Investor Insight
With compelling economic metrics demonstrated through its new prefeasibility study, Jindalee Lithium’s McDermitt Project presents a strong case for investors to gain exposure to this critical mineral and participate in the global clean energy transition.
Overview
Jindalee Lithium (ASX:JLL,OTCQX:JNDAF) is an Australia-based pure-play US lithium company focused exclusively on its 100-percent-owned McDermitt Lithium Project, currently one of the largest lithium deposits in the US, boasting a resource of 21.5 million tons (Mt) of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).
Backed by a newly released (November 2024) prefeasibility study (PFS) demonstrating very compelling economics, the McDermitt Project is poised to play a crucial role in meeting North America’s growing lithium demand for the lucrative battery value chain.
As the US continues to transition to energy independence, demand for lithium is expected to exponentially increase. Jindalee’s McDermitt Project, located in southeast Oregon, is a game-changer for North American lithium supply, critical for meeting the demands of the fast-growing electric vehicle, energy storage and defense sectors.
McDermitt also stands to significantly benefit from the US government’s policies and incentives to boost domestic supply of critical resources. In fact, in a move that signifies the US government’s support of the McDermitt Lithium Project, the US Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Jindalee’s subsidiary HiTech Minerals to develop cutting-edge extraction methods for the McDermitt Project. The Ames National Laboratory spearheads the DOE’s Critical Materials Innovation Hub.
Key milestones in the US lithium resource space also provide significant insights into the future prospects for Jindalee’s project. Lithium Americas (TSX:LAC), for instance, has received a total of US$945 million investment from General Motors, which will fund the development, construction and operation of the Thacker Pass project in Humboldt County, Nevada. In October 2024 LAC closed a $2.3 billion loan from the US Department of Energy and in April 2025 announced the Final Investment Decision for Thacker Pass following a $250 million investment from Orion Resource Partners.
Another lithium resource developer in Nevada, Australia-based Ioneer (ASX:INR) has closed a US$996 million loan guarantee from the US Department of Energy to finance the development of its flagship Rhyolite Ridge lithium-boron project.
The US government has taken further action to bolster domestic critical mineral production. On 20 March 2025, President Trump issued a significant executive order titled ‘Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production’, underscoring the urgency and strategic imperative of increasing domestic supply chains for critical minerals. This order builds on previous initiatives by fast-tracking the permitting processes, prioritizing access to mineral-rich federal lands, clarifying regulatory frameworks, and mobilizing substantial financial resources – including Defense Production Act (DPA) funds – towards domestic mineral projects.
As one of the largest lithium resources in the US and situated on federal lands, Jindalee’s McDermitt Lithium Project stands to potentially benefit from these accelerated permitting processes and enhanced government support mechanisms. The clear commitment demonstrated by the US administration highlights the critical strategic advantage of domestically located mineral assets such as McDermitt, reinforcing its importance in securing robust domestic supply chains, essential for energy security
These are just a few examples of current market dynamics that point to a rapidly accelerating lithium resource development in the US.
An experienced management team, with the right blend of experience and expertise in geology, corporate administration and international finance, leads Jindalee to fully capitalize on the potential of its assets.
Company Highlights
- Jindalee Lithium is focused on its wholly owned flagship McDermitt Lithium Project, one of the largest lithium deposits in the US.
- McDermitt’s new prefeasibility study shows strong project economics, including a US$3.23 post-tax NPV8 based on the first 40 years of a 63 year-year mine life.
- Jindalee is committed to strengthening the North American critical minerals supply chain by reducing US reliance on foreign lithium, thereby enhancing energy security.
- The company’s wholly owned US subsidiary HiTech Minerals Inc, has executed a strategic Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Ames National Laboratory, which leads the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub.
- The company’s McDermitt deposit is sediment-hosted, an emerging style of lithium deposit with the potential to be a large scale, long-life, low-cost source of lithium.
- Ideally positioned to benefit from US administration’s push to increased domestic mineral production via permitting reformed increased funding.
- An experienced management team leads Jindalee towards capitalizing on the potential of its assets.
Key Project
McDermitt Lithium Project Economics
The economic metrics revealed in the PFS paint a compelling picture of the McDermitt Lithium Project’s potential:
Production Capacity: The Project is set to produce 1.8 Mt of battery-grade lithium carbonate over its first 40 years, with an annual output forecast of 47,500 tons per annum (tpa) in the initial 10 years, tapering to 44,300 tpa over the first 40 years.
Financial Metrics: The Project boasts a net present value (NPV) of US$3.23 billion at an 8 percent discount rate, with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 17.9 percent. These figures underscore the Project’s strong economic viability.
Payback Period: Investors can expect a payback period of less than five years, a relatively short timeframe for a project of this magnitude.
Break-even Price: The break-even NPV price is approximately US$14,600/t of lithium carbonate, providing a buffer against market fluctuations.
The PFS estimates a total project cost of US$3.02 billion, which includes a prudent 21 percent contingency margin. This substantial investment is balanced by impressive profitability projections, including an EBITDA margin of 66 percent generating post-tax free cash flow of US$6.6 billion during the first decade of operations. With a pre-tax net operating cashflow margin of 17 percent at current spot prices, McDermitt shows strong cash generation potential.
These financial indicators suggest that McDermitt is not only economically viable but potentially highly profitable, positioning it as an attractive prospect for investors and strategic partners alike.
Project Overview
The McDermitt Project is located in Malheur County on the Oregon-Nevada border and is approximately 35 kilometres west of the town of McDermitt. The 100-percent-owned asset covers 54.6 square kilometres of claims at the northern end of the McDermitt volcanic caldera.
