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…the way to play the surging demand for….. Rare Metals
Research Capital Rare Metals Conference, April 30, 2008
AVL:TSX
www.avalonventures.com
demand for.. Rare Metals Research Capital Rare Metals Conference, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
AVL:TSX the way to play the surging demand for.. Rare Metals Research Capital Rare Metals Conference, April 30, 2008 www.avalonventures.com 1 Rare Metals Project Locations Thor Lake Rare Earths Tantalum-Cesium Tantalum Lithium
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www.avalonventures.com
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Lithium
Tantalum-Cesium
Tin-Indium
Thor Lake
Rare Earths Tantalum Niobium Zirconium Beryllium Gallium Lithium Hafnium Thorium
All 100% owned
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Creating a surge in demand for Rare Earths (REE) & Lithium
Very large size, high grade sub-zones Exceptional enrichment in Neodymium & Heavy REE
Key milestones being achieved in 2008-2009 Well-financed, experienced management
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Creating new materials which are
Renewable energy: solar power Energy efficiency: Hybrid and electric
Electronics: Flat screens, handhelds Aerospace: light weight alloys
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Rare Earth Elements
Light REE’s: La= Lanthanum Ce= Cerium Pr= Praseodymium Nd=Neodymium Sm= Samarium Heavy REE’s: Eu= Europium Gd= Gadolinium Tb=Terbium Dy= Dysprosium Ho= Holmium Er= Erbium Tm= Thulium Yb= Ytterbium Lu= Lutetium Y= Yttrium
Neodymium, Dysprosium, Terbium and Europium in highest demand
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Only found as a group, not found individually
LREE typically comprise 98-99% of resource
US$740/kg for Terbium vs US$3.50/kg for Cerium
HREE cannot be selectively extracted
Need for Nd + HREE rich deposits, which are rare
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Global REE Production by Region
Source: USGS
Roskill 2007 supply/demand forecast
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Prices are indicative, and basis FOB China 16.00 – 16.50 Phosphors, ceramics, lasers Yttrium Oxide 99.999% min 10.00 - 10.50 Magnets, superconductors Gadolinium Oxide 99%min 116 - 121 Magnets, lasers Dysprosium Oxide 99% min 720 - 740 Phosphors: green, magnets Terbium Oxide 99% min 465 - 485 TV colour phosphors: red Europium Oxide 99% min 4.25 – 4.75 Magnets, lighting, lasers Samarium Oxide 99% min 34.50 – 35.00 Magnets, lasers, glass Neodymium Oxide 99% min 33.80 – 34.30 Magnets, glass colourant Praseodymium Oxide 99% min 3.75 – 3.85 Catalyts, glass, polishing Cerium Oxide 99% min 7.50 – 8.00 Re-chargeable Batteries Lanthanum Oxide 99% min Price US$/kg Principal Uses Metal Oxide
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Source: Metal-Pages.com basis FOB China
40 80 120 2001 2004 2007 2008 Date Range $/Kg
Dysprosium
20 40 2001 2004 2007 2008 Date Range
Neodymium
$/Kg
Current Price: US$120/kg Current Price: US$35/kg
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Lutsel’ke
Proximity to Great Slave Lake provides access to railhead at Hay River by barge in summer and ice road in winter. Current access is fly-in.
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Thor Lake Lease 3266 (Lot 1006) Lease 3265 (Lot 1005)
Five 21-year renewable mining leases covering 10,500 acres
Lease 3267 (Lot 1007)
Hearne Channel
Grace
Blachford Lake
Lease 3179 (Lot 1000) 1 2 3 kilometres
LAND STATUS MAP
Lease 3178 (Lot 1001)
R
d
Lake Zone
T Zone
Lake
100% owned, subject to 5.5% NSR-type royalty interests
Acquired in 2005 for 2.5 million shares Previously explored in 1980’s by Highwood
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Thor
Ring
Den
Fred
Long
Megan Thorne Lake Lake
Lake Elbow Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
Lake
T-Zone North T-Zone South S Zone R Zone 500 metres 1000
Previous Drilling
Trailer Camp
Cressy Lake
Lake Zone
Tent Camp & Core Thor Lake Syenite
0.014 0.41 375,410,000 0.01 0.025 0.99 83,224,000 0.05 0.025 1.23 14,005,000 0.10 %Ta2O5 %TREO +Y2O3 Tonnes Cut-off %Y
Lake Zone REE-Ta Deposit 43-101 Inferred mineral resources Wardrop Eng., Jan. 07
TREO = Total Rare Earth Oxides Y2O3 = Yttrium oxide Ta2O5 = Tantalum oxide Beryllium
