Banter and general comments, page-16996

The cash that rolls in from Lithium mining is going to be interesting. It means that you have a company in Core that will still have significant Junior explorer DNA in terms of its thinking, but now has the cash resource to develop projects in the way a major could. Projects that might need a capital investment of perhaps $200m+ are possible. There are a lot of potential ways that Core could go, but at this stage Core is correctly focusing on getting Lithium operations operational. When presumably in 2023 existing operations are running smoothly Core needs to provide a strategy update, although I suspect shareholders and forums like HC will be wanting this earlier.

What are the obvious options for Core's predicted growing cash reserves:

• Develop then maintain large cash balances so that they won't need to borrow and will remain operational if there is a downturn?
• Start paying significant dividends?
• Undertake share buy-backs (increasing EPS)?
• Expand into down-stream activities like Hydroxide?
• Turbo-charged exploration with what would be previously an unbelievably large budget?
• Undertake Lithium aligned acquisitions or JV investments where Cores skill to get a project into production would add value?
• Expand production to increase output but shorten life of mine (but focusing only on mines with a low C1 cost point)?
• Make the decision that Core has the economic stability to enable it to develop resources with a higher cost point that would provide incremental volume beyond the main pathway (Grants, BP33, Carlton). For example what if one of the less discussed projects has an economic price point of $1,000/t or even $1,500/t? At what stage do you accept prices are not returning to sub $1,000 in the near future and look to develop and mine it out expecting the sale price to be well above $1,500/t for the period it would take to mine out the resource?
• Diversify into a multi-metal miner and develop Core's 2022 Annual report listed other projects (Zinc, Copper, Lead/Silver, Gold & Uranium)?
• Undertake Battery aligned project acquisitions (Graphite, Cobalt, Nickel, Manganese or necessary metals like Copper)?
• Undertake a mining aligned activity that will assist exploration such as setting up subsidiary to do Assay's with Core as its first customer?

Lots of options. Lots are likely to have the potential to add value to shareholders.