International Lithium: Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium to Raise $81.5 Mln via Private Placement ILC.v, TNR.v, LIT

  

  Now Ganfeng Lithium has the capital to advance its development programs with International Lithium. Once the tax loss selling will be over International Lithium should enjoy better market perception with further advance of Lithium properties in Ireland, Argentina and Canada. Ganfeng Lithium production facilities development shows China's appetite for strategic commodities for electric revolution in order to make transportation and personal mobility still possible after recent pollution scare.

Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium to Raise $81.5 Mln via Private Placement

Summary:Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium Co. plans raise 499.2 million yuan ($81.5 million) via a private placement to invest in three lithium product projects."

Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. Advances Partnership with International Lithium Corp. on the Blackstairs Lithium Project, Ireland ILC.v, TNR.v

Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. Exercises Option On International Lithium Corp.'s Blackstairs Lithium Project, Ireland ILC.v, TNR.v

International Lithium Corp., President's Update ILC.v, TNR.v

ILC Facebook with pictures from Ganfeng Lithium visit to Ireland.

International Lithium Presentation.

Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd. Advances Partnership with International Lithium Corp. on the Blackstairs Lithium Project, Ireland

Vancouver B.C. December 6, 2013: International Lithium Corp. ("ILC" or the "Company") (ILC: TSX-V) is pleased to announce that pursuant to the option agreement between the Company and GFL International Co., Ltd. ("Ganfeng Lithium" or "GFL") the prospecting licenses for the Blackstairs Lithium Project were transferred to a private Irish Company, Blackstairs Lithium Limited ("BLL"), to facilitate the execution of the option agreement between ILC and Ganfeng Lithium and prepare for a joint venture partnership to advance the project.

On November 28, 2013 the Company received notice from the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources located in Dublin, Ireland that the prospecting licenses that comprise the Blackstairs Lithium Project were successfully transferred to BLL. 

Under the terms of the option agreement between the two Parties (the "Blackstairs Agreement") the formation of an Irish subsidiary was necessary to facilitate the advancement of the project as a joint venture between the two parties (NR_Oct02_2012). GFL will complete its obligations to acquire a 51% interest in the Blackstairs Lithium Project and enter into a joint venture partnership under the Second Option of the Blackstairs Agreement whereby GFL can earn an additional 24% interest for a total 75% interest in the project by incurring $10 million in expenditures on the Blackstairs Property or producing a positive feasibility study on the Property within ten years of the effective date.

"With the formation of Blackstairs Lithium Limited we achieve a very important milestone with our strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium who are currently building additional production facilities to accommodate their aggressive expansion campaign. Securing a stable supply of raw materials containing lithium is a strategic issue as the demand for electric vehicles increases globally. International Lithium is well positioned to address this need. We have strong support to develop our project through our continuing joint venture with Ganfeng Lithium which will help to advance the exploration in Ireland in a timely manner," Kirill Klip, President, International Lithium Corp.

About GFL International Co., Ltd.

GFL International Co., Ltd. is a subsidiary of Ganfeng Lithium Co., Ltd. It is based in Xinyu, Jiangxi Province, China and is a professional producer of lithium products with a comprehensive product chain, including lithium metal and alloys, inorganic and organic lithium chemicals, and supplies a wide range of lithium products for primary and secondary lithium battery markets, pharmaceutical and new material industries. Ganfeng Lithium's principal market is in China with international exports to Europe, Japan, the USA and India. Ganfeng Lithium was founded in the 2000 and listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in August 2010, notably as the first publicly listed lithium Company in China and has experienced rapid continuous growth over the last 12 years.

Blackstairs Project

The Blackstairs project, comprised of eight mineral exploration licenses totalling 292 square kilometres, is located 65 to 100 km south of Dublin straddling the Counties of Carlow and Wicklow in Leinster, southeast Ireland. The Property encompasses an extensive NE-SW oriented 30 to 50 kilometre long rare metals pegmatite belt situated within the East Carlow Deformation Zone along the eastern side of the Leinster Granite. Approximately 19 significant lithium pegmatite occurrences have been discovered within the Property to date, primarily through boulder mapping with five buried pegmatites known through past trenching and drilling.

The Company has conducted preliminary testing on only two of the six main prospects located along the 35 kilometre lithium pegmatite belt (NR_June25_2013).

Key Highlights:

• Pegmatite intersected at Aclare containing 2.23% Li2O over 23.3m including 3.43% Li2O over 6.0m drill width (true thickness is yet unknown).
• Multiple pegmatite dyke intersections and 1.50% Li2O over 5.60m at Moylisha are consistent with historical results and confirm the prospectivity of the area.
• Step out drilling, 500m south of historical work at Moylisha, intersected lithium and other rare element mineralization within multiple, closely spaced, parallel pegmatites.

