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Lithium Australia's maiden reverse circulation drilling program at its Youanmi project near Sandstone in WA's Murchison region is off to a flying start with initial assays returning a peak result of 1m @ 3.07% lithium oxide. Drilling has extended the extent of known lithium-bearing pegmatites at the project and has so far confirmed mineralisation over 1,200m of strike, which remains open down-dip and along strike.

Lithium Australia has firmed up its alliance with Chinese battery manufacturer DLG Battery with the formation of a joint marketing division that will provide a range of lithium-ion batteries, or “LIBs”, with a focus on industry-scale energy storage products. The new Soluna Australia division will also provide technical support, customer service and custom products for large-scale storage applications.

Lithium Australia has continued to intersect wide pegmatite intervals with lithium mineralisation from its first pass reverse circulation drilling program at the Youanmi project near Sandstone in WA's Murchison region. Lepidolite mineralisation has been intersected in most holes drilled to date in the program, which will be used to assess the resource potential and geometry of the pegmatites.

Lithium Australia's ongoing lithium drilling at the prospective Youanmi project near Sandstone in WA's Murchison region has had initial success, with many of the 22 holes drilled to date intersecting visible lepidolite mineralisation. The company has also dispatched samples from its completed four-hole vanadium drilling program at Youanmi for chemical analyses and metallurgical test work.

Lithium Australia plans to commence drilling to evaluate the potential and geometry of lithium pegmatites at the prospective Youanmi project near Sandstone in the Murchison region of WA, before the end of this month. The company will also carry out work on the higher-grade sections of a defined vanadium resource, which it believes to be amenable to direct leaching to produce vanadium sulphate.

Lithium Australia has identified lithium and tantalum mineralised pegmatite dykes over a 5km strike in shallow historical tourmaline and tin mine workings at the Dudley prospect of its Kangaroo Island project in South Australia. Rock chip sampling returned assays of up to 0.43% lithium oxide, 770 ppm tantalum, 460 ppm niobium and 1600 ppm rubidium despite the strong weathering of outcrops.

Lithium Australia has produced lithium iron phosphate batteries using lithium phosphate that was refined using a simple process developed in conjunction with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation. The company expects batteries produced using the cheap and effective refining process to have significant advantages compared to those produced using lithium carbonate

Lithium Australia is seeking to become a leading lithium-ion battery supplier through an alliance with DLG Battery – one of China's ten largest battery manufacturers. The two companies will form a joint venture to manufacture lithium-ion packs and modules in Australia, produce batteries using their technologies for both local and global markets and offer battery-recycling solutions.

Lithium Australia has confirmed the discovery of spodumene-bearing lithium mineralisation in multiple pegmatite dykes at its Medcalf prospect near Norseman, WA, that extend over at least 450m of strike and 100m of combined width. Samples up to 5.13% lithium oxide, with elevated levels of the pathfinder elements tantalum, caesium and rubidium were returned during the current program.

Lithium Australia is acquiring an 18.9% interest in Victoria-based Envirostream, which operates Australia's only facility for shredding lithium-ion batteries into a powder containing critical metals. The company is looking to prevent this powder from being exported for refining by developing a process to extract the valuable nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium compounds locally.

Lithium Australia has kicked off a preliminary feasibility study to evaluate the production of lithium iron phosphate battery cathode powders using mica feed material sourced from its Sadisdorf lithium-tin deposit in Germany. The study is seeking to provide supply chain security by delivering cathode materials that require neither cobalt or nickel whilst remaining competitive with batteries using standard lithium carbonate materials.

Lithium Australia's new refining process has successfully produced a high purity lithium phosphate product for use in lithium-ion batteries, bypassing the need to produce lithium hydroxide or carbonate. The new process fits seamlessly into the SiLeach process and greatly reduces the concentrations of impurities such as potassium, sodium and sulphur, providing scope to further improve battery performance.

Lithium Australia has initiated the next stage of development for its LieNA spodumene processing technology after preliminary R&D showed that further work on the process was warranted. The process seeks to recover lithium from spodumene without the need for expensive, energy-hungry roasting by using a caustic solution to leach the lithium from spodumene and recover it as lithium phosphate.

