Latest results confirm the potential for a simple, low-cost acid-leach process to produce lithium carbonate and boric acid at Global Geoscience Ltd’s Rhyolite Ridge project. This is a large, shallow sedimentary lithium-boron deposit located in southern Nevada, USA.

• Leach results provide an economic pathway for Rhyolite Ridge to become a significant near-term producer of lithium and boron through a low-cost acid-leach flowsheet using established technologies and processes
• Recoveries of 98% for lithium and 99% for boron from acid-leach test work
• Acid consumption of 296 kg/t of ore for both metals, well below the pre-test target range of 350-450 kg
• Work has commenced to optimise the processing flowsheet
• PFS due for completion in late 2017
• Global has exercised its option to acquire 100% ownership of the Rhyolite Ridge project with no residual interest or royalties to the previous owners.

Global’s Managing Director, Bernard Rowe commented: “The acid-leach results exceed our expectations and demonstrate that Rhyolite Ridge mineralisation is amenable to low-cost acid-leaching to extract lithium and boron. The combination of high recoveries and low acid consumption from the test work indicates the likelihood of favourable economics.”

Company Chairman, James D. Calaway commented “Our processing team, headed by Silvio Bertolli and Peter Ehren, working with Hazen Research and SGS Minerals, have made significant progress in uncovering and understanding the unique properties of this deposit, and then applying this knowledge to design what is a simple processing flowsheet. These latest results confirm our view that we have an economic pathway to make the Rhyolite Ridge resource into a significant, near-term producer of lithium and boron in America.”