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A.I.S. Resources Adds Second Drilling Rig at Chiron

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Vancouver, British Columbia – April 27, 2018 – A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the “Company” or “AIS”) is pleased to announce it has engaged a second drilling contractor, AGV Falcon S.R.L. of Salta, Argentina to complete up to four diamond drill holes for a total of 1,300 meters across four tenements at its Chiron project in the Pocitos Salar.

AGV Falcon has mobilized a drill rig onto the site and is expected to begin drilling on Saturday 29 April 2018. AIS is looking to expedite exploration at Chiron to gather all the necessary data prior to purchasing the project.

Phil Thomas, Chief Operating Officer and exploration director of A.I.S., stated: “It will be exciting to see the brine results in the core and how well it correlates with the geophysics we have completed. We will drill one hole in Pocitos 2 down to 400m to examine the lithium concentration in the brine at depth. Our modelling suggests there is a significant aquifer at depth but this will give us proof. I will be overseeing the data collection and ensure that QA/QC is monitored and our local geologist will be supervising the packer testing.”

Qualified Person
Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI-43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder.

About A.I.S. Resources
A.I.S. Resources Ltd. is a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals, who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration, production and capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific networks, they identify and develop early-stage projects worldwide, that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders. The Company’s current activities are focused exclusively on the exploration and development of lithium brine projects in northern Argentina.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

AIS Resources Ltd.
Marc Enright-Morin, President and CEO

Corporate Contact
A.I.S. Resources Limited
Marc Enright-Morin
President and CEO
T: 778-892-5455
E: memorin@aisresources.com
W: www.aisresources.com

ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Will Chile’s Lithium Blockade Send Chinese Buyers to Argentina

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LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2018 /PRNewswire/ FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary

USA News Group – The future of lithium production within South America’s prolific Lithium Triangle is in the balance, as Chile has sent a strong message to China that the nation won’t sell off the majority of its lithium stake. Meanwhile, neighbouring Argentina plays catch up by opening itself up more to the global economy in the aftermath of its own far-left hangover.

The result has been heightened by interest in the activities of companies operating in the Lithium Triangle, including Albemarle (NYSE: ALB), Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX.V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF), Orocobre Limited (TSE: ORL) (OTC: OROCF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and A.I.S. Resources Limited (OTC: AISSF) (TSX.V: AIS).

While on its way out the door, the deposed leftist Chilean government left quite a mess for the incoming pro-business elect to deal with-by summoning antitrust authorities to block the possible 32% purchase of Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM) by Tianqi Lithium Corporation out of China. The deal was worth a reported US$4 billion, and once ratified, would leave Tianqi and SQM controlling 70% of the global lithium market.

However, the resistance in Chile has somewhat led to a shift of focus toward neighbour Argentina, which shares dominion over the continent’s renowned Lithium Triangle brine basins. There was considerably less resistance when Lithium X Energy finalized the sale of its Argentinean interest in an all-cash deal worth $265 million to Chinese investment firm Nextview New Energy Lion Hong Kong Ltd.

Earlier in its development phases, fellow Canadian company A.I.S. Resources Limited has been aggressively moving forward on its four main lithium projects in Argentina’s Puna region, including its preparation for drilling on the potentially lithium-rich aquifers at its Chiron project that were recently detected earlier this year.

With the lingering uncertainty over how Chile will welcome future foreign investments, there’s good reason to believe that companies like Albemarle (NYSE: ALB), Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX.V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF), Orocobre Limited (TSE: ORL) (OTC: OROCF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and A.I.S. Resources Limited (OTC: AISSF) (TSX.V: AIS) will be fielding more calls on Argentina properties than the Chilean neighbors.

LEAD-UP TO A LITHIUM STANDOFF
Just days after Chile’s regulatory body in charge of lithium production, Corfo, leveled its recommendation against the Tianqi bid, the Chilean development agency reassured the market by stating that companies from Chine, South Korea, and domestically from within Chile, had been approved to make investments of around $754 million into the country’s lithium industry. However, these approvals would’ve been decided over prior to the March 9th announcement of the Tianqi block attempt.

The Chinese miner Tianqi hasn’t taken this decision lightly, as they have met with Chile’s top anti-trust prosecutor in an effort sort things out. The 32% stake comes from the forced sale on behalf of Canadian fertilizer company Nutrien, which came from the merger of Agrium and Potash Corp. earlier this year.

More Chinese bids are going to come to this region, as the emerging superpower is expected to raise its electric cars production to 7 million units in 2025, up from 1 million last year. Whether deals to secure lithium supplies will all be in the form of the $4 billion deal in Chile, or if it’ll be a smaller deal like the Lithium X deal is still up for grabs.

It’s also likely that Chinese buyers will look to up-and-comers such as A.I.S. Resources to hedge their future supplies, given the junior’s massive footprint across all four of its Argentinean lithium projects. With plenty of blue sky on each project, a partnership or outright acquisition is not out of the question in the future.

THE A.I.S. RESOURCES ACREAGE ADVANTAGE IN ARGENTINA
Boasting four significant lithium projects in Argentina’s Puna region, A.I.S. Resources has secured extremely valuable lithium real estate in the heart of South America’s Lithium Triangle. Located on an elevated plateau that lies east of the Andes Mountains, the Puna Region contains one of Argentina’s largest known lithium deposits.

Spanning approximately 10,457 hectares, A.I.S.‘s four lithium projects are comprised of Chiron 2,732 hectares, Guayatayoc, 2,500 hectares, Guayatayoc III, 2,725 hectares, and Vilama, 2,500 hectares-All of which are surrounded by large, known lithium deposits, operated by prominent lithium majors.

Guayatayoc – the company’s flagship – already has a mining permit, where A.I.S. will soon undergo a TEM-Electromagnetic survey. A drilling permit on the property is expected to be issued before the end of April 2018. The company’s brain trust knows quite a bit about the property already, having already acquired a 2013 PhD study on the property, bringing with it an exploration value worth approximately USD$3 million, and shaving about three years’ worth of work from their timeline.

A.I.S. has compiled a NI 43-101 report on the project, and has completed an environmental impact study. Samples from the Guayatayoc returned Li ranging from 270-900 ppm from brine ponds with aquifer flow, and an added bonus of 100-190ppm brines sitting in the top layers.

The Guayatayoc Salar shares the same tectonic structure that extends to other well-known salars, such as Salinas Grandes, Pozuelos, Pocitos, and Rincón, which hold the most lithium in the Puna Region.

Probably next on the company’s priority list would be the Chiron Project, which consists of four concessions in the Salar de Quirón in the Province of Salta, that other nearby explorers have shown to contain significant prospectivity.

