Sarah Wells

NEW YORK, Jan. 09, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has submitted a Section 404 Standard Individual Permit application to the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the Company’s Piedmont Lithium Project located in the historic Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt in North Carolina, USA.  The USACE is the lead agency that will review the Company’s permit applications at the federal level.

Table 1

The Company also concurrently submitted an application for a Section 401 Individual Water Quality Certification to the North Carolina Division of Water Resources (NCDWR).  The Section 404 and 401 permits are typical requirements for the type of operation proposed by Piedmont Lithium.  HDR Engineering’s Charlotte Office acted as lead consultant in the preparation of both applications.

These important applications were completed and submitted in accordance with the Company’s previously announced estimated permitting timeline (refer to updated Scoping Study announced September 13, 2018), allowing Piedmont to maintain its overall project development schedule. 

A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ec5e745-29af-42f5-b948-5a0c51e7e598

Piedmont expects to submit the balance of permit applications required to commence mining operations to various state and local agencies within the first half of 2019.

For further information, contact:

Keith D. Phillips                                  Anastasios (Taso) Arima 
President & CEO                                  Executive Director 
T: +1 973 809 0505                               T: +1 347 899 1522
E: kphillips@piedmontlithium.com        E: tarima@piedmontlithium.com

NEW YORK, Dec. 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; Nasdaq: PLL) (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce that Nasdaq has approved the change of the ticker symbol for the Company’s ADRs to “PLL” from “PLLL”. The change is expected to be effective as of December 13, 2018 in the US.  The ticker symbol for the Company’s ADRs on Nasdaq will now be the same as the symbol for the Company’s ordinary shares trading on the ASX.

For further information, contact:

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Piedmont’s expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward looking statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Piedmont, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Piedmont makes no undertaking to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made in this announcement, to reflect the circumstances or events after the date of that announcement.

• Piedmont increases land position at its Piedmont Lithium Project by 15% to 1,383 acres
• Core Property expanded by 93 acres or 18% to a total of 622 acres
• Contiguous land acquisitions are along strike from current Mineral Resource
• Drill targets being finalized and will be incorporated in upcoming Phase 4 Drill Program
• All deals structured as options or deferred purchases to minimize upfront cash outlay 

NEW YORK, Dec. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to advise that the Company has increased its exploration land position to 1,383 acres. The land acquisitions include properties within the Carolina Tin Spodumene Belt (122 acres), and preferred locations for our concentrator and mine infrastructure (49 acres). Importantly, these acquisitions include 93 acres which are contiguous to the Core Property land package increasing it to a total of 622 acres. The Company also controls a 60-acre parcel in Kings Mountain, North Carolina for the site of the Company’s planned Chemical Plant.

Land map showing the newly acquired properties

A graphic accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3b9cd659-0eba-4b1b-a7fb-0fd4ed751612

These important additions were achieved via a combination of option agreements and deferred purchase contracts, making effective use of Company funds to maximize exploration opportunities.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We continue to pursue our strategy of adding to our dominant land position in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt. We have found high-grade mineralization in over 90% of the holes we’ve drilled on the TSB, and our expectation is that the larger our land position the larger our ultimate resource and mine life will be. We are particularly excited to add 18% to the size of our Core Property and are hopeful that we will be able to expand our mineral resource and mine life proportionately. Notably, these land additions – like the vast majority of our existing properties – are controlled via lease/option or deferred purchase contracts to minimize the use of cash on a pre-development basis.”

Piedmont has increased its land position by 184 acres to 1,383 acres. The most significant tracts, with regards to the current resource, are in the south-east and western portions of the Core Property. In the south east, a newly acquired 55-acre tract adds over 600 meters of highly prospective strike length along the F Corridor and a newly acquired 20 acres in the west adds over 400 meters of highly prospective strike length along the B Corridor. These two properties have significant potential to add to the current resource of 16.2 Mt @ 1.12% Li2O (reported June 2018) defined on the Core Property.

Late phase 3 drilling, along the F Corridor, traced mineralization to the southwest suggesting that strike and downdip extensions of known spodumene bearing pegmatites could extend onto the newly acquired 55-acre tract. Within the 55-acre tract, one area of subcrop of spodumene bearing pegmatite has been identified, a grab sample from this subcrop assayed 1.21% Li2O.

To the west, indicated and inferred classified resource blocks exist immediately adjacent to the northeast and southwest boundaries of the newly acquired 20-acre property. It is expected that mineralization extends onto the newly acquired tract.

