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File: AA - NRM Zeus Expansion NR (02.21.19).pdf
TSX.V: AA
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBA INVESTMENT IN NORAM UPDATE:
SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF NORAM'S ZEUS LITHIUM DEPOSIT RESOURCE ESTIMATE
AFTER THE COMPLETION OF 2018 DRILL PROGRAMS, CLAYTON VALLEY, NEVADA
Vancouver, British Columbia February 21, 2019 Alba currently holds an investment of 3,800,000
common shares in the share capital of Noram Ventures Inc. The Company is incredibly pleased with
the release of an updated resource estimate which includes the two phases of drilling completed
during fiscal 2018.
The following is excerpted from Noram's news release dated February 21, 2019 and ava ilable in full
on Noram's SEDAR profile.
Noram Ventures Inc. is pleased to report a new inferred resource estimate for the Zeus lithium
property, which is adjacent to Albemarle's lithium brine producer in Clayton Valley, Nevada. At a 900
ppm lithium cut-off, the new inferred resource is 145 million tonnes at a grade of 1145 ppm lithium;
more than 8.5x the previously reported estimate.
In 2018, Noram completed two additional phases of drilling, (the Phase II and Phase III drill programs),
which are newly incorporated into the new inferred resource calculation. In total, 60 drill holes have been
included within the resource area. The new inferred resource estimate is 145 million tonnes at a grade of
1145 ppm lithium, at a cut-off grade of 900 ppm Li (Table 1). Sensitivity analysis at 300 ppm Li cutoff and
600 ppm Li cutoff are also given in Table 1. While the updated NI 43-101 report is not yet finalized, it is
expected within the next 45 days and the Company's Qualified Person (Bradley C. Peek) feels sufficiently
certain that these preliminary calculated values are reasonable and will not vary significantly from the final
NI 43-101 report values.
Cutoff Grade
300 ppm Li
Sensitivity 600 ppm Li Sensitivity 900 ppm Li: Mineral
Analysis Analysis Resource Estimate
Tonnes (1000s) 330,670 251,526 145,168
Grade (ppm) 858 984 1145
Contained Li (kg) 283,796,297 247,569,218 166,238,452
Table 1. Inferred resources for the Zeus lithium deposit, Clayton Valley, Nevada
This expanded resource estimate for the Zeus lithium deposit is 8.5 times the tonnage of the previous
resource reported in 2017 and at a higher grade, (the previous inferred resource reported 17 million tonnes
at 1060 ppm Li: see Noram press release Nov. 21, 2017; and Peek and Spanjers, 2017). At a cut-off grade
of 900 ppm, the grade of 1145 ppm lithium corresponds to a lithium carbonate equivalent grade of 0.61 wt.%
Li2CO3, and the contained lithium corresponds to 0.88 million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent (1 kg Li =
5.323 kg Li2CO3). Current lithium carbonate (99.5% purity) prices in China are $12,500 - $14,500 per tonne
(as of Feb. 9, 2019: www.metalsbulletin.com).
The inferred resource reported here is considered an update of the inferred resource reported in Peek and
Spanjers (2017) and was estimated using a block model and the inverse distance squared method for the
calculations.
A Google Earth image of the property with the drill holes used in this resource calculation, and with outlines
for the >300 ppm Li, >600 ppm Li and >900 ppm Li is seen below in Figure 1. In Figure 2, North South
and West East cross-sections are shown, based on all three phases of drilling. Higher grade (>1000 ppm
Li) material is open at depth and to the southeast, with the property boundary from 1-2 km away from the
currently defined inferred resource.
Figure 1. Google Earth image showing the area underlain by the mineral resrouce estimate (area in red,
900 ppm Li cutoff); and the boundaries for the 300 ppm Li and 600 ppm Li cutoff sensitivity analyses (orange
Alba Minerals Ltd.
Suite 2150 - 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 4N6
Tel.: 604-662-7902 | Website: www.albamineralsltd.com
and yellow lines, respectively). Also shown are the 3 phases of drill holes (Phase I in green; Phase 2 in
yellow; Phase 3 in red). The blue line is a portion of the Zeus claim block outline. Albemarle's Silver Peak
lithium brine ponds lie 1 km to west and northwest of the Zeus property in Clayton Valley.
Figure 2. Zeus lithium deposit cross sections, with drill holes labeled (see figure 1 for locations). Above:
North South cross section. Below: West East cross-section. The lithium clays are within playa lake
sediments of the Esmeralda Formation.
