Lithium in Argentina: Rodinia reports Phase II sample results at Diablillos lithium brine project RM.v, TNR.v, CZX.v, LMR.v, LI.v, SQM, FMC, ROC

We are monitoring progress at another project in Salta, Argentina as well. Marina is under drill now and International Lithium Corp will be publicly trading in couple of months. This set of results from Rodinia Minerals looks very positive, particularly in Mg ratio and Li content. Electric Cars are coming on the road and Juniors are coming with Supply of Lithium.

"TNR Gold Corp has announced today very positive developments after released International Lithium Corp. spin out procedure: Mariana is under drill now and Nevada is next on exploration advance with size of the properties doubled according to the company.
TNR Gold Corp.: Drilling Commences at Mariana Lithium Brine Project, Argentina/Nevada Project Area Doubles in Size Through Staking"

Rodinia reports Phase II sample results at Diablillos lithium brine project

Wednesday , 21 Apr 2010
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire) -
Rodinia Minerals Inc. ("Rodinia" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE:RM)(OTCQX:RDNAF), is pleased to report that it has received positive phase II sample results from its auger drill exploration program on its Salar de Diablillos lithium-brine project in Salta, Argentina ("Diablillos"). The Company believes the phase II results may be indicative of high concentrations of lithium and potash, and are encouraged to see results that exceed the initial sample results (see Press Release dated March 1, 2010). The phase II sample results were taken at depths between 3 and 5 metres below surface, whereas the previously reported results were taken between 1 and 3 metres below surface.
Results from the phase II sampling of brines have returned lithium ("Li") values of up to 1,000 milligrams per litre ("mg/L") and favourable magnesium ("Mg") to lithium ratios. The samples, all taken from within aquifers on the Diablillos property, averaged 895 mg/L Li with ratios of 4.44 Mg:Li, and 5.22 SO4:Li. These samples are from the aquifer that will be the focus of subsequent exploration programs and will be used to assess the feasibility of production in the future. The results represent the first batch of deep auger drilling samples currently being performed on a 300 metre by 300 metre grid over the Diablillos project. The Company expects more results over the next few months. The results from phase II aquifer sampling are summarized in the table and figure below.

To view Figure 1, please visit the following link: http://vantagewire.lyris.net/t/2497/216145/562/0/
The Company continues to employ a sampling procedure that is designed to ensure sample integrity by minimizing contamination of brine samples through the dissolution of overlying sediments and evaporates, that may be enriched in lithium. All holes were drilled to a depth sufficient to ensure penetration of the overlying clay layer, which varies in thickness between one and over three metres. Below the clays, a medium to coarse grained sand aquifer was encountered containing high-grade lithium brine in its porous space. As previously outlined, a historical drill hole in the south eastern margin of the salar indicates the presence of this aquifer to a vertical depth of at least 75 metres, with material coarsening at depth to a coarse basal conglomerate (SEGEMAR; http://vantagewire.lyris.net/t/2497/216145/563/0/).
Sample integrity was maintained by pushing four inch casing down into the hole and pumping, where possible, the contents of the hole. The hole was then left to refill from the aquifer below, ensuring proper representation of brine geochemistry. This brine was then sampled and decanted before collection in sealed plastic containers that had been previously rinsed in the same brine. All samples were sent to ALS Laboratory Group, Environmental Division, in Fort Collins, CO, USA where Rodinia is sending both its Diablillos and Clayton Valley project samples.
Rodinia's auger drill exploration program is expected to continue on a 300 metre by 300 metre grid across the property, and gravity surveys and a reverse circulation ("RC") drill program are planned. The gravity survey will be used to determine the basement depth of the prospective areas over the salar and will help generate the initial targets for a planned 32 drill hole RC program. The continuation of the auger drill program and the initiation of gravity surveys and RC drilling are expected to lead towards a resource estimate at Diablillos later in 2010.
The project is supervised by William Randall MSc (Geology), the Vice President Exploration of Rodinia. Mr. Randall is a qualified person, as defined by National Instrument 43-101, and he has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this release. According to the Company's sampling protocol, sample size is to exceed 300 millilitres and be stored in clean, secure containers for transportation. The prepared samples are then forwarded to the ALS Laboratory Group, Environmental Division, in Fort Collins, CO (USA) for analysis. A rigorous QA/QC program is implemented consisting of regular insertion of standards and blanks to ensure laboratory integrity.
About Rodinia Minerals Inc.:
Rodinia Minerals Inc. is a Canadian mineral exploration company with a primary focus on lithium exploration and development in North and South America. The Company is positioned to capitalize on the expected increase in demand for lithium carbonate that is projected to result from the anticipated paradigm shift to mass adoption and use of key lithium applications like lithium-ion batteries as well as glass ceramics, greases, pharmaceuticals etc.
Rodinia is currently exploring its Clayton Valley project in Nevada, USA, which surrounds the only lithium-brine producer in North America, and its Diablillos project in Salta, Argentina."

Japan trading house buys into US lithium producer TNR.v, CZX.v, RM.v, LI.v, WLC.v, LMR.v, CLQ.v, LIT.v, TSLA, AONE, HEV, GM, F, NSANY, BYDDY, BMW, RTP

Asian lithium rush continues. One more Junior in Lithium is gone from the market for potential deals. We were not following geothermal as source of lithium so close as it is more risky than well defined extraction from brines and hard rock lithium deposits. Chemistry should be right and the process is much more complicated, but this move by Itochu shows that Japanese conglomerates are ready to go the distance in order to secure Lithium supply from different sources. After Korean Kores deal with lithium One we have on our radar screens two juniors involved in Lithium Brines in Argentina and Nevada are left for J/V deals: International Lithium and Rodinia Minerals. Japanese are using recent soft markets to grab all available lithium projects on the development stage and with this rate of deal announcement all reliable Canadian juniors in Lithium could be engaged by the end of this summer.



"Race for Strategic Materials is on and U.S. is not in the front seats now: China controls 97% of REE market and lithium mostly produced in Chile, Argentina and Australia at the moment. Bolivia - named the Saudi Arabia of lithium by some, has its own mind about its vast undeveloped resources of lithium. Japanese companies are buying into Canadian and Australian junior mining companies to secure lithium supply and Chinese are very active in Australia. When U.S. will look at domestic lithium development in Nevada? Government sponsored enterprise in U.S. Strategic Metals Development Corp. like a Japanese JOGMEC can do the trick and finance juniors like International Lithium, Western Lithium and Rodinia Minerals on J/V basis: otherwise it will be 80s with Japanese Fever all over again. This time Japanese conglomerates will control not only movie studious, but something little bit more essential in the time of peak oil - lithium supply for the Electric Mobility Revolution. Recent deal in Nevada by JOGMEC with Lomico Metals is the first step in that direction, properties are still under DD review, but appetite to be engage in lithium exploration and development in Nevada by Japanese is there. Who will be gone next? When GM, Ford, GE, Dow, Rio Tinto, Boeing and DOE will wake up?"

"Google AFP:

Japan trading house buys into US lithium producer
(AFP) – 4 hours ago

TOKYO — Japanese trading house Itochu Corp said Monday it will buy a 20 percent stake in US lithium extraction startup Simbol Mining, winning exclusive rights to sell the precious metal in Asia.

The deal comes amid runaway demand from emerging markets for lightweight but costly lithium, a key energy storage medium used in rechargeable batteries powering portable consumer goods and electric vehicles.