Plenty of drilling is already planned, as evidenced by CEO Marc Enright-Morin’s public statements that A.I.S. is sufficiently funded to drill both the Guatatayoc and Chiron properties in the coming months. With valuable real estate in close proximity to high-market-cap neighbours that include properties held by Orocobre, SQM, and others companies worth more than $200 million, A.I.S. has the project space, upcoming news flow, and milestones ahead to provide plenty of growth potential looking forward.

Hence A.I.S. is a prime example of the type of company that could entice Chinese lithium buyers either for future purchase agreements of product, a development and production partnership, and/or an outright acquisition in the very near future.

Active miners in the industry also includes:

Albemarle (NYSE: ALB) Albemarle Corporation globally develops, manufactures, and markets engineered specialty chemicals. The company offers lithium compounds, including lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, lithium chloride, and lithium specialties and reagents for applications in lithium batteries, high performance greases, thermoplastic elastomers for car tires, rubber soles and plastic bottles, catalysts for chemical reactions, organic synthesis processes, life science, pharmaceutical, and other markets; cesium products for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries; and zirconium, barium, and titanium products for pyrotechnical applications. Albemarle Corporation was founded in 1994 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX.V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF) Lithium X Energy Corp., is a resource company operating as a lithium explorer and developer in Argentina and the United States. The company owns a 50% interest in the Sal de los Angeles project comprising 8,156 hectares located in Salta Province, Argentina. Lithium X Energy Corp. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

Orocobre Limited (TSE: ORL) (OTC: OROCF) Orocobre Limited explores for and develops lithium and potash deposits in Argentina. Its flagship project is the Salar de Olaroz lithium project located in north-west province of Jujuy. The company also produces boron minerals and refined chemicals. Orocobre Limited is based in Milton, Australia.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A., is a producer of potassium nitrate and iodine. The Company produces specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and certain industrial chemicals. Its segments include specialty plant nutrients, industrial chemicals, iodine and derivatives, lithium and derivatives, potassium, and other products and services Lithium and its derivatives are used in batteries, greases and frits for production of ceramics. Potassium chloride is a commodity fertilizer that is produced and sold by the Company across the world.

For a more in-depth look into AIS you can view the in-depth report at USA News Group:
http://usanewsgroup.com/2018/01/28/the-worlds-lithium-demand-is-growing-everyday-no-signs-of-slowing/

Article Source: USA News Group http://usanewsgroup.com
info@usanewsgroup.com

Legal Disclaimer/Disclosure: This piece is an advertorial and has been paid for. This document is not and should not be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe for any investment. No information in this Report should be construed as individualized investment advice. A licensed financial advisor should be consulted prior to making any investment decision. We make no guarantee, representation or warranty and accept no responsibility or liability as to its accuracy or completeness. Expressions of opinion are those of USA News Group only and are subject to change without notice. USA News Group assumes no warranty, liability or guarantee for the current relevance, correctness or completeness of any information provided within this Report and will not be held liable for the consequence of reliance upon any opinion or statement contained herein or any omission. Furthermore, we assume no liability for any direct or indirect loss or damage or, in particular, for lost profit, which you may incur as a result of the use and existence of the information, provided within this Report.

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A.I.S. Resources Prepares for Drilling

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Vancouver, British Columbia – April 20, 2018 – A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the “Company” or “AIS”) is pleased to announce it has engaged Hidrotec SRL of Salta, Argentina to complete up to eight diamond drill holes for a total of 2,300 meters across all four tenements at its Chiron project in the Pocitos Salar.

Hidrotec has mobilized a drill rig onto the site, as well as some of the necessary equipment to begin the construction of the drill pads and drilling to start on April 24, 2018.

  • AIS plans to drill eight holes, to various depths between 300 and 400 meters.
  • Chiron appears to be the preferred area in the salar for brine saturated sequences, based on geophysics data interpretation.
  • This upcoming drill campaign will enable the Company to outline an initial maiden resource at Chiron after a pump test has been completed.

Phil Thomas, Chief Operating Officer and exploration director of A.I.S., stated: “We are very excited at the prospect of drilling these sequences as the geophysics showed very low resistivities from 20 metres to more than 200 metres below the surface. Adjacent concession holders are also preparing to drill and this will provide the basis for a sound geological model.

We are also looking forward to using a new geophysics technique using magnetic resonance of hydrogen to determine porosity and permeability to calculate the reservoir and specific brine yield values. This technique is tried and tested in oil but this is the first time it will be used commercially in brines with high salt content. This will save us nearly 4 months of brine yield testing using traditional methods.”

Historical Work
The Pocitos salar basin was previously drill tested, with 12 shallow holes in 1979, by the Direccion General de Fabricaciones Militares (DGFM). The most significant result from this historical work program includes a shallow drill hole, which averaged 417 parts per million (ppm) lithium and 15,300 ppm potassium. The above historical results cannot be verified by the company, and are not NI-43-101 compliant.

Qualified Person
Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI-43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder.About A.I.S.

About A.I.S. Resources
A.I.S. Resources Ltd. is a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals, who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration, production and capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific networks, they identify and develop early-stage projects worldwide, that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders. The Company’s current activities are focused exclusively on the exploration and development of lithium brine projects in northern Argentina.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

AIS Resources Ltd.
Marc Enright-Morin, President and CEO

Corporate Contact
A.I.S. Resources Limited
Marc Enright-Morin
President and CEO
T: 778-892-5455
E: memorin@aisresources.com
W: www.aisresources.com

ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Lithium Miners News For The Month Of March 2018

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Lithium spot and contract price news – Lithium spot prices were stable, while 2018 LCE global contract prices are about 20% higher than 2017.

 – Investment advisor, portfolio strategy, growth at reasonable price. Includes: AISSF, ALB, ALTAF, AMVMF, ARYMF, AVLIF, AZZVF, BCRMF

Lithium market news – Lithium giant Albemarle contradicts Morgan Stanley on electric vehicle growth. The EV take-up rate, and therefore lithium demand, will be much greater than MS claims. Lithium company news – The lithium deals continue, following Volkswagen’s stunning $25b battery deal with leading battery manufacturers.

Welcome to the March 2017 edition of the lithium miner news. This past month saw the stunning $25b battery deal between Volkswagen (OTCPK:VLKAY) and Samsung SDI (OTC:SSDIY), LG Chem (OTC:LGCEY), and Contemporary Amperex Technology Ltd [CATL], as well as the POSCO lithium deal with Pilbara Minerals (OTCPK:PILBF), JR Optimum Nano talks to increase their share in Altura Mining (OTCPK:ALTAF), and CATL’s buy into North American Lithium. It also saw the completion of the Orocobre (OTCPK:OROCF) – Toyota Tsusho (OTC:TYHOY) deal.