The Project is characterized by its unique sedimentary lithium deposits, primarily composed of lithium-bearing clays, a geological formation that sets McDermitt apart from many other lithium projects worldwide. This sedimentary nature of the deposit offers several advantages:
- Consistent grade distribution throughout the ore body
- Potential for large-scale, low-cost mining operations
- Amenability to environmentally friendly extraction methods
The lithium-rich clays at McDermitt are part of a broader geological context that includes volcanic tuffs and sedimentary rocks. This geological setting is indicative of a complex depositional history, which has resulted in the concentration of lithium in economically viable quantities.
The 2023 mineral resources estimate (MRE) for the McDermitt Project contains a combined indicated and inferred mineral resource inventory of 3 billion tons at 1,340 parts per million (ppm) lithium for a total of 21.5 Mt LCE at 1,000 ppm cut-off grade.
Project Highlights:
- Rare Sediment-hosted Lithium Deposits: The McDermitt asset supports low-cost mining operations due to its flat-lying sediments. This type of lithium deposit is amenable to low-cost mining operations, while still producing excellent metallurgical results.
- A 62 percent resource increase in early 2023: Compilation of the 2022 drilling results saw the estimated indicated and inferred resources at McDermitt increase to 3 billion tons at 1,340 ppm lithium, a 62 percent increase in contained lithium.
- Fluor recommended processing route: In March 2023, US engineering group Fluor reviewed all testwork undertaken at McDermitt and recommended beneficiation and acid leaching as the optimal processing route.
- Completion of the PFS outlines large scale, long life and low cost source of American made battery grade lithium chemicals (November 2024)
Management Team
Ian Rodger – Chief Executive Officer
Ian Rodger is a qualified mining business executive with almost 15 years of experience in various roles including as a mining engineer for Rio Tinto across two large greenfield mine developments, before successfully transitioning into mining corporate finance where he held Executive and Director positions at RFC Ambrian overseeing origination and management of numerous mandates across a range of corporate advisory roles. Rodger was the project director for Oz Minerals (ASX:OZL) where he made significant contributions to successfully define the value potential of the West Musgrave nickel/copper province through the delivery of a portfolio of growth studies. Most notably, he led technical, market and partnership development workstreams, successfully confirming value potential for producing an intermediate Nickel product for the battery value chain.
Rodger holds a Bachelor of Mining Engineering from the University of Queensland, a Masters of Mineral Economics from Curtin University and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.
Lindsay Dudfield – Executive Director
Lindsay Dudfield is a geologist with over 40 years of experience in multi-commodity exploration, primarily within Australia. He held senior positions with the mineral divisions of Amoco and Exxon. In 1987, he became a founding director of Dalrymple Resources NL and spent the following eight years helping acquire and explore Dalrymple’s properties, leading to several greenfield discoveries. In late 1994, Lindsay joined the board of Horizon Mining NL (Jindalee Lithium’s predecessor) and has been responsible for managing Jindalee Lithium since inception. Lindsay is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, the Australian Institute of Geoscientists, the Geological Society of Australia and the Society of Economic Geologists. He is also a non-executive director of Jindalee spin-out companies Energy Metals (ASX:EME), Dynamic Metals (ASX:DYM) and Alchemy Resources (ASX:ALY).
Wayne Zekulich – Non-executive Chair
Wayne Zekulich was appointed to the board as Chair on 1 February 2024. He holds a Bachelor of Business and is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Zekulich is a consultant and non-executive director who has substantial experience in advising, structuring and financing transactions in the infrastructure and resources sectors. He was previously the head of Rothschild in Perth, chief financial officer of Gindalbie Metals Limited, chief development officer of Oakajee Port and Rail and a consultant to a global investment bank. Currently, he is chair of Pantoro (ASX:PNR) and non-executive director of the Western Australian Treasury Corporation. In the not-for-profit sector, he is the past chair of the Lester Prize and is a mentor in the Kilfinan program.
Darren Wates – Non-executive Director
Darren Wates is a corporate lawyer with over 23 years of experience in equity capital markets, mergers and acquisitions, resources, project acquisitions/divestments and corporate governance gained through private practice and in-house roles in Western Australia. Wates is the founder and principal of Corpex Legal, a Perth-based legal practice providing corporate, commercial and resources related legal services, primarily to small and mid-cap ASX listed companies. In this role, he has provided consulting general counsel services to ASX listed company Neometals (ASX:NMT), having previously been employed as legal counsel of Neometals. Wates holds Bachelor’s degrees in Law and Commerce and a Graduate Diploma in Applied Finance and Investment.
Paul Brown – Non-executive Director
Paul Brown has over 23 years of experience in the mining industry, most recently with Mineral Resources (ASX:MIN) where he was chief executive – lithium, and chief executive – commodities. Brown has held senior operating roles with Leighton, HWE and Fortescue (ASX:FMG) and has a strong track record in technical leadership, project/studies management, and mine planning and management. Brown is currently CEO of Core Lithium (ASX:CXO). He holds a Master in Mine Engineering.
Brett Marsh – VP Geology and Development (US)
Brett Marsh is an AIPG certified professional geologist and a registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) with over 25 years of diverse mining and geological experience. He has worked for and held senior leadership roles for Kastan Mining, Luna Gold, Kiska Metals, Newmont, Freeport-McMoRan, Phelps Dodge, ASARCO and consulted to deliver numerous NI 43-101 technical reports. Marsh has demonstrated the ability to deliver results in culturally diverse and geographically difficult environments, such as Brazil, Peru, Chile, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Tanzania, Indonesia, Australia, and has also worked in remote areas of Alaska. He has managed all phases of the mining lifecycle including greenfield and brownfield exploration, project development (including preliminary economic assessments, pre-feasibility and feasibility), project construction, mine operations, and environmental. He successfully led multi-cultural teams to develop business processes and implementation plans for many mine development and operational projects.