Lithium Australia has mapped three swarms of outcropping lithium-rich pegmatites over a total strike length of 2.5km and widths to 50 metres at its Youanmi project near Sandstone in the Murchison region of WA. The company will use recently acquired high-resolution geophysical surveys of the region, along with its recent geological mapping program, to delineate lithium drilling targets at the broader Youanmi project.

Lithium Australia will carry out a preliminary study into the production of lithium-ion battery components using lithium micas sourced from its wholly-owned Sadisdorf project in Germany. This will involve the extraction of lithium phosphate utilising the company's proprietary SiLeach process. Cassiterite mineralisation will also be processed into a saleable tin concentrate to add more value for the project.

Lithium Australia has concluded an exploration program of geological mapping, rock chip sampling and geochemical soil sampling over high grade lithium mineralisation identified last year at its Medcalf prospect, located southwest of Norseman in WA. The company previously unearthed the swarm of spodumene rich pegmatites with rock chip samples up to 7.15% lithium oxide in outcrops covering an area of 250m wide by 500m long.

Lithium Australia has formalised an option agreement to acquire the three exploration licences that comprise the Youanmi lithium project about 100km southwest of Sandstone from private exploration firm Diversity Resources Pty Ltd. The project could be a feed source for the company's upcoming third generation SiLeach pilot plant trial.

Lithium Australia is looking to use its proven technologies that can turn lithium mica mineralised waste into lithium-ion battery cathode powders at its Sadisdorf project in Germany and for similar resources elsewhere in Europe. The company will now include its proprietary technologies, such as its SiLeach process for extracting lithium phosphate from micas, into the scoping study for Salisdorf.

Lithium Australia has hit a major milestone with the successful production of lithium ion battery cathode powders and lithium ion batteries using lithium phosphate produced directly from mine waste courtesy of its proprietary “SiLeach” process. The company managed to bypass the need to produce high-purity lithium hydroxide or carbonate, which could significantly reduce the cost of battery manufacturing.

Lithium Australia's second generation SiLeach pilot plant trial at ANSTO Minerals' facility in New South Wales has successfully produced a product containing between 90% and 95% lithium phosphate. A sample of the product is now being tested at Lithium Australia's 100%-owned subsidiary VSPC Ltd, with a view to producing and testing lithium ion batteries made from this material.

Lithium Australia has reached in principle agreement with a battery researcher for the development of advanced silicon anodes that could significantly increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries. The company is planning to establish facilities for the development of the new graphite/silicon anodes at its VSPC plant in Brisbane with operations starting under the terms of an MOU.

Lithium Australia has entered an agreement with a private exploration company to acquire 3 tenements at the Youanmi lithium project, located near Sandstone in the Murchison of Western Australia. Lithium-bearing pegmatites strike over almost 3km across the tenements up to widths of 200m where mapped. Rock chip sampling at the project has shown lepidolite-rich pegmatites with up to 4.2% lithium oxide and likely tantalum credits.

Location and scale are two areas that Lithium Australia is studying for its planned, large-scale lithium processing pilot plant to reduce capital requirements and optimise the technical and financial benefits. The company said that with changes to the Australian Federal Government's R&D rebate scheme, it would locate its pilot plant in a jurisdiction that will provide the greatest practical benefits.

Lithium Australia will send samples of its lithium iron phosphate cathode powders produced from its VSPC plant in Brisbane to Chinese battery manufacturers for testing. The company has already completed a number of pilot-plant production runs and is seeking confirmation of the high capacity of its battery cathode material from the lucrative Chinese lithium battery manufacturing market.

Lithium Australia is now the sole owner of the Sadisdorf lithium project in far east Germany where recent drilling returned very wide intersections of lithium after the transfer of project licences was approved by the Upper Mining Authority of Saxony. The company is currently progressing a scoping study for the project that is based on using its “SiLeach” technology to unlock the project's potential.

Lithium Australia has successfully completed Stage 1 of its SiLeach pilot plant trial at ANSTO Minerals facility in New South Wales with the production of a lithium pregnant liquor that meets purity targets. SiLeach is a potential game changer for the lithium battery chemicals business as it has the ability to process lower grade ore at a lower cost that the expensive “roasting” based methods.

ASX listed Lithium Australia has received approval from the W.A. state Government to recover material from mine dumps at its Lepidolite Hill project near Coolgardie for a proposed large scale lithium carbonate pilot plant. The company plans to use X-ray transmission ore-sorting to pre-concentrate lepidolite from the waste material before transporting it to the plant location.

