Thursday, 9 July 2015

Joe Lowry: Global Lithium Projection Of Supply And Demand Growth For Next Ten Years.

Joe Lowry has published his new projection of supply and demand for lithium for next ten years. Joe has warned in his twitter message today: "Appreciate many will disagree". I will follow his guidance based on years spent at the very heart of very "opaque" (in his own words) lithium market. The main drivers will be the mass adoption of electric cars during the next phase with Tesla Model 3, GM Bolt and Nissan Leaf with extended range and energy storage for Solar Power with Tesla powerwalls and powerpacks. Latest initiative from Obama administration will help to bring Solar Energy to the low income communities all across U.S. International Lithium will become part of this picture with our J/V projects in Ireland and Argentina financed by our strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium from China. I will provide a few links for the main drivers for this picture and some other work from Joe Lowry.

Lithium Race: Elon Musk Believes The Model X Will Double Tesla's Sales.

Now, as promised, we have the buzz picking up about Tesla Model X. "Tesla Model X will be by far the best SUV" - according to Elon Musk, will make all the difference giving the green alternative proposition to all lovers of Range Rovers.

Elon Musk And Tesla's CTO JB Straubel Share Their Vision On Energy.

Elon Musk will make sure that everybody will drive electric cars in the future powered by Solar Power. International Lithium and our partners Ganfeng Lithium will make sure that we have enough lithium to make this dream happen.

Peter Epstein: Interview Of “Mr. Lithium,” Joe Lowry Of Global Lithium LLC.

Peter Epstein presents to us the very interesting view from the independent insider into the very closed and tightly held lithium market. Tesla is making headlines and situation with SQM provides another evidence of the importance of secure lithium supply for the major players. Joe Lowry is raising alarm about the coming shortage in the lithium supply even before Tesla's Gigafactory will be coming on-line and I have been talking about it before, you can continue your research on the links below. Now we have another catalyst for the lithium industry in the making. Access to the capital is the most important for the junior miners working on building lithium supply chain. Ganfeng Lithium - one of the new top lithium producers from China is financing the development of J/V projects with International Lithium in Ireland and Argentina.

Chile, Lithium And SQM: What To Expect From The Chilean Lithium Industry?

What is really happening with SQM and lithium production in Chile now? Is it really the perfect storm and the very tight battery grade lithium supply will be under further strain from political battle around Atacama? Daniella Desormeux from signumBOX will be one of the best sources to explore the ongoing situation.

International Lithium And Ganfeng Lithium: "The End Of The Lithium 'Big 3'.

Security Of Lithium Supply: SQM Stock Still Down On News Chile Wants To Revoke Mining Leases.

Here comes the perfect storm for the lithium supply chain. Politics, bribes and fight around the "hot assets" in Atacama are not the best ingredients for the hungry Chinese companies ramping up battery grade lithium supply for the coming Megafactories all over the world. Meanwhile Tesla Gigafactory is still relying on Panasonic to sort out all lithium supply issues. Price of battery grade lithium was going up even before these political games around SQM and now rain storms will add to the strains on production in Atacama. Now you can better appreciate why Chinese giant Ganfeng Lithium is financing and developing with International Lithium our J/V projects - security of Lithium supply is taking the central stage for the ongoing electric rEVolution.

Elon Musk's Gigafactory Battery Plan Spurs Lithium Producers To Weigh New Plants.

News about the potential shortage in battery grade lithium supply is travelling fast and now hitting the mainstream media.

Tesla Gigafactories: Is There Enough Lithium to Maintain the Growth of the Lithium-Ion Battery Market?

Joe Lowry: Lithium Capacity Additions Will Be Short Of Demand.

"Joe Lowry is sounding the rising alert for all industry insiders about the coming shortage of lithium. Tesla is waiting for Panasonic to solve all the supply problems, but the growing demand is already pushing prices higher even before Gigafactory comes on-line! The ignition of mass market for electric cars and energy storage will come with lower lithium battery cost. Gigafactory promise us to bring the magic $100 per kWh. Supply of lithium will become crucial and its security will be even more important than its price.

Our partner Ganfeng Lithium controls with other Chinese companies 75% capacity of battery grade lithium hydroxide now. We are moving into the new landscape for critical materials which are powering the green revolution. Stay tuned for the update from our lithium exploration programs on J/V projects in Ireland and Argentina."

Joe Lowry: What The Beginning Of Lithium Shortage Looks Like.