Simbol Mining extracts lithium chemicals from geothermal brines in Southern California, a cheaper and cleaner alternative to the typical processing of the mineral, Itochu said in a statement.

While some lithium is mined, most is pumped up from brines in salt deserts in a lengthy and energy intensive process that sucks large amounts of local drinking water and damages the landscape.

Geothermal pumps do not endanger drinking water because brine comes from beneath the level of groundwater.

Most of the output comes from Argentina, Australia and Chile, which together accounted for 82 percent of total lithium production in 2008, according to Roskill Information Services, a metals and minerals research group.

Simbol Mining, founded in 2007, aims to produce 16,000 tonnes of lithium carbonates a year and increase production capacity in coming years.

Itochu also said it will be the sole distributor of Simbol Mining?s lithium products in Japan, China and South Korea."

Next Big Thing: Lithium may be a light metal, but it could be the next gold, speculators suggest TNR.v, CZX.v, FMC, ROC, SQM, F, DAI, TM, TTM, NSANY,

Who will be next Gold Corp in Lithium space?

Lithium sector is in a serious demand by media now: investors starved for real Bull after market collapse are ready to listen to the new ideas. Our Next Big Thing is passing its First phase into industry insiders' hot story.

The nature of Nevada based Lithium brines deposits is explained in recent:

Obama’s Electrification of America

"Replenishment of brines comes from surrounding Rhyolite, which are the most lithium rich in the world. Brines in the area have concentrations as high as 1000 ppm. Concentrations as low as 166 ppm have been used in lithium brine pool extraction methods." – Author.

The following two junior companies have brine deposits in Nevada.

Rodinia Minerals Inc RM:TSX.v http://www.rodiniaminerals.com/

TNR Gold Corp TNR:TSX.v www.tnrgoldcorp.com "

"Lithium may be a light metal, but it could be the next gold, speculators suggest

Jonathan Ratner, Financial Post Published: Saturday, August 15, 2009

The flurry of new interest surrounding lithium as the commodity of choice for a play on the emerging electric-car market has put several once-penny stocks on investors' radars. One such name is Rodinia Minerals Inc. (RM/TSX-VEN). The Vancouver-based company saw its shares jump more than 50% this week to above 65¢. It's up 1,100% in 2009. While the recent surge of interest is a result billions of dollars in subsidies for electric vehicles such as the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf, rising demand for lithium-ion batteries in products such as laptops and cellphones has also helped. Rodinia has a brine deposit in Nevada, which Rick Mills at AheadoftheHeard.comsuggests might just be America's own Saudi Arabia for lithium. While the supply-demand situation for lithium is relatively balanced, if an electric-automotive industry is in fact developed, bulls on the light metal anticipate a supply shortfall in the future. At right, the Volt battery pack."

Lithium and REE: China Cuts Rare Earth Export Quota 72% TNR.v, CZX.v, RM.v, LI.v, WLC.v, CLQ.v, AVL.to, RES.v, TSLA, HEV, AONE, GOOG, AAPL, RIMM, FCX,

We guess it is the proven strategy by US Corp.: we wait until Lithium market will be controlled by China and Japan and will deal with it later. The only question is what will be the barganing power with China and Japan controlling more than 75% outstanding foreign debt between them and if they will jump out of Oil needle first? In this scenario Canadian juniors with dirt in the ground and world lithium in the name will command multiples to the recent valuation like in Uranium hey days, but with much longer lasting bull market.

"Electric Cars is a geopolitical play - who will be able to get off the Oil needle first China or U.S Corp? Obama knows it and he is pushing for new legislation, Big Oil will strike back for sure and here where people will be able to vote for real with their choice. What will be the adoption rate of EVs: one of Washing Machines or Mobile Phones one with an explosive growth? It will be the key to low profile small lithium development sector. Markets caps are so small that with one Tesla IPO you can get reasonable amount of control in the entire sector in Canada now. We do not think that it is for long any more. With Electric Cars available on the streets Lithium sector will pick up again into the next Bull Leg from recent consolidation stage. Not all wanna be in Lithium will make it and time is to pick the winners during the summer downturn. Scared Fed will help us with Catalyst as well: Helicopters are coming with cash again and markets will be probably saved again to fool investors with nominal returns. Watch the US Dollar for the answers as well."

Is it the sign of things to come not only in REE space, but in the lithium market as well? These materials are called strategic exactly because their supply is so crucial to new technologies: Energy Storage with lithium and super Rare Earth magnets for starters with REE. Japanese and Chinese companies are actively sourcing all available projects in Lithium and REE around the globe to secure supply. This M&A activity will ignite second Leg Up of this generational Bull Market. It is very disappointing that along with all political rhetoric from Washington US Corp is still years away from understanding the geopolitical implications of New World Order based Not Only on Oil any more.


"Asian lithium rush continues. One more Junior in Lithium is gone from the market for potential deals. We were not following geothermal as source of lithium so close as it is more risky than well defined extraction from brines and hard rock lithium deposits. Chemistry should be right and the process is much more complicated, but this move by Itochu shows that Japanese conglomerates are ready to go the distance in order to secure Lithium supply from different sources. After Korean Kores deal with lithium One we have on our radar screens two juniors involved in Lithium Brines in Argentina and Nevada are left for J/V deals: International Lithium and Rodinia Minerals. Japanese are using recent soft markets to grab all available lithium projects on the development stage and with this rate of deal announcement all reliable Canadian juniors in Lithium could be engaged by the end of this summer.



"Race for Strategic Materials is on and U.S. is not in the front seats now: China controls 97% of REE market and lithium mostly produced in Chile, Argentina and Australia at the moment. Bolivia - named the Saudi Arabia of lithium by some, has its own mind about its vast undeveloped resources of lithium. Japanese companies are buying into Canadian and Australian junior mining companies to secure lithium supply and Chinese are very active in Australia. When U.S. will look at domestic lithium development in Nevada? Government sponsored enterprise in U.S. Strategic Metals Development Corp. like a Japanese JOGMEC can do the trick and finance juniors like International Lithium, Western Lithium and Rodinia Minerals on J/V basis: otherwise it will be 80s with Japanese Fever all over again. This time Japanese conglomerates will control not only movie studious, but something little bit more essential in the time of peak oil - lithium supply for the Electric Mobility Revolution. Recent deal in Nevada by JOGMEC with Lomico Metals is the first step in that direction, properties are still under DD review, but appetite to be engage in lithium exploration and development in Nevada by Japanese is there. Who will be gone next? When GM, Ford, GE, Dow, Rio Tinto, Boeing and DOE will wake up?"

China Cuts Rare Earth Export Quota 72%, May Spark Trade Dispute With U.S.
By Bloomberg News - Jul 9, 2010


July 9 (Bloomberg) -- London Metal Exchange Chief Executive Officer Martin Abbott talks with Bloomberg's Rishaad Salamat about demand for commodities in Asia and the LME's growth strategy in the region. The London-based exchange, founded in 1877, has entered talks with Singapore Exchange Ltd. on possible cooperation in Asia, according to a statement yesterday. The LME opened its first overseas office in the Southeast Asian city-state this year. Abbott, speaking from Singapore, also discusses regulation for commodity trading. (Source: Bloomberg)
China, the world’s largest rare- earths producer, cut export quotas for the minerals needed to make hybrid cars and televisions by 72 percent for the second half, raising the possibility of a trade dispute with the U.S.