John Harrop, PGeo, FGS, and Vice President, Exploration of the Company is a "Qualified Person" as defined under NI 43-101 has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release.

About International Lithium Corp.

International Lithium Corp. is an exploration company with an outstanding portfolio of projects, strong management ownership, robust financial support and a strategic partner and keystone investor Ganfeng Lithium Co. Ltd., a leading China based lithium product manufacturer.

The Company's primary focus is the Mariana lithium-potash brine project, within the renowned South American "Lithium Belt" that is the host to the vast majority of global lithium resources, reserves and production. The 160 square kilometre Mariana project strategically encompasses an entire mineral rich evaporate basin that ranks as one of the more prospective salars or 'salt lakes" in the region.

Complementing the Company's lithium brine project are rare metals pegmatite properties in Canada and Ireland. These projects reported highly encouraging lithium mineralization in drill holes targeting pegmatites that are unexposed at surface (news releases dated April 3,2013 and June 25, 2013).

With the increasing demand for high tech rechargeable batteries used in vehicle propulsion technologies and portable electronics, lithium is paramount to tomorrow's "green-tech" economy. By positioning itself with solid development partners and acquiring high quality grass roots projects at an early stage of exploration, ILC aims to be the green tech resource explorer of choice for investors and build value for its shareholders.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Kirill Klip
President, International Lithium Corp.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Statements in this press release other than purely historical information, historical estimates should not be relied upon, including statements relating to the Company's future plans and objectives or expected results, are forward-looking statements. News release contains certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are based on numerous assumptions and are subject to all of the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company's business, including risks inherent in resource exploration and development. As a result, actual results may vary materially from those described in the forward-looking statements."

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Toby Connor: Another Bubble Looking for a Pin GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

ZeroHedge.

  Toby Connor provides a very interesting set of charts and market observations. Nothing grows up to the sky and he reminds us that every parabolic move ends in correction. This Friday extremely volatile FOREX moves are the first sign of repositioning by the major players. 10 Year Yield has reached 3.0%, mortgage rates are already going higher and mortgage applications are collapsing - markets can not be sustained by only rising Twitter and other social media. Janet Yellen will be tested very early in her rein and idea that QE can be actually extended is not so crazy any more.

Rob Kirby: When China Doesn't Get Their Gold - That's When This Ends GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

  "Greg Hunter has conducted another very interesting interview and Rob Kirby points out one more time to the elephant in the room - derivatives market, which can be on fire once interest rates will start going up. With 10 Year Treasury Yield crossing today 3.0% line in the sand we have very interesting time ahead of us. Now, finally, Gold goes vertical with US Dollar under pressure today."

The Big Squeeze - Mystery Hand Scoops Up Copper MUX, TNR.v, GDX, CU

"Interesting time comes for the Copper plays. Commodities are so much hated asset class now, that the move could be very unexpected for many people, when rotation starts from overpriced equity markets into the real assets plays."

Kitco:

Another Bubble Looking for a Pin

Well the Fed in its infinite wisdom has gone and done it again. They've created another bubble. And this bubble is arguably the 6th in the last 13 years (tech, real estate, credit, bond, oil, and now stocks - again). And let’s footnote the Fed’s creation of the present echo bubble in housing, for good measure.

If one steps back far enough they can see what's really happening. The Fed has now manufactured a parabolic move in the stock market. This parabola is much more aggressive (and thus even more unsustainable) than witnessed at either the 2000 or 2007 stock market tops.

Now here is the problem - parabolas always collapse. There are never any exceptions. When the pin finds this bubble it's going to take down not only our stock market, but unleash a destructive force on the global economy. 

At some point profit taking starts as nervous professionals fearing a regression to the mean event start to lock in profits. As the big institutional money starts to come out of the market the selling begins to accelerate and the losses quickly mount.

The steeper the parabola the quicker the losses once the parabola breaks. It's not unusual to see 3-6 months of gains evaporate in the space of days when one of these structures collapses. I have a pretty good idea the level to which this market will fall initially, once the break begins; more on that in a minute.

The path creating this unsustainable market behavior began in 2011. If the Fed had just allowed the market to correct naturally and drop down into its 4 year cycle low in 2012 we would probably now be on a sustainable path into another secular bull market. 

Unfortunately the Fed made a catastrophic mistake. Instead of allowing the market to function naturally they began operation Twist, then LTRO, then QE3 and QE4. The result as you can see in the first chart is they've created a huge unsustainable parabolic move in the stock market. Try as they have to prevent corrections, the longer they allow this to continue the more devastating the crash is going to be when the market breaks.

