Lithium Chile (TSX:LITH) (US:LTMCF) CEO Steve Cochrane Interview
It has been the perfect storm for lithium and all the battery metals. The boom in prices is driven by climate change, and governments need to address emissions. Accordingly, the Canadian government released a plan for a 40% cut in carbon emissions by 2030 – the primary method of doing so is by converting internal combustion engines into electric vehicles (EVs). This shift has caused a massive demand for lithium, causing prices to explode by 500% since 2019.
For a long time, lithium was produced mainly by the big three: Albemarle (NYSE:ALB), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE:SQM) and FMC (NYSE:FMC). But, there is a new kid on the block looking to start producing the battery metal in the world’s highest-grade lithium district.
Lithium Chile Inc (CVE:LITH, OTCMKTS:LTMCF) is advancing a lithium property portfolio consisting of 69,200 hectares covering sections of 10 salars and two laguna complexes in Chile and 23,300 hectares in Argentina.
“We feel we are in a good space. We are in two jurisdictions of the highest grade and largest reserves of lithium in the world. Chile has over 50% of the known reserves, and Argentina is a close third just behind Australia.” – Lithium Chile CEO Steven Cochrane
Lithium Chile is continuing to advance exploration properties in Chile. Still, the company’s Argentinian project has provided recent excitement.
“The big step forward for us was the announcement in January of our initial resource on our Argentinian play. That really was a game-changer for us. Moved us from a pure exploration play into the resource category – and that’s huge.” – Lithium Chile CEO Steven Cochrane
Lithium Chile announced a near-surface sample assaying up to 1410 mg/l lithium – almost the highest grade you can achieve. The company is also anxious to start drilling on its other properties where they know there is lithium but want to prove those grades also exist below the surface.
“That grade rivals the commercial production-grade at Atacama that Albemarle and SQM are currently producing at. So, not only are we encouraged by having that kind of high-grade sample, but we’ve shot geophysics. That’s our Salar de Coipasa property in the north part of Chile and is the 2nd largest salar in the world. We see a beautiful conductive base. We feel very strongly that there’s a large subterranean aquifer there” – Lithium Chile CEO Steven Cochrane
Transcript
00:00 – Lithium Chile $LITH $LTMCF CEO Steven Cochrane
00:37 – How $LITH is taking advantage of lithium price?
02:28 – 1,410mg/l lithium high grade
03:41 – Direct lithium extraction (DLE) process
04:48 – Summit Nanotechnology partnership
05:12 – Testing extraction process
06:04 – Chilean regulatory environment
07:50 – High lithium price to increase EV prices?
10:27 – Timeline until lithium production
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