Shipments will be capped at 7,976 metric tons, down from 28,417 tons for the same period a year ago, according to data from the Ministry of Commerce yesterday.

Rising production of hybrid cars and music players such as Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius and Apple Inc.’s iPod have driven up demand for rare earths even as China cut the quotas to shore up prices and ensure domestic supplies. The U.S. is looking at building a trade case on the restrictions, industry representatives said last month.

“The rare earths industry officials have realized that, after many years of continued growth in exports, the industry didn’t receive due profit returns,” Liu Aisheng, director of the Chinese Society of Rare Earth, said in an interview by phone from Beijing. “They adjusted the policy to ensure that the resources are optimally utilized.”

Shares of Lynas Corp., building a rare earth mine in Australia, rose 8.8 percent to close at 59.5 Australian cents in Sydney. Inner Mongolia Baotou Steel Rare-Earth Hi-Tech Co., the biggest Chinese producer, rose 1.4 percent to close at 36.69 yuan on the Shanghai stock exchange.

Baotou Steel, Baotou Huamei RE Products Co. Ltd. and Sinosteel Corp. are among the 32 local and foreign companies that are permitted by the government to export in the second half, according to the Ministry of Commerce statement.

Lynas Opportunity

“The tightening of supply regulations provides additional opportunities for Lynas to meet the supply deficit out of China,” Executive Chairman Nicholas Curtis said today in a statement filed to the Australian Stock Exchange. Sydney-based Lynas is building a rare earth mine at Mount Weld in Australia.

The total Chinese export quota for 2010 is 30,258 tons, 40 percent less than the 50,145 tons for 2009, Lynas said in the statement.

Rare earths are a group of chemically similar metallic elements, including lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and europium. They are used in radar, high-powered magnets, mini hard-drives in laptop computers, catalytic converters for vehicles, electric-car batteries and wind turbines. China, which accounts for more than 90 percent of the global production, started cutting output and exports in 2006 as prices fell.

“Reduced supply from China will trigger other rare earth producers to boost production to fill the gap,” said Liu of the Chinese rare earth society. Still, the policy will force some privately owned Chinese producers to shut down as they are not authorized exporters, he added.

Trade Tensions

The U.S. has asked business groups and unions to provide evidence that China is hoarding rare earths for a case that may be filed at the World Trade Organization, according to industry representatives who asked not to be identified.

A rare-earth mine in the U.S., in Mountain Pass, California, shut down most operations in 2002. Molycorp Inc., which owns the mine, plans to reopen it this year.

China needs to restrict exports and production because domestic supplies won’t be enough to meet its own needs, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in September.

Below is a table of Chinese rare earth export quotas for 2009 and 2010. The numbers are in metric tons.


09/1H 09/2H TOTAL 10/1H 10/2H TOTAL
Foreign 6,685 10,160 16,845 5,978 1,768 7,746
Local 15,043 18,257 33,300 16,304 6,208 22,512
TOTAL 21,728 28,417 50,145 22,283 7,976 30,258
--Xiao Yu. Editors: Tan Hwee Ann, Indranil Ghosh."

Lithium Rush: Japan invests in lithium TNR.v, CZX.v, RM.v, LI.v, LMR.v, WLC.v, CLQ.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, GDX, SLV, FCX, BHP, RTP, HEV, AONE, GOOG, APPL, F

Lithium ABCs.

"The world’s future energy course is being charted today because of the ramifications of peak oil and a need to reduce our carbon footprints. A whole new industry - a global wide automotive and industrial lithium-ion battery industry - is going to be built. As a result of lithium-ion battery demand for hybrid-electric and electric cars the increase in demand for lithium carbonate is expected to increase four-fold by 2017.Lithium-ion batteries have become the rechargeable battery of choice in cell phones, computers, hybrid-electric cars and electric cars. Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Saturn, Tesla and Toyota have all announced plans to build lithium-ion battery powered cars. Demand for lithium powered vehicles is expected to increase fivefold by 2012. The worldwide market for lithium batteries is estimated at over $4 billion per year."

"Race for Strategic Materials is on and U.S. is not in the front seats now: China controls 97% of REE market and lithium mostly produced in Chile, Argentina and Australia at the moment. Bolivia - named the Saudi Arabia of lithium by some, has its own mind about its vast undeveloped resources of lithium. Japanese companies are buying into Canadian and Australian junior mining companies to secure lithium supply and Chinese are very active in Australia. When U.S. will look at domestic lithium development in Nevada? Government sponsored enterprise in U.S. Strategic Metals Development Corp. like a Japanese JOGMEC can do the trick and finance juniors like International Lithium, Western Lithium and Rodinia Minerals on J/V basis: otherwise it will be 80s with Japanese Fever all over again. This time Japanese conglomerates will control not only movie studious, but something little bit more essential in the time of peak oil - lithium supply for the Electric Mobility Revolution. Recent deal in Nevada by JOGMEC with Lomico Metals is the first step in that direction, properties are still under DD review, but appetite to be engage in lithium exploration and development in Nevada by Japanese is there. Who will be gone next? When GM, Ford, GE, Dow, Rio Tinto, Boeing and DOE will wake up?"

We will be out of our non-profit education exercise on this blog very soon. At least for some people there is no need to connect the dots between Peak Oil, Electric Cars and crucial element to built around the next technological shift in our society: Lithium Rush continues. After news from Argentina about the deal between Korean Kores and Lithium One we have another news about investment by JOGMEC in Nevada Lithium story with American Lithium. This story has a well sounded name and plenty of rumours around it. Whether there is anything else apart from name and various people brought into this game time will tell. As you remember, you can never find any investment advise on this blog, but in this case we will suggest even more extra caution: this move by JOGMEC gives some credibility to the company which is trading on OTC market in US - the last thing we would touch in Junior Market with its very loose reporting standards; and earlier there were quite a few postings on the WEB about people involved with this company. Corporate story is also not so straightforward: Judy Baker - former CEO of Canada Lithium CLQ.v abruptly departed from the company without any explanation last year and then resurrected at American Lithium with a President title for one month and after that was reduced to the Project Manager title? In any case, your own DD will be the best answer to any uncertainty with a particular company. In all other aspects this move by Japanese conglomerate is a very significant step to raise the profile of Nevada on the Lithium radar screen. JOGMEC will be able to separate all stories from the property potential and results will speak for themselves later. Earlier this year JOGMEC made another lithium deal in Nevada with Lomico Metals LMR.v, but dropped it later after DD stage.

On our radar screen in Nevada we have our usual members from the early movers into Lithium sector: International Lithium with TNR Gold TNR.v and Rodinia Minerals RM.v Asian hunger for Lithium will be translated into the new deals later this year and our focus is on Argentina and Nevada Lithium brines at the moment.

Today's news about Afghanistan as Saudi Arabia of Lithium reminds us about numerous penny stock sales letters from American Lithium claiming Nevada as Saudi Arabia of Lithium and Bolivia is always getting the same title from the journalists. We guess that it is the good news for the country and maybe in 20-30 years Afghanistan will be able to capitalise on this news. "Coalition" has now more juice to fight for freedom on another hand. We have never heard about brines in Afghanistan and will consider at the moment that the idea is about hard rock source of lithium there - it will be a very long way from this news to infrastructure building and mining development in torn apart by war country. For our investment outlook it is the same story as with Pakistan and Iran huge copper and zinc resources with a very high grade. They could be developed one day with capital ready to manage the risk, but it will never affect the market of those commodities before it. If anything this news will kill the last argument by Big Oil about potential shortage of Lithium in the future as excuse to transform our transportation to electric Mobility.

