Laurence Stefan interviewed at PDAC 2019PLU COO Dr. Laurence Stefan answered questions for "ProActivo" Magazine:
On the geological studies of the lithium project, Falchani, in Puno
From the moment we found the Falchani lithium deposit, which was in November 2017, we can say that the luck of the company changed. Because at this time we not only have one of the largest uranium deposits in the world, in the Macusani area, 124 million pounds, but also a very important lithium deposit. Yesterday, on Monday, March 4, we published the last resources and almost doubled them. Before this calculation we had almost 2.4 million tons of lithium carbonate equivalent (in ground), since Monday we have 4.7 (million tons LCE). We have almost doubled, which is a very strong effort on the part of the company, and I think that at this moment the lithium deposit of Falchani with its content of 4.7 million tons of lithium carbonate is the fifth or sixth largest in the world, surely the biggest in South America, and keeping this pace I think we can become the number 2 or number 1 in the world.
What is the appeal of Plateau Energy Metals to global mining investors? Are there interested in Falchani?
Since we found lithium, and remember that the first calculation of lithium resources around the mineralized bodies of uranium was published in 2016, but we talk about lithium along with uranium. Falchani is something different, because it is only lithium; in Falchani we do not have uranium. At this time, as we have discussed, the company has 2 assets, if you let me say that. One pure uranium and the other pure lithium, but also around the mineralized bodies of uranium we have lithium, which we think can also be exploited as a secondary mineral but in the uranium mines.
At this time the company has its primary listing (number 1) in Toronto but is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange and also in Frankfurt, in Europe. We have, like all juniors, ... but I think we're not just a junior, we're a junior with a little more weight behind, which is called in English "brown projects", it's not a "green project", because we have enough resources to make this project very interesting.
Unfortunately the prices of metals are not so good at this time but this is not valid only for lithium and uranium, all mining is a bit down, and we do everything possible to secure funds, to ensure the project in the future.
Because lithium would be a new mineral product to be exploited in Peru, have you established any link with the Peruvian government?
The discovery of the Falchani lithium deposit has generated much interest, and controversy as well. Controversies in the press, in several other institutions. We have started a collaboration program with INGEMMET. We have also approached the mining organizations, with the Chamber of Commerce, we have made several presentations in several universities in Peru, in the south, in the north, around Lima, in Lima, because one of the programs we have is to continue with this project and I think the most important thing is that Peru and the population understand the importance of this deposit in the future.
Why do I say that? Because, at this moment, if we only talk about the value of the metal in ground, the value of the uranium, not extracted only in the ground, as it is, the value is more or less around 5 billion dollars; the value of lithium is 60 billion dollars. Do you understand? The difference is huge. To give you an example, just talking about lithium. 60 billion dollars is equivalent to a copper deposit, putting copper at a value of $ 3 per pound, of 20 billion pounds of copper. There is no such large copper deposit in Peru, nor does it exist in Chile. Do you understand me? In this case, talking about the value of the project ... is something very high, very very high. In this case I believe that, it is so important not only for Peru but for the world; we talk about green energy, right? And for this I think people should understand that such a magnificent project will attract the interest of many parties.