Replies to post #79665 on Strategic Asset Leasing Inc (fka LEAS)

[Rustler]

LOOKING FORWARD TO MMTE's MINING & LITHIUM PRODUCTION...

Before the fact that Warren Buffet invests in lithium really means a hill of beans for the average MMTE shareholder, MMTE must successfully complete truly mammoth tasks required so that the company can actually sell lithium to end-users or on the fledgling open market. These challenging and expensive tasks include the following.

From the Ground to Commercial Grade Lithium

(1) Survey and painstakingly map the potential mine sites;
(2) concurrently conduct extensive geotechnical tests in preparation for targeted, long-term ore extraction;
(3) find/bring-in a number well-trained, experienced lithium mine engineers/supervisors;
(4) mobilize and prepare both crews and equipment from where ever they are now to the proposed mining sites;
(5) start and continue extracting raw "ore" (among the most expensive parts of this entire process);*
(6) transport the thousands of tons of ore to the concentrators, evaporators, mills, refineries, etc., required in processing the ore from its natural state into end-user-ready ionic lithium compounds/powders or delicate, pure lithium metal (further, if such facilities are not already available, MMTE will have to pay for and build them);
(7) prepare the lithium for the end-user or growing commercial market by, e.g., encasing it in protective mineral oil, packaging it in chemically compatible protective material, or shaping into pellets covered by lithium hydroxide - all to prevent the rapid tarnishing and/or decaying effects that refined lithium suffers in Earth's atmosphere; and
(8) finally bringing the delicate, highly sensitive, commercial-grade lithium for purchase by end-users.

Hence, MMTE must do all the above BEFORE we can – eventually – reach that point where Warren Buffet's investment in lithium really means something to MMTE investors.

So Where Are We?

Currently, MMTE reports that it continues to acquire lithium mining and extraction rights. As to the above process, MMTE might be working to initiate steps (1) and (2); however, we are uncertain of where MMTE is in the above process because MMTE elects to keep "on-the-ground" detailed information from its investors. In fact, MMTE makes its ownership and mining rights fuzzy by way of (among other things) statements on the company's own carefully worded website. For instance, the first page of the MMTE website states: "Mammoth Energy Group (MMTE) is the owner of interests in three salars with the potential to produce lithium and other metals from surface lakes and subsurface brines." (See http://www.mammothenergygroup.com/index.html [emphases added].) The red highlights note suspect conditions or issues that place in doubt and question exactly what MMTE's purported mining claims entail. Those same suspect terms - combined with months of weak press releases - create inherent doubt as to whether MMTE will (or even can) effectuate any significant lithium extraction and sales from whatever "ownership interests" MMTE might have. Additionally, the world's primary lithium-rich geographical regions or "salars" apparently do not include those salars associated with the fuzzy ownership interests that MMTE claims. (See, e.g., Mail Online, "In search of Lithium: The battle for the 3rd element," @ http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/moslive/article-1166387/In-search-Lithium-The-battle-3rd-element.html#ixzz1Wl7ibwX8 ; MMTE Website @ http://www.mammothenergygroup.com/projects.html ; Lithium Investing News, "World Class Deposit" @ http://lithiuminvestingnews.com/investing-in-lithium/lithium-world-class-deposit ; R.K. Evans, An Abundance of Lithium II @ http://www.worldlithium.com/AN_ABUNDANCE_OF_LITHIUM_-_Part_2.html ; New World Resource Corp., "Projects About Lithium," @ http://www.newworldresource.com/s/AboutLithium.asp ; Meridian International Research, The Trouble with Lithium II: Under the Microscope, pp. 3-35, 40 (May 2008) @ http://www.evworld.com/library/WTahil_Lithium_Microscope.pdf .)