SAI:
Before You Start Freaking Out Over Afghanistan's $1 TRILLION In Mineral Deposits...

More relevant to the Lithium market development is time to market. It will be crucial as anything else and we can see now a very strong desire by Asian tigers to be engage with every meaningful Lithium property in a relatively stable political jurisdictions. Number of deals is growing by the day and reputable juniors with strong Lithium portfolios without strategic partners could be counted on one hand now.

FinancialPost:

Japan invests in lithium

Barry Critchley, Financial Post · Thursday, Jun. 10, 2010

American Lithium Minerals Inc., a U.S.-listed but Canadian-managed company, is expected to announce today it has signed a deal with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals Corp. to receive a US$4-million investment to help it develop its lithium project in Nevada.

Sources familiar with the transaction said the investment from the Japanese entity, whose mandate is to secure a stable supply of natural resources for the country, will be invested directly in exploration activities in the western part of Nevada. American Lithium is also keen on developing its boron resources at the same Borate Hills site, about five hours from Las Vegas and 32 kilometres from Chemetall Foote's lithium mine, the only one of its kind in North America.

The investment by the Japanese follows extensive due diligence including a site visit. The investment is in line with the company's plan, to "develop Borate Hills and its other lithium brine exploration projects through co-operation with international partners." On its website, the company said it plans a $4.5-million exploration and development program "aimed at completing an economic pre-feasibility study on the Borate Hills Project to advance the project to the feasibility stage." Rio Tinto has done some past work on the site, particularly for boron.

Lithium is in demand because of the continued growth in consumer electronics, particularly cellphones and laptop computers, the continued growth in demand for electronic/hybrid cars, and as a means of storing power. The expectation is for a fourfold increase to 400,000 tonnes a year over the next decade.

The investment by JOGMEC is at least the third in a lithium-related project so far this year. Last January, Lithium One Inc., a company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange, announced a deal with Korea Resources Corp. to develop the company's lithium brine project in Argentina. KORES will spend $15-million on exploration with the goal of delivering a feasibility study. In the same month, an affiliate of Toyota Motor Corp. signed a deal with Australia's Orocobre Ltd. to develop a mine in Argentina. The affiliate will spend $4.5-million for a feasibility study.

Closer to home, Magna International Inc. spent $10.5-million to acquire a stake in Lithium Americas Corp. Magna plans to invest at least $400-million in lithium-ion battery production over the next three years. It also has a partnership with Kokam Engineering, a South Korean battery maker. There are almost 20 lithium-focused companies listed on either the TSX or the TSX Venture.

American Lithium is something of a turnaround story. Last fall, it hired new management, in part to position itself to take advantage of the expected increase in lithium demand. Hugh Aird was named president and chief executive. Mr. Aird, a veteran of the financial world, recruited Judy Baker, former president of Canada Lithium Corp., as a consultant. Ms. Baker is a geologist who has also worked on Bay Street as both a banker and an analyst.

In time, Mr. Aird recruited new board members including Patrick Reid, former president of the Ontario Mining Association who is chairman; Chris Hobbs, a chartered accountant and co-founder of Pine Point Capital Advisors Inc., which provides financial advisory services to companies in the mining sector; William Deluce, president of Wicklow Consulting Inc., a diversified investment company with global interests in the aviation and mining sectors, and Tim Casgrain, a former senior executive at Brookfield Asset Management and the chairman of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp."

Lithium Investors to Receive Good Karma: Fisker Karma will begin a two-month marketing tour TNR.v, CZX.v, LMR.v, RM.v, LI.v, WLC.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, HEV

"This initiative is good for middle-class families. It is good for our security. It is good for our planet," President Obama.

CS. Obama has told you about our Investment Thesis in three short sentences. We are not so smart and we do not have such an authority - we need to bring reason to decompound his message. Time for us to drop couple of lines about Middle-class and our Christmas wish."

Fisker Karma is an ultimate EV marketing machine - it is just beautiful. We have seen it, touched and sit inside. This is the Electric Car. Aluminium body and bold design lines from Fisker makes you feel safe and with limitless power on the road - it is a status symbol, but with a Green twist. This car will not bring us reaches in Lithium market, but it will bring people close to EV mass market. Range Extender technology cuts Range Anxiety and celebrity look will make heads turn on the roads, Nissan Leafs and GM Volts will take the lead on the mass market side of things, but this one is for ultimate pleasure of being Green.



Resource Investing News:

Lithium Investors to Receive Good Karma

By Dave Brown – Exclusive to Lithium Investing News

On Tuesday, April 27, the world’s first premium plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), the Fisker Karma will begin a two-month marketing tour that will stop in three Canadian provinces and 26 US states targeting 42 cities. The Karma has a total range of 300 miles, 50 of which are electric-only and powered by a lithium-ion battery that can be fully recharged in as little as eight hours. The battery was designed by A123 Systems (NAS:AAONE).
According to California-based Fisker, the four-seat sedan combines sports car-like performance with world-class luxury and industry-leading economy as well as zero tailpipe emissions. Utilizing a 403hp engine, it can reach 60mph in six seconds with a top speed of 125mph, yet the manufacturer claims it can achieve more than 100mpg. Initial customer deliveries are expected to begin first quarter 2011 with a base price of $87,000. The company anticipates a more affordable model using the same basic technology arriving in 2013.
The most common view about electric car markets in the past has skewed to the coasts with observers pointing to hybrid ownership as the best proxy for electric vehicle adoption. An emerging regional pattern of hybrid ownership in the past 10 years has tilted strongly towards major coastal cities such as Los Angeles, Seattle, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Fisker is attempting to gain market penetration in many areas that have been traditionally underrepresented in hybrid sales. Most analysts forecast stronger electric vehicle demand in dense urban centers, rather than in ‘rambling truck country’ or suburban developments.
Lithium on the Leading Edge
Tom Baloga, Vice-President of Engineering for BMW North America (ETR:BMW), is demonstrating his confidence in lithium-ion battery technology used in his company’s ActiveHybrid 7 sedan. Mr. Baloga feels the superior performance of lithium-ion batteries is compelling evidence: “We have seen them in consumer electronics, and lithium-ion is taking over from other types of batteries for power tools. Even though they are expensive, lithium-ion is the choice for battery electric vehicles.” More economical nickel metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are used currently in hybrid vehicles, including BMW’s ActiveHybrid X6, but lithium-ion is expected to replace these bulkier, less-effective batteries. The company reports that the ActiveHybrid X6, having arrived late last year to North America, is presently the fastest four-wheel-drive hybrid in the world and is powered by a V8 twin turbo engine combined with two electric motors.
Hybrid Minivans to Hit the Streets
On April 16, Toyota Motor Corp (NYSE:TM) announced plans to launch competitively priced Prius hybrid minivans using lithium-ion batteries early next year. The company will initially manufacture lithium-ion batteries at its Teiho factory in Aichi Prefecture, and later plans to produce them at a battery joint venture operation with Panasonic Corp (NYSE:PC). Toyota plans to keep the price point of the new Prius model relatively close to those of current models as it aims to strengthen its current market dominance in the hybrid market.
Mining News
On Tuesday, Rodinia Minerals Inc. (TSX-V: RM) reported that it received positive second phase sample results from the auger drill exploration program on its Salar de Diablillos lithium-brine project in Salta, Argentina. The Canadian mineral exploration company believes the results may be indicative of high concentrations of lithium and potash. Rodinia Minerals is encouraged to observe results at a further depth of the brine indicating favorable magnesium to lithium ratios. The samples are from an aquifer that will be the focus of subsequent exploration programs and will be used to assess the feasibility of production in the future. The results represent the first batch of deep auger drilling samples currently being performed on a 300 metre by 300 metre grid over the Diablillos project. The market showed strong support for this news, as the stock appreciated from its closing price on Monday at CAD $.465 to a high of CAD $.53 on relatively higher volumes during early morning trading on Tuesday. After experiencing some profit taking and reversion to its mean, the stock closed at CAD $.49 for a 5.4 percent gain on the day.Permalink: "Lithium Investors to Receive Good Karma" "