"Joe Lowry from @globallithium presents another evidence of growing constrains in the lithium supply chain. He knows International Lithium strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium very well and has covered its incredible growth in his previous articles, which you can find on this blog as well. Read more."

International Lithium Corp. Updates on Drilling Programs in Argentina and Ireland.

We have great news today from our both J/V projects with Ganfeng Lithium! You already know about my personal vision for the lithium industry and our strategic partnership between International Lithium and Ganfeng Lithium from China. Now we have results coming in from our exploration and development programs.

Lithium Race: Elon Musk Believes The Model X Will Double Tesla's Sales.

Lithium Race: Plug In America - How To Accelerate The Shift To Plug-in Electric Vehicles.

In a few short years we will has the real mass market for electric cars. Elon Musk alone has made electric cars fashionable with his Tesla Model S. Tesla Model X will drive the buzz now. Apple can change landscape overnight with its brand power if and when Electric iCar will be finally released. Tesla Gigafactory and other Megafactories will bring the cost for lithium batteries down and allow for Tesla Model 3, GM Bolt and Nissan with increased range to drive us all into the mass market for EVs. "Dump The Pump", if you can - the time has come! At International Lithium we are making this rEVolution possible to happen. Security of lithium supply will be at the base of this new technological shift. China is driving the change in lithium industry now and our strategic partner - Ganfeng Lithium finances development of our J/V lithium projects in Argentina and Ireland.

How to achieve the explosive growth like International Lithium's strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium? You need to have the largest auto-market in the world, "War on Pollution" and state-level support for the new strategic industry - electric cars. After Tesla Gigafactory, LG Chem, BYD, Foxconn, Boston Power and A123 are building their own Megafactories. New automakers, like Guanzhou Auto in China are moving now into electric space with announcements almost every month. International Lithium is building strategic supply chain for Ganfeng Lithium, our J/V in Ireland and Argentina are financed by Ganfeng and now we are receiving results.

International Lithium Corp. Updates on Drilling Programs in Argentina and Ireland.

"Mr. Kirill Klip, President, International Lithium Corp. comments, "We are highly encouraged by what we are learning about the thick brine aquifers at Mariana. We look forward to completing the pump test which will give us a sense of the potential productivity of wells in these aquifers and we are confident that our plan to acquire these key preliminary hydrological results prior to a mineral resource estimation is both an expeditious and cost effective approach toward an initial production assessment."

Gary Schellenberg, CEO and Executive Chairman, notes that "Success in the initial drilling program by intersecting pegmatites under cover confirms the exploration strategy and methods we are applying in the Avalonia project. This gives us confidence as we move ahead with plans to test both new and historical targets we are developing along the lithium belt."

International Lithium And Ganfeng Lithium: "The End Of The Lithium 'Big 3'.

"Joe Lowry has published a very interesting article about the lithium market, major producers and rising Chinese powerhouses in lithium industry. You can find now more details on International Lithium strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium. Apple Electric iCar and Warren Buffet BYD move into energy storage to chase Elon Musk with his Tesla Gigafactory bring Lithium back onto the radar screens of investors now. Read more."

Business Insider:

Elon Musk Believes The Model X Will Double Tesla's Sales.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk believes its upcoming Model X crossover will be able to double the automaker's sales.

According to Bloomberg's Lucas Shaw and Dana Hull, the tech mogul made the claim while speaking to the press at the Allen & Co. media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho.

The Model X is Tesla's long-awaited follow up to the ground breaking Model S sedan.

The electric crossover is expected to be launched this fall and already has more than 20,000 orders awaiting delivery.

According to a note released last week by Credit Suisse automotive-analyst Dan Galves, Tesla is expected to deliver roughly 7,000 Model X vehicles this year.

The ramp up in Model X deliveries will likely be gradual, as the X will not reach full production until 2016.

That matches the pace of growth of the Model S. In 2014, Tesla delivered 32,000 Model S vehicles to customers and this year, that number is projected to grow to 48,000.

In total, Musk's company is expected to deliver 55,000 autos this year — an improvement of roughly 50% over 2014.

Along with the $35,000 Model 3, Tesla hopes the trio of models will help the company reach its goal of selling 500,000 cars a year by 2020. The Model 3 is Tesla's mass market offering, which is expected to come in the form of a sedan as well as a crossover. According to Tesla, the company plans to debut the Model 3 concept in 2016 with initial production in 2017.