The deposit is within playa lake clays of the Miocene-Pliocene (23 2.5 million years old) Esmeralda
Formation. Initial mineralogy studies on the clays at surface and in drill core indicate the following favorable
features: 1) 35%-65% of the material is detrital gravel and sand, and can be separated from the clay minerals
during processing using sieves and cyclones. Separating this material effectively increases the grade two-
fold before leach treatment of the clays. 2) The clay minerals are non-refractory and can be successfully
treated with sulfuric acid to extract lithium (see Barrie et al., 2018). 3) Approximately 5 percent of the
material is calcium carbonate and may be separated along with the other coarse-grained material. This can
significantly reduce the amount of acid necessary to extract lithium during processing.
Two other favorable indicators come from the assay ICP geochemical data, as follows: 1) There is marked
sodium enrichment within 10 meters of the surface, which is believed to reflect residual salts and suggests
that some of the lithium resource may be soluble in water alone, as is the case elsewhere in the Esmeralda
Alba Minerals Ltd.
Suite 2150 - 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 4N6
Tel.: 604-662-7902 | Website: www.albamineralsltd.com
Formation. 2) There is a notable enrichment in rubidium at the hundreds of ppm level. Rubidium, like
lithium is an alkali element and may be recoverable during processing.
In the coming months, Noram intends to conduct a preliminary economic assessmentstudy aimed at a
detailed understanding of the geological and mineralogical controls on mineralization in order to determine
the most cost-effective, efficient and environmentally-friendly methods of lithium extraction; with the goal of
producing a marketable lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide product.
The Noram management team commented that "if you want to develop a lithium deposit, Clayton Valley is
high on the list of places to do so, with Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine operations next door . We note
that the Tesla lithium battery gigafactory is 220 km down the road and is one of at least ten lithium battery
factories recently built or under construction for the global auto sector. We aim to work with our neighbors
in Clayton Valley, under the guidance of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Bureau of
Mines, to develop these lithium resources to support the future of green energy."
The mineral resource estimates in this press release use the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and
Petroleum (CIM), Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines. According
to the CIM definitions, a Mineral Resource must be potentially economic in that it must be "in such form and
quantity and of such grade or quality that it has reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction".
The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Bradley C.
Peek MSc., a Certified Professional Geologist who is independent of Noram Ventures and is a Qualified
Person with respect to Noram's Clayton Valley Lithium Project as defined under National Instrument 43 -
101.
References
Barrie, C. T., Peek, B., and Whittaker, P., 2018, Lithium clay deposits of the Zeus Property, Eastern Clayton Valley,
--->Nevada: American
Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., extended abstract 6 p.
Peek, B. C., and Spanjers, R. P., 2017, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Lithium inferred mineral resource estimate, Clayto
--->n Valley,
Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA, for Noram Ventures Ltd., 67 p.
About Alba Minerals Ltd.
Alba Minerals Ltd. is a Vancouver-based junior resource company with projects in North and South America. Alba is
focused on the development of the following mineral properties:
The Quiron II Lithium Property consists of 2,421 hectares of prospective lithium exploration in the Pocitos
--->Salar,
Province of Salta, Argentina. The Property is located approximately 12 km northeast from the Liberty One
Lithium Corp and 19 km from Pure Energy Minerals Ltd.'s Pocitos prosp
--->ects.
The Chascha Norte property consists of 2,843 hectares of prospective lithium exploration in the Southeastern
part of the Salar de Arizaro, Salta, Argentina in closest vicinity to Argentina Lithium & Energy Corporation
--->'s
and Lithium X's Arizaro lithium brine projects.
The Rainbow Canyon Gold Property consists of 417 hectares of prospective gold exploration in the Olinghouse
mining district, in the Washoe County Nevada.
The Muddy Mountain property consists of 450.41 hectares of prospective lithium exploration in Muddy
Mountains of Clark County, Nevada.
Please visit our web site for further information: www.albamineralsltd.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
"Sandy MacDougall"
Chairman & Director
Direct: (778) 999-2159
Alba Minerals Ltd.
Suite 2150 - 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 4N6
Tel.: 604-662-7902 | Website: www.albamineralsltd.com
This news release contains projections and forward - looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties
---> regarding future events.
Such forward - looking information can include without limitation statements based on current expectations involving a
---> number of risks and
uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. The following are important factors that co
--->uld cause the Company's
actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements; the uncertaint
--->y of future profitability; and
the uncertainty of access to additional capital. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Comp
--->any's plans and objectives
to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future events could d
--->iffer materially from
anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward- looking information are based on e
--->stimates and opinions of
management on the dates they are made and expressed qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no
---> obligation to update
forward-looking information should circumstance or management's estimates or opinions change.
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.
Alba Minerals Ltd.
