Canadian Lithium Corp. is on budget and on schedule to produce lithium carbonate in early 2013 from their Quebec Lithium Project, La Corne Township, Quebec. The product will be sold to consumers and through metals trading companies and will end up in batteries for cars, computers, and a host of personal electronic devices. See also this link for more company news re progress and financing.
Olav Svela who is Director, Investor Relations told me that the deposit was mined in the past. Canadian Lithium took charge in 2008 and in the short time since has moved to full production. They have the support of the two First Nations groups in the area and look forward to full production soon.
He had no specifics about the tailings facility. Because my investment conviction is that for a profitable mine, you need two things, namely a good ore body and a good tailings facility, I went to the company technical reports easily accessed on their website. There I found information on the tailings dam, designed by respected names in the industry. The facility will have a rock embankment, clay and geosynthetic liners, and will be operated as an hydraulic fill with spigots all the way around.
Then we moved to the job of the investor relations director. Olav told me that he started out as a journalist, working his way up to editor of the Northern Miner. He was asked to join the Blue Pearl Mining Company as the investor relations director and now looks after the Quebec Lithium project.
Olav told me that most mining company investor relations folk are geologists who make the change from the drill rig and core to people and shares. I have met other investor relations folk who came from publicity relations, communications, and human resource backgrounds. The point that a job in mining as an investor relations officer/director must be fun although it will generally not be found in the standard list of mining occupations. Not sure how you go about getting this coveted position, but keep it in mind if mining, money, and people are your interests.
If you want more on my approach to mine waste activities as an investment guide see this link.
I remember Olav as a reporter for the NM many years ago. I know several DIR folks, but none are geologists. One is a lawyer, another is an HR type, and all of the ones I know are good at public relations.
I knew Blue Pearl from their Hudson Bay Mountain underground Mo deposit near Smithers. The project got to the EA stage but was stopped at that stage due to plunging Mo price in 2009. Blue Pearl purchased Thompson Creek from private interests in 2006 or 2007 and took the Thompson Creek name. TC owns the Endako mine (75%) near Fraser Lake, as well as the Thompson Creek mine in Idaho. They are also currently constructing Mt Milligan in BC.