Unfortunately, Musk's optimism hasn't rubbed off on investors as the company's stock has suffered a rough week of losses.

Tesla stock closed down nearly 5% today at $255. This comes after the stock lost 4% of its value on Tuesday. The drop follows more than three months of steady gains, minus the volatility that has characterized Tesla's stock price for the second half of 2014.

Since bottoming out at $185 per share on March 27, the stock has rebounded big time, ended last week at $280."

Tuesday, 7 July 2015

China Gold Association Claims China Has The World's Second 9,800 T Of Gold Reserves.

Let's not get overly excited with these numbers now, but if and when they are confirmed the world's financial landscape will be changed forever. @Smaulgld brought it to my attention yesterday and so far I cannot find anybody rebuffing this information. It is not viral yet, but it will be nothing less than groundbreaking with more evidence coming out. Chinese companies are buying stakes in the best gold deposits all over the world. China builds gold vaults in Honk Kong and mainland. Now we can have a different perspective on JPM building with the largest in the world private gold vault in New York bought by Chinese as well. Everything seems to be on track to be ready to back Yuan with Gold in China.

Is China Preparing For Something Big With Record Gold Deposits Acquisitions?

China Hits New Record With Over 1,162 T SGE Gold Demand For The First Half Of The Year.

Lawrie Williams provids the further confirmation of the trend we have discussed in depth at this blog. Latest data from Koos Jansen highlights the record gold demand in China in the first half of 2015.

Growing Asian Demand In Physical Gold And Its Impact On Gold Prices.

ANZ provides very interesting presentation of the gold demand and the rising Asia. Now we have the confirmation from the market place of what is really happening behind the scene with China and its plan for Gold. Gold has not reacted to Greece and Puerto Rico debt crises so far, even market crash In China was not able to push "the save heaven metal" above $1,200. What is really happening with gold now apart from manipulation? Actually, we can be facing 2008 situation all over again - at least in China already. Strong demand for Gold from China government, which is still accumulating record amount of gold with other Central Banks meets selling from retail investors facing margin calls on crashing Chinese equities.

Bloomberg Intelligence: Chinese Gold Standard Would Be "Game Changer”.

"This summer doldrums in Gold could be over very soon. Next week will be very interesting with Greece saga continued and China's rates cut after the record plunge in the stock market. Will Chinese coming back into gold finally smash the lid at 1,200 level? The news from Bloomberg Intelligence few years ago would propel gold $100 overnight easily, but today it is almost like no event in the market. While the West is chasing stocks in the Wall Street Bubble again, China is buying record amount of Gold and collecting the stakes in the best mining projects all over the world.

Ignition For Electric Cars: New Lithium Ion Battery Is Safer, Tougher, And More Powerful.

Now at least three trillion dollar industries are investing in lithium technology: Electric Cars, Mobile Devices and Energy Storage. Better lithium battery will come, Gigafactory and other Megafactories will make them cheaper - be ready for the ignition of blow up phase of EV adoption with mass market for electric cars. It is going to be the same like it is happening with Solar now. Once China has started mass volume production and Solar Panels become cheap the exponential growth in Solar Installations started driven by creative financing, as usual. International Lithium is getting ready to this stage: giant from China Ganfeng Lithium finances our J/V projects in Ireland and Argentina. Stay tuned for the coming updates on our developments.

Elon Musk's Gigafactory Battery Plan Spurs Lithium Producers To Weigh New Plants.

News about the potential shortage in battery grade lithium supply is travelling fast and now hitting the mainstream media.

Tesla Gigafactories: Is There Enough Lithium to Maintain the Growth of the Lithium-Ion Battery Market?

International Lithium Corp. Updates on Drilling Programs in Argentina and Ireland.

I-Connect007:

New Lithium Ion Battery is Safer, Tougher, and More Powerful

"Lithium ion batteries (LIBs) are a huge technological advancement from lead acid batteries which have existed since the late 1850’s. Thanks to their low weight, high energy density and slower loss of charge when not in use, LIBs have become the preferred choice for consumer electronics. Lithium-ion cells with cobalt cathodes hold twice the energy of a nickel-based battery and four-times that of lead acid. Despite being a superior consumer battery, LIBs still have some drawbacks. Current manufacturing technology is reaching the theoretical energy density limit for LIBs and overheating leading to thermal runaway i.e. “venting with flame” is a serious concern.

