• Texas-based MetzOhanian specializes in developing blockchain solutions
• Petroteq believes that blockchain technology will create huge savings and increase trust
• Industry experts predict that blockchain applications could increase oil industry profits

Petroteq Energy Inc. (TSX.V: PQE) (OTC: PQEFF), a company that develops and implements new technologies for the energy industry, has engaged a software engineering firm to create blockchain applications for its PetroBLOQ platform, according to a company press release (http://ibn.fm/q6h1a).

MetzOhanian, a Texas-based software development and security firm, specializes in building blockchain solutions. Petroteq intends to use blockchain technology to improve efficiency and transparency in its supply chain, leading to major cost savings and enhanced security and trust.

A number of industry experts believe that blockchain will play a major role in boosting the oil industry’s profitability (http://ibn.fm/tF83x). Specifically, using blockchain technologies in supply line management could reduce inefficiencies that currently cost the industry a lot of time and money. MetzOhanian, with its Texas roots, is familiar with the supply chain challenges that confront the oil industry. MetzOhanian specializes in creating software for businesses, including business automation, software and hardware integration and supply chain applications.

“The use by Petroteq of a blockchain based platform designed by PetroBLOQ is anticipated to provide Petroteq with the latest administrative technology to interface with our customers, vendors, and suppliers in real-time. Internally it will enhance the efficiency of operations, reduce administrative costs, and provide support to our departmental systems, so that our team can be in touch anywhere in the world,” Dr. Jerry Bailey, who holds the dual role of advisor to PetroBLOQ and president and director of Petroteq, stated in a news release. “We believe that petroleum companies will find blockchain to be a useful tool in sharing information within the industry and will allow them to better service their clients and provide a level of transparency between the parties.”

David Sealock, CEO of Petroteq, added that, even in the early days of blockchain application in the energy industry, PetroBLOQ’s blockchain principles have a compelling potential to create a technology consortium for remediation and reclamation projects. “We anticipate that as interest grows in leveraging Petroteq’s proprietary technology for surface oil sands mining, the remediation and cleaning of contaminated sites and oil waste reclamation will come to the forefront. We expect that the integration of technologies provides the possibility of creating long term investments in the profit potential of something as game changing as blockchain.”

Petroteq has developed and patented an environmentally friendly and sustainable technology that extracts heavy oil from oil sands, oil shale deposits and shallow oil deposits. This green technology process, unlike other oil sands extraction practices, leaves no waste and produces no greenhouse gas emissions.

The company is in the final stages of preparations to begin extraction operations at its heavy oil extraction facility in Asphalt Ridge, Utah. Petroteq plans to begin producing 1,000 barrels of oil per day before gradually expanding production capacity to increase output to 8,000 barrels per day by late 2020 or early 2021.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Petroteq.energy

• Flagship project located in a world class jurisdiction with decades of production infrastructure in place
• Agreements with commercial operators to access existing brine production to fast track development
• Agreement to locate and install its rapid lithium extraction process inside an operating chemical plant
• Global lithium compounds market projected to reach U.S. $5.87 billion by 2020
• Technological advances provide access to low cost, battery-grade lithium materials
• World demand for lithium expected to increase 300% by 2025
• Partnerships with the University of British Columbia, Saltworks, Zeton and SGS Canada are focused on developing, building and demonstrating new lithium extraction technologies

Standard Lithium Ltd. (TSX.V: SLL) (FRA: S5L) (OTC: STLHF) is focused on unlocking the value of existing large-scale U.S.-based lithium brine resources that can quickly be brought into production. The Company believes new lithium production can rapidly be brought on stream by minimizing project risks at selection stage; resource, political & geographic, and regulatory & permitting; and by leveraging advances in lithium extraction technologies and processes.

The Company’s flagship project is in southern Arkansas. The more than 180,000-acre “Smackover Project” is in the most prolific and productive brine processing region in North America. Agreements with large commercial brine operators in the region will allow Standard Lithium to utilize the extensive existing infrastructure, including brine supply and disposal pipelines, water, power and a trained workforce to fast-track project development timelines.

“Arkansas produces about 9.4 billion gallons of brine per year, according to 2010-2016 average statistics reported by the Arkansas Oil & Gas Commission.”

