Exploration and development of the Zinnwald lithium (tin-tungsten) deposit.

Lithium is one of the most sought-after metals for the production of electrical storage elements. The spectrum of lithium use as a storage element ranges from micro-storage devices and smartphones to storage modules in electromobility and large-scale storage devices for the intermediate storage of renewable energy.

The Zinnwald deposit in the Eastern Ore Mountains, which was mined for tin and tungsten from 1540 to 1945, is now one of the most lithium-rich deposits of this type in Europe and has been in the focus of economic interest again since 2010. Deutsche Lithium GmbH (DL) has carried out investigations of the Zinnwald deposit and intends to exploit it.

G.E.O.S. was commissioned by Deutsche Lithium as a company with particular expertise and local knowledge to provide numerous services for the development of the Zinnwald project. Starting with the concept and planning up to the approval and supervision of explorations above and below ground, the G.E.O.S. experts accompanied the project from the very beginning. Further works were carried out in an interdisciplinary manner through resource and reserves calculations, reporting according to international standards, expert reports, mine planning and the development of technical procedures for the lithium extraction.

Services

• Erstellung und Genehmigungsmanagement von 4 bergrechtlichen Anträgen zur Aufsuchung bergfreier Bodenschätze gemäß § 7 Bundesberggesetz
• Planung, fachliche Begleitung und Dokumentation von Explorationsarbeiten über und unter Tage (Hauptbetriebsplan Bohrprogramm über Tage und Großprobenahme unter Tage)
• Erstellung und Überwachung des Qualitätssicherungsprogrammes für Probenahme, Probenvor- und Aufbereitung und das Probenmanagement bei der Erkundung der Lagerstätte
• Probenvor- und Aufbereitung von Gesteinsproben aus dem Bohrprogramm für die geochemische Analytik
• Herstellung von repräsentativen Standardproben für die geochemische Analytik von Gesteinsproben aus der Lagerstätte
• 3D-Geologische und Lagerstättenmodellierung, Ressourcenberechnung und Resource Reporting (PERC Code), Mitwirkung an der Pre-Feasibility Study
• Reservenberechnung und Reporting (Technical Report on the Feasibility Study) gemäß kanadischem Reporting Standard NI 43-101, Mitwirkung an der Feasibility Study
• Competent Person’s Reporting (CPR)
• Entwicklung und Optimierung der Technologie zum Wertstoffaufschluss an Erzen (Greisenerz) und Erzmineralen (Lithiumglimmer)
• Laboruntersuchungen, Scale-up und Planung einer verfahrenstechnischen Anlage zur Gewinnung von Lithium aus Greisenerzen im Pilotmaßstab
• Erstellung und Genehmigungsmanagement des bergrechtlichen Antrages zur Gewinnung bergfreier Bodenschätze gemäß § 8 Bundesberggesetz für das Bewilligungsfeld „Zinnwald“
• Planung des Aufschlusses und des Betriebs des Bergwerkes Zinnwald (Bergbauplanung der Aus- und Vorrichtung, Gewinnung, Förderung, Wasserhaltung, Bewetterung, Haupt- und Nebengrubenbaue, Berge- und Versatzwirtschaft)
• Umweltverträglichkeits-Vorprüfung für das Bergwerk Zinnwald
• Fachgutachten Hydrogeologie für das Bergwerk Zinnwald
• Erstellung und Genehmigungsmanagement des fakultativen Rahmenbetriebsplans für das Bergwerk Zinnwald
• Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) des fortgeschriebenen Lithium Zinnwald Projekts

• Preparation and permit management of 4 applications under mining law for the exploration of minable mineral resources according to § 7 of the Federal Mining Act
• Planning, technical supervision and documentation of exploration work above and below ground (main operation plan drilling programme above ground and bulk sampling below ground)
• Preparation and supervision of the quality assurance programme for sampling, sample preparation and sample management during exploration
• Sample preparation and processing of rock samples from the drilling programme for geochemical analysis
• Preparing representative standard samples for geochemical analysis of rock samples from the deposit
• 3D geological and deposit modelling, resource calculation and resource reporting (PERC Code), participation in the pre-feasibility study
• Reserves calculation and reporting (Technical Report on the Feasibility Study) according to Canadian Reporting Standard NI 43-101, participation in the Feasibility Study
• Competent Person's Reporting (CPR)
• Development and optimisation of the technology for the processing of ores (grey iron ore) and ore minerals (lithium mica)
• Laboratory testing, scale-up and planning of a pilot-scale process plant for the extraction of lithium from Greisen ores
• Permit management of the application according to mining law for the extraction of minable mineral resources pursuant to § 8 of the Federal Mining Act for the "Zinnwald" permit field
• Planning of the outcrop and operation of the Zinnwald mine (mining planning of the equipment and facilities, extraction, handling, dewatering, ventilation, main and secondary mine workings, tailings and backfill management)
• Preliminary environmental impact assessment for the Zinnwald mine
• Expert assessment of hydrogeology for the Zinnwald mine
• Preparation and approval management of the discretionary framework operating plan for the Zinnwald mine
• Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the extended Lithium Zinnwald Project