Lithium spot and contract price news

During March, 99.5% lithium carbonate China spot prices were again little changed, and are down 1.7% over the past 3 months. Global Lithium Carbonate Equivalent [LCE] contract prices are in the range of USD 13-16,000/tonne.

Lithium China Spot Prices

https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2018/2/26/37628986-15196369259910638.png

.

Source: Lithium Americas January 2018 company presentation

Lithium demand versus supply outlook

On February 27, Reuters reported: “Lithium glut? No way, say industry executives eyeing demand. Forecasts for a glut in lithium, a major ingredient in rechargeable batteries for electric vehicles, fail to account for strong demand and how complicated it is to process and mine, industry executives and analysts said. Forecasts of oversupply also fail to take into account that few lithium processors have the capacity and ability to produce the very high-grade lithium compounds that batteries need, said analyst Andrew Miller at Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, a UK-based battery metals consultancy. He said he does not see a glut occurring in the next few years although the market could see small surpluses.”

A.I.S. Resources Provides Corporate Update

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Vancouver, British Columbia – March 22, 2018 – A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the “Company” or “AIS”) is pleased to announce final interpretation of geophysics at Chiron. The company’s fundamentals have not changed, but improved, and it remains on target with its timelines to become a lithium carbonate producer in the first quarter of 2020.

Chiron Project Update

Final Interpretation of Geophysics
The TEM (transient electromagnetic survey) testing has detected substantial aquifers over a broad area at its Chiron Project in the Pocitos Salar, Salta Province, Argentina. Low resistivity sequences at 10 meters, 20 meters and 100 meters are interpreted as rich sandy acquifers. See below.

East West Profile Through Chiron 1-2

The surface acquifer can easily be seen but it is quite narrow in comparison to the acquifer at 3605m MASL (meters above sea level) which is 80 metres in depth. These extremely low values suggest the brines are highly conductive and not consolidated at this depth. We would expect middle size grains of sand and some clay components (that improve conductivity).

Chiron 7 North South Profile

The brines at the southern end of the concession have built up close to the tectonic/fault structure adjacent to the concessions. The geological model of the alluvial fans filling the basin with sands and lithium bearing minerals from the local ignimbrites and andesites is consistent with a porous sandy medium.

Chiron 9 East West Profile

Drilling at Chiron
The Puna region has experienced unusually high levels of rains due to “La Ninã” weather patterns over the last several weeks. The company is ready to mobilize a drilling crew as soon as the Salar dries and drill pads are in. All the necessary permitting is in place and drill hole locations have been finalized. The company has sufficient funds to carry out the drilling program. A total of 3200 meters is planned across all tenements.

AIS Resources’ Chiron Project with four properties shown in blue – Located in the Pocitos Salar

Guayatayoc Permit Update
The company has completed all the necessary requirements under current mining legislation for the approval of its drilling permit and we are waiting for the Government of Jujuy to set the date for our UGAMP meeting. The meeting is comprised of several government agencies, communities and the company to discuss the project and final approval of a drilling permit.

Qualified Person
Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder.

About A.I.S. Resources
A.I.S Resources Limited a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration, production and capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific network, they identify and develop early stage projects worldwide that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders. The Company’s most recent activities have been the exploration of lithium properties in Northern Argentina.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
AIS Resources Ltd.
Marc Enright-Morin, President and CEO

Corporate Contact
A.I.S. Resources Limited
Marc Enright-Morin
President and CEO
T: 778-892-5455
E: memorin@aisresources.com
W: www.aisresources.com

ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

A.I.S. Resources Detects Potential Lithium-Rich Aquifers at Chiron Project, Prepares for Drilling

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Vancouver, British Columbia – January 29, 2018 – A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the “Company” or “AIS”) is pleased to announce that seismic testing has detected three distinct aquifers over a broad area at its Chiron Project in the Pocitos Salar, Salta Province, Argentina.

Preliminary highlights from the TEM (Transient Electromagnetic Survey) program are as follows:

  • Low resistivity sequences interpreted as aquifers have been detected in what correlates to sand-rich units at depths of 10 meters, 20 meters and 100 meters at each of AIS’s four Chiron concessions.
  • Extremely low resistivity (0.4-1.0 ohm-m) at each of 19 data points covering the 27 sq. km project suggests the potential for lithium brines and at scale;
  • Chiron appears to be the preferred area in the salar for brine saturated sequences, based on seismic data, and will be drill tested shortly (in February) with an 8-hole, 3,200-meter drill program.

Further geophysics modelling data will be available in 7-10 days, immediately ahead of the commencement of drilling.

Phil Thomas, Chief Operating Officer and exploration director of A.I.S., stated: “This initial seismic data from Chiron based on the TEM geophysics strongly supports our case for acquiring these strategic concessions. Together with our Guayatayoc Project to the northwest in Jujuy province, where we’ve made excellent progress with our pilot plant production chemistry, A.I.S. is on track for a breakthrough year as an emerging new producer in the lithium brine space in Argentina.”

Guayatayoc Update
Crews will be mobilized to Guayatayoc to commence a 14-hole, 4,000-meter program upon receipt of final drilling permits and completion of drilling at Chiron.

The program at Guayatayoc will test grade, porosity and permeability and include a 30-day pumping test of the aquifers. This will be followed by geohydrology, reservoir modelling and an initial resource report. Based on results the Company may proceed to a Mineral Resource Report followed then by a definitive Feasibility Study, to be delivered in 2018.

When permits are granted the company intends to follow the mineral reserve estimations with civil works at Guayatayoc subject to pond permitting by the government in Jujuy. The management team will be in Argentina in February to progress the permitting process and exploration of Chiron.

AIS-Chiron-Drilling-Permit-Map

Qualified Person
Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI-43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder.

About A.I.S. Resources
A.I.S. Resources Ltd. is a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration, production and capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific networks, they identify and develop early-stage projects worldwide that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders. The Company’s current activities are focused exclusively on the exploration and development of lithium brine projects in northern Argentina.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
AIS Resources Ltd.
Marc Enright-Morin, President and CEO

Investor Relations
For investor relations inquiries contact Skanderbeg Capital Advisors:
Adam Ross
T: 604-687-7130
C: 604-788-2499
E: adam@skanderbegcapital.com

Corporate Contact
A.I.S. Resources Limited
Marc Enright-Morin
President and CEO
T: 778-892-5455
E: memorin@aisresources.com
W: www.aisresources.com

ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Breakthrough Could Make Lithium Batteries Safer and Longer Lasting

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LOS ANGELES /PRNewswire/ — FN Media Group Presents USA News Group News Commentary

 USA News Group – A new battery design invented by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences could help overcome issues limiting the life and safety of lithium batteries.