South Korean researchers at the Center for Self-assembly and Complexity, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Department of Chemistry and Division of Advanced Materials Science at Pohang University, have created a new LIB made from a porous solid which greatly improves its performance as well as reducing the risks due to overheating.

Since 2002 there have been over 40 recalls in the US alone due to fire or explosion risk from LIBs used in consumer electronic devices. These types of batteries, in all of their different lithium-anode combinations, continue to be an essential part of modern consumer electronics despite their poor track record at high temperatures.

The Korean team tried a totally new approach in making the batteries. According to Dr. Kimoon Kim at IBS, “we have already investigated high and highly anisotropic [directionally dependent] proton conducting behaviors in porous CB[6] for fuel cell electrolytes. It is possible for this lithium ion conduction following porous CB[6] to be safer than existing solid lithium electrolyte -based organic-molecular porous-materials utilizing the simple soaking method.” Current LIB technology relies on intercalated lithium which functions well, but due to ever increasing demands from electronic devices to be lighter and more powerful, investigation of novel electrolytes is necessary in order.

The new battery is built from pumpkin-shaped molecules called cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6]) which are organized in a honeycomb-like structure. The molecules have an incredibly thin 1D-channel, only averaging 7.5 Å [a single lithium ion is 0.76 Å, or .76 x 10-10 m] that runs through them. The physical structure of the porous CB[6] enables the lithium ions to battery to diffuse more freely than in conventional LIBs and exist without the separators found in other batteries.

In tests, the porous CB[6] solid electrolytes showed impressive lithium ion conductivity. To compare this to existing battery electrolytes, the team used a measurement of the lithium transference number (tLi+) which was recorded at 0.7-0.8 compared to 0.2-0.5 of existing electrolytes. They also subjected the batteries to extreme temperatures of up to 373 K (99.85° C), well above the 80° C typical upper temperature window for exiting LIBs. In the tests, the batteries were cycled at temperatures between 298 K and 373 K ( 24.85° C and 99.85° C) for a duration of four days and after each cycle the results showed no thermal runaway and hardly any change in conductivity.

Various conventional liquid electrolytes can incorporate in a porous CB[6] framework and converted to safer solid lithium electrolytes. Additionally, electrolyte usage is not limited to use only in LIBs, but a lithium air battery potentially feasible. What makes this new technique most exciting is that it is a new method of preparing a solid lithium electrolyte which starts as a liquid but no post-synthetic modification or chemical treatment is needed."

Monday, 6 July 2015

China Hits New Record With Over 1,162 T SGE Gold Demand For The First Half Of The Year.

Growing Asian Demand In Physical Gold And Its Impact On Gold Prices.

Bloomberg Intelligence: Chinese Gold Standard Would Be "Game Changer”.

LawrieOnGold:

China Hits New Record H1 SGE Gold Demand Figure.

Latest figures out of the Shanghai Gold Exchange show that Chinese H1 gold withdrawals are running even higher than in the record 2013 year.

With a latest week (to June 26th) total of 46.167 tonnes of gold withdrawn from the Shanghai Gold Exchange – again a high level for the time of year – the total for the year to date has reached a massive 1,162 tonnes and assuming withdrawals from the SGE have continued at around the same rate in the final two trading days of the month, we can probably add another 18 tonnes to make gold demand for the full six month period, as represented by SGE withdrawals, 1,180 tonnes. This will be comfortably a new record for the first half of the year – the previous record was in 2013 with just under 1,100 tonnes withdrawn in H1 and when the full year figure was 1,197 tonnes.

Consider that total global new mined gold supply for the half year period will have been only around 1,600 tonnes that gives a pretty good idea of the significance of Chinese gold demand in the world picture – accounting for around 74% of new primary supply on its own. And China only accounts for less than half of global gold demand. Lowish gold prices mean that recycled gold supply is weak and so far this year liquidations out of the gold ETFs are small in comparison to the previous two years. And what is apparent is that Chinese demand continues to grow – and anecdotal evidence suggests that this is receiving a further boost as Chinese investors turn back to gold following a huge crash on the overbought Chinese stock markets.

There has thus been a huge demand for gold in China over the past three years in particular. (See the chart below of weekly SGE withdrawals since 2010 from www.bullionstar.com website’s long term SGE gold withdrawals chart). 2013 was a record year for SGE trade and 2014 only a little smaller, and given that H2 SGE withdrawals tend to exceed the H1 figures in total, we could well be heading for a substantial new annual record, confirming the overall upwards trend.

