Avalon Rare Metals

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc
(formerly Avalon Rare Metals Inc.)
Type	Public
Traded as	TSX: AVL
Industry	Metals & Mining
Headquarters	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Key people	Donald S. Bubar (President & CEO) Jim Andersen (VP Finance, Corporate Secretary & CFO) David Marsh (SVP, Metallurgy & Technology Development) Bill Mercer (VP, Exploration) Pierre Neatby (VP, Marketing) Mark Wiseman (VP, Sustainability)
Products	Lithium, Petalite, Tantalum, Cesium, Calcium Feldspar, Indium, Tin, Rare Earth Elements
Website	www.avalonadvancedmaterials.com

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (formerly Avalon Rare Metals Inc.) is a Canadian mineral development company with a primary focus on the rare metals and minerals, headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Avalon specializes in niche market metals and minerals with growing demand in new technology. Avalon’s principal assets are its 100% owned Nechalacho Project (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories), Separation Rapids (near Minaki, Ontario), East Kemptville, Nova Scotia, Miramichi (New Brunswick), Lilypad Lakes (near Ignace, Ontario), and Warren Township^[1] (Ontario).

Avalon is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol "AVL" and on the OTCQX market under the symbol "AVLNF."

Projects

Nechalacho Rare Earth Elements Project

Avalon’s most developed resource is the Nechalacho Rare Earth Elements Deposit,^[2] located 100 km southeast of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, Canada. The Nechalacho Deposit contains the more valuable HREE such as europium, terbium, and dysprosium, along with neodymium. Avalon completed a Feasibility Study in April 2013, focused on defining high-grade, HREE-rich resources in the large Basal Zone of the deposit. Nechalacho is the first HREE project outside of China to have reached this milestone.

The Nechalacho Project is planned to consist of three facilities: an underground mine and concentrator, a hydrometallurgical plant and a rare earth refinery.

On July 29, 2013, the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board ("MVEIRB")completed its Report of Environmental Assessment and recommended approval of the Nechalacho Project. On November 4, 2013, the Federal government approved the Project, allowing the Company to proceed with formal applications for the required land use permits and water licenses to MVEIRB.

First Nations Agreements

The Nechalacho Project at Thor Lake is situated in an area known as the Akaitcho Territory which is subject to a comprehensive land claim negotiation between several communities of the Dene Nation and Canada's federal government. In 2012, Avalon completed an Accommodation Agreement with the Deninu Kue First Nation.^[3] The Accommodation Agreement provides business and employment opportunities for the Deninu Kue related to the project and contains measures to mitigate environmental and cultural impacts that may result from the project development. In February 2014, the company signed a Participation Agreement with the Northwest Territory Metis Nation.

Separation Rapids Lithium Project

Avalon is also developing a lithium (petalite) deposit, located 70 km north of Kenora in Ontario, Canada. The Separation Rapids property is host to a large “complex-type" pegmatite; it is the fourth example in the world of a rare metal pegmatite with the size required to be of major economic importance. The strike length of the deposit is over 1.5 km and the width ranges from 10 to 70 metres. The mineralized zone is well exposed at surface in a low dome-shaped hill. This part of the deposit will be readily amenable to mining by low-cost quarrying methods. Avalon has demonstrated it is able to produce high purity petalite from the deposit, for use in the glass-ceramics industry, as well as battery-grade lithium chemicals for use in the lithium ion battery sector.

East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project

The East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project is located approximately 45 km northeast of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in the vicinity of the former East Kemptville Tin Mine. In May 2014, Avalon entered into an agreement with the surface rights holder to secure access to lands held under the Special Licence for a limited drilling program, to confirm historic estimates of tin-copper-zinc resources remaining in the ground after production ceased at the East Kemptville mine in 1992, and bring them into compliance with NI 43-101 for reporting purposes. Avalon completed a seven-hole confirmation drilling program in September 2014.

Corporate sustainability

Avalon has made social responsibility, health and safety and environmental stewardship its cornerstones of development. In 2011, Avalon produced its first full corporate sustainability report, entitled Journey to a Sustainable Future, prepared within the framework of the GRI version G3.1.^[4] A 2015 Sustainability Report Balancing Opportunities. was released in December 2015.^[5]

University Student Outreach Initiative

In 2011, Avalon established its University Student Outreach Initiative^[6] to build and enhance the talent pools needed to design, improve and operate future facilities. Given the limited rare metals course material in Canadian universities, Avalon has partnered with several institutions to promote knowledge of rare metals within university curriculum. Institutions include: Canadian MBA Leadership Conference, McGill University, Ryerson University, Schulich School of Business, York University, Schulich School of Business, University of British Columbia, Mining Engineering, University of Toronto, University of Windsor, Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology and Western University.

Company representatives have delivered lectures to undergraduate chemistry, metallurgy, mining and geology classes, led graduate business seminars and sponsored student projects and case competitions. Avalon has also sponsored students to participate in industry conferences and provided research initiatives, cultivating the next generation of engineers and business leaders.

In addition, Avalon continues to actively organize, sponsor and participate in numerous PDAC and other major industry forums focused on technical and CSR-related specialties, as well as local community education programs.

References

External links

Avalon Advanced Materials Inc.

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