• Investments in European real estate record 22 percent increase during 2017
• American-Swiss Capital building portfolio of undervalued, high-rate-of-return properties
• Tivat, Montenegro, opportunities centered at Adriatic Sea’s Monaco-like coastline

Miami-based American-Swiss Capital, Inc. is preparing to take public its vision of an investment corridor to high-rate-of-return European properties, with the company’s recent registration statement seeking admission to the OTCQB tier of the OTC Markets Group, Inc. Marketplace. The stock quote request was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with an April 4 prospectus that identified a bid to offer a minimum of 1.25 million shares at $1 per share, with a maximum potential offering of five million shares.

American-Swiss Capital is built on the belief that the new venture’s knowledgeable team can identify profitable real estate investment opportunities designed to generate a high rate of return due to the properties’ distressed and undervalued qualities. The company’s current focus is on the European market – specifically properties in Tivat, Montenegro, where American-Swiss Capital has negotiated an agreement for a set of beachfront apartments, as well as land on the Tivat bay, where it aims to build villas in a gated community development that overlooks the Adriatic Sea.

Travel site Lonely Planet describes Tivat as an “erstwhile-mediocre seaside town” where visitors “could be forgiven for wondering if they’re in Monaco or Montenegro” because of the proliferation of super yachts in the bay, a posh promenade and rows of elegant buildings, thanks in large part to the redevelopment of the city’s old naval base into a first-class marina (http://ibn.fm/blO9n) – demonstrating the potential of the location’s Mediterranean climate (dry summers and mild, rainy winters), as it is already attracting “the uber-wealthy” and “less-loaded rubberneckers.”

The old-world charms of the vicinity include seafood restaurants and quiet mountainous hikes past picturesque stone homes, crumbling ruins, olive groves with man-powered mills and churches dating back to the ninth and 14th centuries, while nearby Kotar delivers more of the bauble associated with tourism hubs.

Montenegro presents an attractive business opportunity for foreign investors, and the country’s Montenegrin Investment Promotion Agency (“MIPA”) expresses its commitment to economic development by welcoming foreign investors.

American-Swiss Capital has negotiated a significant restructuring of the debt on the beachfront apartments with the mortgage holder. The 18 units at the heart of the coastline’s burgeoning tourism industry were built in 2012 but were never occupied. They range in size from 60 to 160 square meters, about 646 to 1,700 square feet, and the property has a private beach with a fixed pontoon boat berth. The separate gated community project is located on four acres where American-Swiss Capital anticipates building 30 villas of 360 square meters (about 3,875 square feet) on the Bay of Kotor. The proceeds from the direct public offering would be applied first to acquiring the land for the gated community, and then to building a prototype villa and retiring the apartments debt as proceeds become available (http://ibn.fm/K2Ft1). An April 10 Twitter post noted that the company is also scouting land for its next project, which it stated would be “HUGE!”

Real estate transaction volumes rose 10 percent worldwide year-over-year during the fourth quarter of 2017, amounting to full-year volumes of $698 billion for 2017, according to global market analyst JLL (http://ibn.fm/Gz8KB). The agency reported that, despite political uncertainties, investors have remained confident in the performance of the real estate sector – particularly in Europe, where all regions registered growth during the year. The United Kingdom led the continent’s performance overall with a 37 percent rise in annual volumes, but investor appetite for European real estate across the entire area still showed a healthy 22 percent increase for the year.

American-Swiss Capital is led by CEO John Karatzaferis, who served for 25 years as a consultant for several major organizations, including PeopleCo., AGWS, and NAB Bank in Melbourne, Australia. He is accompanied by Robert Sultani, a recently appointed director who is also a managing director of RCS Global Services, an international firm providing advisory, audit and training services with respect to the sourcing of natural resources. He has worked in the Middle East region since 1985 with companies in the telecommunications, information technology, petroleum, finance, software and petrochemical industries.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.AS-Capital.com

• Clients now have the ability to sign up for REFG’s services through the company’s Take.Green website
• High demand for efficient, cannabis-focused banking solutions
• Simplifying the process of medical cannabis purchases for customers and merchants

Medical Cannabis Payment Solutions (OTC: REFG) offers one-of-a-kind comprehensive card processing operations through its Take.Green website, which serves the state-sanctioned medical marijuana industry, and now the company provides the opportunity for merchants to sign up for its services online. Previously, REFG was only working with targeted establishments, but it now offers its services to the entire state-sanctioned medical cannabis industry.