Investing in Lithium and REE: S-BOX Lithium Total Return Index (DE000A1CQ7A7) TNR.v, CZX.v, RM.v, LIT, LIT.v, TSLA, HEV, AONE, CLQ.v, WLC.v, ABN.v, HAO.v, FMC, SQM,

 

It is very important to see new products coming to the market place which will allow investors to receive a market exposure to Lithium and Rare Earth Elements. Institutions are not allowed to invest in a lot of junior mining companies due to their size and lack of liquidity, structured products will provide the necessary intermediate to this sector and coming liquidity will provide the fuel for our Second Leg of Lithium and REE bull market.

  We are pleased to see the number of Lithium and REE companies we are following here in this Index.

"Investing in Lithium: Looking for catalyst.

"We have another hint into the recent M&A activity in Lithium space. Talison deal with Salares Lithium confirms real Chinese appetite for Lithium. Now it is time for Lithium Supply - China already controls 97% of Rare Earths market. Lithium output will be increased fivefold in Chinese Lithium province, but the real news is below from Reuters - it is only half of previously expected output and now Chinese companies are on the shopping spree among lithium developers. Who will be at the boardroom table next - only a few lithium brines plays are left without J/V partners and we are following here two of them: International Lithium and Rodinia Lithium. We expect M&A activity in lithium space to be continued during this summer months."

"Current composition

S-BOX Lithium Total Return Index (DE000A1CQ7A7)

The S-BOX Lithium tracks the performance of the 25 largest listed companies whose main business operations are exploration, mining and/or investing in Lithium. The index is calculated as a total return index in Euro. Commodity Capital AG acts as the index advisor and is responsible for the composition of the selection pool of the eligible companies. The S-BOX Lithium is adjusted semi-annually in June and December. The index members are weighted according to market capitalization. The percentage weighting of the four largest companies is capped at 9 percent, the percentage weighting of all other companies at 4 percent.

Profile Index composition Solactive Realtime Tool

Last update 06.09.2010

Name ISIN Number of stocks Weighting * Stock exchange

Canada Lithium Corp CA1351201035 12.321765 ---

Lithium One Inc CA5368061027 5.984857 ---

TNR Gold Corp CA87260X1096 21.269775 ---

Latin American Minerals Inc CA51827X1015 13.138093 ---

Rodinia Minerals Inc CA77487Q1028 10.163678 ---

First Gold Exploration Inc CA3203771041 14.204116 ---

Pan American Lithium Corp CA69784P1018 6.145028 ---

American Lithium Minerals Inc US0272631021 7.048916 ---

Black Hawk Exploration Inc US09206P1075 10.376724 ---

Salares Lithium Inc CA7940051088 7.362605 ---

Orocobre Ltd AU000000ORE0 3.422806 ---

AVALON RARE METALS INC CA0534701002 5.335557 ---

LITHIUM AMERICAS CORP 7.558748 ---

New World Resource Corp CA6492971081 7.232082 ---

Habanero Resources Inc CA4044471049 16.896436 ---

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile SA US8336351056 0.394574 ---

FMC Corp US3024913036 0.221305 ---

Rockwood Holdings Inc US7744151033 0.532545 ---

Galaxy Resources Ltd AU000000GXY2 6.879004 ---

Western Lithium USA Corp CA95854Q1090 6.347576 ---

GlobeStar Mining Corp CA37958J1021 6.478454 ---

Reed Resources Ltd AU000000RDR5 14.101959 ---

* Index weighting in percent from the last adjustment date.

 

Structured Solutions calculates index for lithium ETF in the US

The Global X Lithium ETF has been launched at the NYSE Arca. It is the first ETF worldwide which covers the lithium investment topic. Structured Solutions AG has developed the underlying index, the Solactive Global Lithium Index, and also acts as the index calculator. The index includes companies which are active in exploration or mining of lithium or in the production of lithium batteries. At launch, there are 20 companies in the index which are weighted according to their freefloat market capitalization as well as their trading volume. The index is adjusted semi-annually. The Global X Lithium ETF tracks the performance of the index. Sebastian Seifried, Head of Indexing at Structured Solutions, comments: "Lithium as one of the key resources of the future has been hard to access for most investors up to this point. Therefore we are very glad to calculate the Solactive Global Lithium Index as the underlying for the first Lithium ETF worldwide."

Global X Management Company launches four new ETFs linked to Solactive Indices

Global X Funds, a New York-based provider of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), recently launched new ETFs on the NYSE Arca which offer investors targeted access to companies that are active in the Lithium space as well as to specific segments of the Brazilian stock market.

The Solactive Global Lithium Index tracks the price movements in shares of companies active in Lithium mining, exploration or a closely related activity and/or production of Lithium batteries. The Global X Lithium ETF is the first ETF globally to offer investors indirect access to this metal.

The Global X Brazil Mid Cap ETF seeks to track the Solactive Brazil Mid Cap Index which includes medium-sized companies based in Brazil. The Global X Brazil Consumer ETF and the Global X Brazil Financials ETF are the first ETFs in the United States allowing an investment in specific sectors of the Brazilian economy. They are designed to replicate the performance of the Solactive Brazil Consumer Index and the Solactive Brazil Financials Index, respectively.

All indices have been developed by Structured Solutions AG which also acts as the index calculator. All four indices apply screens for free float market capitalization and trading volume as well and are adjusted semi-annually. With the Global X Lithium ETF, investors can play the investment case surrounding the possible development of hybrid electric cars, where Lithium batteries are used almost exclusively. For the Lithium Index, Structured Solutions AG cooperates with Switzerland based Commodity Capital AG which is responsible for the selection of the relevant companies.

The Solactive Brazil Mid Cap Index for example employs a specific market capitalization based methodology to select companies of the mid cap segment of the Brazilian stock market. In order to be included in one of the new Brazil sector indices a company must be based in Brazil and active in the consumer or financial sector, respectively, or producing the majority of its revenues in the country.

Bruno del Ama, CEO of Global X Funds comments: “The Brazilian economy has developed very rapidly in recent years. Market commentators often attribute this success story to the significant commodity exposure of the Brazilian economy which is also reflected in the fact that the commodity sector is weighted heavily in most investment products covering Brazil. The Global X Brazil Mid Cap ETF is much more diversified in terms of sector allocation.”

Sebastian Seifried, Head of Indexing at Structured Solutions AG adds: “We strive to develop index concepts that offer value to investors and create new investment opportunities. Whereas Brazil is one of the most dynamic emerging markets at this point, Lithium´s important role in many innovative technologies makes it a highly interesting theme in the commodity space. The Global X ETFs allow targeted access to both topics.”

