1. Executive Use-Case Summary
Planning model; all costs are indicative USD.Claim / Project Area
300 ha
3.0 km² exploration title
Exploration Area — All Cases
300 ha
Fixed 3.0 km² basis throughout
Concentrate Target
25 ktpa
6% Li₂O concentrate
Target Mineable Ore
3.5–4.0 Mt
Preferred 15-year security
Recommended Entry
Option B
Explore under consent
Limit initial land exposure to about $20,000, with a pre-agreed purchase price and milestone-based exclusivity if results are positive.
Exploration Strategy
Stage-gated
Advance from geology to magnetics, IP, trenching and drilling only when each preceding stage confirms a coherent target.
Investment Principle
No drill, no deal
Surface pegmatite occurrence alone does not demonstrate 3.5–4.0 Mt of mineable ore or the ability to produce 6% concentrate.
2. Key Technical Observations
Fixed comparison basis: every acquisition and third-party exploration scenario in this dashboard is evaluated against the same 300-hectare claim area. Target-focused drilling does not reduce the stated land area; it only concentrates expenditure on anomalies identified within the 300 hectares.
Land Requirement Observation
A compact orebody may occupy only 5–15 hectares in plan view, but the mine, pit, waste dump, plant, tailings, roads, water system and buffers require much more land. For this production scale:
| Area | Planning View |
|---|---|
| Operational footprint | 100–150 ha |
| Recommended controlled surface land | 150–250 ha |
| Preferred exploration title | 300–500 ha |
| Selected use case | 300 ha title and 300 ha exploration basis for every option |
Production Observation
At 1.2% Li₂O head grade, 70% beneficiation recovery and 95% mining recovery, approximately 188,000 tonnes of ROM ore per year is required to produce 25,000 tonnes/year of 6% concentrate.
Critical: 1.2% is the Li₂O grade of the ore. It is not the quantity of spodumene concentrate. Concentrate output must be calculated after mining recovery, beneficiation recovery and concentrate grade.
Resource Security Observation
A 10-year project needs about 2.2–2.5 Mt including contingency. A more bankable 15-year case should target 3.5–4.0 Mt of mineable ore, preferably at indicated-resource confidence or better.
Commercial Observation
Buying the claim for $800,000 before confirming geometry, grade and mineralogy transfers nearly all geological risk to the buyer. A consent-and-option structure preserves cash and improves negotiating leverage.
3. Land Access and Claim Strategy
Option A — Buy Claim Immediately
| Item | Cost | Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Claim purchase / rights acquisition | Up to $800,000 | High geological exposure before proof |
| Legal, cadastral and title due diligence | $15,000–$30,000 | Mandatory |
| Initial access and stakeholder work | $10,000–$20,000 | Community / land-use risk |
| Entry exposure before exploration | $825,000–$850,000 | High |
Use only if historic drilling is independently verifiable
Option B — Consent to Explore
| Item | Cost | Recommended Term |
|---|---|---|
| Exploration consent / option fee | Up to $20,000 | 12–18 month exclusivity |
| Pre-agreed purchase price | Contractual | Triggered after defined positive result |
| Milestone payments | Negotiated | After trenching / drilling / resource |
| Data and sample ownership | Contractual | Must remain with investor |
| Initial land exposure | Up to $20,000 | Low |
Recommended structure
4. Option A — Third-Party Exploration Program for 300 ha
All costs use the same fixed 300-hectare land basis. Surveys cover the claim; trenching and drilling remain target-focused.1. Geological model — $30k→2. Magnetic survey — $20k→3. IP survey — $30k→4. Trenching — $20k→5. Drilling — $200k–$300k
Stage-Gated Cost
| Stage | Base Cost | Decision Output |
|---|---|---|
| Geological model and field mapping | $30,000 | Pegmatite map, structural model, target ranking |
| Ground magnetic survey | $20,000 | Structures, contacts and concealed target interpretation |
| IP / resistivity survey | $30,000 | Chargeability / resistivity anomalies for drill targeting |
| Trenching and channel sampling | $20,000 | Surface width, continuity, grade and mineralogy |
| RC / diamond drilling | $200,000–$300,000 | 3D geometry, grade continuity and resource estimate inputs |
| Direct exploration subtotal | $300,000–$400,000 | Before contingency |
| 15% contingency | $45,000–$60,000 | Access, rework, weather and extra assays |
| Recommended authorized budget | $345,000–$460,000 | Stage-gated release |