Lithium Australia has announced consistent grades of lithium in three diamond drill holes completed at its emerging Sadisdorf project in eastern Germany. Results include 78.51m @ 0.51% lithium oxide from 78.49m and 68.76m @ 0.51% lithium oxide from 211.49m down-hole in the same hole. Other results of 19.74m @ 0.65% tin from 83.42m down-hole and 15.97m grading 0.5% tungsten were also recorded from the polymetallic deposit.

Western Australia's proposed Lithium Valley concept that could see Western Australia grab a larger share of the $213bn lithium-based battery value chain is under threat from the Federal Government's proposed moves to limit R&D funding. Limiting the annual R&D rebates to $4m could make Australia noncompetitive with other parts of the world, according to Lithium Australia.

Lithium Australia has commenced production of lithium-iron-phosphate battery cathode material after commissioning its innovative pilot production plant in Brisbane, with commercial samples to be delivered to international battery makers in the fourth quarter. The production of battery cathode materials closes the loop for Lithium Australia who is also a lithium explorer and mineral processing technologist.

Lithium Australia will file two additional patents that will reduce capital and operating costs for its SiLeach lithium recovery process by removing the need for extensive evaporation. The move is a result of its ongoing partnership with ANSTO Minerals and will further refine the company's commercialisation plans that include development of a large scale pilot plant.

Lithium Australia is acquiring full ownership of the Sadisdorf deposit in Germany for €2m in cash and scrip from JV partner Tin International. Recent drilling returned an intercept of 32.2m at 0.52% lithium oxide. The company will accelerate development plans with a scoping study expected to be completed in October 2018 while other key studies are also being carried out.

Lithium Australia's Eichigt project in Germany is looking a little more interesting after a second round of samples produced 1.47% cobalt and impressive lithium values from the same patch of ground. The rare double up of cobalt and lithium is contained in mineralisation not previously discovered in Saxony and augurs well for the company's plans to supply battery metals to Europe.

Lithium Australia's plans to become a significant supplier of battery metals to Europe have taken another step forward with the discovery of cobalt at grades of up to 0.6% at its Eichigt project in Germany. The discovery was made from first-pass exploration in an area that has seen little modern exploration and is not far from the company's significant lithium resource at the nearby Sadisdorf project.

Lithium Australia's subsidiary, VSPC, is making progress towards commercialising its patented lithium-ion battery cathode materials. Manufacturing of lithium ion battery coin cells and electrochemical testing will commence shortly at its laboratory in Queensland. The market for cathode materials is predicted to double to approximately 400,000 tonnes p/a by 2025, with a value exceeding USD$10b.

Lithium Australia has announced a new discovery of lithium mineralisation, in spodumene bearing pegmatites at the Medcalf prospect, within its prospective looking Lake Johnston project, 460km east of Perth in W.A. Rock chip samples up to 7.15% lithium oxide were returned from a series of outcrops, covering an area of 250m wide over 500m of strike. The company is now planning follow-up mapping, sampling and soils programs.

Lithium Australia's Sadisdorf project in the “Ore Mountains” of Germany's Saxony region has returned solid drill hits of lithium and tin from the first hole of a maiden drill program. Intercepts included 32.19m at 0.52% lithium oxide, well above the average grade of the maiden inferred resource announced last December, confirming the pervasive nature of the lithium mineralisation.

Lithium Australia's large scale pilot plant to be based on its SiLeach processing technology has received a boost, with test work achieving a breakthrough that improves lithium recoveries and enhances the production of a key by-product. The results have led to an innovative change to the process that has the potential to reduce capital and operating costs and strengthen the project economics.

Lithium Australia has once again returned from the hunt for new lithium frontier projects, this time in tiger country in the Pilbara. The Perth based, vertically integrated lithium tyro has bagged up what looks to be a pegmatite rich greenfields lithium project 18km's east of Marble bar in the Moolyella tin fields. The project cost just $25,000 in cash and a further $25,000 in Lithium Australia stock.

Lithium Australia will take less than six months to recommission the manufacturing facility at its new acquired Very Small Particle Company. It expects to be producing world-leading cathode materials by July. The rapid re-start is part of an ambitious strategy to become a vertically integrated lithium business, which will also see battery grade lithium carbonate produced from 2021.