Lithium producers and near term producers preparing to increase global lithium supplies include A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V: AIS) (OTC: AISSF), Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX) (OTC: LIXXF).

The findings by the Chinese researchers are fanning the expectations of demand for lithium in an already undersupplied market.

A.I.S. Resources Limited
A new lithium junior player that could benefit directly from the new demand for lithium is A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX-V: AIS) (OTC: AISSF), which could answer the call to add new supplies from its South American lithium brine Guayatayoc project as early as 2019.

Other lithium companies that are moving to increase supplies for the onslaught of new consumption include Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM), and Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX.V) (OTC: LIXXF), all of which have begun massive expansion of their lithium resources.

THE DENDRITE SOLUTION
Lithium-ion batteries, while very reliable and popular for consumer electronics have their own imperfections related to safety and deterioration of battery capacity over time. The main culprit in both of these issues is dendrite formation.

Dendrites, which build up over time inside the battery cells, can cause battery fires and were in fact one of the issues that were identified as the cause of Galaxy Note 7 spontaneous combustion in 2016.

A new battery design invented by researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences could help overcome this problem. The researchers have come up with a lithium-metal battery design, which is capable of suppressing dendrite formation, hence creating safer and longer lasting batteries.

The new design also eliminates a common conundrum that afflicts conventional battery configurations. Existing methods to reduce dendrite growth often lead to resistance at the electrode/electrolyte interface and vice versa. This new method is capable of dealing with the two problems at the same time.

SOLID DATA FROM TESTS
In comparative tests conducted by the researchers, it was found that after 1750 hours of charging and discharging, conventional Li-ion batteries had rough morphologies that indicate dendrite formation.

On the other hand, batteries made using the asymmetrical electrolyte showed no morphological changes after 3200 hours of the same treatment. This indicates that the latter configuration had been successful in preventing dendrite growth.

That’s very big news for lithium battery developers and producers alike.

GREATER LITHIUM DEMAND
Although there are enough verified lithium resources to sustain a fully EV dependent world for hundreds of years, slow establishment of mining operations has meant that actual supply has lagged behind demand.

And now that the Tesla-led EV revolution has hit full gear, pressure on existing resources has grown by a considerable factor.

Not to be left out of the competition, junior resource companies have grasped the seriousness of the demand for lithium and are moving to bring on supplies.

A.I.S. Resources Limited is one of these early movers with excellent prospects in South America’s productive regions.

Argentina is a major global lithium producer with significant additional potential, and a respected mining-industry history. The country has become well known for its many mineralized salars or salt fields, which include the Hombre Muerto and Salar Olaroz properties each producing significant lithium.

This is where A.I.S. Resources has staked its three main lithium projects, all of which are strategically located in the Argentina’s Puna Region.

In all, A.I.S. Resources has about 7,725 hectares and its flagship Guayatayoc property is well advanced with a mining permit in hand and drilling permits imminent.

Guayatayoc was sampled and returned Li ranging from 270-900 ppm in ponds that had aquifer flow, as well as 100-190ppm for brines sitting in the top layers. That’s considered very high grade and suitable for li-ion battery production.

The Guayatayoc is on its way to becoming a near term producer. The project will be fast-tracked, as chemistry and process work is already complete. The company expects that it can be in production as early as 2019.

And that comes from a highly skilled team of lithium mining veterans who have completed other recent lithium projects into production.

MORE AND BETTER TECHNOLOGY ADDING FUEL TO A FIRE
If successfully developed to market, this new dendrite technology will help to accelerate the adoption of battery run technologies across the spectrum, including electric vehicles and home battery power.

By eliminating some of the biggest concerns that people have with electric vehicles, companies like Tesla and EV farms of top vehicle manufacturers stand to gain massively.

The technology will be particularly useful in electric vehicles.

EV batteries are very expensive and therefore cannot be viably changed in the same fashion as in smartphones once depleted. Because electric vehicles have not been around for long, there is still uncertainty about the longevity of their batteries. And because the battery is an extremely critical component of EVs, it stands to be seen whether they can stand up to the longevity offered by petrol and diesel vehicles, which often exceeds 30 years.

Technologies such as this will therefore be crucial if the EVs are to compete with combustion engine vehicles.

POTENTIAL COMPARABLES
Galaxy Resources (OTC: GALXF) Galaxy Resources Limited is a lithium-focused resources company, with assets spanning Australia, Canada and Argentina. Galaxy is currently advancing plans to develop the Sal de Vida Lithium and Potash Brine Project (“Sal de Vida“) in Argentina, which is situated in the Lithium Triangle, a region where Chile, Argentina and Bolivia meet. Sal de Vida is a proven high quality resource has excellent promise as a future low cost production facility. Galaxy also owns the Mt Cattlin Spodumene Mine near Ravensthorpe in Western Australia and the James Bay Lithium Pegmatite Project in Quebec, Canada.

Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile (NYSE: SQM) Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile S.A., is a producer of potassium nitrate and iodine. The Company produces specialty plant nutrients, iodine derivatives, lithium and its derivatives, potassium chloride, potassium sulfate and certain industrial chemicals. Its segments include specialty plant nutrients, industrial chemicals, iodine and derivatives, lithium and derivatives, potassium, and other products and services Lithium and its derivatives are used in batteries, greases and frits for production of ceramics. Potassium chloride is a commodity fertilizer that is produced and sold by the Company across the world.

Lithium X Energy Corp. (TSX-V: LIX.V) (OTC: LIXXF) Lithium X Energy Corp. is a lithium exploration and development company with a goal of becoming a low-cost supplier for the burgeoning lithium battery industry. On July 11th, the company announced that further to its news release of June 29th, 2017, the Company has closed the definitive agreement with Aberdeen International Inc. for the purchase of Aberdeen’s remaining 50% interest in Potasio y Litio de Argentina S.A., which controls 100% of the Sal de los Angeles Project. The project consists of 8,154 hectares covering 95% of Salar de Diablillos, and has an NI 43-101 mineral resource estimate of 1.037 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the indicated category and 1.007 million tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent in the inferred category.

For a more in-depth look into AIS you can view the in-depth report at USA News Group:
http://usanewsgroup.com/2018/01/28/the-worlds-lithium-demand-is-growing-everyday-no-signs-of-slowing/

Article Source: USA News Group http://usanewsgroup.com
info@usanewsgroup.com

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A.I.S. Resources COO Phillip Thomas Talks With Matt Bohlsen of Trend Investing

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Mr. Thomas shares his views on lithium supply and demand, as well as his thoughts on the lithium sector as a whole. He also gives an update on AIS Resources as well as his outlook for the company. The Company’s primary focus is on their flagship Guayatayoc lithium brine project, and their Quinos salar Chiron project in Argentina.