Suite 2150 - 555 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada, V6B 4N6
Tel.: 604-662-7902 | Website: www.albamineralsltd.com
File: AA - NRM Zeus Expansion NR (02.21.19).docx
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBA INVESTMENT IN NORAM UPDATE:
SIGNIFICANT EXPANSION OF NORAM'S ZEUS LITHIUM DEPOSIT RESOURCE ESTIMATE AFTER THE COMPLETION OF 2018 DRILL PROGRAMS, C
--->LAYTON VALLEY, NEVADA
Vancouver, British Columbia - February 21, 2019 - Alba currently holds an investment of 3,800,000 common shares in the
---> share capital of Noram Ventures Inc. The Company is incredibly pleased with the release of an updated resource estima
--->te which includes the two phases of drilling completed during fiscal 2018.
The following is excerpted from Noram's news release dated February 21, 2019 and available in full on Noram's SEDAR pr
--->ofile.
Noram Ventures Inc. is pleased to report a new inferred resource estimate for the Zeus lithium property, which is adja
--->cent to Albemarle's lithium brine producer in Clayton Valley, Nevada. At a 900 ppm lithium cut-off, the new inferred r
--->esource is 145 million tonnes at a grade of 1145 ppm lithium; more than 8.5x the previously reported estimate.
In 2018, Noram completed two additional phases of drilling, (the Phase II and Phase III drill programs), which are new
--->ly incorporated into the new inferred resource calculation. In total, 60 drill holes have been included within the re
--->source area. The new inferred resource estimate is 145 million tonnes at a grade of 1145 ppm lithium, at a cut-off gr
--->ade of 900 ppm Li (Table 1). Sensitivity analysis at 300 ppm Li cutoff and 600 ppm Li cutoff are also given in Table
--->1. While the updated NI 43-101 report is not yet finalized, it is expected within the next 45 days and the Company's
--->Qualified Person (Bradley C. Peek) feels sufficiently certain that these preliminary calculated values are reasonable
--->and will not vary significantly from the final NI 43-101 report values.
Cutoff Grade
300 ppm Li - Sensitivity Analysis
600 ppm Li- Sensitivity Analysis
900 ppm Li: Mineral Resource Estimate
Tonnes (1000s)
330,670
251,526
145,168
Grade (ppm)
858
984
1145
Contained Li (kg)
283,796,297
247,569,218
166,238,452
Table 1. Inferred resources for the Zeus lithium deposit, Clayton Valley, Nevada
This expanded resource estimate for the Zeus lithium deposit is 8.5 times the tonnage of the previous resource reporte
--->d in 2017 and at a higher grade, (the previous inferred resource reported 17 million tonnes at 1060 ppm Li: see Noram
---> press release Nov. 21, 2017; and Peek and Spanjers, 2017). At a cut-off grade of 900 ppm, the grade of 1145 ppm lit
--->hium corresponds to a lithium carbonate equivalent grade of 0.61 wt.% Li2CO3, and the contained lithium corresponds to
---> 0.88 million tonnes lithium carbonate equivalent (1 kg Li = 5.323 kg Li2CO3). Current lithium carbonate (99.5% purit
--->y) prices in China are $12,500 - $14,500 per tonne (as of Feb. 9, 2019: www.metalsbulletin.com).
The inferred resource reported here is considered an update of the inferred resource reported in Peek and Spanjers (20
--->17) and was estimated using a block model and the inverse distance squared method for the calculations.
A Google Earth image of the property with the drill holes used in this resource calculation, and with outlines for the
---> >300 ppm Li, >600 ppm Li and >900 ppm Li is seen below in Figure 1. In Figure 2, North - South and West - East cross
--->-sections are shown, based on all three phases of drilling. Higher grade (>1000 ppm Li) material is open at depth and
---> to the southeast, with the property boundary from 1-2 km away from the currently defined inferred resource.
/
Figure 1. Google Earth image showing the area underlain by the mineral resrouce estimate (area in red, 900 ppm Li cuto
--->ff); and the boundaries for the 300 ppm Li and 600 ppm Li cutoff sensitivity analyses (orange and yellow lines, respec
--->tively). Also shown are the 3 phases of drill holes (Phase I in green; Phase 2 in yellow; Phase 3 in red). The blue li
--->ne is a portion of the Zeus claim block outline. Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine ponds lie 1 km to west and nort
--->hwest of the Zeus property in Clayton Valley.
/
Figure 2. Zeus lithium deposit cross sections, with drill holes labeled (see figure 1 for locations). Above: North -
--->South cross section. Below: West - East cross-section. The lithium clays are within playa lake sediments of the Esme
--->ralda Formation.
