über Pan Am gefunden. Ist schon alt, dass weiß ich.
Doch will ich ihn Euch nicht vorenthalten. Wichtig finde ich die Aussagen des CEO Pan Am könnte das erste Unternehmen sein, was mit der Lithiumförderung beginnen kann!!!
Und ich weiß auch, dass ich hier wieder im Konjunktiv schreibe :)
Pan American Lithium Speaks Softly But Carries Real Lithium Potential
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By Jonathan T. Orr and James WestMidasLetter.com
Thursday, March 4, 2010
With the image of millions of cars powered by electric batteries dancing in their heads, lithium hasinvestors charged up. The question is who will be able to drive this nascent market forward? WellPan American Lithium Corp (TSX.V:PL) is a stellar example of why we provide continuouscoverage: from promise to punch in the space of two months in a market that could make some people very wealthy indeed.
The future of the lithium market is often spoken of in breathless terms by market and media pundits alike as having the potential to be the next runaway boom market. The language used todescribe the future of lithium is often outrageously hyperbolic and the less frantic voices of thosewho have taken a more measured approach are often drowned out by the high blown rhetoric ofmarket analysts and the often-exaggerated claims made by exploration companies working inunproven territories.
The Promise & The Problem
Although lithium prices have tripled in that last decade and are now averaging US$6,000 per ton,a new problem has arisen. There have been many reports that claim there simply are not enough lithium reserves to meet the explosive demand that will be created by the impending massproduction of electric cars.
In the race to become pioneer producers of lithium, Pan American Lithium Corp has relied upontheir deep focus and characteristic patience to take them the distance. Now with the verypromising results of the most recent survey conducted on its wholly-owned Laguna Verde Projectlocated in Atacama Region III, Chile, they look set to be among the first to cross the line.
Other junior exploration companies have bounced from region to region trying to find propertieswith massive reserves but these have proven to be hugely expensive to extract, in politicallyunstable areas and ultimately unproven. Pan Am has chosen instead to remain committed to thedevelopment of its Laguna Verde property in Chile and their dedication is about to pay off.
Demand is Certain: Who Can Deliver?
There are myriad junior exploration companies exploring for Lithium but few who can packageexpertise with proven access and stellar properties and deep project management experience.
Pan Am CEO Andrew Brodkey certainly isnʼt one for the usual hyperbolic language or one to make claims that he can't back up. He spoke to Midas letter of a modest and measuredapproach, words most would of us not associate with the resource industry. Speaking of theentire dazzle surrounding the precious white metal Brodkey joked, “ … you donʼt want to punch the industry in the mouth.” Itʼs an off the cuff remark but his point is that when the hype is boiling over smart investors will go with company that speaks quietly and carries a big potential.
And although Mr. Brodkey speaks of a deliberate company approach to exploration he is clearabout the companyʼs prospects stating, “We simply have quality brine salar properties with clearaccess and low production costs, several of which contain unique surface lake features which willallow us to be among the first if not the first into production”. He goes onto point out that manycompanies donʼt have offtake outlets but with Pan Am we are targeting to sell nearly all we extractto strategic partners”.
This straightforward speaking is characteristic of a company with confidence built upon resultsrather than rhetoric. Earlier this year MidasLetter.com called Pan Am as ʻpossibly the best junior lithium playʼ and we are very happy to remove the word ʻpossiblyʼ from that sentence. This all from a company only recently listed on the TSX-V.
Although weʼve warned of speaking in hyperbole letʼs be clear:
• Proven explosive demand with imminent switch to hybrid battery powered vehicles;
• Growing demand for use in rechargeable batteries that power laptop computers, digitalcameras and cell phones;
• Lead project is an easily accessible property containing a surface lake in the “lithiumtriangle” ,widely regarded to have the worldʼs largest lithium reserves;
• Political stability in the mining-friendly country of Chile;
• A powerful purchasing partner in POSCO.
Put simply: the world will soon be begging for Lithium and Pan Am plan to give it to them.
Deep Lake, Deep Prospects: The Laguna Verde Project
The company continues to move from strength to strength having recently announced initialresults of a bathymetric survey conducted on its wholly owned Laguna Verde Project located inAtacama Region III, Chile.
The results determined the depth of the lake at 17 sample points and is part of an ongoingdetailed sampling program to determine a National Instrument 43-101 compliant resourceestimate, expected to be finalized by April 30, 2010. The deepest sounding taken was 60 metersand the average mean depth of the lake is estimated to be 33 meters. At each point a brinesample was taken at minimum depths of 0.5 meters. The UTM (Universal Trans Mercator) gridcoordinates and the lake bottom depths are as follows:
The Project has the clear advantage of being an above-ground lake, and its brine waters can bereadily sampled and represent a potential resource that can be calculated quickly, and with aproduction cost that could be the lowest among other sources of lithium.
Patience & A Plan To Production
From the companyʼs release:
"In light of the preliminary results of this survey, Pan American intends to focus itssampling program to systematically collect brine waters of the lake at various depths, at the same coordinates, using specialized sampling equipment. These samples will besubmitted for analysis to an ISO-certified laboratory. Concurrently, the Company willcontinue to take depth measurements of the lake in order to confirm an estimate of its volume. The Company expects to deliver the results of this phase of the scoping studysometime during the first calendar quarter of 2010." Editor's note:The earthquake in Chile may have the effect of delaying this timeline slightly.
In addition to Laguna Verde Pan Am also has an existing portfolio of rights in nine salars inRegion III of Chile covering a cumulative area in excess of 11,500 hectares and the option toacquire an interest in a geothermal brine project in Mexico.
Stay The Course
Itʼs clear that, as with anything we remove from underground, all sources are not created equaland many of the ʻnew kid on the blockʼ sources for Lithium deposits may be of poor quality ormore expensive to extract than established deposits. One of the globeʼs foremost and respectedlithium experts Keith Evans has said of companies trying to cash in on the lithium buzz“…exploration activity has exploded. They all hope to find sources that can be competitive, (but) Chile and Argentina have sufficient reserves for billions of years.”
We may not have billions of years to use all that Lithium but it clear that it will powering ourimmediate future. As the auto industry tries to find a way to survive in a world with dwindling oil and a customer base demanding green forward thinking and vehicles it will be compelled bygovernment and economic pressures to truly embrace a battery powered future. An industry ofthat size does not take risks with suppliers. It will turn to pioneers who have proved themselveswith diligence and the hard results that that produces.
There are myriad junior exploration companies exploring for Lithium but few who can packageexpertise with proven access, stellar producing properties and the hard won knowledge of apioneer. Pan American Lithium may not be the loudest one at the lithium party but are certainlythe ones who smart investors will want to talk to in the morning.
Follow the companiesʼ progress at:
http://www.panamericanlithium.com