All indices are calculated in real-time on each trading day between 09:00am and 10:30pm (CET) and are published on the website www.solactive.com as well as through data vendors."

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Salares Lithium and Talison Announce Merger to Create World's Largest Lithium Production Company TNR.v, LIT.v, CZX.v, TSLA, WLC.v, RM.v, CLQ.v, LI.v,

"Tesla's stock finished the day up more than 40% today in a very ugly markets with NASDAQ down more than 4% during the day. Lithium.Com is back and Electric Cars will be the hot thing in the coming years. There is money and there is appetite for the new sector, now we can prep our Lithium and REE plays to be on the radar screens later in this cycle. Tomorrow's reaction will be the best PR campaign after BP's one with Oil Spill for the whole idea about existing alternative to the Oil in our transportation. Even in stagflation with very low nominal growth there will be Pockets of Growth and money will be chasing it. Tesla can not justify any valuation at this level - the only idea about value is Tesla S model still years away from the market, but it is the new Netscape and nobody would like to miss next Google as well. There was simply no place to invest in electric cars play yet and we can see the result today. Long term value will be in a Value Chain for Electric Car. Lithium and REE will be at the foundation of this disruptive technology."

Our Second Bull Leg in Lithium market has officially started today with this M&A play: Talison buys Lithium Brine developer Salares Lithium. Please notice the premium:

"Based on a price of CAD$3.50 per Talison share, the terms of the proposed transaction provide Salares shareholders with a premium of approximately 98.2% (equal to CAD$1.25 per Salares share) based on the trailing 20 day volume weighted average price for Salares shares on the TSX Venture Exchange."

Chinese backing Talison are making their way into lithium brine market in Chile and are ready to pay a very high price to secure supply. Now Canadian Lithium Juniors should enjoy their moment and potential targets for J/V deals are all on one hand in the lithium brine market in Chile and Argentina.


"We have a serious mass media push in Electric Space these days. Nissan Leaf was all over CNBC yesterday and President Obama will visit lithium ion cells plant today. It is all about economy, structural changes and new jobs in lucrative technological sector: lithium supply will be another stepping stone in this game against the time with looming Peak Oil situation."

Our idea about M&A fever in lithium sector this summer could be not so distant from the reality as we can see now.

"Asian lithium rush continues. One more Junior in Lithium is gone from the market for potential deals. We were not following geothermal as source of lithium so close as it is more risky than well defined extraction from brines and hard rock lithium deposits. Chemistry should be right and the process is much more complicated, but this move by Itochu shows that Japanese conglomerates are ready to go the distance in order to secure Lithium supply from different sources. After Korean Kores deal with lithium One we have on our radar screens two juniors involved in Lithium Brines in Argentina and Nevada are left for J/V deals: International Lithium and Rodinia Minerals. Japanese are using recent soft markets to grab all available lithium projects on the development stage and with this rate of deal announcement all reliable Canadian juniors in Lithium could be engaged by the end of this summer."

Jul 15, 2010 14:52 ET

Salares Lithium and Talison Announce Merger to Create World's Largest Lithium Production Company With An Accelerated Brine Exploration Program

Salares and Talison Also Announce a CAD$40 Million Private Placement to Fund Growth


VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - July 15, 2010) - Salares Lithium Inc. (TSX VENTURE:LIT) and Talison Minerals Pty Ltd -

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

Highlights

Combination of the world's largest, high quality, low cost lithium producer located in Australia with a prospective, large scale brine exploration portfolio in Chile
Unique exposure to both mineral and brine sources of lithium, with the ability to respond to the growing demand for lithium for electric vehicle batteries
Board and management teams with complementary skills and extensive experience
Fully subscribed private placement of CAD$40 million to fund growth
Salares Lithium Inc. ("Salares") and Talison Minerals Pty Ltd ("Talison") are pleased to announce that they have executed a binding letter agreement ("Letter Agreement") to combine their respective lithium assets and create the world's largest, publicly traded lithium production and exploration company.

The merger will combine Talison's world class lithium minerals production in Australia with Salares' prospective, large scale lithium brines exploration project in Chile. Upon completion of the proposed transaction, the combined entity will be well-funded, allowing for immediate expansion of the producing Australian operations to run in parallel with an accelerated exploration program at the Salares brine projects.

Immediate production expansions at Talison's Australian operations are required to satisfy substantial growth in lithium demand from Chinese battery producers, for whom Talison is the primary supplier. This demand has been driven by government policies encouraging alternative energy vehicles in pursuit of energy security, reduced reliance on oil imports and environmental objectives. Additional large scale production expansion is also being pursued by Talison to meet the anticipated global growth in the lithium market.

Salares' Chairman David Shaw said today: "The merger of Salares with Talison will create a unique lithium company with exposure to both lithium minerals and lithium brines, building on the strong foundation of both companies to continue growing and delivering value for shareholders."

Talison Chairman Peter Robinson stated: "Talison is already the largest lithium producer in the world and the largest supplier of lithium concentrates into the growing Chinese market. The merger with Salares will offer shareholders exposure to substantial growth opportunities for the potential production of lithium carbonate from lithium brines as well as from lithium minerals, to satisfy the demand for lithium products destined for the global electric vehicle market."

The Boards of Salares and Talison believe the benefits of the merger are compelling, with:

An attractive diversified mix of lithium mineral and brine assets in both Australia and Chile:
Combination of the high quality, low cost Australian based lithium minerals production with promising lithium brines exploration properties located in Chile;
Multiple actionable growth strategies, including:
Expansion of existing lithium mineral production capacity by over 60% (currently in progress) to support the growing Chinese battery market, with demand from existing customers for over 90% of additional capacity;
Potential low cost lithium carbonate production from minerals conversion to supply major battery producers and vehicle manufacturers globally; and
Future potential lithium carbonate production from prospective Chilean brines;
Access to an extensive global customer network, established over a 25-year lithium operations history, with the leading position in the growing Chinese battery market; and
Board and management teams with complementary skills and extensive experience in the technical and commercial aspects of project development, production and marketing lithium.
The market dynamics for lithium are positive. Lithium demand has grown consistently over the past decade and is expected to accelerate significantly in the near term from increased consumption of lithium batteries, which are a critical component of hybrid and electric vehicles.

The board of directors of both Talison and Salares unanimously support the proposed transaction. Salares management and directors (together representing 7.43% of Salares shares on a fully diluted basis) have agreed to enter into lock-up agreements to support the transaction.

Merger Proposal
Under the terms of the proposed transaction, which is to be structured as a plan of arrangement ("Plan of Arrangement") under the British Columbia Business Corporations Act, it is anticipated that common shares of Salares will be exchanged for ordinary shares of Talison1 on the basis of 2.81 Salares shares for one Talison share. All outstanding options and warrants of Salares will be assumed by Talison, and exercisable in accordance with their terms for Talison shares.

Upon completion of the Plan of Arrangement, existing Salares and Talison shareholders will own 20% and 80%, respectively, of the combined company (on a fully diluted basis), prior to the conversion of the Subscription Receipts issued under the CAD$40 million Private Placement (as described below).

Based on a price of CAD$3.50 per Talison share, the terms of the proposed transaction provide Salares shareholders with a premium of approximately 98.2% (equal to CAD$1.25 per Salares share) based on the trailing 20 day volume weighted average price for Salares shares on the TSX Venture Exchange.

