Cinovec Resource and Geology
Cinovec hosts a globally significant hard rock lithium deposit with a total Indicated Mineral Resource of 372.4Mt at 0.45% Li2O and 0.04% Sn and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 323.5Mt at 0.39% Li2O and 0.04% Sn containing a combined 7.22 million tonnes Lithium Carbonate Equivalent and 263kt of tin. An initial Probable Ore Reserve of 34.5Mt at 0.65% Li2O and 0.09% Sn reported 4 July 2017 has been declared to cover the first 20-year mining at an output of 22,500tpa of lithium carbonate.
Cinovec – largest hard rock project in EU
This makes Cinovec the largest hard rock lithium deposit in Europe, the fourth largest non-brine deposit in the world and a globally significant tin resource. The deposit has previously had over 400,000 tonnes of ore mined as a trial sub-level open stope underground mining operation.
Table 1: Cinovec Project Mineral Resource Estimate November 2017 (0.1% Li Cut-off)
| Cinovec November 2017 Resource | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutoff % | Tonnes (Millions) | Li % | Sn % | W % | |
| Indicated | 0.1 % Li | 372.4 | 0.206 | 0.04 | 0.016 |
| Inferred | 0.1 % Li | 323.5 | 0.183 | 0.04 | 0.013 |
| Total | 0.1 % Li | 695.9 | 0.195 | 0.04 | 0.014 |
Geology
The Cinovec deposit is located on the Krusne hory/Erzgebirge metallogenic province at the northern border of the Bohemian Massif, in the Saxothuringian Zone of European Variscides (Štemprok 1989). Krusne hory/Erzgebirge is one of the major metamorphic crystalline complexes of the European Variscan Belt, and is formed by partially concealed Late Palaeozoic multiphase granitic batholith intruding amphibolite facies Neoproterozoic to Carboniferous age metamorphic complex (Seltmann and Štemprok 1995).
The Krusne Hory/Erzgebirge NE–SW trending anticlinorium extends over 120km in length and 45km in width, and plunges slightly to the southwest. The Erzgebirge crystalline complex exposes a seemingly coherent sequence of migmatite, para-and orthogneiss, mica schist containing intercalations of metabasalt, metarhyolite and marble, and by phyllite (Klominsky et al. 2010), and magmatic rocks.
Regional Geology of Krusne hory/Erzgebirge
Neoproterozoic basement rocks are represented by migmatitic gneiss and mica schist with abundant intercalated metamorphosed marl, dolomite, calc-silicate rock, quartzite, ultramafic and granulitic rocks which were migmatised and granitised during the Variscan orogeny. The overlying Lower Paleozoic sequence comprises marine clastic (mainly pelitic) and granitic rocks, which are transgressively overlain by Lower Devonian clastic rocks. Middle Devonian clastic rocks and carbonate with interbedded submarine spilite-keratophyre volcanics are followed by the Carboniferous Culm facies (Seltmann and Štemprok 1995).
Magmatic rocks within the massif are related to events that occurred in several time periods; the Archean to Paleoproterozoic, the Late Neoproterozoic to Lower Paleozoic Cadomian/Baikalian Orogenies (700 to 500 Ma), the Lower Paleozoic Caledonian Orogeny (500 to 390 Ma) and the Late Paleozoic Variscan Orogeny (350 to 300 Ma). Variscan magmatism is divided into an early cycle (orthogneiss) and a quantitatively dominant late or post-kinematic cycle (unfoliated granites), (Seltmann and Štemprok 1995). The latest magmatic event was extension-related volcanism and emplacement shallow small intrusions of Li-enriched granite.
The Cinovec Deposit extends for approximately 2km south of the border. The below Long Section shows the shallower, higher grade lithium mineralisation to the north and the tin rich area of Cinovec South. As evident from the table of selected drill intercepts, the lithium mineralisation is in place over 350m wide.
| Hole | From | To | Width (m) | Li20 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CN-17 | 22 | 224 | 202 | 0.62 |
| CN-22 | 123 | 387.5 | 264.5 | 0.54 |
| CN-23 | 94 | 357 | 261.1 | 0.5 |
| CIW-25 | 9.5 | 373 | 361.5 | 0.43 |
| CIW-26 | 173.75 | 410 | 236.25 | 0.49 |
| CN-23 | 5 | 211.5 | 206.5 | 0.51 |
Notes
- Mineral Resources are not Reserves until they have demonstrated economic viability based on a feasibility study or pre-feasibility study.
- Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of any reserves and are prepared by Widenbar in accordance with the guidelines of the JORC Code (2012).
- The effective date of the Mineral Resource is November 22, 2017.
- All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate.
- The operator of the project is Geomet s.r.o., a wholly-owned subsidiary of EMH. Gross and Net Attributable resources are the same.
- Any apparent inconsistencies are due to rounding errors.
- LCE is Lithium Carbonate Equivalent and is equivalent to Li2CO2