The interest and activity generated by its new online application process has greatly exceeded REFG’s expectations. The dramatic increase in web traffic reveals the market demand for this efficient, cannabis-focused banking solution. Merchants sign up directly on the Take.Green website (http://ibn.fm/J8Dd9) through a quick and easy process, allowing customers and patients to link directly to a checking account at any U.S. bank. Customers are able to purchase medical cannabis with electronic funds, eliminating many of the problems previously faced in this industry related to being a fully cash business. Vendors are able to use Green for virtual banking, managing funds, tracking sales, taxes, payroll and bill paying, as well as other business transactions.

To open an account online, merchants only need a few minutes, an email address, a business address and proof of licensure in the client’s respective state. Once the client has activated payment features, they can start collecting payments using Green, move funds without compliance problems, transfer from one bank to another or spend directly from the Green account.  The merchant’s customers are able to use their Green Cards to make their purchases. These cards, while able to be used at any dispensary, can be branded with a specific dispensary’s logo.

The tech is compatible with most point-of-sale systems, and customers can set up accounts in seconds to make their purchases. Funds are securely and electronically transmitted from the customer’s account directly to the merchant account, and they are available to the merchant within 24 hours. Green makes sure that the process complies with federal guidelines in real time, keeping the dispensary compliant. This inexpensive, easy-to-use system aims to eliminate the payment headaches common to this industry.

For more information, please visit the company’s website at www.Take.green

• Novel drug delivery system scientifically proven to increase absorption, bioavailability and efficacy
• New U.S. patents awarded, strengthening company’s IP portfolio
• Wide variety of patent families with ranging applications

Building off DehydraTECH™, its patented lipophilic drug delivery platform, Lexaria Bioscience Corp. (CSE: LXX) (OTCQX: LXRP) has received another new Notice of Allowance from the United States Patent and Trademark Office that protects the company’s processes for making specific compositions of matter for enhanced cannabinoid delivery (http://ibn.fm/P1Q5a). This latest announcement comes on the heels of Lexaria’s March 22, 2018, press release that announced its receipt of a Notice of Allowance for the compositions of matter that protect the specific combination of substances which enable improved taste and bioabsorption properties of its DehydraTECH™ technology for the delivery of cannabinoids (http://ibn.fm/IDFEn). With over 35 patents pending worldwide, it’s expected that these recent notices will lead to Lexaria’s third and fourth granted United States patents.

These patents will protect processes for making specific compositions of matter and methods of manufacture and use for Lexaria’s cost-effective lipophilic delivery technology, DehydraTECH™. Lexaria’s innovative technology has been laboratory and market proven to enhance the performance of beneficial compounds in ingestible products. The gastrointestinal tract doesn’t absorb cannabinoids easily, causing wide deviation in onset times and effectiveness. Lexaria’s lipophilic enhancement technology increases the bio-absorption of cannabinoids by between five and 10 times that of traditional edibles. The onset times are also reduced by about 75 percent due to rapid bio-absorption and suspected liver bypass. Already scientifically proven to enhance absorption of orally ingested cannabinoids, Lexaria’s novel drug delivery platform is applicable across a wide range of different vitamins, drug types and cannabinoids, dramatically impacting bio-absorption and bioavailability, as well as taste, smell and speed of action.

Lexaria’s DehydraTECH™ intellectual property portfolio now consists of a wide variety of patent families covering a broad range of lipophilic active substances in foods, beverages and nutritional supplements, as well as in topical preparations and pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Lexaria’s novel drug delivery technology is a potential game changer for the delivery methodologies of many commonly used active pharmaceutical substances. With proven efficacy in the delivery of all cannabinoids, Lexaria’s complementary technology could prove immensely important for cannabinoid biopharmaceutical companies, as well as an array of other pharma and food companies. The technology provides an additional layer of effectiveness designed to harmonize with the intellectual properties of manufacturers, and it can be used with both patented and generic pharmaceutical substances.