Based on the extremely stretched nature of the current intermediate cycle (week 27) I'm looking for a top and the start of the collapse early next year. Possibly as we begin earnings season. If one is in the market trying to catch the last few percent of this upside price movement, please understand we are not in an investor environment this late in the bull market. This is short term trading only and at the first sign the crash has begun, get out and stay out.

Margin debt and money market funds are at levels indicating retail investors are now all in like they always are at market tops.

Source: sentimentrader.com

I expect we are going to see the market fall precipitously to test the previous bull market tops and erase most of last year’s gains in a matter of days or weeks. At that point Yellen will panic and all thoughts of tapering will vanish. As a matter of fact I expect the Fed will increase QE, maybe drastically, to try and reflate the parabola.

But the Fed’s likely attempt to reflate and sustain the stock market will be futile, as the damage will already have been done. All they will accomplish is a violent echo rally common to all collapsing parabolas. From there the bear market will have begun and the more QE the Fed throws at the market, the more and faster the liquidity will leak into the commodity markets until inflation completely destroys the economy and the next recession gets underway.

The Fed thinks they are creating a "wealth effect". All they've really done is sow the seeds of the next crash. 
By Toby Connor, 
GoldScents"

Gold: Fastest Japan Inflation Since ’08. US 10Y Yield Hits 3.019% - Highest Since July 2011 GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

  

ZeroHedge.

  Now we have some clues to the wild FOREX gyrations today and US dollar falling below 80.00. Bloomberg reports that Japan is happy to experience the Fastest Inflation from 2008. Can we start talking that money velocity will be finally moving up and pushing inflation in the system? Gold is ready and waiting for it for a long time. ZeroHedge reports that US 10Y Yield Hits 3.019% - Highest Since July 2011. Once the interest rates start moving confirming the end of 30 Year plus Bond Bull market things will change very fast. And Euro Jumps to Two-Year High on Rate Outlook. Gold and Silver are taking notice and are moving higher today. Reports from the commodity markets are suggesting that somebody knew something again and has cornered the copper market few days ago.

US Dollar Crashed Below 80.00 - Will Gold Move Higher Now? GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

 "FOREX market is moving very fast today with US dollar move nothing less than to be called crashing down below 80.00. It stands at the 79.78 at the moment of writing with Euro at 1.3861 and Pound at 1.6544. Will Gold finally move higher now from potential Double Bottom formed this year? 10 Year Treasuries are pushing the all-important level of 3.0% now. All metals are moving higher today with Copper up 1.58%."

The Big Squeeze - Mystery Hand Scoops Up Copper MUX, TNR.v, GDX, CU

"Interesting time comes for the Copper plays. Commodities are so much hated asset class now, that the move could be very unexpected for many people, when rotation starts from overpriced equity markets into the real assets plays."

ZeroHedge:

Gold & Silver Are Jumping And WTI Crude Breaks $100

As the 10Y broke solidly through 3.00% so precious metals began to move and after testing $20 in Silver overnight a few times, both gold and silver have just run stops through key levels and are jumping like Twitter (or Bitcoin) for a few minutes. WTI Crude has also just broke $100.

Rob Kirby: When China Doesn't Get Their Gold - That's When This Ends GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

  Greg Hunter has conducted another very interesting interview and Rob Kirby points out one more time to the elephant in the room - derivatives market, which can be on fire once interest rates will start going up. With 10 Year Treasury Yield crossing today 3.0% line in the sand we have very interesting time ahead of us. Now, finally, Gold goes vertical with US Dollar under pressure today.

"Rob Kirby of KirbyAnalytics.com claims the U.S. "arbitrarily set the price of all strategic goods in the market." As an example of control, Kirby explains, "We have 10-year U.S. bond rates under 3%, and I would say the United States is actually insolvent, and we have countries like Greece where 10-year bonds are yielding over 9%." When does this end? Kirby points to look to the finite physical gold market and massive Chinese global buying for a clue. Kirby says, "When China doesn't get their gold, that's when this ends, and that might be when we have a war." Join Greg Hunter as he goes One-on-One with Rob Kirby of KirbyAnalyitics.com"

US Dollar Crashed Below 80.00 - Will Gold Move Higher Now? GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

 "FOREX market is moving very fast today with US dollar move nothing less than to be called crashing down below 80.00. It stands at the 79.78 at the moment of writing with Euro at 1.3861 and Pound at 1.6544. Will Gold finally move higher now from potential Double Bottom formed this year? 10 Year Treasuries are pushing the all-important level of 3.0% now. All metals are moving higher today with Copper up 1.58%."