Piedmont is planning additional drilling to upgrade portions of the Inferred resource to Indicated classification, convert Exploration Target areas to Indicated where possible, explore the newly acquired properties and follow-up drilling on the Central property.

Land acquisitions also feature the Company’s preferred concentrator and waste rock disposal locations as identified in the Company’s Updated Scoping Study announcement dated September 2018. The Company is designing condemnation drilling programs for 2019 completion in these areas.

Finally, several off-trend properties have been acquired by the Company for consideration as potential future waste rock disposal, possible exchange properties for on-trend parcels, buffer zones, or as conservation targets for mitigation purposes.

Piedmont Lithium Inc. has entered into exclusive option agreements and land acquisition agreements with local landowners, which upon exercise, allow the Company to purchase (or in some cases long-term lease) 1,383 acres of surface property and the associated mineral rights from the local landowners. The new properties being the subject of this announcement total 184 acres, of which 142 acres have been acquired under land acquisition agreements and 42 acres have been optioned under land option agreements, on substantially the same terms as the Company’s existing land option agreements. The Company also controls a 60-acre parcel in Kings Mountain, North Carolina for the site of the Company’s planned Chemical Plant.

The Company’s strategy remains to consolidate the region between newly secured and historic landholdings with emphasis towards on-trend properties and sufficient off-trend for potential infrastructure development, mitigation, and future land exchanges.

Click here to view the ASX announcement

For further information, contact:

Keith D. Phillips                                  Anastasios (Taso) Arima
President & CEO                                  Executive Director
T: +1 973 809 0505                               T: +1 347 899 1522
E: kphillips@piedmontlithium.com        E: tarima@piedmontlithium.com

• Mr. McKenna has more than 35 years’ experience in government and public relations
• Created Rockwood Lithium’s investor relations and communications program and served with Rockwood until its acquisition by Albemarle Corporation
• Most recently served in a government and public relations role with Lithium X

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has appointed Mr. Timothy McKenna as an advisor to the Company.  Tim will assist with government and public relations for the Company’s planned development of its integrated lithium hydroxide business in the historic Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt in North Carolina, USA.

Mr. McKenna has over 35 years’ experience in government and public relations roles including a role as vice president of Rockwood Holdings, Inc. in government and investor relations from 2006 until Rockwood’s acquisition by Albemarle Corporation.  While with Rockwood, Tim helped create an investor relations and communications program and was instrumental in helping Rockwood secure a US$28 million grant from the US Department of Energy to expand operations in North Carolina and Nevada.

Tim most recently served as vice president US government relations, investor relations, and corporate communications for Lithium X Energy Corp. until its successful acquisition by Nextview New Energy Lion Hong Kong Limited.  Prior to his time in the lithium business, Tim held senior government and investor relations roles with Fortune 500 industrial companies Smurfit-Stone Container and Union Camp.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “We are pleased to welcome Tim to our team.  Tim is a seasoned government and investor relations professional and his 12 years of experience in the lithium sector will help us build strong relationships with regulators and elected officials in North Carolina and at the federal level, where lithium is increasingly viewed as a material that is critical to US energy and national security.“

For further information, contact:

• Piedmont has received assay results from initial drilling at its new Central and Sunnyside properties
  
• 7 holes were completed at Sunnyside and 3 holes were completed at Central
  
• Both properties yielded significant intercepts of high-grade lithium mineralisation, including:
  
  • 34.0m @ 1.04% Li₂O of continuous mineralization across one pegmatite in Hole 18-CT-002
    
  • 20.9m @ 1.42% Li₂O of continuous mineralization across one pegmatite in Hole 18-SS-001 

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to advise that the Company has received all assays results from its initial exploratory drilling on its new Sunnyside and Central properties in the Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB“) in North Carolina, United States. This maiden drill program comprised 10 holes, 7 from Sunnyside and 3 from Central, totalling 1,411 meters.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are exceedingly happy with the initial results from Central and Sunnyside, with Hole 18-CT-002 in particular being the widest intercept encountered to-date.  We have delineated a world-class resource of 16.2Mt @ 1.12% Li₂O at our Core property, supporting a project life of 13 years as reported in our recent Scoping Study.  These initial results at Central and Sunnyside indicate the potential for a significant project life extension.”

Piedmont is encouraged by the initial drill results from Central and Sunnyside properties and is designing follow up drill campaigns for both.  In addition, over 650 soil samples have been collected and over 33-line kilometres of walking magnetometer geophysical surveys have been undertaken on the properties. Soil assays are still pending and will be paired with the geophysical data to produce drill targets for the properties.

Click here to view the ASX announcement.