The deposit is within playa lake clays of the Miocene-Pliocene (23 - 2.5 million years old) Esmeralda Formation. Init
--->ial mineralogy studies on the clays at surface and in drill core indicate the following favorable features: 1) 35%-65%
---> of the material is detrital gravel and sand, and can be separated from the clay minerals during processing using siev
--->es and cyclones. Separating this material effectively increases the grade two-fold before leach treatment of the clay
--->s. 2) The clay minerals are non-refractory and can be successfully treated with sulfuric acid to extract lithium (see
--->Barrie et al., 2018). 3) Approximately 5 percent of the material is calcium carbonate and may be separated along with
---> the other coarse-grained material. This can significantly reduce the amount of acid necessary to extract lithium dur
--->ing processing.
Two other favorable indicators come from the assay ICP geochemical data, as follows: 1) There is marked sodium enrichm
--->ent within 10 meters of the surface, which is believed to reflect residual salts and suggests that some of the lithium
---> resource may be soluble in water alone, as is the case elsewhere in the Esmeralda Formation. 2) There is a notable
--->enrichment in rubidium at the hundreds of ppm level. Rubidium, like lithium is an alkali element and may be recoverab
--->le during processing.
In the coming months, Noram intends to conduct a preliminary economic assessmentstudy aimed at a detailed understandi
--->ng of the geological and mineralogical controls on mineralization in order to determine the most cost-effective, effi
--->cient and environmentally-friendly methods of lithium extraction; with the goal of producing a marketable lithium carb
--->onate or lithium hydroxide product.
The Noram management team commented that "if you want to develop a lithium deposit, Clayton Valley is high on the list
---> of places to do so, with Albemarle's Silver Peak lithium brine operations next door. We note that the Tesla lithium
--->battery gigafactory is 220 km down the road and is one of at least ten lithium battery factories recently built or und
--->er construction for the global auto sector. We aim to work with our neighbors in Clayton Valley, under the guidance o
--->f the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Bureau of Mines, to develop these lithium resources to support the
---> future of green energy."
The mineral resource estimates in this press release use the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (C
--->IM), Standards on Mineral Resources and Reserves, Definitions and Guidelines. According to the CIM definitions, a Min
--->eral Resource must be potentially economic in that it must be "in such form and quantity and of such grade or quality
--->that it has reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction".
The technical information contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Bradley C. Peek MSc., a Cer
--->tified Professional Geologist who is independent of Noram Ventures and is a Qualified Person with respect to Noram's C
--->layton Valley Lithium Project as defined under National Instrument 43-101.
References
Barrie, C. T., Peek, B., and Whittaker, P., 2018, Lithium clay deposits of the Zeus Property, Eastern Clayton Valley,
--->Nevada: American Geophysical Union Annual Meeting, Washington, D.C., extended abstract 6 p.
Peek, B. C., and Spanjers, R. P., 2017, NI 43-101 Technical Report, Lithium inferred mineral resource estimate, Clayt
--->on Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada, USA, for Noram Ventures Ltd., 67 p.
About Alba Minerals Ltd.
Alba Minerals Ltd. is a Vancouver-based junior resource company with projects in North and South America. Alba is focu
--->sed on the development of the following mineral properties:
The Quiron II Lithium Property consists of 2,421 hectares of prospective lithium exploration in the Pocitos Salar, Pr
--->ovince of Salta, Argentina. The Property is located approximately 12 km northeast from the Liberty One Lithium Corp an
--->d 19 km from Pure Energy Minerals Ltd.'s Pocitos prospects. The Chascha Norte property consists of 2,843 hectares of
---> prospective lithium exploration in the Southeastern part of the Salar de Arizaro, Salta, Argentina in closest vicinit
--->y to Argentina Lithium & Energy Corporation's and Lithium X's Arizaro lithium brine projects.
The Rainbow Canyon Gold Property consists of 417 hectares of prospective gold exploration in the Olinghouse mining dis
--->trict, in the Washoe County Nevada.
The Muddy Mountain property consists of 450.41 hectares of prospective lithium exploration in Muddy Mountains of Clark
---> County, Nevada.
Please visit our web site for further information: www.albamineralsltd.com.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
"Sandy MacDougall"
Chairman & Director
Direct: (778) 999-2159
This news release contains projections and forward - looking information that involve various risks and uncertainties
--->regarding future events. Such forward - looking information can include without limitation statements based on current
---> expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance of the Compan
--->y. The following are important factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those e
--->xpressed or implied by such forward looking statements; the uncertainty of future profitability; and the uncertainty o
--->f access to additional capital. These risks and uncertainties could cause actual results and the Company's plans and o
--->bjectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information. Actual results and future even
--->ts could differ materially from anticipated in such information. These and all subsequent written and oral forward- lo
--->oking information are based on estimates and opinions of management on the dates they are made and expressed qualified
---> in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking information should circ
--->umstance or management's estimates or opinions change.
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.
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