Bloomberg: London Gold Vaults Are Virtually Empty GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

Bloomberg quite suddenly provides some really interesting information about the state of the gold market and ongoing manipulations around it these days. Could the reports about JPMorgan being Net Long Gold now be correct in the end?

China October Gold Imports Surge To Second Highest Ever GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

 "ZeroHedge reports that fly of Gold from the West To East continues at unprecedented rate and all the hype with Bitcoin and "Gold 2.0" can be safely put aside now. China uses every opportunity to accumulate the real physical Gold at these prices. Another surprise comes when China will report its Gold reserves. All Gold manipulation in the West just made the Fractional Gold Reserve System vulnerable to the Bank Run, when people will demand physical delivery. Bitcoin bust will bring this day very soon. There will be a very significant problem - There Are 69 Owners Per One Gold Oz at COMEX now."

US Dollar Crashed Below 80.00 - Will Gold Move Higher Now? GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

  

  FOREX market is moving very fast today with US dollar move nothing less than to be called crashing down below 80.00. It stands at the 79.78 at the moment of writing with Euro at 1.3861 and Pound at 1.6544. Will Gold finally move higher now from potential Double Bottom formed this year? 10 Year Treasuries are pushing the all-important level of 3.0% now. All metals are moving higher today with Copper up 1.58%.

The Big Squeeze - Mystery Hand Scoops Up Copper MUX, TNR.v, GDX, CU

"Interesting time comes for the Copper plays. Commodities are so much hated asset class now, that the move could be very unexpected for many people, when rotation starts from overpriced equity markets into the real assets plays."

Jesse: Record COMEX Gold Claims Per Deliverable Ounce of Gold at 92 to 1 GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

 Jesse reports that we have another All-Time-High leverage at COMEX with 92 Owners per one once of Gold.

Jesse: Record COMEX Gold Claims Per Deliverable Ounce at 79 to 1 GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

  "Jesse reports that the Game Of Musial Chairs in the Western Fractional Gold Reserve System is getting into the new stage with the record level of leverage. Now report from Bloomberg can be put into another perspective." 

Bloomberg: London Gold Vaults Are Virtually Empty GLD, MUX, TNR.v, GDX

Bloomberg quite suddenly provides some really interesting information about the state of the gold market and ongoing manipulations around it these days. Could the reports about JPMorgan being Net Long Gold now be correct in the end?

The Big Squeeze - Mystery Hand Scoops Up Copper MUX, TNR.v, GDX, CU

  

  Interesting time comes for the Copper plays. Commodities are so much hated asset class now, that the move could be very unexpected for many people, when rotation starts from overpriced equity markets into the real assets plays.

Los Azules Copper - McEwen Mining And TNR Gold: Yamana Gold to invest $450 million in Argentine mine MUX, TNR.v, LCC.v

  "It looks like the shift in Argentina for the better is happening for real this time. Rob McEwen has discussed it in his recent presentation and that in his opinion "we have seen the low in Argentina after  a lot of disappointment". Shevron special Shale Oil deal, repayment to Repsol and now Yamana Gold investment are certainly the things we would like to see now after elections. Lumina copper is holding above CAD5.00 these days and McEwen Mining and TNR Gold should benefit from Los Azules copper revised valuation now."

Reuters:

The Big Squeeze - mystery hand scoops up copper

* One investor held over 90 pct of copper contracts

* Further squeezes seen amid shortage of inventories

* Exchange says rules robust against manipulation

By Eric Onstad and Josephine Mason

LONDON/NEW YORK, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Someone has made a near billion-dollar bet on copper this week, virtually cornering the world's key stocks of the metal.

That has stoked worries of a supply squeeze, as warehouses run low on a raw material vital to global industry, and has raised questions about commodity exchanges' efforts to curb attempts to manipulate prices by aggressively heavy trading.

The London Metal Exchange does not identify investors holding positions but data 

 on Friday showed that a single participant was holding 50-80 percent of available copper stocks on the LME, which handles the bulk of trade in the metal. The position was nominally worth up to $753 million.

Earlier in the week, one investor - presumably the same - had held over 90 percent of short-term trading instruments on LME copper - a position worth at least $862 million on paper. Traders have no clear idea who is behind it.

The firm doing the buying would not have had to put up all the cash up front and may well have had hedging positions and real requirements for physical copper. But it appears nonetheless to be a substantial gamble on prices rising.

And since the very fact of building up such a dominant position fuels fears of scarcity, it was little surprise that prices did in fact increase - LME cash copper gained 5 percent through December as the long position grew, hitting a four-month high on Monday before shedding about 1 percent.