Standard Lithium signed a binding MoU with global specialty chemicals company LANXESS Corporation and its U.S. affiliate Great Lakes Chemical Corporation with the purpose of demonstrating the commercial viability of extraction of lithium from brine (“tail brine”) that is produced as part of LANXESS’ bromine extraction business at its three Southern Arkansas facilities.

LANXESS’ land operations in Southern Arkansas encompass more than 150,000 acres, 10,000 brine leases and surface agreements and 250 miles of pipelines. LANXESS extracts the brine from its wells located throughout the area, and the brine is transported to the three Arkansas plants through a network of pipelines. The three bromine extraction plants currently employ approximately 500 people and process and reinject several hundred thousand barrels of brine per day.

Standard Lithium has developed a breakthrough rapid lithium extraction process that reduces the recovery time of extracting lithium from brine to as little as several hours vs. the current industry method that takes years. The process is also much more environmentally friendly with a significantly smaller footprint than the conventional processes. The company has a signed agreement to locate a demonstration scale lithium extraction plant inside one of LANXESS’ chemical plants in Southern Arkansas.

The Company has also signed an option agreement with NYSE-listed Tetra Technologies for the lithium rights for exploration, extraction, and possible commercial development on approximately 30,000 acres of brine leases in Southern Arkansas. The largest available land package.

Recent laboratory results of four brine samples recovered from two existing wells in Standard Lithium’s project area showed lithium concentrations ranging between 347-461 mg/L lithium, with an average of 450 mg/L lithium in one of the wells and 350 mg/L in the other. Geological modeling of the project area is complete, and a maiden resource report is on the horizon.

Market Opportunity

World demand for lithium continues to surge. The global lithium compounds market is projected to reach U.S. $5.87 billion by 2020 at a compound annual growth rate of 13.22% between 2015 and 2020. Lithium-ion batteries are the fastest growing segment of the market.

Leadership

Standard Lithium’s commitment to being a premier, innovation-driven company focused on developing and commercializing new modern processes for lithium extraction is bolstered by the leading experts that comprise the company’s Scientific Advisory Council. Each member was selected because of their experience and expertise in areas that are central to and/or complement Standard Lithium’s current development plans. Standard Lithium recently welcomed to the Council world-renowned chemist Dr. Barry Sharpless, the recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work on chirally catalyzed oxidation reactions.

Standard Lithium is led by a team of professionals with proven strong technical and project development skills. CEO Robert Mintak has a global network of industry contacts and is a pioneer in the rapidly evolving lithium space. COO and President Dr. Andy Robinson is an experienced geoscientist with 20+ years of experience and a PhD in Geochemistry from the University of Bristol, UK. Dr. Robinson has worked on a wide range of projects in the resource, power and energy sectors in Europe, Africa, and North and South America.

The company recently appointed Robert Cross as non-executive chairman. Cross is an engineer with 25 years of experience as a financier and company builder in the mining and oil and gas sectors. He co-founded and serves as chairman of B2Gold, a top-performing growing gold producer which is expected to achieve nearly 1 million ounces of low-cost gold production in 2018. He was also co-founder and chairman of Bankers Petroleum Ltd.; co-founder and chairman of Petrodorado Energy Ltd.; and until October 2007 was the non-executive chairman of Northern Orion Resources Inc. He also was previously the chairman and CEO of Yorkton Securities Inc., and a partner in investment banking with Gordon Capital Corp. in Toronto. Cross has an engineering degree from the University of Waterloo (1982) and received an MBA from Harvard in 1987.

Following a multi-million-dollar financing in Q1 2018, Standard Lithium is well-positioned to meet its upcoming milestones including two maiden resource reports and the launch of its breakthrough rapid lithium extraction technology.

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

• CEO John ‘JT’ Thatch says that SHRV’s gross sales in May represented its top monthly revenue total since the debut of the health and wellness division’s Elevacity Global product line and Elepreneur sales force last December
• Record May revenues continue SHRV’s momentum, building on sales figures in March and April that were also notable as all-time high results
• Chairman Robert Oblon said that execution of SHRV’s unique Blue Ocean Strategy is a factor in peak sales, and partnering with more providers will support future growth

Sharing Services, Inc. (OTC: SHRV) reported its third consecutive record gross sales month, reaching more than $4 million in May. This followed highs of $3.5 million in April and $2.4 million in March (http://ibn.fm/Fc01g). SHRV said that its record sales are being driven by the success of its Elevacity products. May SHRV sales clocked in at the company’s best monthly total since the launch of Elevacity last December, the company said.

