:: Nemaska Makes First Concentrate from Whabouchi Mine

Nemaska Lithium of Quebec City has produced the first spodumene concentrate using ore from the Whabouchi lithium mine 300 km northwest of Chibougamau. The dense media separation plant has been running at half capacity since March 7, but throughput is ramping up and will soon reach 150 t/d.

Recent results from concentrate composite samples, produced on a 6-hour basis, yielded 2.89% lithium (6.22% Li₂O) on the morning of March 7; 3.05% lithium ( 6.56% Li₂O on the morning of March 8; and 3.09% lithium (6.65% Li₂O) on the afternoon of March 8, 2017.

Nemaska is planning to treat enough ore to provide 650 tonnes of spodumene concentrate. The con will then be processed in the Shawinigan hydrometallurgical plant to produce lithium hydroxide that can be tested by potential customers.

The Whabouchi mine has measured and indicated resources of 28.0 million tonnes averaging 1.57% Li₂O and inferred resources of 4.7 million tonnes at 1.51%.