Already out-licensing its technology, Lexaria’s is well on its way to fully implementing its long-term strategy of partnering with leading pharmaceutical, biopharma, nutraceutical, vitamin and food companies to make payload delivery predictable, safer and more effective. With the broad applications of Lexaria’s disruptive drug delivery platform and the ever-increasing portfolio of valuable patents, Lexaria appears to have the potential to dramatically alter the delivery mechanisms of a wide range orally administered bioactive molecules, including cannabinoids, vitamins, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), nicotine and other molecules. The ramifications of such a transformation in drug delivery could bode exceptionally well for current and future shareholders.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.LexariaBioscience.com

• Company shares rose by more than 45 percent in Thursday trading on volume in excess of 14.7 million
• Fourth quarter and fiscal year 2017 conference call scheduled for April 17

DPW Holdings Inc. (NYSE American: DPW), a diversified holding company, saw its shares record a huge surge during Thursday trading. Approaching market close, the company’s PPS hovered near $1.21, up 46.29 percent on the day. This performance comes as DPW Holdings prepares to host a conference call announcing its fourth quarter and fiscal year 2017 financial results. The call, currently scheduled for Tuesday, April 17, 2018, at 3:30 PM PST, will be hosted by company chairman and CEO Milton ‘Todd’ Ault III and CFO William Horne.

Established in 1969, DPW Holdings has implemented a growth strategy focused on the acquisition of undervalued assets, disruptive technologies, sustainable solutions and impactful ventures for incubation and development. The company invests in a variety of industries within the commercial, defense/aerospace, industrial, telecom, medical, crypto mining, hospitality, textile and investment/corporate lending markets. Through these investments, DPW Holdings has established itself as a leading supplier of innovative technologies and services, with a list of customers that includes some of the world’s most recognizable brands.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.DPWHoldings.com

• Focusing on the initial vision of financial consulting to the Chinese-speaking community
• Recent developments in CIIX’s cryptocurrency media and educational services, cryptocurrency ATMs and cryptocurrency mining shared at MicroCap Conference
• Committed to continued real-time education regarding use of cryptocurrency

ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) provides real-time market commentary, analysis and education-related services to the Chinese-speaking community. “The company endeavors to be on the cutting edge of blockchain technology and to stay ahead of the curve in an effort to continue to build shareholder value and increase revenues this year,” CEO Warren Wang stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/G6SZO). As the company spins off its hemp assets into a private company, it is refocusing on its initial vision of financial consulting. The company seeks to explore new ways of expansion within its core financial services. This move allows CIIX to focus on brand building, financial marketing and a recent move into the cryptocurrency and blockchain technology industry.

This past week, Wang presented at the MicroCap Conference in New York City. Micro- and small-cap attendees were presented information into CIIX’s developments in cryptocurrency business. Recent developments within the company were shared, including its developing cryptocurrency business focusing on cryptocurrency media and educational services, cryptocurrency ATMs and cryptocurrency mining.

The focus on educating CIIX’s global Chinese-speaking audience is evident on its crypto news website, www.NewCoins168.com, and through its daily video broadcast, ‘Bitcoin MultiMillionaire’, reporting on cryptocurrency news from the floor of the NYSE. These platforms only strengthen the company’s focus on being a leader in financial information. The company continues to be on the cutting edge of technology, with the use of a Bitcoin ATM in the lobby of its San Gabriel, California, headquarters providing instruction in both Chinese and English.

CIIX is also investigating ventures into cryptocurrency mining following its recent purchase of application specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”) machines that mine for cryptocurrencies, such as bitcoin and Litecoin. Initial reports suggest this will be a successful venture, and CIIX is considering the purchase of 500 or more additional ASIC units plus other equipment for blockchain mining.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ChineseInvestors.com

• International digital P2P remittances via mobile and online platforms expected to exceed $300 billion by 2021
• IEGH explores $32 billion Philippines remittance market
• Digital financial services enable people working abroad to remit or send money home

Consumer loan provider IEG Holdings Corp. (OTCQB: IEGH) recently announced plans to explore entering the remittance services market through the launch of a cryptocurrency by Investment Evolution Coin Ltd. (“IEC Ltd.”), a Singapore-incorporated public unlisted company managed by IEG Holdings CEO Paul Mathieson (http://ibn.fm/4YQZj). IEGH recently provided an opportunity for its shareholders to obtain shares in IEC Ltd. (http://ibn.fm/yKHWe), allowing them to be involved in the crypto industry with less risk.

Remittance is a vital financial transfer tool used by immigrants working abroad as they send money back home to support family members. A study by Juniper Research states that migrant workers are expected to remit or transfer more than $300 billion by 2021, up from an estimated $225 billion in 2018 (http://ibn.fm/QdhIi). The research also predicts that digital-only money transfer operators will increase their share of the market as blockchain technology evolves and begins to play a bigger role in secure transaction settlements.