Elevacity is a health and wellness line that includes its D.O.S.E. products, anti-aging Elier Mud, vitamin patches designed to generate energy and the Timeless line of skincare for men and women.

SHRV is a Plano, Texas-based diversified holding company that owns, operates or controls a variety of companies engaged in direct selling through independent sales representatives. It also offers services such as energy, technology and insurance.

“We are very pleased that our sales continue to grow in the summer months, with most of the credit going to the great team at Elepreneurs and their hard work,” Thatch stated in a news release.

Blue Ocean selling is a concept of marketing in an uncontested marketplace. April sales growth built the company’s momentum on a “grand scale,” Oblon said (http://ibn.fm/sJDTv).

The company plans to grow in the future, in part, by adding more providers. It earlier signed a joint venture agreement with Hong Kong-based Health Wealth & Happiness Ltd. (“HWH”) to sell its products throughout Asia and expand its Elepreneur program (http://ibn.fm/sFucI).

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

• Attributes majority of increase to consumer product sales through wholly owned subsidiaries
• Hemp oil and liquor product sales increased by 28,859 percent
• Cryptocurrency revenue increase of 1,062 percent
• Plans to expand CBD products beyond China and Los Angeles and throughout the U.S., Canada and Asia

In a recent press release (http://ibn.fm/A1gyt), ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX), the premier financial information website for Chinese-speaking investors, reported a 41 percent year-over-year increase in revenues for the 2018 fiscal year. The company attributes the majority of this increase to consumer product sales through its wholly owned subsidiaries, ChineseHempOil.com Inc. and CBD Biotechnology Co., Ltd.

According to Warren Wang, CEO of ChineseInvestors.com, the significant growth in revenue is largely attributed to CIIX’s consumer product line and strategic focus on CBD hemp sales in China. Hemp oil and liquor products have increased the company’s consumer product sales by 28,859 percent. At the close of the 2017 fiscal year, consumer product sales were at $1,308. At the close of the 2018 fiscal year, sales were at $377,719.

While strategically focusing on CBD hemp sales, CIIX also expanded subscription services and educational offerings to cover the cryptocurrency market. The company has plans to establish a cryptocurrency ATM network and a domestic online coin-to-coin exchange for Chinese cryptocurrency investors. In a news release, Wang stated, “While our subscription revenues decreased slightly in FY 2018, we have been developing opportunities around new services and educational products which we have seen gain tremendous traction.” In fact, the company’s cryptocurrency lines have seen a revenue increase of 1,062 percent in the last year. At the close of the 2017 fiscal year, cryptocurrency revenue was at $19,453 compared to the current 2018 fiscal year total of $206,648.

Wang continues, “Looking forward, with our consumer products segment posting strong revenues and the regulatory climate appearing to lean in favor of legalizing hemp as an agricultural commodity, we intend to continue to expand our consumer division by dedicating more resources to marketing hemp-based CBD products both domestically and in China. At the same time, we will continue to offer our core financial subscription services with a focus on increasing subscription revenues through targeted marketing of the Company’s new cryptocurrency subscription services and educational products.” CIIX’s operations for its fiscal year ended May 31, 2018, can be found in the annual report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on August 29, 2018 (http://ibn.fm/3TscG).

As the company looks to the future, Wang projects a long term $10-$20 million future market cap for ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. There are plans to expand CBD products beyond China and Los Angeles and throughout the U.S., Canada and Asia (http://ibn.fm/HGbQt). Wang is hopeful that the spinoff of CIIX’s CBD subsidiary, ChineseHempOil.com, Inc., will be completed by the end of the year. Following the spinoff, CIIX plans to refocus on its original mission of providing financial information and services to the global Chinese-speaking community.