That link between an aggressive, large buyer and fears of supply shortages driving prices higher is one that exchanges, including the LME, have historically tried to contain.

But the LME, under scrutiny from government regulators, said it has no plans to cap the size of investors' positions - though it does have other mechanisms to thwart manipulation.

"The LME has a robust position management system in place to deal with dominant positions," said spokeswoman Miriam Heywood, adding there was no plan to change those rules.

The world's oldest metals marketplace has already been overhauling practices on warehousing - its system of ensuring physical stocks exist to back trades concluded on the exchange.

It has done so in response to allegations of manipulation in its larger aluminium market, which industrialists say has distorted global supply and inflated prices.

MARKET TIGHT

With its copper stocks shrinking, the impact of any future squeeze could be more severe than what happened this week, said analysts, who noted a 19-month high in the key price spread between copper for immediate delivery and that for future delivery - a measure of fears that ready supply may run short.

"The tightness is there. It's bubbling underneath," said Wiktor Bielski, head of commoditiesresearch at VTB Capital.

"There are just a lot of things that could all of sudden turn quite nasty for anybody who needs spot copper and doesn't have any cover."

The low stocks combined with an outage at a smelter in the Philippines, Chinese demand that has been running more strongly than expected and concern about Indonesia's plans to boost its own industry by banning the export of unprocessed ore could all contribute to a volatile mix.

Among those potentially hardest hit by a spike in prices are the numerous speculators who have taken short positions on the LME - selling copper for future delivery in the hope of buying it more cheaply later, before the contracts fall due.

They were betting that the copper market would move into surplus as new mines churn out more supply. But backlogs in processing the ore have limited the amount of refined metal being produced and prices have failed to fall significantly.

"I don't see this situation abating," said one trader. "There's really no copper around at the moment."

The crunch may come in the new year, said analyst Leon Westgate at Standard Bank in London: "It looks like in the early part of next year there's going to be a bit of a battle on the cards in copper," he said.

Copper stocks in LME-registered warehouses MCUSTX-TOTAL have declined by 44 percent since June to 382,550 tonnes. Moreover, much of that has already been earmarked for delivery or is located at warehouses suffering from delivery backlogs.

Two thirds of the total copper stock has been "cancelled" in preparation to be shipped out to buyers.

Most of the rest is in three warehouses - at New Orleans, Antwerp and Johor in Malaysia - where queues for other metals makes in hard to secure their copper for rapid delivery.

Bielski said that, of the nearly 400,000 tonnes in official LME stocks, only about 16,000 were actually available now.

The owner of Grasberg in Indonesia, the world's second largest copper mine, warned this month that output could slide 60 percent next year if the government strictly implements a planned ban on unprocessed ore exports.

That could tempt speculative buying, Bielski said: "Someone, somewhere is going to see this as an opportunity in the next couple of months."

REGULATIONS

In the United States, the commodities derivatives regulator has stepped up its efforts to limit speculation, proposing a cap on the number of contracts that a single trader can hold in U.S. energy, metal and agricultural markets.

The LME's smaller U.S. rival in copper, the CME, has set a limit of 1,200 lots. Each contract is worth over 11 tonnes.

The LME does not intend to follow. It already has rules to limit the profit a speculator can make by scooping up so much supply on any day that traders with short positions are unable to cover them at the close. Any party holding a position worth over half of LME available stocks must supply metal to short-position holders at very modest price premiums.

The copper market, trading an annual output of about 20 million tonnes, is smaller than aluminium, theoretically making it easier to squeeze. In a scandal in the 1990s, a Japanese trader was jailed for trying to corner the market in the metal in a gamble that cost his employers over $2 billion.

American billionaires the Hunt brothers also lost heavily when an attempt to drive up the price of silver collapsed in 1980 after a change in exchange rules to curb manipulation.

On the LME last week, as short holders scrambled to cover, the benchmark cash to three-month spread CMCU0-3 flipped into backwardation - meaning copper for immediate delivery is more expensive that later-dated contracts. The premium surged to $30 per tonne on Monday, the highest since May 2012.

That is a $46 turnaround from last month, when the market was in contango, with cash copper $16 a tonne cheaper than metal for delivery in three months.

While benchmark LME copper prices also surged this week and may see further volatility, the greatest impact of any future squeeze could be a strong backwardation, analysts said.

Westgate said his research showed that there was strong potential for further spikes in spreads since historically when available copper stocks declined to levels of around 130,000 tonnes, spreads are more volatile and can trade anywhere from a $50 contango to a $250 backwardation. (Writing by Eric Onstad; Editing by Alastair Macdonald)"