1 It is proposed that, prior to the Plan of Arrangement, the Talison Minerals corporate group will be re-organized to, among other things, separate the tantalum business and to place a new Australian company, Talison Lithium Limited, on top of the corporate group. References to "Talison shares" are references to fully paid, ordinary shares in the capital of Talison Lithium Limited, and references to securities in Talison are references to securities in Talison Lithium Limited.

Corporate, Board and Management Structure
Following completion of the Plan of Arrangement, the merged group will be known as Talison Lithium Limited ("Talison Lithium") and will have offices in Perth, Australia and Vancouver, Canada.

Mr Peter Robinson and Mr Peter Oliver, the Chairman and CEO of Talison, respectively, will be Chairman and CEO of Talison Lithium. It is proposed that David Shaw will join the Board of Directors of Talison Lithium, and will also act as a consultant to Talison Lithium in connection with the supervision of the ongoing exploration programs for the mineral properties of Salares. Todd Hilditch, current President and CEO of at Salares, will direct the investor relations program at Talison Lithium.

Anticipated Merger Timetable and Process
The Letter Agreement sets out the terms upon which the proposed merger will be implemented, and proposes for the parties to enter into a definitive arrangement on or before August 9, 2010. Under the Letter Agreement, both Salares and Talison have agreed to pay the other party a break fee of approximately CAD$1 million in certain circumstances.

The Plan of Arrangement is anticipated to be implemented by the end of September, 2010, subject to obtaining all necessary approvals and satisfaction of other conditions.

The proposed merger is subject to a number of conditions including:

Completion of a CAD$40 million Private Placement (as described below);
Approval of the Plan of Arrangement by Salares' shareholders;
Approval by the Toronto Stock Exchange ("TSX") to list Talison Lithium, subject to customary conditions;
Receipt of all applicable regulatory approvals, orders, notices and consents including: in Canada under the Competition Act; the Supreme Court of British Columbia; the Australian Foreign Investment Review Board; the TSX; and the TSX Venture Exchange;
Completion of satisfactory due diligence on or before August 9, 2010; and,
Other customary merger conditions.
Private Placement
In conjunction with the Plan of Arrangement, Salares will undertake a CAD$40 million private placement ("Private Placement") of subscription receipts of Salares ("Subscription Receipts").

Talison's current major shareholder, Resource Capital Fund ("RCF") has fully subscribed for the Private Placement, but at the request of the Agents (as defined below), is willing to scale back its commitment to permit Subscription Receipts to be offered for sale to other investors. RCF has also agreed to a 90 day lock up period.

The Private Placement issue price will be based on a deemed price per share in Talison of not less than CAD$3.50; under the terms of the Plan of Arrangement, this equates to a price of CAD$1.25 per Salares Subscription Receipt. Upon satisfaction of the Escrow Release Conditions (as described below), Subscription Receipts shall be exchanged into Talison shares on the basis of 2.81 Subscription Receipts for one Talison share.

The Private Placement will be managed by a syndicate of investment dealers led by Cormark Securities Inc. ("Cormark" and collectively, the "Agents") and is expected to close by the middle of August, 2010.

Upon release from escrow (as described below), it is anticipated that the proceeds of the Private Placement will be used to fund the growth strategies of the merged group, including:

Expansion of the existing lithium minerals operations in Australia to increase production capacity to meet current Chinese demand for lithium;
Acceleration of the exploration of Salares' properties in Chile;
Implementation of a drilling programme at the Australian operations with an objective to increase and upgrade mineral reserves and resources;
Initiation of further feasibility studies into developing a lithium carbonate plant using lithium mineral concentrates from the Australian operations; and
General corporate and working capital purposes.
The gross proceeds of the Private Placement will be delivered to and held by a licensed Canadian trust company or other escrow agent (the "Escrow Agent") mutually acceptable to Cormark and Salares in an interest bearing account (the "Escrowed Funds").

The Escrowed Funds (plus any accrued interest earned thereon) will be released from escrow to Salares (after deducting certain expenses payable to the Agents) upon delivery of a notice (the "Release Notice") to the Escrow Agent from Cormark, on behalf of the Agents, and Salares, on or before 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on September 30, 2010 (the "Escrow Deadline") indicating the following conditions (the "Escrow Release Conditions") have been satisfied:

(a) the implementation of the Plan of Arrangement;
(b) the receipt of all required shareholder and regulatory approvals, including approval by the TSX; and
(c) the Talison shares to be issued in connection with the Plan of Arrangement and on exchange of the Subscription Receipts not being subject to any statutory hold period in Canada.

If the Escrow Release Conditions are not satisfied on or before the Escrow Deadline, the Escrowed Funds plus accrued interest shall be returned to the holders of the Subscription Receipts and the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled without any further action on the part of the holders.

Advisors

Talison has engaged Rothschild and Cormark as its financial advisers and Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Clayton Utz as its Canadian and Australian legal advisers, respectively.

Haywood Securities Inc. is acting as financial adviser to the special committee of Salares. Haywood has provided an opinion to the special committee of Salares that, subject to certain assumptions and limitations set out therein, the proposed transaction is fair, from a financial point of view to Salares shareholders. Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP is acting as legal adviser to Salares. McCullough O'Connor Irwin LLP is acting as legal adviser to the special committee of Salares.

A presentation of the transaction highlights can be accessed at the Salares and Talison websites.

About Salares Lithium Inc.
Salares Lithium Inc. is a lithium explorer in Chile that controls the 'Salares 7' lithium project made up of seven salars (brine lakes that are prospective for sub-surface lithium and potassium) and the surrounding concessions in Region III, Chile. Five of the seven salars are clustered within 155 kilometres and are 100% owned by Salares and its Chilean partner.

About Talison Minerals Pty Ltd
Talison Minerals Pty Ltd is the leading global producer of lithium. Talison mines and processes the lithium bearing mineral spodumene at the Greenbushes Lithium Operations in Western Australia. Talison has an extensive, well established global customer network and a leading position in the growing Chinese market.

TNR Gold TNR.v: Lithium and REE Bull market - Obama’s Electrification of America TNR.v, CZX.v, SQM, FMC, ROC, F, DAI, BYD, TTM, TM, NSANY, FXI, HUI,

" We had almost all components in our Next Big Thing to make it Big fast before: big market potential, big names, now we have the last component - Big money. Juniors involved in Lithium Supply chain are finding money easily as well than market would make you think. All these are very encouraging signs for our newly pronounced Bull"

We have a fireworks in Lithium plays recently after all mass media news on advance in Electric cars. TNR Gold TNR.v has hit a new 52 week high among others. Recent financing brought new opportunities to the company and the story is getting out.

"It is important that financing is at 0.25 CAD and without any warrants, according to the broker financing is fully subscribed. Clients of Byron Securities must be encouraged by recent financing at 0.20 CAD with insiders and Chinese opportunities coming into the picture with Canada Zinc Metals strategic investment in the company."

As always, please, consider all information is for education purpose only and bear in mind that on this blog you can not find any investment advise. Article below gives a good overview of Lithium Bull market potential: our Next Big Thing is getting its supporters day by day.

P.S Now article made its way into Casey Research as well.