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

• U.S. Air Force signs new order for GTX Corp’s proprietary encrypted GPS technology platform designed to track personnel and equipment
• Company signs distribution and collaboration agreement with KGH, Inc.; KGH founder and CEO Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, a 29-year veteran of federal law enforcement, joins GTX Corp advisory board
• Number of subscribers to GTX technology up 57 percent and subscriber revenue up 108 percent in Q2 2018
• GTX’s flagship GPS SmartSole product designed to improve and save lives of at-risk individuals with dementia, Alzheimer’s and autism; currently in pilot program under NHS in the UK
• Number of people living with dementia predicted to double by 2050, rising to 131.5 million worldwide

GTX Corp (OTC: GTXO), a pioneer in the field of wearable GPS tracking and wandering assistive Internet of Things (IoT) technology, is quickly becoming a go-to provider of innovative solutions that monitor, track and relay the locations of both assets and people. In a news release, GTX announced that it has received a new contract from Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) for additional units of the company’s Personnel, Equipment Tracking System (P.E.T.S.), a lightweight, mobile non-cellular, encrypted GPS technology platform designed to track personnel and equipment (http://ibn.fm/EQEI0).

GTX will manufacture, install and provide ongoing maintenance for the P.E.T.S. platform, delivering the initial order in Q1 2018 and expecting to deliver this second order by October 2018. All hardware, software and firmware is being manufactured and coded by GTX Corp at its Los Angeles, California, headquarters.

“It is a true honor to support our military and to be entrusted with developing GPS technology solutions that, at their core, are designed to help save lives,” Patrick Bertagna, GTX Corp CEO, said in a news release. “Edwards AFB conducts live ammunitions testing; hence, knowing where every person and asset are on the base in real time is of vital importance. Coming on the heels of signing an agreement with KGH, we are deeply committed to pursuing and growing this channel of government business and currently in discussion with several other agencies.”

The company’s highly versatile and scalable military-grade tagging, tracking and locating GPS platform is designed to transmit encrypted data from remote locations through RF technology, reporting latitude and longitude coordinates every second. Each GPS transmitter is housed in a military-grade, water-resistant encasement about the size of a garage door opener that weighs less than eight ounces. The contract includes the strategic installation of repeaters with 12-volt batteries and solar panels to achieve months of battery life, along with base station receivers that collect the encrypted data for display.

The recently announced signing of a bilateral distribution and collaboration agreement with Kiernan Group Holdings, Inc. (“KGH”) is another example of GTX’s commitment to its goal of making the world a better and safer place. KGH is a global consulting firm specializing in law enforcement, risk services, defense, intelligence and critical infrastructure resiliency, a joint news release states (http://ibn.fm/bjKzq). As part of the agreement, GTX and KGH will resell, cross-promote and collaborate on projects that fit their mutual core competencies.

“We are hitting the ground running, beginning with a host of initiatives to introduce GTX solutions within select agencies and organizations such as the Department of Veterans Affairs,” Bertagna said in a news release, adding that he is extremely pleased to welcome KGH founder and CEO Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, a 29-year veteran of federal law enforcement, to the GTX Corp advisory board.

GTX Corp’s proprietary and patented technology is designed as a versatile product, able to be deployed in any number of scenarios. One critical area of focus is in tracking the vulnerable – adults with dementia, children and even pets. The company’s flagship GPS SmartSole product is a hidden tracking insole, while the Invisabelt is worn inside a waistband. GTX also developed a mobile app that allows for tracking of individuals including family members and employees.

One research report released by Alzheimer’s Disease International and Kings College London estimates that the number of people living with dementia will double by 2050, making up about 1.4 percent of the global population, or about 131.5 million people (http://ibn.fm/aBnBK). The worldwide economic impact of various diseases associated with dementia is expected to reach $2 trillion in 2030, Statista reports (http://ibn.fm/o9Kci).

Emergency response systems for seniors, such as wearable devices that keep the wearer connected to family and friends, are a growing sector of the connected-home products and services market. Best Buy recently agreed to pay $800 million to acquire GreatCall Inc., a provider of smartphones and wearable devices for seniors. The purchase signals an increasing interest in capturing the rapidly growing senior-services market, with wearable GPS technologies a significant acquisition target, according to a Bloomberg article (http://ibn.fm/uwoNn).