Phil-ThomasPhillip Thomas is Chief Operating Officer and Geologist of AIS Resources Ltd  TSXV:AIS and OTCQB:AISSF
A.I.S Resources Limited a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration and production and the capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific network, they identify and develop early stage projects worldwide that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders.

Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV) has spent the past 12 years exploring for lithium brines, building and operating lithium carbonate pilot and production plants, and building production and processing facilities. He has firsthand experience with the highly technical process of operating a lithium carbonate/lithium chloride plant at the Rincon salar. He was Chairman and CEO of Admiralty Resources from 2004 to 2008, where he and his team explored the Rincon and other salars and built the lithium carbonate processing facility which commenced operation in 2007. Upon the sale to the Sentient group in 2008, he resigned to pursue other lithium development opportunities. He and this team developed the Pozuelos salar producing an indicated and inferred resource, and putting in two production wells. They also put together a fully equipped lab and pilot plant in Salta to manage the extraction processes and phase chemistry including fractional crystallization, membranes and ion exchange processes. At Hombre Muerto salar they trenched, drilled and constructed lithium isobars. Most recently he’s been involved in exploring the Pocitos, Salinas Grandes and Guayatayoc salars. He is an experienced lithium brine Geologist both in the field and has written bankable feasibility studies and proven and probable reserve estimate statements. Has significant investment banking experience holding senior executive/director roles with Macquarie Bank, ABN-Amro, McIntosh Securities and actuaries Watson Wyatt.

What are your current views on the lithium industry? Can you please give your views on supply and demand issues, industry consolidation, and on current and future lithium pricing?
The current spot market for lithium carbonate above 99.2% is very strong. I saw a recent tender at $21,800 per tonne. As far as production goes, no-one has declared letting a procurement, engineering, construction contract (including us) so there is a lead time of approximately two years to reach production. There are processing technologies being experimented with at lab bench scale but it’s a long road to commercial production. To date no-one has proved a more streamlined solution being economically competitive than ion exchange and fractional crystallization which is what we have proved. Lithium Oxide production is expanding rapidly and this will probably be the next major source of lithium carbonate and lithium hydroxide, but at a price premium.  However there are nine gigafactories building six different types of battery technologies, and given this I expect the market to be in deficit for at least five years if not longer. In Norway 52% of new car sales were hybrids or EV and I think this is a trend that will permeate Europe. China also has its own incentives for hybrids and EV’s. High electric density batteries are absolutely required for these cars and the best technology to date is the cobalt manganese lithium battery. The 27,000 electric buses in China use a lower grade battery but they are also big consumers of lithium carbonate to build these batteries. Carbon/Iron batteries were developed on the lab bench recently and they promise to drop the price, and increase electric density. However, this will take quite a few years but it’s a trend.

Glencore, commissioned CRU to conduct research into what 30 million sales of EVs by 2030 would mean. “As early as 2020, forecast EV related metal demand is becoming material, requiring an additional circa 390,000 tonnes of copper, circa 85,000 tonnes of nickel and 24,000 tonnes of cobalt,’’ Glencore’s investor presentation said. That implies more than 100,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate at a high grade will be required annually.

The industry will consolidate very quickly as in Argentina not many junior explorers have the skill, expertise and processing skill to produce lithium carbonate or lithium hydroxide at a low price. The are no phase chemistry diagrams for lithium, sodium, magnesium, calcium that have been published that operate in a high saline environment. This is a major hurdle. In Chile it is at the behest of the government policy and what protection mechanisms the politicians put in place to protect SQM. Lithium was considered a strategic metal in Chile and the government has held production licences very closely. I don’t think this situation will be resolved in a commercial sense for quite a few years. I have worked in Chile since 2004 and have a sense of the politics.

ais-resources-guayotayoc-salar-lithium-project-map

The Guayatayoc Laguna Location Map Source

What is AIS Resources currently working on in regards to your flagship Guayatayoc lithium project and what stage are you at? When do you expect to announce a compliant resource estimate and complete your BFS? Please include any off-take partner discussions.
As you know we have two projects Guayatayoc and Chiron. Guayatayoc is waiting for the final UGAMP meeting in early first quarter 2018, and then we expect our drilling permit to be issued, the first one ever issued in Jujuy province we think. Dr Solar who is head of the Mines department has been very helpful. The government has been working closely with all 23 provinces to ensure the Macri goals of developing Argentinas natural resources is achieved.  Morales who is the Govenor of Jujuy is also keen to see progress quickly to encourage employment and revenues. We have some superb 2D seismic data and interpretation from Dr Steinmetz PhD thesis from 1995 till recent analysis. Then we have Steinmetz and Galli’s work in 2015 which ties in the stratigraphic, tectonic, basin development and dating information in Guayatayoc and Salinas Grandes. So once we get our drilling permit we will produce an inferred and indicated mineral resource statement, and once production testing is completed a measured mineral resource statement followed by a proven and probable reserve statement and the banking feasibility study. A US$2m budget has been set for this work including drilling and the VES seismic work which needs to be completed.

At Chiron we have our seismic and drilling permits so we will be starting seismic on 10th January and probably 8 drill holes of about 3,200 metres in total and then produce a inferred and indicated mineral resource estimate.

Regarding takeoff contracts we have been having discussions with a number of parties in China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea and Europe. One party has been to Guayatayoc and inspected the property and our laboratory facilities. We also have been producing samples and have a a few kilos of greater than 99.2% and 99.6% Lithium Carbonate. Later in the year we will target the LPF6 producers, the gigafactories and others. We have been approached by a number of brokers as well. To fund the project we have designed a virtual equity style contract which will enable us to use the credit of the takeoff contract with the debt/equity piece. The cost of the 8,000 tonne per annum project is estimated at “C Class” to be just under US$100m.

What do you see as the main catalysts for AIS Resources going forward, and where do you see your company being in one and in five years? What are your production targets (I read a target of 8,000tpa LCE) for Guayatayoc? Can investors expect to see a higher target going forward, perhaps 16-20,000tpa?
We have a detailed Gantt chart month by month in our presentation, but we expect over the next twelve months to get to the point of having a Proven and Probable mineral reserve statement, a bankable feasibility study, completed engineering, procurement and construction contracts and drawings and permitting to complete pond construction. In 2019 we expect construction to be completed and the brines in some of the ponds ready to process in the commissioning stage. Depending on the grade of lithium brines we pump, which is set at about 300ppm at the moment we will get 8,000 tonnes a year.  If we get 400ppm we will get close to 11,000 tonnes a year. For this we need to pump about 700 litres of brine per minute which should be easy out of three production wells that are close to 200 metres deep. That’s just 233 litres per well per minute. All you need to do is dig a 2 metre deep hole and the brine fills it in 10-15 minutes, so we expect the hydrostatic pressure to be much greater at depth.