About Piedmont Lithium

Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; Nasdaq: PLLL) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between the 1950s and the 1980s. The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 25 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a premier location to be developing and integrated lithium business based on its favourable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centres for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centres and downstream lithium processing facilities.

For further information, contact:

Keith D. Phillips                                  Anastasios (Taso) Arima
President & CEO                                  Executive Director
T: +1 973 809 0505                               T: +1 347 899 1522
E: kphillips@piedmontlithium.com        E: tarima@piedmontlithium.com

• By-Product Mineral Resource estimates completed for quartz, feldspar and mica
• By-Product Mineral Resources are wholly-contained within existing Mineral Resource model
• Previously announced metallurgical testwork demonstrates commercial value of by-products
• Scoping Study update to include by-products due within Q3 2018 

NEW YORK, Sept. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to announce Mineral Resource estimates for by-product quartz, feldspar and mica mineral products from the spodumene bearing pegmatite on its Core Property.  These Mineral Resource estimates are based on the same geologic model that resulted in a maiden Mineral Resource estimate for lithium of 16.2 Mt @ 1.12% Li₂O which was previously announced on June 14, 2018.

By-Product Mineral Resource estimates were based on normative mineralogy compositions for 2,289 samples in 231 drill holes previously analysed for lithium. The results are shown in Table 1.  The Mineral Resource estimates have been prepared by independent consultants, CSA Global Pty Ltd (“CSA Global”) and are reported in accordance with the JORC Code (2012 Edition).

The industrial minerals represented by Piedmont’s by-product Mineral Resource Estimates are fundamental inputs for regional industries that Piedmont can economically service given its location in the heart of the Mid-Atlantic industrial corridor.  Piedmont is now updating the Scoping Study released on July 18, 2018 to reflect the production of by-product quartz, feldspar and mica, and expects to release this update within the coming days.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Having confirmed a flow sheet to recover by-product quartz, feldspar and mica, we have now demonstrated a large-scale resource for each. We look forward to releasing an amended Scoping Study in the next several weeks and expect the update to further highlight the important advantages of our unique location.”

Click here to view the ASX announcement.

About Piedmont Lithium

Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; Nasdaq: PLLL) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between the 1950s and the 1980s. The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 25 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. It is a premier location to be developing and integrated lithium business based on its favourable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centres for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centres and downstream lithium processing facilities.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Piedmont’s expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward looking statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Piedmont, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Piedmont makes no undertaking to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made in this announcement, to reflect the circumstances or events after the date of that announcement.

Competent Persons Statement

The information in this report that relates to By-Product Mineral Resources is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled or reviewed by Mr. Leon McGarry, a Competent Person who is a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) and registered member of the ‘Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario’ (APGO no. 2348), a ‘Recognized Professional Organization’ (RPO). Mr. McGarry is a Senior Resource Geologist and full-time employee at CSA Global Geoscience Canada Ltd. Mr. McGarry has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’. Mr. McGarry consents to the inclusion in this report of the results of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

The information in this announcement that relates to By-Product Metallurgical Testwork Results is extracted from the Company’s ASX announcement dated September 4, 2018 which is available to view on the Company’s website at www.piedmontlithium.com. The information in the original ASX announcement that related to By-Product Metallurgical Testwork Results was based on, and fairly represents, information compiled or reviewed by Dr. Hamid Akbari, a Competent Person who is a Registered Member of the ‘Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration’, a ‘Recognized Professional Organization’ (RPO). Dr. Akbari is a consultant to the Company. Dr. Akbari has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’.

The information in this announcement that relates to Lithium Mineral Resources is extracted from the Company’s ASX announcement dated June 14, 2018 which is available to view on the Company’s website at www.piedmontlithium.com. The information in the original ASX announcement that related to Lithium Mineral Resources was based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr Leon McGarry, a Competent Person who is a Professional Geoscientist (P.Geo.) and registered member of the ‘Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario’ (APGO no. 2348), a ‘Recognized Professional Organization’ (RPO). Mr McGarry is a Senior Resource Geologist and full-time employee at CSA Global Geoscience Canada Ltd. Mr McGarry has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves’. 

Piedmont confirms that: a) it is not aware of any new information or data that materially affects the information included in the original ASX announcements; b) all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning Mineral Resources, Exploration Targets, Production Targets, and related forecast financial information derived from Production Targets included in the original ASX announcements continue to apply and have not materially changed; and c) the form and context in which the relevant Competent Persons’ findings are presented in this report have not been materially modified from the original ASX announcements.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources

The information contained herein has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Australia, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. The terms “mineral resource”, “measured mineral resource”, “indicated mineral resource” and “inferred mineral resource” are Australian mining terms defined in accordance with the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the “JORC Code”).  However, these terms are not defined in Industry Guide 7 (“SEC Industry Guide 7”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), and are normally not permitted to be used in reports and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Accordingly, information contained herein that describes Piedmont’s mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in Piedmont’s Form 20-F, a copy of which may be obtained from Piedmont or from the EDGAR system on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov/.