George Mason University’s College of Health and Human Services is using GTX Corp’s SmartSole technology in research to predict human wandering. The Alzheimer’s & Related Diseases Research Award Fund is financing the research program, which is using the GTX SmartSole and data from the wandering behaviors of individuals with Alzheimer’s to develop a system that can quickly detect and prevent episodes of wandering, which are a major concern due to health and safety risks.

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

• The company’s core product focus is on mobile applications, seamless delivery of mobile content regardless of operating system, mobile payment solutions and other innovative offerings
• Consorteum, via technology subsidiary 359 Mobile, has created Universal Mobile Interface™ technology
• Consorteum’s first app planned for release is focused on providing users with predictive analytics for competitive cricket

Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Consorteum Holdings, Inc. (OTC: CSRH) is a software development and mobile publishing company. Its Universal Mobile Interface™ (UMI) technology enables the company to jointly develop internal and third-party solutions for a wide array of vertical markets. Consorteum’s 359 Mobile, Inc. subsidiary sees promise for its UMI platform as smartphone use continues to expand globally.

Consorteum provides mobile offerings, delivery of mobile content, mobile payment solutions and related products. It does so via a mix of direct offerings, partnerships, license agreements and joint ventures. The company has a competitive advantage in mobile markets due to its strong history in fintech lead transaction processing, and it offers end-to-end fintech solutions for diverse vertical markets. Consorteum notes that the worldwide fintech investment market is forecast to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 54.83 percent through 2020.

Consorteum recently executed a joint business agreement with DevLex. As part of this agreement, the companies are targeting sports gambling by combining Consorteum’s UMI with DevLex’s Edgelytics™ Predictive Analytics Platform. The mobile gaming industry is experiencing tremendous growth around the world. In a June 2018 article, a Business 2 Community contributor noted (http://ibn.fm/k6Xw9) that, “Mobile gaming is leading the pack in the global gaming industry, accounting for more than half of revenue in the mobile gaming industry. This is expected to rise to an estimated 54% in 2019 and 59% in 2021.”

Consorteum’s initial application scheduled to launch into the marketplace is a tool to help sports betting fans study athlete and team statistics and help predict outcomes for their favorite teams and players as new matches occur. This app focuses on competitive cricket, a sport that is very popular globally with a fan base of greater than 2.5 billion. Reiterating this popularity, Cricket.com.au recently released an article (http://ibn.fm/HUxE7) titled, “Cricket becomes Australia’s No. 1 participation sport.”

The above-mentioned Edgelytics platform analyzes a substantial historical database including player and team statistics. Therefore, users can query and run personalized analytics on these statistics. This enables a more informed foundation for wagering on specific cricket outcomes.

Consorteum’s 359 Mobile subsidiary is a technology and services aggregator. 359 Mobile is employing advanced data analytics and automated management systems to facilitate a more personalized mobile experience for users. Its UMI solution can open up opportunities in fintech management, digital marketing, data storage, cloud facility and data analytics. It can also open up opportunities in CRM (Customer Relationship Management) services, secure payment processing and regulatory compliance. Consorteum is advancing its business strategies through its subsidiary in multiple verticals, including the mobile gaming industry. It is targeting its initiatives to a mobile generation that demands innovative and useful products.

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

• Investing in cannabis and cannabis support services
• Cannabis Strategic brings expert medical advisor onboard
• Cannabis Strategic acquires Asher House Pet CBD brand

As lucrative as the budding cannabis market promises to be, the business of providing goods and services to cannabis companies is likely to be much larger, which is why Cannabis Strategic Ventures, Inc. (OTC: NUGS) has adopted its present strategic position (http://ibn.fm/JWycS). Every consumer dollar spent on recreational or medicinal cannabis will likely generate income of several more for the thousands of firms in the support ecosystem that will inevitably develop around the retail industry. Two principles are at work here. The first is the circular nature of the economy, which ensures that income always equals expenditure. Since there are always at least two parties to a transaction, every dollar spent by one is a dollar received by another, thus providing income for that counter-party. Moreover, as Keynes pointed out, a dollar initially spent goes much further than just the next person, for the spending never stops, and so a spending multiplier operates throughout the economy.

