Lithium Universe moving quickly to take advantage of high-quality assets and team

New critical minerals player Lithium Universe (ASX: LU7) is wasting no time pulling together an impressive suite of critical minerals assets and an experienced team as it prepares to test some high-quality projects in Canada and Australia.

Formerly trading as Australian tech company Mogul Games (ASX: MGG), Lithium Universe is finalising paperwork in the lead-up to a shareholder meeting to approve the change in focus in mid-July.

In the meantime, under the leadership of highly-regarded lithium executive Ignatius (Iggy) Tan, the company is already closely examining it’s impressive lithium project holdings and creating a ‘lithium dream team’ to fast-track their development.

Lithium dream team

Mr Tan, who has often noted that one of the issues the lithium industry currently faces is the length of time from discovery to commercialisation, is leaving no stone unturned in accelerating key actions at the company’s “flagship” Apollo lithium project in the high-profile James Bay region in Québec, Canada.

One of those key actions has been the pulling together a cadre of veteran lithium industry specialists with a record of success.

The new Lithium Universe appointments include Patrick Scallan who managed the world-class Greenbushes Mine in Western Australia for over 25 years. Holding the world’s highest-grade, Greenbushes is also rated as the largest lithium hard rock mine globally.

Other key members of the the team are industry specialists including Dr Jingyuan Liu, Terry Stark, Roger Pover and Huy Nguyen.

Dr Liu held the position of general manager of Technology at Galaxy Resources, where he played a key role in the development of the Jiangsu lithium carbonate project. He is widely regarded as a leading international expert in lithium downstream processing, particularly in the areas of lithium carbonate and hydroxide plants. Notably, he was brought in to help resolve commissioning challenges at their Kwinana Lithium Hydroxide Plant in Western Australia.

Mr Stark previously held the role of general manager of operations at Galaxy Resources’ Mt Cattlin spodumene-tantalite mine in Western Australia as well as the company’s James Bay developments. Importantly, he already established a strong relationships with the Cree First Nation people in the Apollo project area.

Mr Pover has a close association with the Greenbushes and Mt Cattlin operations. At the latter he served as the Plant Manager, bringing important operational experience to the Lithium Universe business.

Mining engineering specialist, Mr Nguyen was previously with WA-based Mintrex, the company responsible for constructing the Mt Cattlin project for Galaxy Resources.

Mr Tan, who will lead the new team as Lithium Universe’s chairman, brings more than 30 years of chemical and mining experience, including roles as an executive director for a number of ASX-listed companies, including currently being managing director at Altech Batteries (ASX: ATC).

He said it was important to find the right team to help bring the company’s high-quality portfolio to market as soon as possible.

“This lithium ‘dream team’ possesses critical knowledge and decades of experience in spodumene hard rock processing and lithium carbonate and hydroxide production.”

Apollo Project

The company’s initial focus will be fast-tracking activities at the Apollo project.

He notes that one of the reasons he was enticed to return to the lithium industry was the significant opportunity identified at Apollo.

He said that in agreeing to become chairman of Lithium Universe, he emphasised the need for the company to prioritise the swift development of profitable lithium projects, instead of solely concentrating on lithium exploration.

“Whilst there are many lithium explorers in the world today, only a handful have the necessary expertise and ability to effectively develop and construct viable lithium projects.

“This new company now has a rich pedigree of lithium experience to ultimately establish a spodumene-producing mine in Québec, Canada – as quickly as possible.”

The help fast-track work at Apollo, the company is planning to undertake a public offer of shares under a full form prospectus to raise up to $4,500,000.

Funds from that raising will be initially targeted at the Apollo project which consists of 466 claims covering an area of approximately 240 sq. km. The company already has 17 pegmatite outcrops to target, along with NE-SW trending topographic highs previously identified by the Québec government.

The early exploration will also include an airborne geophysical and remote survey to aide in the identifying maiden high-priority drill targets.