In five years we will hopefully have our clients requesting 20-25,000 tonnes a year and we would have expanded the processing foot print. The nice thing about our process is its modular and easily expandable. The plant footprint will be built to 16,000 tonnes but we will only put 8,000 tonne of processing gear in. That’s our concept at this stage but its going to be an interesting 12 months.

Do you think AIS Resources is currently fairly valued, undervalued or overvalued by the market? Where do you see your company and the stock price being in 5 years?
Being a Certified Mineral Valuer and having twelve years experience as a stockbroker and fund manager I’m not sure where to start. Its clear we have some risks in terms of permitting and locating drill holes on Guayatayoc to produce 700 litres per minute of brine. This risk is a hydrogeological risk, because we know the brine is there. It’s a matter of locating the best production holes. So say we get it totally wrong and have to drill another 14 holes its going to be a $700,000 risk. However given the huge amount of data we have and more than 20 man years studying the basin this is unlikely to eventuate. My view is the market hasn’t priced in our ability to develop the project quickly. So we are lagging other explorers.

You don’t have to be a maths genius to work out that if we have 100 million shares on issue and an economic value of $60 million, and a margin contribution of $100,000,000 at $10,000 per tonne (being $1 per share) using a price earnings index of 10 times you get $10 per share. However there are much more rigorous methods of computing the lower and upper quartile share market ranges and I would encourage your readers to go to www.aimva.com.au to look at some of the data and methods on this website of the Australasian Institute of Mineral Valuers and Appraisers.

Could you please comment on AIS Resources other lithium projects such as Vilama and Quinos Salar, and any other acquisition and your processing plant plans?
We were very excited when we sampled Vilama because of the great values of lithium on the surface, good ratios of lithium to magnesium, the flat terrain, the absence of wild life and the proximity to the volcanic chain that runs along the Argentina/Chile/Bolivia border which is about 5 kilometres away. It was initially a struggle breathing at 4,500 metres but we got used to it. The salar is located close to another salar but the road needs extensive refurbishment on the Argentina side between it and Susques a major town about 100km away.  On the Chile side the government is actively renovating the road which we saw when we last visited. At this stage we have our hands full with Chiron (Quinos salar) and Guayatayoc so we will complete the seismic then the drilling at Chiron. Then we will be able to estimate how much brine we can contribute to the Guayatayoc plant. Guayatayoc has gas, 240v and 415v electricity, labour only 30km away and existing fresh water spring 3 km from the road.

Would you like to add anything that you think investors should know about AIS Resources?
Our team is working hard on permitting, exploration, mineral brine estimates, feasibility studies, phase chemistry and processing technology all at once. We are not doing it in a sequential manner. Therefore I think we are way in front of most junior explorers as they haven’t started some of the pieces we have already completed as they are approaching it as sequential process like a copper mine. The talent we have on board have deep experience, highly educated, and have got their hands dirty doing the work two or three times,  which counts for a lot. There are countless examples of explorers claiming processes that didn’t work, or copying patents that don’t work in a commercial setting. The fact lithium can change its valency in different chemical settings is one small example of some of the issues to contend with. Many business development/investor relations people have no concept of the difficulty and complexity and unless you have been in the CEO role you tend to underestimate the challenges.

Our lithium production will be tailored to the market we can dominate, and the grade is as important as the lack of deleterious impurities and we will focus on this. Back in 2007 we did an ISO17045 audit and held certification for ISO and we will do this again. Dr Carlos Sorentino, our chemical engineer has made a significant contribution and I believe he is one of the very few people who truly understand this business at the level required to produce successfully. Having access to a laboratory, and pilot plant has made our task much easier and saved us many months of testing.

Investors can view the latest company presentation here.

Disclosure: I am/we are long AIS Resources (TSXV:AIS). I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Additional disclosure: The information in this article is general in nature and should not be relied upon as personal financial advice.

A.I.S. Resources Drilling and Seismic Exploration Application and Plan Approved at Chiron Project Prepares Seismic Survey

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Vancouver, British Columbia – January 5, 2018 – A.I.S. Resources Limited (TSX: AIS, OTCQB: AISSF) (the “Company” or “AIS”) announces it has been granted an exploration licence for seismic and drilling at its Chiron project. This allows the company to quickly progress to a TEM seismic program and then drilling immediately following.

AIS has entered into a contract with Quantec Geoscience Argentina S.A. to conduct a 19 point TEM (VES) seismic survey in early January 2018. The survey will utilize one Geonics EM37 transmitter, a Geonics Protem 37 receiver and a 3D coil.

The main objective of the requested TEM surveys is to define the subsurface horizon’s that are highly conductive that will likely define the presence of aquifers on the properties down to a depth of approximately 400 metres for drill targets.

The work will be completed by February 2018. Preliminary tenders have been received from a number of drilling companies for an eight hole program of 3,200 metres.

AIS-Chiron-Drilling-Permit-Map

 

Qualified Person
Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV), a Qualified Person as defined under NI 43-101 regulations, has reviewed the technical information that forms the basis for portions of this news release, and has approved the disclosure herein. Mr. Thomas is not independent of the Company as he is an officer and shareholder.

About A.I.S. Resources
A.I.S Resources Limited a TSX-V listed investment issuer, was established in 1967 and is managed by experienced, highly qualified professionals who have a long track record of success in lithium exploration, production and capital markets. Through their extensive business and scientific networks, they identify and develop early stage projects worldwide that have strong potential for growth with the objective of providing significant returns for shareholders. The Company is currently focused on the exploration and development of lithium properties in Northern Argentina.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,
AIS Resources Ltd.
Marc Enright-Morin, President and CEO

Contact
A.I.S. Resources Limited
Marc Enright-Morin
President and CEO
T: 778-892-5455
E: memorin@aisresources.com
W: www.aisresources.com

ADVISORY: This press release contains forward-looking statements. More particularly, this press release contains statements concerning the anticipated use of the proceeds of the Private Placement. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them because the Corporation can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Since forward-looking statements address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. The intended use of the proceeds of the Private Placement by the Corporation might change if the board of directors of the Corporation determines that it would be in the best interests of the Corporation to deploy the proceeds for some other purpose. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date hereof and the Corporation undertakes no obligations to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

AIS Resources is Racing Towards Lithium Production in Northern Argentina

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Article Summary
The JORC 2016 resource report quotes – “Samples collected at Guayatayoc and Vilama have lithium and boron values in the range that would be considered exceptionally commercial.” Guayatayoc appears to have excellent chemistry with very low magnesium to lithium ratios. AIS Resources market cap is about 4x lower than peers at a similar stage.