• Quartz, feldspar and mica produced in bench-scale indicate potential saleable by-products
• Concentrate samples sent to potential off-take partners
• Scoping Study update including by-product credits scheduled for completion later this month 

NEW YORK, Sept. 03, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Piedmont Lithium Limited (“Piedmont” or “Company”) is pleased to report that the Company has completed a bench-scale metallurgical testwork program to produce quartz, feldspar and mica as by-products of spodumene concentrate from the Company’s proposed vertically-integrated Piedmont Lithium Project located in North Carolina, USA.

Piedmont has partnered with North Carolina State University’s Minerals Research Laboratory (“MRL”) to complete bench-scale testwork to produce quartz, feldspar, and mica concentrates from spodumene flotation tailings.

Initial results demonstrate commercial potential for each by-product, and the Company has delivered bench-scale samples of feldspar and mica concentrates to potential offtake partners for further testing.  Piedmont has opened confidential discussions with several parties for offtake of all three by-products.

The Company is currently completing a Mineral Resource Estimate for each by-product based on the geological model used to determine the Company’s maiden Mineral Resource Estimate announced in June 2018.  Announcement of the by-product Mineral Resource Estimates is expected in the coming days.

Piedmont is preparing an updated Scoping Study including by-product concentrates.  This update is expected later this month.

Keith D. Phillips, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “Historically, a significant portion of the revenue from the local lithium mines was derived from by-product quartz, feldspar and mica.  The metallurgical results covered in this release demonstrate Piedmont’s ability to recover these minerals through flotation, and we expect later this month to be in a position to quantify the impact of these by-products on the economics of our integrated lithium project.”

Click here to view the ASX announcement

For further information, contact:

About Piedmont Lithium

Piedmont Lithium Limited (ASX: PLL; Nasdaq: PLLL) holds a 100% interest in the Piedmont Lithium Project (“Project”) located within the world-class Carolina Tin-Spodumene Belt (“TSB”) and along trend to the Hallman Beam and Kings Mountain mines, historically providing most of the western world’s lithium between the 1950s and the 1980s.  The TSB has been described as one of the largest lithium provinces in the world and is located approximately 25 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina.  It is a premier location to be developing and integrated lithium business based on its favourable geology, proven metallurgy and easy access to infrastructure, power, R&D centres for lithium and battery storage, major high-tech population centres and downstream lithium processing facilities.

Forward Looking Statements

This announcement may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on Piedmont’s expectations and beliefs concerning future events. Forward looking statements are necessarily subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Piedmont, which could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements. Piedmont makes no undertaking to subsequently update or revise the forward-looking statements made in this announcement, to reflect the circumstances or events after the date of that announcement.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors Concerning Estimates of Measured, Indicated and Inferred Resources

The information contained herein has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Australia, which differ from the requirements of United States securities laws. The terms “mineral resource”, “measured mineral resource”, “indicated mineral resource” and “inferred mineral resource” are Australian mining terms defined in accordance with the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the “JORC Code”).  However, these terms are not defined in Industry Guide 7 (“SEC Industry Guide 7”) under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), and are normally not permitted to be used in reports and filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of the mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. “Inferred mineral resources” have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Australian rules, estimates of inferred mineral resources may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies, except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an inferred mineral resource exists or is economically or legally mineable. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Disclosure of “contained lithium oxide” or “lithium carbonate equivalent in a resource is permitted disclosure under Australian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute “reserves” by SEC standards as in place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. Accordingly, information contained herein that describes Piedmont’s mineral deposits may not be comparable to similar information made public by U.S. companies subject to reporting and disclosure requirements under the U.S. federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder. U.S. investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in Piedmont’s Form 20-F, a copy of which may be obtained from Piedmont or from the EDGAR system on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov/.”

Competent Persons Statement

The information in this announcement that relates to Metallurgical Testwork Results is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled or reviewed by Dr. Hamid Akbari, a Competent Person who is a Registered Member of the ‘Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration’, a ‘Recognized Professional Organization’ (RPO). Dr. Akbari is a consultant to the Company. Dr. Akbari has sufficient experience that is relevant to the style of mineralization and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Metallurgical Results. Dr. Akbari consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.