Pursuit Advances 5,000tpa Lithium Feasibility with Certified High-Purity Samples

High-Purity Lithium Samples Mark Technical Breakthrough

Pursuit Minerals Limited (ASX – PUR) has reached a significant milestone by producing lithium carbonate samples with 99.5% purity from its 250 tonnes per annum pilot plant in Salta, Argentina. These samples, chemically identical to the brine from the Rio Grande Sur Lithium Project, have been dispatched to multiple potential offtake and strategic partners as part of the company’s commercialisation efforts.

The high purity level was achieved through additional bench-scale processing techniques, including fractional crystallisation and ion exchange, which upgraded the initial pilot output from 98.9% to 99.5%. This validates Pursuit’s processing flowsheet and demonstrates its capability to deliver a product suitable for industrial and energy storage applications.

Advancing Feasibility for Scalable Production

Alongside sample dispatch, Pursuit is advancing feasibility studies targeting a low-cost, scalable lithium carbonate operation with an annual production capacity of 5,000 tonnes. The company is progressing detailed engineering design, process modelling, and environmental approvals, including plans for test-scale evaporation ponds at the Rio Grande Sur site to validate brine concentration processes.

Managing Director Aaron Revelle emphasised the importance of this phase, noting that securing long-term partnerships through product qualification is critical to underpinning future production and growth. The company is maintaining a disciplined capital approach by continuing small batch production to meet partner qualification needs without overextending operational resources amid challenging market conditions.

Strategic Diversification Amid Market Challenges

In response to the prolonged lithium market downturn, Pursuit is pursuing a dual growth strategy. While progressing Rio Grande Sur, the company is actively evaluating strategic acquisitions in gold, silver, and copper within Argentina. This approach leverages strong commodity fundamentals, particularly the recent surge in gold prices and renewed interest in silver, alongside Argentina’s emerging status as a Tier 1 mining jurisdiction.

Recent landmark transactions, such as Rio Tinto’s acquisition of Arcadium Lithium and BHP’s joint venture with Lundin Mining, underscore growing investor confidence in Argentina’s mining sector. Government reforms offering fiscal and foreign exchange stability further enhance the investment landscape, supporting Pursuit’s ambitions to build a multi-commodity growth platform.

Looking Ahead

With certified lithium carbonate samples en route to potential partners, Pursuit is focused on deepening commercial engagement and progressing regulatory and engineering milestones for its 5,000tpa production facility. The company’s strategic acquisitions pipeline aims to complement its lithium assets, unlocking additional value and optionality in Argentina’s resource-rich environment.

This measured, multi-faceted approach positions Pursuit to navigate current market headwinds while laying the groundwork for sustainable growth in critical minerals and metals.