HOW STRUGGLING JUNIOR PURE GOLD PLANS TO MOVE PAST A ‘TORTUROUS’ Q2 / 3 Geotech_Earlug_2016_Alt2.pdf 1 2016-06-24 4:27:20 PM
SPECIAL FOCUS
.com
MEXICO
expert advice from exploration to closure
VTEM™ | ZTEM™ | Gravity | Magnetics
Exploration for silver, gold and base metals | 10-12
905 841 5004 | geotech.ca
DELIVERING QUALITY EXPERTISE GLOBALLY ACROSS THE ENTIRE MINING LIFE CYCLE WWW.SGS.COM/MINING
MINERALS@SGS.COM
AUGUST 22 — SEPTEMBER 4, 2022 / VOL. 108 ISSUE 17 / GLOBAL MINING NEWS • SINCE 1915 / $5.25 / WWW.NORTHERNMINER.COM
“IT WILL TAKE DECADES FOR CANADA’S LITHIUM SECTOR TO REACH THE MAGNITUDE OF OIL AND GAS, [BUT] THE WORKFORCE IS ALREADY THERE.” DAN ALESSI, GEOLOGIST
Canadian miners mourn the passing of industry heavyweight Ned Goodman | Leader in mining and finance sectors remembered as optimistic ‘visionary’ OBITUARY
BY HENRY LAZENBY
O E3 Lithium completed drilling its first brine test well in Alberta in July. E3 LITHIUM
Can Alberta’s petrobrines help meet the ‘huge demand’ for lithium? BATTERY METALS
C
| E3 Lithium advancing pilot project with Imperial Oil
BY JAMES SNELL
algary-based E3 Lithium (TSXV: ETL; US-OTC: EEMMF) recently announced the successful manufacture of a small batch of sorbent, a critical chemical component of its plan to produce battery-grade lithium products at its Clearwater project from brines in the historic Leduc Formation in Alberta. The company, which has developed direct lithium extraction technology capable of generating more than 90% recovery from brines while increasing lithium concentration and reducing impurities by more than 99%, is aiming to be the first to produce lithium in the province. Other lithium explorers are also working on proprietary extraction technologies. Chris Doornbos, president and CEO of E3 said the company’s extraction technology is an ion exchange process that uses a proprietary sorbent. Sorbents are substances that collect molecules from other substances. E3’s chemical processes are similar to water softeners, he said.
“Ion exchange itself is not complicated,” said Doornbos, a geologist. “It’s used all over the world for all sorts of applications. We are trying to get a metal out of a liquid. So that’s what it is. The medium we developed has been demonstrated to have high selectivity for lithium, which means we can generate a highly pure lithium concentrate.” In July, E3 completed drilling its first well into the Leduc Formation to verify lithium concentrations, flow rates and other reservoir characteristics of its Clearwater project (now part of the Bashaw project), located east of Olds, Alta. The well is 2,670 metres deep — 36.9 metres of core were retrieved. The Leduc, a major source of oil and gas in Alberta, is of late Devonian age. The Leduc No. 1 well, completed in 1947 by Imperial Oil, produced over 300,000 barrels of oil, launching Alberta’s post-Second World War oil boom. “The progress we’ve made on our evaluation program is the result of significant effort from our geosciences team and the importance Alberta has placed on exploring and producing critical minerals,”
Doornbos said. “Drilling a second well will help increase geologic confidence in the Clearwater project area and allow E3 to continue to advance its project towards prefeasibility, supporting the energy transition in Alberta.” In June, E3 announced a collaboration with Imperial to advance a lithium brine pilot project in the Leduc. The company hopes for commercial production in 2026. The agreement included a $6.4-million investment into E3, with Imperial offering technical and development support in areas such as water and reservoir management and access to freehold lands in the area managed by Imperial. E3 has outlined resources in its permit area in south-central Alberta totalling 24.3 million inferred tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE). The Bashaw project (which combines the former Clearwater and Exshaw West projects), hosts the majority of the resource, with 59 sq. km of brine formation averaging 74.5 mg/l of lithium for 23.4 million See LITHIUM / 6
ver more than 30 years, Ned Goodman made transformative and enduring contributions to Canada’s minerals industry and capital markets as a company-builder, merchant banker and investment advisor during a dynamic career spanning almost half a century. The Montreal-born mining luminary passed away on Aug. 7 at the age of 85. Over his career, Goodman applied his geological training and business acumen to help build several successful mining companies, perhaps most notably International Corona and Kinross Gold (TSX: K; NYSE: KGC). He also nurtured many other mineral-producing companies through astute and timely investments. In addition to being an outstanding member of the philanthropic community, Goodman was considered one of the leading architects of Canada’s investment management industry. He founded the first exploration flow-through partnership with his partners, CMP Group, which has raised billions since the 1980s by funding exploration campaigns and developing mining and petroleum companies. It led to job generation and benefits for rural and northern economies in Canada. He was also the driving force of the Dundee group of financial companies, which grew under his leadership from a $300 million base to a $50 billion mutual fund entity. An early interest in science prompted Goodman to obtain a B.Sc. degree in geology from McGill University. When geological employment was sparse, and Noranda laid off Goodman in 1960, the business world also caught his attention. It led to him achieving an MBA degree from the University of Toronto in 1962. His career path took a financial turn in 1967 when he earned the designation of Chartered Financial Analyst and co-founded Beutel, Goodman & Company Ltd., which offered pension funds and
COMMENTARY: CANADIAN MINERS NEED TO SEIZE THEIR CHANCE TO LEAD / 5
Ned Goodman
private client investment advice. The firm also established a reputation as a ‘go-to’ destination for mining and oil investment, with junior companies particularly See GOODMAN / 5
PM40069240