IEC Ltd. is exploring the launch of a new cryptocurrency called Investment Evolution Coin that will simplify and lessen the expense of financial transfers to the Philippines from nationals who work in other countries such as Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Singapore (http://ibn.fm/gkDny). Lowering fees for remittance payments through the use of a secure, blockchain-based cryptocurrency is expected to disrupt traditional money transfer competitors.

In the Philippines, international remittances are a key part of the economy. Over 10 million Filipinos work abroad, and, like millions of other expats, they send part of their wages back to family members. The World Bank estimates that Filipinos remitted nearly $33 billion to their home country in 2017 and paid 7.2 percent of the amount sent (on average) to transfer the funds (http://ibn.fm/QyJFe).

“We believe potentially combining the exciting new blockchain technology with a leading sophisticated online consumer finance system, individual US state lending licenses and exposure to the Philippines $28 billion OFW (overseas foreign worker) remittance sector is a very exciting proposition,” Mathieson said in a news release.

IEG Holdings is already a global leader in consumer finance, offering unsecured, personal loans of $5,000 and $10,000 in 20 states via a state-licensed operating subsidiary, Investment Evolution Corporation, under the consumer brand ‘Mr. Amazing Loans’. Expanding its reach in the consumer lending market continues to be a primary focus of IEG Holdings. The company, which boasts an 80 percent repeat customer business rate, is working with additional states to expand consumer access to its loans through its Mr. Amazing Loans online portal, www.MrAmazingLoans.com.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.InvestmentEvolution.com

• Demand for cobalt predicted to surge as electric vehicle market revs up
• Cobalt is an essential element in the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries used in EV market and mobile devices
• Global battery market projected to reach $17.26 billion by 2021
• Building the world’s largest pure-play cobalt exploration company with interests in historic Canadian Cobalt Camp

Fueling renewable batteries requires cobalt, a coveted, rare metal that is projected to fall into short supply by 2025 (http://ibn.fm/g81zP). Canadian-headquartered First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQB: FTSSF) is the largest landowner in Ontario’s Cobalt Camp, with control of over 10,000 hectares (nearly 25,000 acres) of prospective land and 50 historic cobalt/silver mines. The company’s assets include a mill and the only permitted cobalt extraction refinery in North America capable of producing battery material, providing an integrated solution for cobalt projects (http://ibn.fm/MFh2B).

World governments are quickly moving to ban gas and diesel engines in an effort to slash carbon emissions, turning instead to electric powered vehicles. The global battery market that powers this surging sector is expected to reach $17.26 billion by 2021, according to a report by MarketsandMarkets (http://ibn.fm/1bCIT). First Cobalt’s exploratory drilling efforts continue to show promising potential, with the latest signs of cobalt mineralization appearing in drill results from the Woods Extension Zone of Cobalt South in the Canadian Cobalt Camp, as noted in a recent news release by First Cobalt president and CEO Trent Mell.

“We remain encouraged by the cobalt potential of the Woods Extension Zone,” Mell said in a news release (http://ibn.fm/lIyJW). “Broad breccia areas have not been seen previously at either the Frontier or Keeley Mines and new fault zones continue to be found. We have confirmed cobalt occurs in two different structures at relatively shallow depths that may extend to surface. The key objective of the 2018 exploration program is to identify potential targets in the Cobalt Camp that could be amenable to open pit mining.”

In addition, positive assay results taken from two drill holes near the Kerr Mine in the Cobalt North area of the Cobalt Camp (http://ibn.fm/skxdA) show both cobalt and silver, indicating a potential network of mineralization across more than 100 meters. Three additional holes have been drilled and logged, with assays now pending. Preliminary results have so far shown significant copper, lead and zinc intersecting the mineralized zone, indicating a more easily targeted follow-up drilling area than individual veins would offer, Mell said.

More than half of the world’s cobalt supply is mined in the politically unstable Democratic Republic of the Congo, where rising concerns over documented cases of child labor in the mines is driving a significant flurry of interest into alternative, conflict-free cobalt sources – including First Cobalt’s historic mining region.

“Anybody who has cobalt outside the DRC is in a better situation because carmakers are very worried about their supply chains,” Roger Bell, director of mining research at Hannam & Parters in London, stated in a Bloomberg report (http://ibn.fm/CQwes). Bell believes that the amount of cobalt being used in electric cars could easily double in the next eight to 15 years. “Even in the most conservative assumptions, you’re looking at maybe a 20 percent gap between supply and demand for cobalt by 2025,” he added.