Cannabis shops and dispensaries don’t save all the cash they receive from customers. Suppliers must be paid and so too must the professionals and operatives who supply support services to the industry. As the buck gets passed, it generates income – five times as much, a recent study suggests – some of which Cannabis Strategic Ventures is poised to capture. The company provides financial and administrative support services to cannabis businesses, and it’s planning to offer recruitment services, as well. The company’s mission is to help cannabis entrepreneurs grow their businesses by successfully navigating the ultra-stringent regulations, licensing requirements and tax issues they must face.

Pegged at $9.2 billion in 2017, the legal cannabis market in the U.S. is expected to hit $47.3 billion a decade later, according to estimates compiled by Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics and reported in Forbes (http://ibn.fm/HZc5r). That 18 percent CAGR will undoubtedly boost ancillary industries, such as marketing, legal services, accounting, janitorial services and information technology support, among others. Data from research firm New Frontier Data indicates that almost 300,000 legal cannabis jobs will be created by 2020 (http://ibn.fm/FRahb).

Cannabis Strategic Ventures is beefing up its resources and its services. In August, the company announced the appointment of Robert H. Cohen, M.D., a highly respected cannabis researcher, to the position of medical advisor (http://ibn.fm/ayCnD). His purview will include R&D for Halo Filters, a patent-pending, 50-state legal product that reduces the levels of harmful chemicals, heavy metals and other toxins in cannabis smoke while maintaining palatability and cannabinoid levels, as well as other CBD-related brands. Cohen, who has a medical degree from The Chicago Medical School, is a cosmetic surgeon and research scientist with a background in neurophysiology. He has completed a fellowship in reconstructive surgery and has been involved in FDA clinical studies as a sub-investigator for several drug trials. Cohen has been studying the properties of cannabis for over a decade with the goal of developing skincare and other therapies, and, as a result, holds patents in several related fields.

Also in August, Cannabis Strategic Ventures announced its acquisition of The Asher House Pet CBD brand from The Asher House LLC (http://ibn.fm/S9X3q). Under the terms of the acquisition agreement, Cannabis Strategic Ventures will acquire controlling interest in the Asher House Pet CBD brand, a line of U.S. hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) supplements for pets that continues to gain national attention. The agreement between the companies calls for Asher House to continue promoting the Asher House CBD brand nationwide while Cannabis Strategic provides the infrastructure to support enhanced marketing programs and the expected increase in product sales.

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

• First Cobalt clears obligations through full acquisition to streamline plans for Idaho cobalt resource
• Company fully funded for all current exploratory projects stretching into next year as it awaits current resource estimate
• Cobalt demand has soared with worldwide increase in usage of electric vehicles that have cobalt-needy batteries
• Market tightening expected to continue for cobalt, leading to forecasts of 12,000-metric ton supply gap by 2021

Vertically integrated pure-play cobalt company First Cobalt Corp. (TSX.V: FCC) (OTCQX: FTSSF) (ASX: FCC) is putting the spurs to its strategy of exploring, developing and refining material in North America for sale back into the American battery market amid booming expectations for electric vehicle and numerous other tech device energy needs. The company announced on September 4 that it has acquired 100 percent ownership of its Iron Creek property in the western United States, where historical mineral resource estimates (non-compliant with NI 43-101 standards) of 1.3 million tons grading 0.59 percent cobalt are being expanded upon.

First Cobalt obtained the Iron Creek property last year through the acquisition of US Cobalt, Inc. and, after initial exploratory efforts, accelerated the project to take advantage of the area’s promising potential. Two new drill rigs were installed, and results from underground indicated two broad zones of cobalt-copper mineralization that extend well beyond the limits of the historic resource.

“Our outlook for the Iron Creek Project was instrumental in the decision to eliminate the outstanding royalty and acquire 100% ownership of the project at this time,” First Cobalt president and CEO Trent Mell stated in a news release about the move to free up Iron Creek obligations (http://ibn.fm/5REE6). “The Company is fully funded to complete our work programs in the USA and Canada this year and into 2019. We anticipate releasing preliminary metallurgical work and the maiden resource estimate for Iron Creek in the next few weeks.”

“This is also an important step in streamlining future works including the permitting process for potential future development,” the company added.

