructure along the Trans-Canada Highway corridor affords significant logistical and economic advantages to the project.

This PEA only considers spodumene concentrate, i.e. lithium, as a revenue source. The Company continues to investigate the potential value associated with the extraction of rubidium from the microcline zone within the spodumene deposit.

PEA Highlights

Economics (discounted at 8% p.a., CAD$)

  • Pre-tax Cashflow = CAD$709.4 million, NPV = CAD$385.1 million, IRR = 46.5% p.a.

  • After-tax Cashflow = CAD$634.0 million, NPV = CAD$342.9 million, IRR = 44.3% p.a.

  • Price assumptions: CAD$3,139/tonne for 6% Li2O concentrate (USD$2,325/tonne)

CAPEX/OPEX

  • Total pre-production capital costs: CAD$111.9 million

  • Total sustaining capital: CAD$17.5 million

  • Total life of mine ("LoM") operating costs: CAD$381 million (including concentrate transport)

  • Average operating costs: CAD$94.38/tonne milled, CAD$993/tonne SC6

Mining Method

  • Traditional open pit drilling and blasting followed by load and haul

  • The plant feed production rate is proposed to be 540,000 tonnes per year ("tpy")

  • This LoM mine plan is proposed to mine 57 million tonnes ("Mt") of material over the mine life, which will be comprised of 4Mt of mill feed and 53Mt of waste with an average strip ratio of 13.2:1

  • Life of mine is forecast at nine years; project duration is 11 years

Process Plant

  • The base case process plant is designed to crush 1,500 tonnes per day ("tpd") and process 1,500 tpd in a dense media separation ("DMS") plant to produce a nominal 56,000 tpy of 6% Li2O at 81% recovery

  • Process engineering and design were developed to a scoping level based on the results of the SGS laboratory testing. The SGS lab tests obtained 22.9 weight percentages of 6% Lithium Concentrate and estimated 81% lithium recovery

  • A design factor of 10% is applied on nominal requirements to ensure that the process equipment has enough capacity to take care of the expected feed variation

  • Total production for LoM is 414,904 tonnes of 6% Li2O spodumene concentrate ("SC6")