Ann: HAZEN RESEARCH EVALUATES PRODUCTION OF BATTERY GRADE LITHIUM, page-8

I'm only here for PM's. I wouldn't be buying banking on a Biden
Pres. There's enough shonky stuff to get him booted and his 'green' plan too
hopefully.
USA focused Gold and Lithium Explorer, Hawkstone Mining Limited (ASX:HWK) (“Hawkstone”, the
“Company” is pleased to announce that the Company has appointed Hazen Research Inc to perform
metallurgical test-work on the lithium-mineralised sedimentary material from the Big Sandy Lithium Project
(“Big Sandy”, “Project”, with the aim of producing battery-grade 99.8% Li2CO3.
The environmentally-compliant hydrometallurgical process that Hazen will evaluate involves sulphuric acid
leaching, purification and production of 99.8% Li2CO3 for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and
generation-scale storage to backup renewable energy production. Initial outcomes should be available within
two-three months.
Joe Biden has a “Plan for a Clean Energy Revolution” which places America on the road to becoming the
world’s clean energy superpower. With a vision of a 100% clean energy economy, stated not only as an
obligation, but as an opportunity for the USA to achieve a 100% clean energy economy, with net-zero carbon
emissions by 2050. Biden’s campaign has privately stated to US miners that he will support boosting
domestic production of critical metals used to make electric vehicles, solar panels and other products crucial
to this climate plan1.
Hawkstone is well placed to capitalise on this dynamic shift in US Federal policy, with its Big Sandy Lithium
Project strategically located halfway between Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada straddling US Route
93 and Interstate 11, the newest link to the Pan-American corridor, in the southwest “Sun Belt,” which is a
rapidly growing centre for renewable energy.
• To advance the Project, Hawkstone has appointed Hazen Research Inc to complete metallurgical test
work on the lithium mineralised material from the Big Sandy Project, with the object of producing
battery grade 99.8% Li2CO3.
• This testwork will be used to develop a feasible and economic processing route leading to pilot scale
testing.
1 https://www.reuters.com/article/usa...domestic-production-of-ev-metalsidINKBN27808B
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11 November 2020
Ground Floor, 24 Outram Street, West Perth WA 6005
• Previous testwork completed by Kappes, Cassidy and Assoc. (KCA) of Reno, Nevada established2:
o Lithium recoveries from 85% to 95% in a simple sulphuric acid leach
o Leach times ranged from 1 to 7 hours at ambient temperatures.
o No grinding and minimal crushing required.
• A drill program in 2019 successfully defined an estimated JORC inferred resource of 32.5 Million
tonnes grading 1,850 ppm Li for 320,800 tonnes Li2CO33.
• This represents 4% of the project area that contains an estimated geological potential of between
271.1Mt to 483.15Mt at 1,000 - >2,000ppm Li4.
Note that the potential quantity and grade of the estimated geological potential (Exploration Target)
is conceptual in nature. There has been insufficient exploration to estimate a mineral resource and
it is uncertain whether future exploration will result in the definition of a mineral resource. It has
been estimated using a range of thicknesses for the mineralised sediments calculated from drill
intercepts, surface sampling and geological mapping. The grade estimates a range of values
demonstrated from drilling and surface sampling.
Initial metallurgical testwork completed by KCA demonstrated the lithium-bearing sedimentary material to be
readily recoverable via a simple acid leaching and hydrometallurgical chemical process that has minimal air
emissions.
Preliminary engineering studies have commenced and the Company’s Phoenix-based engineer will evaluate
process routes, supply chain optimisation, possible mining and processing scenarios, as well as establishing
contacts within the local, State and Federal governments.
Baseline environmental and cultural surveys forming part of the Plan of Exploration (POE) process have been
completed, and the POE will enable further drilling to extend the known resource to the north and south.
Hawkstone Mining Managing Director, Paul Lloyd, commented: “The Big Sandy Lithium Project was
the initial focus of Hawkstone and, with softening of lithium demand and price, work on the project has been
focused on baseline engineering studies, establishing local contacts and obtaining the required permits for
further drilling and bulk sampling while awaiting the awakening of the lithium market. We feel that lithium’s
time has arrived with a dynamic shift in US Federal policies, Tesla building a new Gigafactory at Austin
Texas and announcing its intent to develop US sedimentary resources, VW shifting the majority of its
production to EV’s including an entire production line in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and battery storage
coupled with wind and solar displacing coal and gas generation with countries around the world mandating
the end of the ICE (internal combustion engine) age. With this paradigm shift in the energy / transport
sectors, the Company is pleased to announce the engagement of Hazen Research to commence bench
scale testing of the Big Sandy lithium mineralisation, with the aim of producing battery-grade 99.8% Li2CO3
and, in the process, developing a preliminary process flow sheet.”