Company Overview
Our Story
South Star Battery Metals is focused on the selective acquisition and development of near-term production projects. South Star is driven to create fundamental value in the industrial metals and battery metals sector for clients and investors with real projects that have strong intrinsic financial and operating metrics, and that can be profitable throughout the resource cycles. South Star has an experienced executive team with a strong history of discovering, developing, building and operating profitable mines in Brazil.
The Santa Cruz Graphite Project, located in Southern Bahia, is the first of a series of battery metals projects that will be put into production. Brazil is the second-largest graphite-producing region in the world with more than 80 years of continuous mining. The Project has at-surface mineralization in friable materials, and successful, large-scale, pilot-plant testing (>30t) has been completed. The results of the testing show that approximately 65% of Cg concentrate is +80 mesh with good recoveries and 95-99% Cg.
South Star is committed to a corporate culture, project execution plan and safe operations that embrace the highest standards of ESG principles based on transparency, stakeholder engagement, ongoing education and stewardship.
The Santa Cruz Graphite Project is being developed in a phased approach. Phase 1 operations for the 5,000 tpy pilot plant are fully licensed, and the Company started construction in June 2022 with commercial production targeted for Q4 2023. Phase 2 operations will represent a larger-scale concentration plant currently planned to produce between 25,000 to 30,000 tpy of concentrate. The sizing of the Phase 2 plant could be increased depending on the successes of the Phase 1 operations, ongoing development of commercial relationships, and market conditions.
>>>Alabama Graphite Project
The Project is located on the northeast end of the Alabama Graphite Belt and covers approximately 500 acres in Coosa County Alabama. The Project is a historic mine active during World Wars I & II. The Ceylon Graphite mine historically targeted friable outcropping graphite mineralization, averaging approximately 3-5% graphitic carbon. Mineralization is at surface, and the graphitic host rock was mined historically with shovels and excavators with no drilling and blasting required.4
First New Graphite Production in the Americas
in More than a Decade
Santa Cruz Graphite Project situated in the second-largest, flake-graphite producing district in the world
There is a perfect storm coming in the industrial metals and battery minerals sectors being driven by the green energy and clean technology revolution. Underinvestment and low demand throughout the previous decade have brought the markets to a tipping point where entire industries are scouring the planet looking for secure, reliable sources of high-quality critical minerals and raw materials, that are the basic building blocks of the clean-energy revolution underway.
This is particularly important as companies look to diversify and secure their supply chains. Brazil is currently ranked as the third most-important country for critical battery metals in the world, behind only China and Australia. It is a natural jurisdiction to help diversify the clean-energy, supply-chain imbalances currently in the Americas and Europe. With a fully-licensed graphite mine currently in production, South Star is perfectly positioned to be a key player and part of the long-term solution with secure, high-quality industrial minerals and battery metals for the clean energy revolution.
Company Timeline
Jun 2018
Finalizes Acquisition of Santa Cruz Graphite Project
Dec 2018
South Star Mining Corp approved to trade on OTC (OTCQB: STSBF)
Jul 2019
NI 43-101 Resource Update with 14.9Mt at 2.3% Cg
Feb 2020
NI 43-101 Prefeasibility Study and Maiden Reserve Estimate
• Updated Flow Sheet Incorporating Dry Stack Tailings & Codisposal
• Phase 1 & 2 Staged Production
• NI 43-101 Prefeasibility Study & Design
• Updated CAPEX & OPEX
• Detailed Engineering Design for Phase 1 Pilot Plant
October 2020
Environmental Permits for Phase 1 Operations Approved for 4 Years
Dec 2020
Trial Mining License Approved for Phase 1 Operations for 3 Years
Schedule Phase 1 Construction & Commissioning
1.) Jun 2021 – Finalize Phase 1 Detailed Engineering for Construction
2.) Sept 2021 – Mobilize Contractor / Start of Construction
3.) Sept 2022 – Phase 1 Commercial Production
Dec 2021
Final Agreement for Graphite Project in Coosa County, Alabama
500-acre Mineral Rights Land Package in Coosa County, Alabama, that includes the past producer Ceylon Graphite Mine
April 2022
US$28 Million Streaming Agreement with Sprott Resource Streaming and Royalty Corp for the Santa Cruz Graphite Project in Brazil
June 2022
Phase 1 Construction Begins at the Santa Cruz Graphite Project
Mar 2023
Completion of NI 43-101 Technical Report with Maiden Resource Estimate for BamaStar
Leadership Team
Richard Pearce
CEO/ Director
Mr. Pearce is an entrepreneur and founding partner with more than 20 years of experience in planning and managing complex operations throughout the Americas. He has a wide range of consulting, advisory and capital markets experience including technical services, project & asset development, business administration & incorporation services, deal origination, M&A advisory, market & benchmark studies, valuation services, corporate advisory services and risk assessment. Richard has been based in Sao Paulo, Brazil since 2008, and is a native speaker of English as well as being fluent in Portuguese and Spanish. Country experience includes Canada, United States and most countries throughout Latin America. He is also a Qualified Person (QP) as defined by NI 43-101.