Koos Jansen, in his latest bullionstar.com blog, expresses considerable surprise that global financial turmoil, as overtly expressed by the ongoing Greek tragedy and the Chinese stock market collapse, and uncertainty on western markets too, has not led to a gold price surge. “This smells like market rigging.” he writes. ”Surely the last thing the authorities need at this moment is gold on the move. Various media and bullion dealers report demand for physical gold in Europe is strong.” Add to this something of a resurgence in demand from the world’s other massive gold consumer – India – and an apparent recovery in demand for gold and silver bullion coins in the U.S. and Europe alongside the Chinese demand noted above and indeed it is surprising that gold has been falling regardless.

As usual the media puts this down to the prospect of the U.S. Fed raising interest rates sooner rather than later, but by now this prospect should have been taken into account anyway in gold pricing given that the Fed will only implement a very cautious policy and, at least initially, rates are likely to remain effectively negative after any initial rises. As we have said before there appears to be a concerted campaign to play down gold’s potential as a significantly rising gold price would indicate a loss in confidence in global fiat currencies, and governments and central banks can’t afford for this to happen and will doubtless continue to brief against it."

Lithium Race: Plug In America - How To Accelerate The Shift To Plug-in Electric Vehicles.

International Lithium Corp. Updates on Drilling Programs in Argentina and Ireland.

International Lithium And Ganfeng Lithium: "The End Of The Lithium 'Big 3'.

"Joe Lowry has published a very interesting article about the lithium market, major producers and rising Chinese powerhouses in lithium industry. You can find now more details on International Lithium strategic partner Ganfeng Lithium. Apple Electric iCar and Warren Buffet BYD move into energy storage to chase Elon Musk with his Tesla Gigafactory bring Lithium back onto the radar screens of investors now. Read more."

Sunday, 5 July 2015

Growing Asian Demand In Physical Gold And Its Impact On Gold Prices.

Bloomberg Intelligence: Chinese Gold Standard Would Be "Game Changer”.

"Could gold, the world's longest running currency be used to create a new order in global currencies? The Chinese central bank is said to be considering backing its yuan with the yellow metal. This move, says Ken Hoffman, Global Head of Metals and Mining Research for Bloomberg Intelligence, would be a "game changer." Why would China consider such a move? Hoffman explains that Chinese policy makers are already trying to establish the yuan as a reserve currency, and backing it with gold would help attract foreign capital inflows. China is expected to receive approval from its central bank for a yuan-denominated gold fix, with a potential for an announcement as early as next week. Hoffman explains that a gold standard would not necessarily create a big constraint to the Chinese central bank, as many believe. “It could be at any price they fix. There’s a lot of things that they can do to make this work,” he says. Hoffman estimates that to create an exchange rate of one ounce of gold for every $64,000, the country would need about 10,000 metric tons of the metal. "That’s nine times the nation’s official holdings and about 6 percent of all the bullion ever mined globally," Hoffman says. Moving to a gold standard may also be a question of power for China. Hoffman says that when the U.S. adopted a gold standard after World War II, it emerged as the main power in the International Monetary Fund. In 1971, the U.S. ended the use of the gold standard and rendered the dollar a fiat currency. If China decides to go into some form of a gold standard, Hoffman says it would make the rest of the world view the metal as a currency again. “If they go for it, we’d be talking about fireworks,” he says. Kitco News, June 25, 2015."

James Rickards: Gold And Major Flaws In FED's Risk Models - The Death Of Money.

James Rickards makes one his best presentations on the state of the economy and the looming crisis underneath the surface of "happy markets". Gold, China and risk management of complex financial systems are among the very well articulated issues which will determine the future for the world's financial system. Gold manipulation is the very important part of this system and now we can have the changing market place in the making.

Finally Gold And Silver Price Manipulation Under DOJ Investigation.

DOJ Probes Banks for Silver, Gold Price Manipulation.

Finally one more conspiracy theory is on its way to the court rooms. Let's see how serious DOJ will be acting here. What can be easier than just contact GATA and Bill Murphy for all the evidence, who was banned from CNBC for telling the truth about manipulation of gold?
TNR Gold projects will benefit from the fair market pricing of Gold as will all other people who are suffering from the unreported rise in the real cost of living and real inflation in prices of food and other basic services.