Overview
High-Tech Metals Limited (ASX:HTM) is an exploration and development mining company focusing on its Canadian cobalt asset in the Kenora Mining District. The company’s Werner Lake project has received no previous modern exploration, creating blue-sky potential as High-Tech leverages new technologies and techniques. Additionally, High-Tech Metals is a well-structured entity from a capital perspective, with a highly experienced team of experts leading the company towards its goals. Toby Hughes was appointed to lead the exploration team and improve the value of the Werner Lake project.
Cobalt is widely used in various applications due to its unique high-temperature and magnetic properties. Historically, cobalt has been used in jet turbines, electroplating and alloyed with nickel to make powerful magnets. Now, cobalt demand is skyrocketing as electric vehicles (EVs) increasingly take a big chunk of the market. EVs are projected to consume 320 kilotons of cobalt by 2030, about 84 percent of the total cobalt demand.
The Werner Lake project is near the Ontario-Manitoba border and is on the Werner Lake Geological Belt, known for hosting cobalt-copper and base metal deposits. The region has undergone continual exploration and production since cobalt was discovered in 1921.
Canada has the sixth largest cobalt reserves globally and both Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador produce more than 1,000 metric tonnes of cobalt annually. In addition, Canada hosts many of the world’s top mining jurisdictions due to its mining-friendly policies, which will allow High-Tech Metals to streamline exploration and move towards production.
High-Tech’s project was explored in the 1930s and 1940s, then was taken into production in the 1990s. Results from historical exploration and production informed the project’s current JORC-compliant resource estimate of 720,000 pounds (lbs) at 0.52 percent cobalt. While encouraging, the team also believes there is a significant exploration of upside potential by leveraging modern tools and techniques.
High-Tech Metals has taken steps to expand its portfolio, securing an agreement to acquire the Norpax Deposit and an option to purchase the Reynar Lake Project, located in Ontario, Canada. The projects are directly west and adjoin the company’s Werner Lake Project The Norpax Nickel Sulphide Deposit has a historical non-JORC compliant resource of 1.01 million tonnes of 1.2 percent nickel and 0.5 percent copper. The Reynar Lake Project is highly prospective for nickel, copper and cobalt which could potentially provide HTM with additional landholding and increase its cobalt resource and explore for additional nickel sulphide mineralisation.
Company Highlights
High-Tech Metals is an exploration and development mining company exploring its underexplored cobalt asset in Canada.The company is a well-structured entity from a capital perspective, with the right management team in place to realize the potential of its assets.The Werner Lake Cobalt Project has seen some historical exploration and production but has not been explored with modern exploration techniques and technologies, creating upside potential for additional discoveries.Renowned geologist Toby Hughes leads the exploration team.Cobalt is currently used throughout a wide range of applications, and the growth of renewable technologies will continually drive up demand for the metal.The Werner Lake project is located on the Ontario-Manitoba border in a prolific mining district with an existing road network to facilitate future transportation.The company’s asset has a current JORC-compliant resource estimate of 720,000 lbs of ore at 0.52 percent cobalt.An experienced management team leads the company towards fully exploring its cobalt asset.
Key Project
Werner Lake Cobalt Project
The company’s cobalt project sits on the Ontario-Manitoba border in the Kenora Mining District, a region known for cobalt, copper and other base metals. The Werner Lake project has some historical exploration and production but has not received any exploration using modern technologies and techniques. High-Tech Metals is currently preparing for its initial geophysics exploration campaign.
Project Highlights:
Encouraging Mineral Resource Estimate: The Werner Lake project has a current JORC-compliant resource estimate of 720,000 lbs at 0.52 percent cobalt. This optimistic estimate demonstrates the presence of cobalt, yet the exploration team believes there is tremendous potential to expand known deposits.Favorable Geological Formations: The Werner Lake Geological Belt, where the company’s project is located, hosts numerous cobalt-copper and base metal showings. Additionally, the region contains multiple past-producing mines, which indicates its potential.Exploration Expertise: Renowned exploration expert Toby Hughes leads the exploration team. High-Tech Metals hopes to expand known deposits to improve the value of its asset.
Management Team
Charles Thomas – Non-executive Chairman
Charles Thomas is an executive director and founding partner of GTT Ventures a leading boutique corporate advisory firm based in Australia. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UWA majoring in corporate finance. Thomas has worked in the financial service industry for more than 17 years and has extensive experience in capital markets as well as the structuring of corporate transactions. Thomas has significant experience sitting on numerous ASX boards spanning the mining, resources and technology space. Thomas is currently non-executive director of Chase Mining Corporation (ASX:CML), non-executive chairman of Viking Mines Ltd (ASX.VKA) and executive chairman of Marquee Resources Limited (ASX:MQR).
Sonu Cheema – Executive Director
Sonu Cheema is a director at Cicero Group Pty Ltd and has over 12 years of experience working with public and private companies in Australia and abroad. Roles and responsibilities include financial control, preparation of statutory financial reporting, investor relations, initial public offers (IPO), reverse takeovers (RTO), management of capital raising activities, project management and audit management. Cheema currently serves as a non-executive director and company secretary for Avira Resources (ASX:AVW) and Austin Metals (ASX:AYT).
Quinton Meyers – Non-executive Director & Company Secretary
Quinton Meyers has over six years of experience working in the equities markets in the capacity of a stockbroker, company secretary and accountant for multiple ASX-listed companies gaining exposure to the resource, oil and gas and technology sectors. During this time, Meyers has worked on multiple initial public offers, reverse takeovers, equity capital markets transactions, while developing his knowledge of the ASX Listing Rules and Corporations Act.
Meyers holds a Bachelor of Commerce in accounting and finance from Curtin University, a Graduate Diploma in financial planning and is a member of the Chartered Accountants Australian & New Zealand.
Toby Hughes – Leader of Exploration
Toby Hughes is a professional geologist having worked in mineral exploration for more than 40 years, with experience in orogenic and epithermal systems, volcanogenic massive sulphides, and Cu-Ni-Co. He has worked for several years on and around the Werner Lake deposit, with additional experience in cobalt exploration within the Bear Magmatic Province, NT, Cobalt, ON and China. As a consultant, he has held senior positions with junior and senior mining companies across Canada, Argentina, China, Columbia, Ghana, Guyana, Mongolia, Peru, Venezuela, and the USA exploring for precious, base metal, industrial minerals and diamonds. Hughes is a graduate of The University of Dundee, Scotland (Honours B.Sc. Geology) and a registered professional geoscientist in Ontario.