{"id":1194326,"date":"2020-07-07T11:51:00","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T16:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/?p=1028989"},"modified":"2020-07-07T11:51:00","modified_gmt":"2020-07-07T16:51:00","slug":"galaxy-moves-sal-de-vida-lithium-project-to-design-phase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/?p=1194326","title":{"rendered":"Galaxy moves Sal de Vida lithium project to design phase"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Australia\u2019s Galaxy Resources (ASX:GXY) <a href=\"https:\/\/wcsecure.weblink.com.au\/pdf\/GXY\/02252329.pdf\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">confirmed on Tuesday<\/a> that it was on track to begin production at its Sal de Vida lithium brine project, in Argentina, by 2022, despite the covid-19 pandemic impacting the development schedule.<\/p>\n<p>The Perth-based lithium producer and developer put the brakes on its flagship project in April, following a nation-wide lockdown ordered by the Argentinean government to contain the spread of the coronavirus.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>Galaxy is still targeting first production for 2022, but it now expects it to happen in the fourth quarter of the year.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Work resumed in May under strict provincial protocols, which Galaxy said has hindered ground transportation and the movement of employees during the current design phase.<\/p>\n<p>Overall impact on the overall schedule had&nbsp;been minimized through the adoption of an early works phase, &nbsp;Galaxy said. The company noted that while is still targeting first production in 2022, it expects it now in the fourth quarter of the year.<\/p>\n<p>Early works, such as pond construction and the procurement of long-lead items, are expected to begin in early 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Galaxy Resources has de-risked the Sal de Vida Project by developing a simplified flowsheet, using mature technology and staging development.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Low-cost brine mine<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The company aims to have a highly-competitive, low-cost lithium brine mine on the Salar del Hombre Muerto salt pan in north-west Argentina.<\/p>\n<p>The project lies over 4,000 metres above sea level, part of the so-called \u201clithium triangle\u201d that includes neighbouring Chile and Bolivia, and which is home to more than 60% of the world\u2019s annual lithium production.<\/p>\n<p>Galaxy estimates Sal de Vida would take $474 million to develop and generate $354 million in annual revenue.<\/p>\n<p>The company estimates it will spend about $12 million in the second half of 2020 on piloting,&nbsp;engineering, well&nbsp;drilling&nbsp;and owner costs. <\/p>\n<p>Over a mine life of 40 years, Sal de Vida is expected to yield up to 25,000 tonnes a year of lithium carbonate for batteries and 95,000 tonnes of potassium chloride, a key fertilizer ingredient.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>First production is now expected in the last quarter of 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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