Marc P. Leduc
Chairman/ Director
Mr. Leduc is a mining engineer and geologist with more than 30 years of experience involving all aspects of the development, operations, planning and evaluation of mining projects including more than 20 years in Latin America. Marc served as the President and CEO of Luna Gold, operator of the Aurizona mine in Brazil, from 2015 to 2016. He holds a B.Sc. (Honors) in Mining Engineering from Queen’s University and a B.Sc. in Geology from the University of Ottawa.
Eric Allison
Director
Mr. Allison has more than 36 years of experience in the natural resource industry working in technical, business, project development and management roles. He formerly served, from 2012 to 2015, as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Brazahav Resources, a private entity developing a brownfield gold mine project in Brazil. Prior to this, he was the Director of Research and Chief Geologist at Casimir Capital LP, specializing in junior mining companies. He was a Director of Business Development at Sempra Commodities from 1999 to 2009, where his responsibilities included metals, concentrates and energy. Throughout his career, Mr. Allison has also served in various roles for Cyprus Amax Minerals, Amax Energy, SPG Exploration and Texaco. He has served on the boards of several private and public companies. Mr. Allison received a BS in geology from Brown University (1978) and an MS in marine geology from the University of Georgia (1980).
Priscila Costa Lima
Director
Ms. Costa Lima is senior finance and accounting professional with 20 years of experience in corporate finance, reporting & audit, and equity & debt financing in the mining and entertainment sectors. Currently she serves as the CFO of BRON Media Corp., and prior to that, she was the Finance Director for Force Four Entertainment (an eOne Entertainment company). Before making the move to the entertainment industry, she worked in the mining / resource sector where she served as the CFO of Marlin Gold Mining Ltd. from 2010 to 2014. Ms. Costa Lima is a Brazilian citizen based in Vancouver, BC. She is a CPA, CMA and holds a BBA in Finance with a joint Major in Economics from Simon Fraser University.
Samantha Shorter
CFO
Ms. Shorter is a senior finance and accounting professional with 15 years of experience in the mineral exploration sector and has served as CFO of various junior mining companies. She has extensive international experience with development projects as well as operating assets. Ms. Shorter was also previously employed as an audit manager at a major Canadian accounting firm specializing in the mining industry and has extensive experience providing financial reporting and corporate services to companies in the mining and mineral exploration industries. Ms. Shorter is a CPA, CA and CIA and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Honours from the University of British Columbia.
Daniel W. Wilton
Director
Mr. Wilton has 25 years of experience in M&A, corporate finance and principal investing in the mining sector. Dan was most recently a Partner at Pacific Road Capital Management, a mining-focused private equity investment firm with approximately $800 million under management. At Pacific Road, Dan reviewed several projects in Brazil, led the investment in Luna Gold (now Equinox Gold Corp.) and financed the development of the Aurizona gold project through critical prefeasibility and permitting activities. Prior to joining Pacific Road, Dan’s roles included Managing Director and Head of the Global Mining and Metals Group at National Bank Financial Inc. and other corporate finance and M&A roles at global institutions based in London, Toronto, and New York.