AIS Resources (TSXV:AIS – OTCQB:AISSF) – Price = CAD 1.28, USD 1.03
AIS Resources is a Canadian junior lithium explorer and developer fast tracking towards production at their 100% owned flagship Guayatayoc salar in Argentina. Highly experienced COO and Geologist for AIS Resources Phillip Thomas says that “Guayatayoc is in the best 5 Argentina salars that can supply the world” with lithium. He also says he has explored all 52 of Argentina’s salars and he recognizes the key importance of having a favorable brine chemistry (particularly being low in magnesium).

AIS Resources has bought options to buy into their lithium brine concessions in Argentina, and is currently completing assessment of these tenements towards a BFS by mid to late 2018. They have already built a pilot plant and a chemistry lab, so are already quite advanced.

ais-resources-guayotayoc-salar-lithium-project-map

AIS Resources’ Lithium Projects in the Triangle
AIS Resources are optioned to 100% own several lithium projects in Argentina:

  • Guayatayoc (Jujuy Province) – 2,725 hectares.
  • Guayatayoc III (Jujuy Province) – 2,500 hectares.
  • Vilama (Jujuy Province) – 2,500 hectares.
  • Quinos Salar (“Chiron project”) (Salta Province) – 10,500 hectares

Note: AIS Resources state – “The option requires a “$4.5 Million USD payment to purchase 3 concessions by Oct 2018 – $600 per hectare.” The transaction structure permits the final evaluation of the concessions to be completed before final payment is made. No stock issuance, no staged payments or royalties to vendors. The transaction does not dilute shareholders and allows the company to evaluate the concessions prior to purchase.”

Note: Guayatayoc has a mining permit. A drilling permit was expected by Dec. 2017.

Infrastructure and Access
Guayatayoc is located north of Salinas Grandes and about 269km by road from the City of Salta. The western boundary of the concession is approximately 3km from the road. From Salta there is a train to the port. There is also a railway crossing from Northern Argentina to Chile that passes approximately 80km south of the Guayatayoc project.

A gas pipeline runs across the top and the bottom of the concession area. There is a terminus about 5km from the turnoff on the road to Guayatayoc. There are 240V and 345Kva lines within 3km of the project. The roads are in very good condition and sealed nearly all the way to Salta after the first 46 km. There are numerous freshwater springs on the hills surrounding the Guayatayoc concessions. The Pistrani works camp is also close by that provides heavy engineering support and services. The closest petrol station and supplies are located at Purmamarca (population about 2,000 plus about 500 tourists) which is 85km south or approximately 1.5 hours’ drive.

Laguna Vilama is situated on a road that leads into Bolivia, and has minimal infrastructure, being located approximately 170km from Susques. Susques is the nearest town and supplies of gas, food and labor would need to be trucked in or out.

Train Route from Salta to Antofagasta ChileAIS-Resources-Train-Route-Map

Guayatayoc resource and chemistry – Northern Argentina

  • The JORC 2016 resource report (not yet NI43-101 compliant) quotes – “Samples collected at Guayatayoc and Vilama have lithium and boron values in the range that would be considered exceptionally commercial along with very high relative potassium grades. The magnesium to lithium ratio is very low at Guayatayoc.”
  • The project has advanced quickly due to acquiring a 2013 PhD study and 2015 follow up paper completed by Dr. Romina Steinmetz, which saved a lot of exploration cost and time (~2-3 years).
  • Previous exploration on the property has returned lithium grades between 200 ppm and 800 ppm of lithium.
  • The magnesium to lithium ratios are less than 4 to 1, excellent for low cost processing.
  • Due to favorable brine chemistry (minimal deleterious elements), the company has been able to achieve excellent recoveries of 78% lithium carbonate.
  • Significant boron and potassium are present and can be valuable by-products.

Phil Thomas, COO of AIS Resources Interview About AIS Resources

Some results from the JORC 2016 report (not NI43-101 compliant)
The results below highlight Guayatayoc to have lithium grade samples from 260-910mg/L, and exceptionally low magnesium to lithium ratios. By contrast Vilama has lithium grades from 52-820mg/L and much higher magnesium to lithium ratios. My interpretation from this very small sample is that Guayatayoc looks more favorable at this stage, but would need further testing. Source

AIS Resources Sample Analysis Results

AIS Resources Sample Analysis Results

Guayatayoc and Guayatayoc III  Tennements – Source

AIS-Resources-Sampling-Pits-at-Guayatayoc-1Company Strategy
AIS President and CEO Marc Enright-Morin recently stated – “Ultimately, as we focus on economies of scale, our goal is to have one central processing facility handle concentrated brine from Guayatayoc and one or more other nearby properties.”

Management

  • President, CEO, Director – Marc Enright-Morin is a successful mining and investment banking executive based in Vancouver. He has assisted various public and private companies raise capital through numerous institutions throughout North America, Europe and Austral-Asia. He has over 15 years experience in the public and private markets with extensive network of investment banking contacts, all instrumental in the management and development of junior companies. He has assisted various companies to go public through RTOs and IPOs, and has served as an officer and director to a number of publicly traded mining companies. His primary focus is the resource sector – with seven years spent acquiring, researching, drilling and raising capital specifically for lithium opportunities.
  • COO, Director, Project Director/Geologist – Phillip Thomas, BSc Geol, MBusM, MAIG, MAIMVA, (CMV) has spent the past 12 years exploring for lithium brines, building and operating pilot plants for production, and building production and processing facilities. He has firsthand experience with the highly technical process of operating a lithium carbonate / lithium chloride plant at the Rincon salar. He was Chairman and CEO of Admiralty Resources from 2004 to 2008, where he and his team explored and built the lithium carbonate processing facility which commenced operation in 2007. Upon the sale to the Sentient group in 2008, he resigned to pursue other lithium development opportunities. He and this team developed the Pozuelos salar producing an indicated and inferred resource, and putting in two production wells. At Hombre Muerto salar they trenched, drilled and constructed the lithium isobars, including putting together a fully equipped lab and pilot plant in Salta to manage the extraction processes and phase chemistry including fractional crystallization, membranes and ion exchange processes. Most recently he’s been involved in exploring the Pocitos, Salinas Grandes and Guayatayoc salars. He is an experienced Geologist both in the field and has written bankable feasibility studies and proven and probable resource estimate statements. Has significant investment banking experience holding senior executive/director roles with Macquarie Bank, ABN-Amro, McIntosh Securities and actuaries Watson Wyatt.
  • Chief Chemical Engineer – Dr. Carlos Sorentino is a highly experienced lithium developer. From 1996 to 2001, he prepared detailed engineering and bankable feasibility study for exploitation of the Salar del Rio Grande.

