VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Lithium Corp. (TSXV: LI) (OTCQB: LIACF) (Frankfurt: 5LA1) (“American Lithium” or the “Company”) a leading lithium exploration and development operator is pleased to report it has produced lithium carbonate from its flagship Tonopah Lithium Claims (TLC) claystone deposit.
Leachate produced by McClelland Laboratories in Reno, Nevada from TLC was systematically put through a base-case process to remove impurities before precipitating lithium carbonate successfully. This milestone prompted the beginning of a testing program to optimize each step of the process to improve economics and reduce waste. To facilitate this program, Dr. Jarrett Quinn, lithium mining veteran, was retained as a metallurgical consultant.
Dr. Quinn has worked as an independent consultant in the lithium mining industry, and has worked on plant design, start-up and in operations for the mining and metallurgical industry. His academic and research background includes a Ph.D. in Mining and Materials Engineering from McGill University.
Dr. Quinn states, “The process we have currently developed, works, but continued process testing will explore each stage in detail to maximize the economics of the overall process. Simultaneously, we will be investigating potentially game-changing and alternative technologies to evolve the process further.”
Michael Kobler, CEO of American Lithium, states, “We are proud of the team having accomplished the milestone of producing lithium carbonate from our TLC ore leachate. Although at bench scale, this is confirmation that we are on the right path. We are pleased to work through this process engineering under the direction of Dr. Jarrett Quinn. His extensive experience in lithium production and nickel laterite clay minerology is directly relatable to our project. Further, his education, experience, and track record of success is a perfect fit with this project, and we are delighted to work with and learn from him.”
The current testing program is intended to produce design information required for the construction of a continuously operating pilot plant planned for 2021/22. The pilot plant will showcase the operations of the eventual full-scale plant. Lithium is a critical mineral that needs to be produced domestically, and the TLC project has the potential to be a low-cost, sustainable, and domestic source of this mineral.
About the TLC Property
The TLC sedimentary lithium discovery is an exploration and development project located 12 kilometres northwest of Tonopah, Nev., and easily accessible by paved highway. Work to date has identified a 5.3-million-tonne measured and indicated lithium carbonate equivalent resource, with an additional 1.7 million tonnes inferred, placing the Company's resource amongst a handful of potential lithium deposits in Western North America capable of development. TLC is near surface, relatively flat-lying and a free-digging lithium sedimentary deposit that the company expects to advance through an early-stage economic study in 2020. Just south of the Crescent Dunes solar energy plant, the project is favourably located for future production given the immediate access to some of the cheapest electricity in Nevada.
About American Lithium Corp.
American Lithium is actively engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of lithium deposits within mining-friendly jurisdictions throughout the Americas. The Company is currently exploring and developing the TLC project located in the highly prospective Esmeralda lithium district in Nevada. TLC is close to infrastructure, 3.5 hours south of the Tesla Gigafactory, and in the same basinal environment as Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium mine, and several advancing deposits and resources, including Ioneer Ltd.'s (formerly Global Geoscience) Rhyolite Ridge and Cypress Development Corp.'s Clayton Valley project.
The metallurgical testing information reported herein was reviewed by Jared Olson, Metallurgist and VP Operations McClelland Labs, a qualified person under National Instrument 43-101.
Please watch our corporate video at https://www.americanlithiumcorp.com/our-company/ and review our informative short project update videos and related background information at https://www.americanlithiumcorp.com/projects/tlc-nevada/.
For more information, please contact the Company at info@americanlithiumcorp.com or visit our website at www.americanlithiumcorp.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
On behalf of the Board,
American Lithium Corp.
Michael Kobler, Chief Executive Officer
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-looking statements
Statements in this release that are forward-looking information are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here. Information provided in this release is necessarily summarized and may not contain all available material information. All such forward-looking information and statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by American Lithium management in light of their experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors management believes are appropriate in the circumstances. These statements, however, are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information or statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from these forward-looking statements include those described under the heading “Risks Factors” in American Lithium's most recently filed MD&A. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or revise the forward-looking information contained in this news release, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements.