Lithium Mining and other battery related mining investments.

[MontyFloyd]

Events in last 2 years have made BEV the hot product, so Lithium Mining as well as nickel, cobalt, and manganese mining will skyrocket (not include other ingredients as they are plentiful).
There is already a multifold production increase in those metals, and demand will only go lunar (far beyond stratospheric) in this decade.
These commodities will be an excellent long term investment.

I do not have time to do major research, but to start with a beginning list is here, please expand!

A quick run down:
Lithium (Li), the major producing countries.
Reports to look over here.
One company that mines Li is Lithium Corporation (LTUM)
Others:

1. Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium (OTC Pink:GNENF,SZSE:002460) Market cap: US$32.89 billion. ...
2. Tianqi Lithium. Market cap: US$23.03 billion. ...
3. Albemarle. Market cap: US$22.47 billion. ...
4. SQM. ...
5. Pilbara Minerals (ASXLS,OTC PinkILBF) ...
6. Allkem (ASX:AKE,OTC Pink:OROCF) ...
7. Livent (NYSE:LTHM)

Nickel (Ni), the major producing countries.
Article is here of big ones.
Notice that the biggest is "NORNICKLE" from Russia (236.0 kt), and with the Russian invasion of Ukraine puts it off the open market.

Cobalt (Co), the major producing countries.
Top 5 is listed here, almost all from Africa (in less than stable regions)

• Glencore PLC | LSE:GLEN | Market Cap: $52.45B. ...
• China Molybdenum | HKEX:3993 | Market Cap: $34.06B. ...
• Fleurette Group | Private. ...
• Vale | NYSE:VALE | Market Cap: $65.82B. ...
• Gecamines | State-controlled.

Manganese (Mn), the major producing countries.
China is the 9000 ton Panda, by far dominates Mn production, with Africa distant second.
List is here

 

[CLK350]

BenchmanrkMinerals is one of the key resources for Lithium and minerals in general

Benchmark launches Lithium ion Battery Raw Material Price Index | Benchmark Source

Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is delighted to announce the launch of its Lithium ion Battery Raw Material Price Index. The new index allows users to accurately track real-world movements in lithium ion battery raw material prices relative to key cathode types within the supply chain and track...

www.benchmarkminerals.com

Personally I'm happy trusting Elon's team doing a better job than most, certainly any individual TMC member (unless said member is a geologist or specialist already). Other good sources of information are the YouTubers ( The Limiting Factor etc )

I *did* think I could do better than most last year, investing some LAC .. but got out too soon LOL

 

[MontyFloyd]

Yesterday I discovered there was a "Pump and Dump" on Lithium Corporation (LTUM)!
I was just reasing up on the company a day before, and then 5 days later I discovered that happened.

Still, "Electrify" Dylan Loomis said there is a many synergetic benefits, so perhaps LTUM is a great for potential buyout?

 

[CLK350]

I don't understand how one can look at any other long term investment than TSLA. Unless you *REALLY* have some sort of market edge in any area, this doesn't sound wise at all. Please check the main Tesla investor's thread or its posts of particular merit to learn more Moderators' Choice: Posts of Particular Merit

 

[MontyFloyd]

I don't understand how one can look at any other long term investment than TSLA. Unless you *REALLY* have some sort of market edge in any area, this doesn't sound wise at all. Please check the main Tesla investor's thread or its posts of particular merit to learn more Moderators' Choice: Posts of Particular Merit

I do not understand.
Tesla needs certain material, and vast quantities of it.
There is no way to stretch lithium and nickel (unIike building a larger structure with less materials), as everyone starts building millions of BEV's, there will be a 1000 fold increase in material demand.

 

[CLK350]

Sorry if I wasn't clear enough. Let me try:

If you watch Tesla's Battery Day presentation and subsequent moves by Tesla in the mining area you can see that Elon and his team of mining specialists already has figured out the long term needs of Tesla (and the EV/ energy industry in general re Tesla mission).
So I don't think anyone but uber specialists can trade or take better positions than that department within Tesla -cf Tesla has acquired mining rights and is developing new processes bypassing the complicated route to finished LiO used for batteries.

So just like in the battery and computing and other areas* they start with established players/ suppliers, but if they see that more is needed they do NOT hesitate to create a whole new company (really a department within Tesla) to tackle the issue properly.

(*) Battery tech: first Panasonic, then whoever can help (CATL .. ) and then directly create its own battery tech and factories ( Kato rd, Tesla GigaTexas ..)
Computing: Lidar, MobilEye, then nVidia, then its OWN chip and also DOJO super computer based on that chip with fast interconnects
Tunneling .. Boring co
Insurance .. now vertically integrated, no outside companies required
News and media .. in process: acquiring Twitter and transforming it

 

[MontyFloyd]

If you watch Tesla's Battery Day presentation and subsequent moves by Tesla in the mining area you can see that Elon and his team of mining specialists already has figured out the long term needs of Tesla (and the EV/ energy industry in general re Tesla mission).
So I don't think anyone but uber specialists can trade or take better positions than that department within Tesla -cf Tesla has acquired mining rights and is developing new processes bypassing the complicated route to finished LiO used for batteries.

So just like in the battery and computing and other areas* they start with established players/ suppliers, but if they see that more is needed they do NOT hesitate to create a whole new company (really a department within Tesla) to tackle the issue properly.

Yes, either they use established mines (like LTUM) or gain mineral rights and get a mining company.

But as Tesla snaps up the established supply, the other companies will make a grab for others. It is those others I am looking at.

About 80 million vehicles produced per year, current EV is about 2 million, a little over 2%. Car makers wanting to go mostly EV by 2030, how will they mine 20~40 times more battery ingredient?
Not even counting more Li-Ion battery devices needed too.

