Lake Resources NL (ASX:LKE, OTCQB:LLKKF) has named experienced mining executive Sean Miller to the newly-created position of corporate development officer to fast-track activity at its Cauchari, Olaroz and Paso brine projects in the Jujuy Province of Argentina.
Lake created the corporate development division to accelerate its target of reaching 100,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) to meet growing global demand for high purity lithium as well as to reinforce its position as the world’s leading lithium producer.
About US$15 million has been committed to the projects, with test work under way on recovered brine samples to maximise the rate of lithium recovery and final product quality.
Lake will secure additional drilling rigs and personnel for the projects this year.
Strengthening the team
Miller has broad experience including general management, strategic planning, supply chain, finance, legal, information technology, sustainable development and human resources in both greenfield projects and brownfield sites, and has overseen the successful delivery of multibillion dollar projects in both Australia and international markets.
Some of his prior roles have included being head of commercial operations for The Carmichael Rail Project in Queensland, commercial development director at the Kamoto Copper Company’s copper and cobalt mine in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, manager for contracts and procurement for Glencore’s North Queensland Metals, and superintendent for metal handling at Rio Tinto’s Boyne Smelters Ltd.
Miller’s appointment is the first of several new appointments by Lake as the company builds out its senior management team and board ahead of completing project financing.
The clean lithium developer is close to appointing a new US-based CEO following final interviews with the board as part of its transition to a corporate office in America.
Enormous opportunity
Lake executive chairman Stuart Crow said: “Lake is entering an exciting phase of the company’s history as we transition the company toward development and production of our first project at Kachi.
“The addition of new skills and experience across the company will enable Lake to become a key supplier as the lithium sector comes to terms with a scarcity of supply and a limited number of projects coming online.
“Supply is needed to meet rapidly growing demand for lithium as EV sales and penetration hits the inflection point of adoption across all major markets globally. This constrained supply dynamic provides an enormous opportunity for Lake as one of the few companies with multiple, highly prospective projects to meet this growing demand.”