Bringing Lithium from Ore to the End-User is Tough & Expensive

*Having worked in the mining industry (see, e.g., Rio Tinto) and/or lived near both massive "open" (i.e., not tunneled) precious metals mines and the Great Salt Lake's plethora of brine pools my entire life, I know that the various precious metals mining processes are neither easy nor inexpensive; they are quite the opposite in fact. "The extraction of lithium is a very complex process, [requiring] many [specialized] machines and equipment." (Ciros Machinery Corporation, "Lithium Processing Equipment," 2011 [emphasis added].) Furthermore, "The salars are large, dry lakebeds where the brines are located just under a layer of crusted salt deposits. The areas are remote and inhospitable. To make them productive requires a considerable investment in research, exploration, and transportation of personnel and materials." (FMC Lithium, "Lithium History" @ http://www.fmclithium.com/Home/LithiumHistory.aspx [emphasis added].) MMTE therefore faces formidable industry-entry costs similar to, say, a start-up company trying to enter the oil exploration/extraction industry.

Depending on the method of mining/refining, required lithium mining/refining equipment and processing plants include expensive and environmentally controversial: drilling rigs, commercial grade brine water pumps, miles of piping, giant evaporators, thousands of acres of solar evaporation basins, raw lithium salt harvest machinery, concentrator facilities, grinding mills, crushers, ball mills, processing facilities, potash recovery facilities, refineries, lithium chemical plant, lithium mineral plant, storage tanks, a means of ore/brine water and product transportation (e.g., tanker trucks), etc. (See, e.g., id.; see also The Trouble with Lithium II: Under the Microscope, supra, pp. 1-5, 17, 33, 46 ; TRU GROUP, "Tru Lithium," @ http://trugroup.com/Lithium-Battery.html .) Such equipment and processing facilities allow the production of lithium from minerals in igneous rock ore (e.g., spodumene, amblygonite, lepidolite), regolith ore (e.g., salts), or water "ore" (e.g., underground brine pools, mineral springs). Those same expensive and environmentally controversial equipment and facilities prove mandatory in processing, refining, and making lithium products (e.g., lithium carbonate, lithium pellets) ready for sale to end-users or on the blossoming open market. (See, e.g., id.; see also J.A. Ober, United States Geological Survey,"Lithium," 77–78 (Aug. 2007).)

Regarding the hot-topic environmental issues, particularly the salars: "Production of lithium from this unique ecosystem can only be environmentally damaging. Anything more than limited and very careful recovery of lithium is incompatible with the production of 'Green Cars' [that use lithium batteries]." (See The Trouble with Lithium II: Under the Microscope, supra, p. 16.) The extraction of "even 10% of the global automotive demand would cause irreversible and widespread damage" to Chilean, Argentine, and Bolivan salars. (Id., p. 52.)

Observations & Analysis Reveal Horrific Odds

Of the many mining start-up companies that I've seen, heard of, or worked with in California, Nevada, and Utah, I know of only ONE such start-up company with ongoing operations that make the company and its shareholders significant profits. The industry is ruthless, and in many ways lithium mining proves even more problematic than gold, silver, or copper mining.

First, the costs of mining lithium from the minerals in igneous rock are so high that making a profit is all but impossible. Second, while mining/refining/selling lithium from salts or underground brine pools (collectively, "Brine Mining") can turn a profit, the lithium-rich areas of the planet in which such salts and underground brine pools exist are amazingly few. Third, even if a company can acquire mining and extraction rights in such a rare area, Brine Mining entails many of the same costs and difficulties encountered by strip or placer mining operations. Fourth, profitable Brine Mining requires extraordinarily massive and expensive equipment, facilities, and operations. Note, for instance, the vast areas of land MMTE's press releases claim. Fifth, the geopolitical climate trends toward total governmental control of all South American lithium. (See The Trouble with Lithium II: Under the Microscope, supra, pp. 49-50.) Finally, examine the below photos of a successful strip mining operation; the photos quickly put into perspective the massive scale of mining precious metals through strip mining or, in MMTE's case, strip mining's cousin... Brine Mining.

Based on the press releases and due diligence, MMTE appears not even close to establishing even the most basic resources a successful precious metals mining and refining operation requires. Moreover, without gianormus dilution, MMTE will almost certainly find itself unable to finance the colossal industry entry costs inherent to precious metal mining - Brine Mining included.

Kennecott Mine & Processing Facilities
(This mining operation produces copper, gold, silver, molybdenum & ferromolybdenum)











MMTE faces an expensive, uphill battle that common sense suggests MMTE cannot win.