Q&A with David Archer Chief Executive Officer at Savannah Resources Plc (LON:SAV)

Savannah Resources Plc (LON:SAV) Chief Executive Officer David Archer caught up with DirectorsTalk for an exclusive interview to discuss the positive results from their Mina do Barroso lithium project in Portugal

 

Q1: Now, yesterday you released some encouraging results from the Phase II metallurgical test work at your Mina do Barroso lithium project in Portugal, can you talk us through these results?

A1: It’s the latest piece of news around a really very fast paced programme that we’ve got around our Portuguese lithium project in the northern part of Portugal. These were the metallurgical test work results that we’ve been getting from the work that’s been done in Australia on some of the material that’s been provided as a result of that drilling programme.

So, the results have been very encouraging, it shows that we can produce an industry standard 6% spodumene concentrate for these in much demand, international, by lithium convertors, particularly in China. They then use this material to produce lithium chemicals that go into batteries in things such as mobile phone but probably increasingly importantly into electric vehicles and electric commercial vehicles.

 

Q2: Similar to the highly successful Western Australian lithium producers, like you say, you’re focus is on spodumene, can you tell us more about that?

A2: There’s a whole series of lithium minerals that can be produced but spodumene is the mainstream lithium mineral, it’s the most traded lithium mineral in the world and in fact, all of the major producers of hard rock lithium in the world produce spodumene.

So, spodumene is the characteristic mineral that we have at our Mina do Barroso in Portugal and it’s a key feature, I suppose. It means that we’re very similar to the very successful hard rock spodumene miners in Western Australia who have secured very very favourable offtakes with Chinese groups and thus very favourable in with investment into their companies as well.

 

Q3: I know you’ve been very busy but going forward, when can we expect to see Phase III of the test work to begin and when do you think we can expect results from that?

A3: The next phase of the test work is underway at the moment and we’ll be updating the marketing when some sort of further key outcomes are achieved. A lot of that will then feed into a scoping study that we have underway at the moment which is being led by internationally regarded Hatch, which is a firm of consulting engineers who’ve got deep industry experience in the evaluation and processing of lithium ores.

 

Q4: What else can we look out for in the near term for Savannah Resources?

A4: Well, I think they’ll be a series of positive results that we’re looking forward to being able to release, the results from the Hatch scoping study will be particularly significant and that will the lead the way into a full feasibility study.

In parallel, we’ll be announcing further resource upgrades from Mina do Barroso and you might remember, it was only last week that we actually tripled the resource at Mina do Barroso from 3 million tonnes to 9.1 million tonnes, at just over 1% Li2O, we also defined an exploration target of between 8-12 million tonnes, grading between 1 and 1.2 Li2O.

So, in aggregate, we’re looking at a project target which might be approaching something like 20 million tonnes which would be a very significant resource and could form the basis of a quite sizable lithium mine development in Portugal.

Click to view all articles for the EPIC:
Or click to view the full company profile:
    Facebook
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
    Savannah Resources Plc

    More articles like this

    Savannah Resources Plc

    CEO Q&A with David Archer at Savannah Resources Plc (LON:SAV)

    Savannah Resources’ David Archer discusses the robust lithium intersections at Mino de Barroso, how this plays into the bigger picture and what investors can look out for over the coming months in this exclusive interview with DirectorsTalk

    Savannah Resources Plc

    INTERVIEW: Savannah Resources Oversubscribed Fundraising

    Savannah Resources Plc (LON:SAV) CEO David Archer talks to DirectorsTalk about a Cash Placing and Subscriptions for £11.5 million. David talks us through the highlights, explains how the cash will be used and whats next for

    Savannah Resources Plc

    Whitman Howard Research: Savannah Resources plc

    Lithium Scoping Study very positive The compliant Scoping Study on their 75% owned near surface Mina do Barroso hard rock lithium (spodumene) project in Portugal is very encouraging with a post-tax Internal Rate of Return (IRR)

    Savannah Resources Plc

    INTERVIEW: Savannah Resources Scoping Study Results

    Savannah Resources Plc (LON:SAV) CEO David Archer talks to DirectorsTalk about the release of the Scoping Study results on the Mina do Barroso Lithium Project in Portugal. David talks us through the key findings of the

    Savannah Resources Plc

    Europe’s Untapped Lithium Sources

    We normally associate Cornwall in England with scones and cream teas … or, if we are really metal nerds, we associate the sometimes-sunny southeast country of the British Isles with mining (particularly with tin mining). The

    Savannah Resources Plc

    Whitman Howard Research: Savannah Resources plc

    50% resource increase at Mina do Barroso The significant increase in compliant resource at their near surface Mina do Barroso hard rock lithium project in Portugal is very good news indeed. This spodumene resource is now probably Western

    Savannah Resources Plc

    UK to ban most hybrid cars, including Prius, from 2040

    Government to issue clean-air plan prohibiting vehicles relying on traditional engines Hybrid cars that rely on traditional engines, such as the Toyota Prius, would be banned by 2040 under clean-air plans being drawn up by the