First Cobalt’s approach to ethical, responsible mining and refining of cobalt resources includes a transparent tracing of how the company conducts its exploration programs. First Cobalt adopted the Responsible Cobalt Initiative in 2017, which calls on member companies to identify and address potential adverse impacts arising from their business activities and relationships. Tracking how cobalt is extracted, transported, manufactured and sold is part of the initiative’s framework (http://ibn.fm/vVybm).

First Cobalt’s recent agreement to acquire Idaho-based US Cobalt Inc. (TSX.V: USCO) (OTCQB: USCFF) enhances the company’s position as a pure-play North American cobalt company, as Mell detailed in a news release (http://ibn.fm/qaGdP).

“We foresee a shortage of cobalt over the next five years yet there are few companies doing significant work to identify new sources of supply,” Mell said in announcing the deal. “This transaction creates a larger platform to discover and develop cobalt projects for the growing electric vehicle market by combining high quality North American assets in two of the best cobalt jurisdictions outside the DRC. US Cobalt’s Idaho project complements our Canadian Cobalt Camp properties, offering upside potential for shareholders of both companies.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ibn.fm/FTSSF

• Developing technology that can deliver and manage complex, digitally secure transactions while serving a broad range of vertical markets in the fintech space
• Set to release 359’s first sports predictive analytics product dedicated to the popular global sport of cricket in the second quarter of 2018
• Leveraging industry expertise in the mobile app market, including the online and mobile gaming industry

Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CSRH) is a software development and mobile platform company focused on delivering compliant complex mobile-based transactions. 359 Mobile Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of CSRH, is developing end-to-end fintech solutions for various markets. Over the last eight years, 359 has developed the Universal Mobile Interface™ (UMI). This technology can deliver and manage complex, digitally secure transactions servicing a broad range of vertical markets in the fintech space. The UMI is unique and flexible for each individual client.

A joint business agreement between 359 and DevLex Ltd. is set to facilitate the release of 359’s first mobile sports predictive analytics platform (DV-PA). The first launch will be focused on the estimated 2.5 billion global cricket fans. The Cricket DV-PA is expected to be available on Google Play and the App Store for both Android and iOS devices in the second quarter of 2018. The Cricket DV-PA is a unique app offering predictive analysis built upon historical data and relevant updated cricket team and player statistics.

CSRH is developing its software and mobile publishing resources, and it is working to build partnerships and licensing agreements for a variety of mobile offerings – including those within the online and mobile gaming industry. With an estimated 164 million people worldwide using mobile devices for online gambling, there is a great need for secure connectivity and content. With worldwide consumer commitment to mobile app stores predicted to exceed $110 billion by the end of 2018 (http://ibn.fm/eAqvZ), CSRH is working to leverage its expertise across this growing market.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Consorteum.com

• Several proprietary products developed and ready to market in Canada, California and global markets
• Cannabis product sales expected to generate significant revenue
• Pivot’s IP portfolio includes global patents to cement its leading position in the cannabis industry

On April 4, 2018, Pivot Pharmaceuticals Inc. (CSE: PVOT) (OTCQB: PVOTF) (FRA: NPAT) published an update on the advancements of its industry-leading cannabis product pipeline (http://ibn.fm/leP8x). A newly developed 1% cannabidiol (CBD) oral micelle solution, created in collaboration with the company’s German technology partner, Solmic GmbH, is ready to market. The development of two topical creams using Pivot’s patented formulation and delivery systems is also complete. This formulation will be used to treat a variety of indications, including chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.

Following this development, Pivot anticipates launching several products in Canada when nationwide legalization of cannabis officially begins this summer. The company also expects to begin sales of these products in California during Q3 2018, along with the launch of its proprietary line of ‘Ready-to-Infuse-Cannabis’ (RTIC) natural health products. Sales of bulk powder, stick packs and capsules are expected to generate significant revenue.

Pivot’s current patents provide a critical opportunity for the company to create proprietary products that will be unmatched in quality by other licensed producers and product distributors. Pivot’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio covers several key patents that have demonstrated their ability to deliver pharmaceutical-grade products in clinical trials. The company is ready to manufacture and commercialize its product pipeline in expectation of cannabis legalization in Canada and in regulated international markets.

Pivot’s distinctive business model entails acquiring disruptive drug formulation and delivery technologies, followed by the development of reproducible bio-cannabis products for consumers. The company’s patent-protected products provide significant industry advantages. In accordance with the policy of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Pivot’s patents will provide exclusive rights while enabling the company to establish a strong market position and deliver higher returns on investment. They also present opportunities to license or sell inventions and establish a strong position to negotiate with companies that may infringe upon patented rights.