From 2004 to 2008, he developed the basic and detail engineering and directed the establishment of a pilot plant for a lithium project in the Salar of Rincon, in Salta, Argentina. Recently, he formulated a detailed business plan for the exploitation of lithium in the Salar of Pozuelos.

Valuation
AIS Resources currently has a market cap of CAD 62m, with a very tight register of just 48.18 million shares outstanding (added to this is ~1.2m warrants as of November 2017).

AIS Resources market cap is about 4x lower than peers at a similar stage

Current market cap (Jan 2018)
AIS Resources CAD 62m
LSC Lithium [TSXV:LSC] (OTC:LSSCF) CAD 230m
Millennial Lithium Corp [TSXV:ML] (OTCQB:MLNLF) CAD 276m
Argosy Minerals [ASX:AGY][GR:AM1] CAD 263m

Note: LSC Lithium Corporation (51%) has partnered with Dajin resources (49%). LSC Lithium has agreed to spend $2,000,000 to earn a 51% interest in Dajin S.A.’s land holdings. These mineral concessions exceed 93,000 hectares (230,000 acres) and are primarily located in the Salinas Grandes/Guayatayoc salt lakes basins (salar), Argentina.

Below is a company prepared market cap comparison – as of November 2017 – Source
My very preliminary model (not to be relied on yet) values AIS Resources with a price target of CAD 2.07 (1.6 x higher) if they can successfully make it to become an 8,000 tpa LCE producer (current company guidance) by end 2020. More than likely they will expand to say 16,000 tpa LCE. If they reach this level by say end 2021 my preliminary price target moves to CAD 4.89 (3.8 x higher).

AIS Resources Peer Company Market Caps

Catalysts

  • 2018 – Geophysical and drill results, followed by a NI43-101 Inferred and possibly Indicated mineral resource statement.
  • 2018 – BFS, followed by project fund raising, off-take partners.
  • 2019/2020 – Commence lithium production.

Guayatayoc Project Timeline – Source

AIS-Development-Schedule---Shipping-Product-Sept-2019-2

Competitors
The current lithium producers SQM (SQM), Albemarle (ALB), FMC Corp. (NYSE:FMC)), Orocobre [ASX:ORE] (OTCPK:OROCF), Tianqi Lithium (SHE:002466), Jiangxi Ganfeng Lithium (SHE:002460), Galaxy Resources [ASX:GXY] (OTCPK:GALXF), Mineral Resources [ASX:MIN], and Neometals [ASX:NMT] (OTC:RRSSF). The near-term producers include Altura Mining [ASX:AJM] (OTCPK:ALTAF), Pilbara Minerals [ASX:PLS] (OTC:PILBF), Tawana Resources [ASX:TAW], AMG Advanced Metallurgical Group NV [NA:AMG][GR:ADG](OTCPK:AMVMF), Kidman Resources [ASX:KDR], Critical Elements [TSXV:CRE] (OTCQX:CRECF), Nemaska Lithium (OTCQX:NMKEF) [TSX:NMX], Lithium Americas [TSX:LAC] (OTCQX:LACDF), Lithium X [TSXV:LIX] (OTC:ROCEF), European Metals [ASX:EMH] (OTCPK:MNTCF), Neo Lithium Corp [TSX:NLC] (OTC:NTTHF), Bacanora Minerals [TSXV:BCN] (OTC:BCRMF), Lithium Power International [ASX:LPI] (OTC:LTHHF), Advantage Lithium [TSXV:AAL] (OTCQB:AVLIF), Millennial Lithium Corp [TSXV:ML] (OTCQB:MLNLF), AVZ Minerals [ASX:AVZ] (OTC:AZZVF), International Lithium Corp [TSXV:ILC] (OTCPK:ILHMF), Sayona Mining [ASX:SYA] (OTC:DMNXF), Pure Energy Minerals [TSXV:PE] (OTCQB:PEMIF), Wealth Minerals [TSXV:WML] [GR:EJZN] (OTCQB:WMLLF), Birimian Ltd [ASX:BGS] (OTC:EEYMF), LSC Lithium [TSXV:LSC] (OTC:LSSCF)/Dajin Resources [TSXV:DJI] (OTCPK:DJIFF) and Piedmont Lithium [ASX:PLL] (OTC:PLLLY).

Risks

  • The usual mining risks – Funding, permitting, off-take, production issues etc.
  • Stock dilution, liquidity risk (best to buy on local exchanges).
  • Sovereign and political risks.

Investors can view the November 2017 company presentation here. Also I would highly recommend watching the following AIS interview video here.

Conclusion
AIS Resources were previously not easily investable trading under the TSX-H ticker, and have only recently become more accessible to investors; hence the stock price has risen recently.

AIS Resources strength lies in their very experienced management especially Phillip Thomas, who has explored all 52 of Argentina’s salars, and worked previously to develop the Rincon salar, the Pozuelos salar, Hombre Muerto salar, and the Pocitos, Salinas Grandes and Guayatayoc salars. Experience does not come any better than that, especially in the lithium sector.

Valuation is still very attractive due to the early stage, with a current market cap of a mere CAD 62 million, around 4x cheaper than comparable peers at a similar stage.

AIS Resources already has some excellent results from their flagship Guayatayoc salar, plus has exposure to three different salars (Guayatayoc, Vilama, Quinos Salar), and is fast tracking progress towards production. Given the above facts and the very low market cap AIS Resources appear to be an excellent speculative lithium buy right now. My only thought to understand why they are still so cheaply valued is that the stock was held back previously due to not being listed properly on the TSXV and US OTC, and perhaps has not received the same promotion.

A 2018 resource announcement followed by a BFS, then progress towards funding, off-takes and production, should all serve as catalysts to drive the stock price much higher towards my preliminary price targets.

I would be a buyer now, and would look to accumulate as they progress to de-risk the project. As usual all comments are welcome.

Disclosure: I am/we are long NYSE:ALB, NYSE:SQM, ASX:ORE, ASX:GXY, ASX:PLS, TSX:LAC, ASX:AJM, ASX:EMH, TSXV:ILC, ASX:AVZ, ASX:LPI, ASX:PLL, ASX:SYA., TSXV:AIS, TSXV:WML. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it. I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Additional disclosure: The information in this article is general in nature and should not be relied upon as personal financial advice.

Canadian junior lithium explorer and developer optioned to buy into several promising lithium salars in Argentina.