"Mammoth Energy Group's Compania Lithium Investments Limitada has already acquired an initial thirteen lithium concessions for a total of 8649 acres (3500 Hectares) in the southern section of the Salar de Maricunga, seven concessions for a total of 4695 acres (1900 hectares) in the Salar de Pujsa, and now with the 2471 acres (1000 hectares) in the Salar del Laco for a total of just under 16,000 combined acres throughout Chile. The company is currently in acquisition mode and Compania Lithium Investments Limitada was created to acquire, develop and explore lithium and mining assets in Chile on behalf of Mammoth Energy Group Inc."
great read and here are some of my favorite parts:
"The Chilean Geological Service (Sernageomin) has classified the salars in Chile into three groups according to their potential in terms of lithium concentrations, extensions, and lithium to potassium ratio. This classification excludes the Salar de Atacama, which is by far the largest lithium deposit in Chile. Salar de Maricunga is part of the first group. Other Salars included in this group are: Pedernales, La Isla and Quisquiro. According to Sernageomin, these salars have lithium concentrations that range from 423 to 1,080 mg/l of Li, cover an area of around 80 to 335 square kilometers and have lithium to potassium ratio ranging from 0.08 to 0.18. The second group includes the salars Punta Negra, Aguas Calientes (Centre), Pajonales, Aguilar, Tara, Parinas and Pujsa. These salars have lithium concentrations that range between 220 and 620 mg/l of Li; cover an area of around 18 to 250 square kilometers; and have a ratio of lithium to potassium ranging from 0.04 to 0.3. Finally, the third group defined by Sernageomin includes the Aguas Calientes (North and South) and Talar Salars. These salars present lithium concentrations that range from 205 to 290 mg/l of Li, cover an area of around 15 to 27 square kilometers and have a lithium to potassium ratio ranging from 0,03 to 0,24."
Mammoth Energy Group: -Salar de Maricunga Chile -Salar de Pujsa Chile
"Mammoth Energy Inc. has announced its interest to invest also in the Salar de Maricunga and recently announced its interest in evaluate the Salar de Pujsa, also in the north of Chile."
"Mammoth Energy Group: In March 2011 the Company signed a Letter of Intent with Salt Gold Inter Chile Limitada, a Chilean Company that owns concessions at the Salar de Maricunga encompassing 12,500 hectares."
"It is important to comment that in Chile current regulation does not allow the exploitation of lithium for new companies, since it is considered as a strategic mineral. It is highly likely that this situation will change in the future; the Chilean government has expressed its intention to allow to newcomers to exploit lithium in other Salars besides Atacama."
...and for our interest in Argentina:
"As it can be seen, projects in Argentina currently have higher performance than Li3´s project in Maricunga. Main advantages that these projects have over Maricunga are: • In Argentina lithium exploitation is allowed • These projects are in a more advanced stage of development: Lithium Americas and Orocobre have released their Preliminary Economic Assessments reports and Lithium One has started production at its pilot plant • Most of these Companies have off take agreements with final-direct lithium users, such as Toyota and Mitsubishi Nevertheless, Argentinian brine deposits have lower lithium and potassium concentrations. Regarding the other projects in Chile, the most important advantage that they have over Maricunga are the agreements that they have signed with international companies. But, all of them (except Minera Copiapo) have lower lithium and potassium concentrations. After Atacama, Maricunga is the second lithium deposit in Chile in terms of its quality (For more details see Table 8 of the full report)."
"As it can be seen the Maricunga Lithium project has the potential to become number 1 in the ranking of lithium projects based in salar-bearing brine deposits. It is important to comment that this ranking is performed with all of the current-known information available as for May 31st, 2011. Since new information is available and since the companies make progress with their projects, the general and geophysical indexes change, changing as well the correspondent SPI."
"Regarding the strengths, there is no doubt that the main strength of the project is the deposit. After the Salar de Atacama, the Salar de Maricunga is the richest salar in Chile in terms of its lithium and potassium concentrations. The main weakness of the Maricunga Lithium project is the fact that lithium cannot be exploited in Chile according to current mining regulation. As we commented in this report, this situation is highly likely to change soon: the government has expressed its intention to open the industry and allow newcomers to exploit lithium. The relevant issue here is that this weakness is also an opportunity to Li3 Energy. We have identified that the lithium projects in Argentinian might be a threat to Maricunga lithium project since they are in a more advanced stage of development; actually Lithium Americas and Orocobre have both released the results of their Preliminary Economic Assessments and Lithium One has already start producing at its pilot plant. The development of the potential iodine-nitrate project also might represent a threat for Li3 Energy since the nitrate and iodine markets are complex markets, which require specific know-how in order to enter the market and to compete with current players."
"The main conclusions of the report are: • Maricunga lithium project is located in the second best deposit in Chile after the Salar de Atacama • Lithium and potassium concentrations are higher than other salars in Chile and also higher than most of the Argentinian Salars • The main issue that the Company must deal with is the fact that current Chilean regulation does not allow to new companies to exploit lithium since it is considered as a strategic mineral for the country. Nevertheless, the Chilean government has expressed its intention to change this situation and to allow other companies, besides SQM and Chemetall, to extract lithium from the brines underneath Chilean Salars. • Argentinian projects are in more advanced stage of development. We have identified this situation as a threat of the Maricunga lithium project because if this projects start to produce before Maricunga, prices would drop and profitability of Maricunga would fall. • With the chemical composition of the brine it is possible to produce lithium carbonate, but since the high concentration of calcium more soda ash will be required, situation that will make less competitive the product."
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