Mell had previously identified the Idaho site as “one of the most prospective and advanced projects in North America” (http://ibn.fm/EctmG), justifying a $9 million program to accelerate work there. Completion of preliminary metallurgical work and the maiden resource estimate is expected in the next few weeks, and development of a portion of the inferred mineral resource estimate into a secondary measured and indicated resource estimate is expected early next year as a result of surface drilling throughout the latter part of 2018.

The property consists of mining patents and exploration claims that have some infrastructure already in place, including drifting from three adits and an all-weather road that connects to a state highway. The project was under lease to First Cobalt with terms that required the company to make monthly payments and grant a four percent royalty to the leaseholder, but First Cobalt’s $1.07 million payment cleared the obligations. The deal marked a 47 percent reduction of the expected price tag, and First Cobalt’s cash balance of $20 million with an additional $2 million in assets (as of June 30) leaves it in a strong position to move forward with the mine planning process. The company is fully financed to complete all additional drilling programs currently scheduled, and it has begun collecting data for future permit requirements.

First Cobalt expects the pending resource estimate to show “wider true thickness of mineralization” than was reported in the historic calculation, based on the company’s recent drilling. Unlike cobalt resources tied to arsenic-bearing minerals in the rest of Idaho’s recognized ‘Cobalt Belt’, the Iron Creek Project’s cobalt-copper mineralization occurs in pyrite and chalcopyrite within finely layered meta-sedimentary rocks, according to the company.

Rising demand for lightweight electric vehicles, an increasing application of cobalt in the medical sector and growing demand for cobalt alloys in airplane engines are some of the key factors propelling the global cobalt market’s growth, a report from ResearchAndMarkets states (http://ibn.fm/oRAMk). Growing demand for cellphones, laptops and large-format rechargeable batteries is also driving the market, which boasts an expected compound annual growth rate of over 10 percent, the report states.

As demand for the metal soars – and as supply struggles to keep pace with consumption – a widening supply gap is expected to emerge, according to market analysts. The global cobalt market will face a tight supply situation, with a gap of 12,000 metric tons by 2021, representing more than 10 percent of current supply levels, the ResearchAndMarkets report states.

First Cobalt’s prospects for presenting a solution to supply level concerns are bolstered by its other assets, including more than 50 past producing mines in Canada’s renowned Cobalt Camp and the only permitted cobalt refinery (currently shuttered) in North America capable of producing battery materials. Amid concerns that cobalt supplies could be further hindered by international trade conflicts, the company’s North America-centric operations stand it in good stead.

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

• Company launches new line of brain-boosting drinks
• Improved formulation includes lion’s mane mushroom, credited for positive effects on cognitive decline
• Clinical trial of Koios drinks underway, results expected soon
• Global functional beverage market to reach $105.5 billion by 2021

Koios Beverage Corp. (CSE: KBEV) (OTC: SNOVF), a developer of products designed to boost brain function and productivity, has launched the first two flavors in a new line of beverages that has been flying off the shelves. Pear guava has proven so popular that the company is in its second run of production. The other flavor is peach mango. Both beverages include the new superfood lion’s mane mushroom, which is part of Koios’ reformulated and improved range of cognitive-enhancing drinks. Other flavors soon to come in the same line are blood orange and apricot vanilla.

Lion’s mane mushroom has long been credited in Asian countries for its positive effects on cognitive decline, anxiety and depression, and numerous studies have been conducted to assess these benefits (http://ibn.fm/dRsVP). In addition to improving cognitive function, this mushroom has a positive effect on digestive tract health, cardiac function, diabetes management and more.

Denver-based Koios is a growing presence in the field of nootropics, or over-the-counter dietary supplements that enhance cognitive function. Its proprietary GMP-certified formula is designed to enhance focus by increasing blood flow to the brain. Higher oxygen levels in the brain create higher levels of cognition, enhanced functionality and improved mood. Koios’ products contain nature-based ingredients that are typically used to treat people with Alzheimer’s disease.

The launch of Koios’ new line of beverages comes as the company expects clinical trial results of its products to be released any day. NeuraPerformance/Neuroptimize Brain Center, a brain lab and physiotherapy clinic in Denver, Colorado, that is trusted by professional athletes including the Denver Broncos football team, was contracted to carry out brain scans of Koios users to gauge the effects of the product. The brain-scan study could provide evidence that Koios products may enhance cognition over the long term, as well as helping the company improve its products’ formulations and performance (http://ibn.fm/lRclS).

