RB Energy Provides an Operations Update for Quebec Lithium
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Feb 28, 2014) - RB Energy Inc. (the "Company" or "RBI" or "RB Energy") (TSX:RBI)(OTCQX:CLQMD) confirms that it is not aware of any unreleased material information regarding the Company and provides an update on its lithium operations in Quebec.
On February 11, 2014 RBI commenced a continuous commissioning run of the hydro-metallurgical circuit at its wholly owned Quebec Lithium operation. This commissioning run is scheduled to continue until mid-March and will provide battery grade lithium carbonate samples to our customers for quality assessment. In addition, a bulk sample from this run will be shipped to Tewoo-ERDC, our principal off-take partner, for commercial testing.
In mid-March the hydro-metallurgical circuit will be temporarily suspended for commissioning maintenance and production assessment. Operations and lithium production will recommence in April in both the flotation and hydro-metallurgical circuits, culminating in the commissioning of an optical ore sorter by the beginning of the third quarter. Quebec Lithium is on track to ramp up to and achieve name plate production levels (20,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate per annum) by year end.
Commenting upon the recent production success at Quebec Lithium and recent developments in the lithium market, Richard Clark, President and CEO of RB Energy, stated, "The management and operations team of RB Energy are very pleased with the progress at the Quebec Lithium operation. Our current production run will provide the necessary lithium carbonate samples to supply commercial orders from our customers going forward. We are meeting our initial targets and we are on track to achieve name-plate throughput of 20,000 tonnes per annum of battery grade lithium carbonate by year end. Quebec Lithium is the only hard rock lithium operation in North America and is poised to become a material player in the exciting future of the lithium battery market."
RBI is a Canadian company formed pursuant to the arrangement involving Sirocco Mining Inc. and Canada Lithium Corp. It currently owns Aguas Blancas, an iodine producing mine in northern Chile, and the Quebec Lithium Project near Val d'Or, the geographical heart of the Quebec mining industry. The Aguas Blancas mine is currently in production. The Quebec Lithium Project has completed construction and is in the commissioning phase. For more information regarding RBI, please refer to its public filings available at www.sedar.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain information contained in this news release, including any information relating to the state of the lithium and iodine industries; statements regarding our ability and the timing to achieve and sustain commercial production and name-plate production levels of iodine; our ability to secure commercial orders from our customers; and our ability to become a material player in the lithium market are "forward-looking statements". These forward-looking statements relate to future events or future performance and reflect the Company's expectations regarding the future growth, results of operations, business prospects and opportunities of RBI. These forward-looking statements also reflect the Company's current internal projections, expectations or beliefs and are based on information currently available to the Company. In some cases forward-looking information can be identified by terminology such as "may", "will", "should", "expect", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "projects", "potential", "scheduled", "forecast", "budget" or the negative of those terms or other comparable terminology. The estimates and assumptions of RBI underlying the forward-looking statements in this news release may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions upon which such forward looking information include, among other things, successful and timely commissioning, ramp-up and production at the Québec Lithium Project; the lack of any further significant capital expenditures during the commissioning stage or to bring the hydrometallurgical process plant into production; the continuing support and cooperation of RBI's off-take partners; as well as financial predictions premised on such assumptions. Although the Company believes that the forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on reasonable assumptions, readers cannot be assured that actual results will be consistent with such statements. Accordingly, readers are cautioned against placing undue reliance on forward-looking information. RBI expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.