NRG Metals has selected global consulting firm Knight Piésold Consulting and engineering, project, and construction management company JDS Energy & Mining to prepare a NI 43-101-compliant preliminary economic assessment (PEA) on its flagship Hombre Muerto Norte (HMN) lithium project, in Salta Province, Argentina.

The HMN project is in the Hombre Muerto Salar, an area of active lithium production. The development strategy for HMN focuses on production of 5,000 t/y of lithium carbonate, with the potential for expansion.

A site visit was completed in December 2018 and the project evaluation and report are progressing in a timely manner, according to NRG. The report is expected to be completed during the March quarter.

NRG recently filed an updated resource estimate for HMN, which identified 571,000 t of lithium carbonate-equivalent at a grade of 0.0756% Li in the combined measured and indicated categories, with a low magnesium to lithium ratio of 2.6:1. This calculation will be used in the PEA.