Obama’s Electrification of America

Richard (Rick) Mills
www.aheadoftheherd.com
America’s future energy course is being charted today because of the ramifications of peak oil, because cars pollute too much, because of global warming, because America wishes to end her dependence on foreign supplied energy and to be blunt… Americans need jobs.
"A new energy economy is going to be part of what creates the millions of new jobs that we need," President Obama.
Because of these reasons a whole new industry, a domestic automotive and industrial lithium-ion battery industry, is going to be built.
President Obama recently said, when announcing US$2.4 billion in grants to accelerate the manufacturing and use of next-generation car batteries and electric vehicles, "I'm committed to a strategy that ensures America leads in the design and the deployment of the next generation of clean-energy vehicles. This is not just an investment to produce vehicles today; this is an investment in our capacity to develop new technologies tomorrow."
Obama’s plan is to have one million electric cars on U.S. roads by 2015. JPMorgan predicts hybrid sales will reach 9.6 million cars three years later. Global Strategic Analysts predicts that the market for lithium-ion batteries is likely to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 32% through 2010. With an increased demand for hybrid automobiles this growth rate will continue.
Commodity rules rule! Will electrification ignite a lithium boom?
Only time will tell. But with lithium batteries going to play a key role in the auto industry and eventually appearing throughout the electrical grid it’s entirely plausible, in this author’s humble opinion, that lithium is the next break out investment.
There’s billions and billions of dollars, courtesy of the government’s stimulus package, still to come (Washington has already handed out US$8
billion in loans) for advanced battery technology R&D companies and battery manufacturers. The auto industry is gearing up to make its first real go at marketing plug-in vehicles for the masses. The start flag has dropped and the race to build lithium-ion batteries for vehicles has started.
If the US does not develop a lithium-ion battery manufacturing sector at home it may very well be shut out of the electric car business – he who makes the batteries will also make the cars. Lithium demand will skyrocket as more and more hybrids roll down the assembly line. Current processing potential is limited, making it vulnerable to market disruption. And limited supplies could mean big profits for lithium miners and producers.
It’s extremely hard to believe that any politician or lobbyist would consider sourcing the needed supplies for Obama’s Energy Revolution from offshore suppliers and risk the same foreign dependence as they have today with oil. Politicians will fight tooth and nail to avoid importing lithium or lithium-ion batteries.
Because there is so much money being thrown around and because lithium is the key ingredient to make these future electric cars viable it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if investors are smiling with glee over the prospects of a huge boom in the prices of their favorite lithium explorers and producers.
Will the Electrification of America become unplugged?
The U.S. Government Accountability Office, in a report to congress, warned that by switching from gas-powered cars to lithium battery powered cars the U.S. might simply "substitute reliance on one foreign resource for another."
"Politicians ... ran on a plank based on ending foreign oil dependence, and it is unlikely that voters will want to meekly transfer this dependence to lithium." Said the Council On Hemispheric Affairs, Washington, D.C.
Obama said this during his election campaign…."Finding the new driver of our economy is going to be critical. There’s no better driver that pervades all aspects of our economy than a new energy economy…That’s going to be my No. 1 priority when I get into office." President Obama
And it appears he’s going to keep his promise…
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/24-Billion-in-Grants-to-Accelerate-the-Manufacturing-and-Deployment-of-the-Next-Generation-of-US-Batteries-and-Electric-Vehicles/
It would be very difficult to overstate the importance of US sourced lithium in Obama’s coming Electrification of America.
US Lithium Sources & Reserves
Lithium carbonate is needed to make the cathode material and the electrolyte used in a lithium battery, lithium Carbonate (Li2CO3) is produced from Lithium Chloride.
Economic concentrations of lithium are found in brines, minerals and clays in various parts of the world. Brines and high-grade lithium ores are the present source for all commercial lithium production.
Pegmatite’s - course grained igneous rocks. The principal lithium pegmatite minerals are spodumene, petalite and lepidolite.
Continental Brines - The lithium contained within these salt lake brines comes mainly from the leaching of volcanic rocks, which then flows into a catchment basin.
Geothermal & Oilfield Brines
Hectorite Clays - hectorite is found in a number of areas in the western US.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) US reserves of lithium total 760,000 tons. One kilogram of lithium equals 5.3 kilograms of the lithium carbonate used to make batteries.
South America accounted for 60% of world output of lithium in 2008, followed by Australia and China, which combined produced 30% of the total. Two-thirds of the world production was from brines and one-third from lithium minerals (used mainly in the ceramic and glass industry).
Nevada - the US’s own Saudi Arabia of Lithium?
Clayton Valley is home to the only lithium producer in the United States. This plant extracts lithium from brines pumped from aquifiers below the valley and has been in production since 1967. The plant is designed to produce 1.2 million kg of lithium per year and to date has produced an estimated 50 million kg of lithium.
In 1975, I.A. Kunasz of the American Institute of Mining, estimated the mineral endowment of Clayton Valley to be 750 million kg of lithium. A more recent study by Price, Lechler, Lear and Giles in 2000, suggests that significantly more lithium was released into the Clayton Valley catchment by the weathering of high lithium bearing rocks. They suggest that as groundwater enters the basin, it appears to be dissolving lithium minerals accumulated in valley sediment and is partially recharging the lithium content of the brine, while mining operations have been ongoing.
"Replenishment of brines comes from surrounding Rhyolite, which are the most lithium rich in the world. Brines in the area have concentrations as high as 1000 ppm. Concentrations as low as 166 ppm have been used in lithium brine pool extraction methods." – Author
The following two junior companies have brine deposits in Nevada.

Rodinia Minerals Inc RM:TSX.v http://www.rodiniaminerals.com/

TNR Gold Corp TNR:TSX.v www.tnrgoldcorp.com

Lithium also occurs in significant concentrations in the mineral hectorite, a trioctahedral smectite, lithium can be extracted from the clay through either a pyrometallurgical (roasting) or hydrometallurgical (solution) method.
Western Lithium Corp WLC:TSX.v www.westernlithium.com is working on a hectorite clay deposit in Nevada.
Conclusion
Lithium is one of the best ways to play President Obama’s energy agenda. The power of the Office of the President of the United States will be backing the Eco-Energy Revolution and billions of dollars will be given out to
develop the technology behind the lithium-ion battery. This energy revolution is a serious investable long-term trend and we, as investors, have to take advantage of the opportunities being presented. We’d be smart to get in early, ahead of the herd, to take advantage of the coming global rush to electricity.
Currently lithium supply and demand are relatively in balance, however with the race to develop lithium-based batteries for an electric automotive industry there will be a shortfall of supply in the future.
New potential US based lithium supply side companies are coming and early strategic investors are already positioning themselves. It’s not often in an investor’s life they get the opportunity to invest in something so profound, something so huge it constitutes a sea change in the way we go about our daily business. With the full might of the Office of the President of the United States of America behind it the push for electrification is becoming a reality, and because of this new reality in America, lithium might just become the commodity of choice for investors.
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Richard (Rick) Mills
www.aheadoftheherd.com
rick@aheadoftheherd.com
Bio - Richard is host of www.aheadoftheherd.com and invests in the junior resource sector. His articles have been published on over 60 websites including - Wall Street Journal, 321Gold, Kitco, USAToday, SafeHaven, Stockhouse, The Gold/Energy Reports, Gold-Eagle and Financial Sense.
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Legal Notice / Disclaimer This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. Richard Mills has based this document on information
obtained from sources he believes to be reliable but which has not been independently verified; Richard Mills makes no guarantee, representation or warranty and accepts no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of Richard Mills only and are subject to change without notice. Richard Mills assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, I, Richard Mills, assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information provided within this Report.
Rodinia is an advertiser on www.aheadoftheherd.com and Richard owns shares of the company.