Rare Earth Minerals (LON: REM) intends to use a pre-feasibility study at its Sonora lithium joint venture in Mexico as the basis for a 50,000 tonne per year plant.
David Lenigas, chairman, said: “The PFS program will initially be comprised of infill drilling, detailed metallurgical design work, process engineering and mine design.”
The schedule is to complete the PFS by the end of first quarter of next year, he added.
Specifically, a 4,000m drilling programme had started on Fleur and El Sauz concessions to boost the current resource of 1.14mln tonnes indicated and 6.3Mt inferred.
SGS Canada will carry out metallurgical testwork, while Ausenco Engineering will draw up the blueprint for a plant capable of producing 50,000 tonnes per year of battery-grade lithium carbonate..
Lenigas added: "We are now approaching one of the more exciting phases of the project as we compile the necessary technical information and lithium product specifications required for potential debt providers and potential off-take partners and end users."
Separately, Rare Earth Minerals has increased its holding in European Metals Holdings to 11.08%.
European Metals owns 100%of the Cinovec lithium/tin deposit in the Czech Republic.