 

[CLK350]

Yes, either they use established mines (like LTUM) or gain mineral rights and get a mining company.

But as Tesla snaps up the established supply, the other companies will make a grab for others. It is those others I am looking at.

About 80 million vehicles produced per year, current EV is about 2 million, a little over 2%. Car makers wanting to go mostly EV by 2030, how will they mine 20~40 times more battery ingredient?
Not even counting more Li-Ion battery devices needed too.

Never mind - I guess I'm mistaken or you didn't watch the Battery Day presentation or have followed the Tesla TMC investment thread as I suggested earlier - best of luck in either case, but please do this simple reminder:/[practical test:
- buy 1 (or 10, 100, 1000 depending on portfolio size) share of TSLA - do not trade it - and compare to your own investment IRR over time, or normalized from your current position over time.

TLDR;

https://twitter.com/x/status/1517219715520901121

 

[MontyFloyd]

Never mind - I guess I'm mistaken or you didn't watch the Battery Day presentation or have followed the Tesla TMC investment thread as I suggested earlier - best of luck in either case, but please do this simple reminder:/[practical test:
- buy 1 (or 10, 100, 1000 depending on portfolio size) share of TSLA - do not trade it - and compare to your own investment IRR over time, or normalized from your current position over time.

You are completely ignoring the fact the material must come from somewhere.
Not even Elon can make Li and Ni from thin air. Nor can the dozen of other car makers racing to go BEV.

SEEN IN ANOTHER WAY, the share value of certain mining companies are recently steadily increasing.
Then the Ukrainian invasion by Russia has seen price of Ni go up significantly.

(and yes, I am invested in TSLA)

 

[ZenRockGarden]

A slightly creative Lithium play: Battery Recyclers. LICY, UMICY, ABML

 

[MontyFloyd]

A slightly creative Lithium play: Battery Recyclers. LICY, UMICY, ABML

Yes, thanks!
Defiantly something to watch, recycling will be huge, ONCE the quantity is in circulation.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

Yes, thanks!
Defiantly something to watch, recycling will be huge, ONCE the quantity is in circulation.

I find the recycling area interesting. As far as I can tell, there's plenty of supply of used batteries, but not yet capacity on fully reprocessing them - at least not domestically. And of course it'd need to scale up in the coming years as we should see a lot more wrecked or expired EVs.

 

[MontyFloyd]

plenty of supply of used batteries

From where?
devices or old hybrids?

 

[ZenRockGarden]

From where?
devices or old hybrids?

I think to the raw material recyclers, it's all the same. They want the lithium (most valuable) and secondarily any nickle, cobalt, etc.

They process assorted lithium batteries down to "Black Mass" from which the valuable stuff then gets extracted. I also note that getting the lithium out may be economically difficult, so current profitability on recycling seems to revolve around the nickle and cobalt levels

Black Mass one of the hottest issues in battery recycling - RECYCLING magazine

Jacques David talks about the management of the so-called Black Mass produced from the treatment of lithium batteries ahead of the workshop at ICBR 2021 in Geneva on 24th September.

www.recycling-magazine.com

 

[Xepa777]

Yes, thanks!
Defiantly something to watch, recycling will be huge, ONCE the quantity is in circulation.

1) Recycling as a method to get refined battery materials is SIGNIFICANTLY faster than mining/primary extraction.

2) ABML is does more than recycling, it also doe primary extraction. HUGELY under-the-radar part of the ABML investment thesis.

3) ABML is led by a known rockstar ex-Tesla engineer and one of original architects of the Nevada gigafactory. And if you look into their technology (the way Tesla investors like to look at things like the octavalve) you'll see how much it stands out.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

ABML appears to only be listed as OTC... hard to trust it at this stage despite the presence of some apparently strong talent.

 

[Xepa777]

ABML appears to only be listed as OTC... hard to trust it at this stage despite the presence of some apparently strong talent.

How does being an OTC stock affect trust? I work at an OTC company now ($KASHF). Does that make me any less trustworthy? I'm a Wharton MBA / Y-Combinator startup founder. Our CEO is a Georgetown graduate and former banking VP. It's about the people, the product/market fit, and the execution. And in public companies, regardless of where the ticker is listed, have significant transparency.

 

[ZenRockGarden]

How does being an OTC stock affect trust? I work at an OTC company now ($KASHF). Does that make me any less trustworthy? I'm a Wharton MBA / Y-Combinator startup founder. Our CEO is a Georgetown graduate and former banking VP. It's about the people, the product/market fit, and the execution. And in public companies, regardless of where the ticker is listed, have significant transparency.

OTC stocks are often illiquid, and lack the market-making and oversight that comes with being on a major exchange.

I'm not saying all OTC are bad, just that risks are higher of getting into a problem with them.

 

[Fairchild]

The best one I have found is SGML.
Made 240% YTD to LAC and TSLA's losses.
It seems to dip slightly with the market dips and then rebound with zest. Up 3.28% today. Target $100

 

[DanCar]

Tennessee approves Piedmont Lithium plant construction as complex Carolina project slows

The now $800 million project 265 km southeast of Nashville would process about 27,000 tonnes a year of the battery metal starting in 2026.

www.mining.com

Quote: ... $800 million project 265 km southeast of Nashville would process about 27,000 tonnes a year of the battery metal starting in 2026 ...
The company intends to land a major investor and raise financing before construction starts next year ...
The plant would more than triple lithium processing in the United States ...
The facility also already has off-take agreements with automaker Tesla and LG Chem. ...
The United States Department of Energy has already awarded a $141.7 million grant to Piedmont ...