Ann: Olaroz lithium facility update, page-90

Lots of negative comments on the GXY forum on the grade of Lithium produced by ORE, in fact even stating that it is below technical grade due to on going issues with ORE’s purification processes.

A further follow-up to the interview was done today regarding Orocobre’s recent quarterly report and low pricing.

Please comment on the recent low price results announced by Australian Junior Orocobre.

Actually I think it is quite simple, Orocobre has struggled with product quality from their start-up. In fact the product initially was so poor they had to create a new grade name for it – primary grade which meant it didn’t meet any existing specification. The only reason the product sold in the beginning was because there was a shortage in the market and the Orocobre product was only usable in most cases after a third party re-processed the material. 

Recently in China; local, poor quality brine product has been in greater supply, selling in the market at very low pricing. This is the material that much of ORE product is comparable too and, for the most part, competes with. You cannot compare ORE’s results and pricing with suppliers like Ganfeng, SQM, ALB, Livent, and Tianqi that make almost 100% of their product to global product specifications unlike Orocobre.