In a news release, Dr. Patrick Frankham, CEO of Pivot Pharmaceuticals, stated, “Canadian Licensed Producers have invested extensively in dried flower and oil production capacity but have not focused on downstream sustainable quality products made from cannabis. Consumers deserve and will demand products that work, whereas regulatory authorities will require high quality, reproducible and safe products. Pivot has positioned itself to be the market leader of bio-cannabis products.”

Pivot Pharmaceuticals is focused on the development and commercialization of cannabinoid-based therapeutic pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products using proprietary drug delivery platform technologies. The research, development and commercialization of products is conducted by the company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Pivot Green Stream Health Solutions Inc. (PGS).

PGS has acquired global rights to BiPhasix™ transdermal drug delivery, Thrudermic transdermal nanotechnology, Solmic oral solubilization and RTIC oil-to-powder technologies. These technologies are used in the development of cannabinoid, CBD and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) based products. The company’s product development pipeline includes PGS-N001, a candidate for the topical treatment of female sexual dysfunction. Other candidates in the pipeline include PGS-N005 for the treatment of psoriasis and PGS-N007 for cancer supportive care.

Pivot Pharmaceuticals’ development program is well on track toward cementing the company’s position in the cannabis industry. The company’s proprietary pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products are set to establish themselves as leaders in their respective areas of application.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.PivotPharma.com

• Increasing electric vehicle output drives lithium demand
• Room to grow, with electric vehicle segment still less than one percent of auto market
• QMC Quantum Minerals is one of just a handful of North American lithium miners

With over one million electric vehicles now crisscrossing roads around the globe, it’s going to take more than a bunny beating a drum to keep them going. If the 70 kWh battery pack inside the Tesla Model S is anything to go by, each EV of around the same size will require about 60-65 kilograms (132-143 lbs.) of lithium. That’s an awful lot of lithium, and, even though reserves of the mineral are more than adequate, getting it out in time is posing a problem. As a result, North American automakers are scrambling to ensure security of supply and may soon be turning to QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ) (OTC: QMCQF). The junior exploration company is preparing to mine lithium at Cat Lake, Manitoba. The Irgon Lithium Mine Project property hosts several rare-element granitic pegmatite occurrences, one of which is the Irgon Lithium Mine Dike. The Irgon Dike has a published, historical, non NI43-101 compliant, near surface resource of 1.2 million tons of 1.51 percent Li2O.

Demand for lithium continues to grow, driven by increasing adoption of electric vehicles and the ubiquitous use of portable devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops and fitness watches. The metal is an essential component of the batteries that provide power for these devices. A lot of this lithium comes from South America in an area known as the ‘Lithium Triangle’ because of the three countries – Argentina, Bolivia and Chile – that comprise it. This Lithium Triangle is estimated to hold over half of the world’s reserves, but current production methods mean that supplies come to market slowly.

The lithium there occurs in underground reservoirs of brines, and, to extract it, the brines are pumped into ponds where, through natural solar heat and atmospheric action, the water evaporates. Since the process requires hardly any output of energy, it is very cost-effective. However, it takes time; evaporation can take months. Consequently, lithium demand always seems to be outstripping supply. Supplies from mineral ore sources might be just the answer. In the past, lithium has been extracted from spodumene, lepidolite and petalite. Notably, the ores at QMC Quantum Minerals’ Irgon Property are pegmatite occurrences rich in spodumene.

The Irgon Dike and several other known pegmatite dikes are situated on 13 adjoining mineral claims covering 6,538 acres, which comprise the Irgon Lithium Mine Property. The property lies within the east-trending Mayville-Cat-Euclid Greenstone Belt (MCEGB) located along the northern contact of the Maskwa Lake Batholith. This northern greenstone belt has a similar structural geological setting to the Bird River Greenstone Belt (BRGB), which is located along the southern contact of the same batholith and is parallel to and approximately 18 km to the south of the MCEGB. The property is located 20 km north of the Tanco Mine Property. The BRGB hosts the world-class Tanco rare element-bearing pegmatite dike. The Tanco Mine went into production in 1969 and produced tantalum, cesium and lithium concentrate. It was previously North America’s largest and sole producer of spodumene, tantalite and pollucite.

As EV production kicks into top gear, demand for lithium is set to grow quickly, particularly in North America, where less than one percent of vehicles are currently electric. With over 200 million diesel and gasoline models to be replaced in the coming years, lithium producers appear to have a clear road to success ahead.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.QMCMinerals.com