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resource of +2%TREO and complete pre-feasibility study by February, 2009
Engineering, permitting
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E-W Section line
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1.48%/14m 19% HREO 2.19%/23m 13% HREO 2.58%/20m 19% HREO 1.8% /16m 31% HREO 1.17%/28m 14% HREO
%TREO / width metres %HREO = proportion of heavy RE oxides
Basal REE Zone: Flat-lying zone 150
Amenable to low-cost u/g mining by decline
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0.70 4.40 0.70 4.10 1.20 9.80 1.80 14.3 1.60 10.4 15.6 1.70 4.40 0.30 29.0 Oxide % Lu Yb Tm Er Ho Dy Tb Gd Eu Sm Nd Pr Ce La Y REE tr tr tr .004 .005 0.03 0.02 0.17 0.12 0.80 12.0 4.3 49.1 33.2 0.1 Oxide % Lu Yb Tm Er Ho Dy Tb Gd Eu Sm Nd Pr Ce La Y REE
REE distribution in Thor Lake Fergusonite: Compared with a typical light rare earth ore mineral: Bastnaesite from Mountain Pass, CA Fergusonite is a rare yttrium-niobium oxide mineral containing unusually high proportions of the high value heavy REE plus neodymium A major mineral constituent of Lake Zone deposit Will produce a high value concentrate: est. $50,000/tonne No associated thorium = low radioactivity No current competing producers Valuable by-products: Tantalum and Niobium
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20µm
Zircon Fergusonite 200µm
DDH L07-55, 120-122m, 2.5% TREO, 0.65% HREO
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Deposit Name Tonnes(T) or tons(t) (mm) Grade % TREO TPY TREO Production Comments Bayan Obo 600 t 5.00% (10% rec. = 0.5%) 46,000 LREE, Bastnaesite By-product of iron
Very large 0.10% 7,000 HREE, environmental Issues (major) Sichuan, Mianning 17 T 3.00% 31,000 LREE, Bastnaesite
Deposit Name Tonnes(T) or tons(t) (mm) Grade % TREO TPY TREO Production Comments
Thor Lake 375 T 0.41% 4,000 to HREE + LREE, fergusonite Lake Zone 83.2 T 0.99% 5,000 (?) Allanite, high-grade 14 T 1.23% Sub-zones present
20 t 9.30% 5,000 LREE, Bastnaesite
7.7 T 12.00% 10,000 LREE, monazite Nolan’s Bore 18.6 T 3.10% 10,000 LREE, apatite Alkane 35.7 T 0.75% 1,200 LREE, by-product Hoidas Lake (GWG) 1.52 T 2.80% 3,000 LREE, allanite, apatite
Main Chinese Producing Districts Potential New Non-Chinese Producers
Thor Lake is the only potential significant new non-Chinese producer of HREE
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2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
2009 - 2010:
program
study
strategic discussions 2010 - 2012:
2012: Production 2008-2009: Definition drilling Metallurgical studies Preliminary engineering Pre-feasibility study
VALUE
2006 - 2007: Scoping study 2005: Acquisition
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Source: TSX Group
Thor Lake Acquistion Scoping Study
Thor Lake Acquisition Scoping Study Completed $16.8 million Financing Completed
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April 30, 2008 TSX: AVL Shares Outstanding Fully Diluted Market Capitalization Recent Price Range 52 Week High / Low All-Time High Cash Resources
Insider Share Position
Major institutions
Balance Sheet Assets
NASD: AVVTF SEG 12g3-2(b) No.82-4427 64,649,748 73,257,248 $80 million (F.D. @ $1.10) $ 1.00 - $ 1.20 $ 2.34 - $ 0.90 $ 3.45 ( October, 1997 ) $ 14.0 million
4.0 million shares (6.0%)
CPP, TDAM, Front St, Hancock, Seamans
$ 25.3 million (29/02/08)
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(1) Historical values not yet NI43-101 compliant (2) Based on cutoff % of 0.01% Y2O3 at a grade of 0.41% (3) cutoff % of 0.05% Y2O3 at a grade of 0.99%
Company Comparables (all values in Canadian dollars unless otherwise noted)
Company Price Market Capitalization Contained REO+Y ('000) Mkt Cap/
Local Currency
Arafura Resources Ltd. $0.75 $101.8 576.6 $176.63 Great Western Minerals Group $0.22 $24.7 42.1 $586.61 Rare Element Resources (1) $0.90 $21.4 163.4 $130.91 Lynas Corporation $1.33 $715.5 1,183.4 $604.63 Average $374.70 Avalon Ventures Ltd. (2) $1.09 $70.0 1,539.2 $45.47 Avalon Ventures Ltd. (3) $1.09 $70.0 823.9 $84.94
Lynas Corporation is the most advanced of the potential new producers and is 2-3 years ahead of Avalon on the path to production. Avalon should ultimately be rewarded with a similar market valuation.
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