Australian lithium miner Neometals produced 15.33% less
lithium spodumene year-on-year in the October-December quarter
of 2018, the company reported on Wednesday January 30.
The quarter’s output from the flagship Mount
Marion asset in Western Australia was 94,000 tonnes of lithium
spodumene, compared with 111,023
tonnes produced in the July-September quarter.
Output of higher-grade lithium spodumene (min 6% Li2O) in
the three months was 69,000 tonnes, equating to 73.40% of the
total.
The remaining 25,000 tonnes of the material produced was
lower-grade lithium spodumene (min 4% Li2O), or 26.59% of total
production for the quarter.
Shipment volumes of lithium spodumene to offtaker Jiangxi
Ganfeng Lithium increased by 2.46% in the December quarter to
93,561 tonnes, from 91,313 tonnes in the September quarter.
The price achieved for minimum 6% lithium spodumene across
the fourth quarter was $931 per tonne cfr, according to the
agreed pricing formula.
Fastmarkets’ monthly assessment showed the lithium spodumene
price at $600-750 per tonne cif China on January 30. This
was steady from December but down by 6.89% from $650-800 per
tonne on November 28.
Lithium spodumene prices softened at the end of 2018 due to
the lower prices reported in China over the course of the year,
against which the lithium spodumene prices are calculated.
Fastmarkets’ assessment of the spot price for
battery-grade
lithium carbonate, min 99.5% Li2CO3, ex-works China, was
down by 49.50% to 73,000-81,000 yuan ($10,809-11,994) per tonne
on January 24. This compared with 150,000-155,000 yuan per
tonne on February 1, 2018.
Divestment agreement, Kalgoorlie lithium
refinery
During the December quarter, Neometals agreed to divest its
equity interest in Mt Marion to fellow shareholder Ganfeng.
Neometals will sell its 13.8% shares in subsidiary Reed
Industrial Minerals to Ganfeng in exchange for A$103.8 million
($74.30 million) in cash and a binding life-of-mine offtake
option for 57,000 tonnes per year of Mt Marion’s
output of lithium spodumene, min 6%.
Ganfeng currently owns 43.1% of Mt Marion through Reed
Industrial Minerals. Mineral Resources owns the remaining
43.1%.
Separately, the final review of the Kalgoorlie lithium
refinery front-end engineering and design study is expected in
March 2019.
The refinery is expected to have capacity for 10,000 tpy of
lithium hydroxide, and commissioning is expected to begin by
mid-2021.
Lithium spodumene prices are now included in our free
service, Lithium Price Spotlight. See the latest price assessments
here.