Market watchers believe that the nootropics industry will expand significantly over the next few years. MarketResearch.com predicts a 9.3 percent expansion of the function-enhancing beverage market by 2022 (http://ibn.fm/PyKvF). Nutraingredients.com cites BCC Research, which suggests that the market will reach $105.5 billion by 2021 (http://ibn.fm/H3KOZ).

Koios is poised to be a part of this growth, with an available distribution network featuring thousands of retail locations across the United States. The company has just opened up distribution into Canada via a global shipping program through its website.

“The idea of using nootropic supplements to help boost focus and mental acuity has been catching on with people around the world, not just in the United States. We have particularly been seeing increased demand for our products in Canada and are happy to be able to now meet that demand with our global shipping program,” Koios CEO Chris Miller said in a news release referencing the expansion into Canada.

The company has relationships with some of the largest and most reputable distributors in the United States, including Europa Sports, SportLife Distribution and Wishing-U-Well. Together, these distributors represent more than 80,000 bricks-and-mortar locations across the United States, from sports nutrition stores to large natural grocery chains including Whole Foods and Sunflower markets. Through its partnership with Wishing-U-Well, Koios also enjoys a large presence online, and its products are certified under the Amazon Choice Product program.

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

• QMC sees lithium’s pricing outlook remaining favorable
• QMC upgrading assets at Canadian properties to modern NI 43-101 standards, expanding target size
• Lithium contract prices up 20 percent over last year amid forecasts of $1.7 billion in overall value by next year

The anticipated increase in demand for lithium is positioning the lightweight metal as a prime target for new mining ventures. QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ), in particular, is expressing confidence in the unfolding of its southern Canada exploration project.

“At the bearish analysts’ lowest projections, lithium prices will still remain so high that a good resource which is run well, should surely prove successful,” QMC’s website states (http://ibn.fm/Lhf3b). “In 2007, lubricating greases and pharmaceuticals added up to more demand for lithium than did lithium consumption in lithium ion batteries. Batteries absorbed about 18 percent of the lithium supply at the time. Ten years later, that jumped to 39 percent for batteries. As many analysts continue to predict, this pace will only accelerate for the next several years.”

During August, spot prices for China’s 99.5 percent lithium carbonate declined nearly 10 percent, while global lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE) contracts saw price increases of about 20 percent over the previous year to around $16,000 per metric ton (http://ibn.fm/2aRIT).

The overall market paints a positive picture of potential for the metal, which now serves to provide heat stability to power supplies in a wide variety of computerized products, including digital cameras, smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles. The latter is expected to play a key role in driving demand during the coming decade amid international efforts by governments to reduce their pollutant impact on the earth’s environment.

Lithium Investing News recently provided a market forecast calling for global lithium demand to reach 49,350 metric tons by next year with an LCE contract valuation of $1.7 billion (http://ibn.fm/Hb78p).

QMC is testing the strength of its 100 percent-owned Irgon Lithium Mine Project located in S.E. Manitoba, northwest of the Great Lakes and automaker hubs in the United States. The Manitoba Irgon Mine Project is situated where historic exploration enterprises prepared to extract up to 500 tons of ore per day several decades ago, when market prices were less favorable.

QMC is drawing on the expertise of SGS Canada, Inc. in establishing the viability of its Irgon Mine Property for the resumption of mining activity. SGS will provide consulting exploration services to QMC and will oversee the analysis of metals found in testing using its exclusive MMI (mobile metal ion) technology (http://ibn.fm/H4M53).

When the Irgon Mine site was initially explored and developed more than six decades ago, it produced a resource estimate of more than a million tons of lithium grading 1.51 percent Li2O, although that estimate needs to be upgraded to be in compliance with modern NI 43-101 regulatory standards. In the process of proving up the historical assessment to modern standards, the company has identified another target that includes a significantly sized “lithium soil anomaly” more than 3,600 feet long and up to 1,150 feet wide on the southern part of the property, which has stoked QMC’s enthusiasm.

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