Total Exposure by Land Strategy
| Scenario | Total Before Purchase Trigger |
|---|---|
| Buy claim + third party exploration | $1.17M–$1.31M |
| Consent + third party exploration | $365k–$480k |
| Cash preserved using consent | Approx. $805k–$830k |
5. Timeline for 300-Hectare Exploration
Indicative 12-Month Program
Decision Gates
| Month | Gate | Proceed Only If |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Geological model | Mapped spodumene-bearing pegmatite and coherent structural trend |
| 2–4 | Magnetics | Targets support mapped contacts / concealed extensions |
| 3–5 | IP / resistivity | Anomalies align with geology and justify trenching |
| 5–7 | Trenching | Continuous mineralised widths and assays near or above threshold |
| 7–10 | Drilling | Multiple intersections support continuity and tonnage potential |
| 10–12 | Resource / metallurgy | Mineable resource pathway and 6% concentrate potential |
6. Corrected Deposit and Production Model
Geometry is an exploration target, not a resource statement.Original Ground-Data Calculation — Correction
| Parameter | Original Input | Correct Result |
|---|---|---|
| Length × width × depth | 1,000 m × 6 m × 40 m | 240,000 m³ |
| Density | 2.5 t/m³ | 600,000 tonnes of ore |
| Li₂O grade | 1.2% | 7,200 tonnes contained Li₂O |
| Recoverable Li₂O | 70% plant × 95% mining | 4,788 tonnes |
| Equivalent 6% concentrate | 4,788 ÷ 6% | 79,800 tonnes |
| Approximate mine life | At 25,000 t/y concentrate | 3.2 years |
This geometry is too small for a secure stand-alone feed source for a lithium sulphate plant.
Revised 15-Year Exploration Target
| Parameter | Planning Assumption |
|---|---|
| Strike length | 1,500 m |
| Average true thickness | 12 m |
| Average vertical extent | 75 m |
| Geological volume | 1,350,000 m³ |
| Density | 2.65 t/m³ |
| In-situ ore target | 3,577,500 tonnes |
| Contained Li₂O at 1.2% | 42,930 tonnes |
| Recoverable Li₂O at 70% × 95% | 28,548 tonnes |
| Equivalent 6% concentrate | 475,800 tonnes |
| Indicative concentrate mine life | 19.0 years before scheduling constraints |
Why This Geometry Fits the 300 ha Claim
A 300-hectare title equals 3.0 km². A 1.5 km long pegmatite corridor with a 12 m average thickness occupies only about 1.8 hectares in direct plan-view mineralised width, but requires a much wider drilling, pit, waste, infrastructure and buffer corridor.
| Land Component | Indicative Area |
|---|---|
| Potential pit and safety zone | 20–35 ha |
| Waste dumps and stockpiles | 20–40 ha |
| Plant, ROM and workshops | 8–15 ha |
| Tailings and water facilities | 20–40 ha |
| Roads, power, buffers and expansion | 50–100 ha |
| Operational land envelope | 118–230 ha |
Interactive Deposit Calculator
7. Third-Party Exploration Economics
Third-Party Exploration Cost Allocation
Land Entry Comparison
| Approach | Cash Requirement | Best Use |
|---|---|---|
| Consent + third-party exploration | $365k–$480k | Lowest-risk validation route |
| Buy claim + third-party exploration | $1.17M–$1.31M | Only with reliable historic evidence and clean title |
| Cash preserved using consent first | Approx. $805k–$830k | Retained until drilling supports purchase |
Best financial use case: secure exploration consent, appoint qualified third-party specialists, maintain owner-side geological oversight, and purchase only after drilling demonstrates an economic resource pathway.
8. Final Recommendation and Go / No-Go Gates
Recommended Execution Route
- Secure 12–18 month exclusive exploration consent for no more than $20,000.
- Complete legal title and cadastral verification before field expenditure.
- Authorize $100,000 for geology, magnetics, IP and trenching in four gates.
- Release the $200,000–$300,000 drilling budget only after trench results confirm width, mineralogy and grade.
- Target 3.5–4.0 Mt mineable ore, not merely a visible pegmatite occurrence.
- Require independent resource estimation and metallurgical confirmation before claim purchase and plant EPC.
Minimum Positive Result
| Criterion | Go Threshold |
|---|---|
| Title | Clean, transferable and unencumbered |
| Mineralogy | Spodumene-dominant |
| Average diluted grade | Preferred ≥1.2% Li₂O |
| Mineable ore target | ≥3.5 Mt for preferred 15-year security |
| Beneficiation recovery | ≥70% into 5.5–6.0% concentrate |
| Strip ratio | Preferably below 5:1 |
| Land and ESG | Operational envelope and permits feasible |
| Decision | Proceed with consent-based, stage-gated exploration |