Core Exploration Ltd. applied for a mineral lease for its Grants lithium deposit in Northern Territory, Australia, to mine and develop it as a stand-alone project.

According to the Oct. 19 release, the Grants project will include an open pit, waste rock dump, ore stockpile and processing infrastructure.

A preliminary mining study at Grants highlighted positive outcomes from mining it as a direct ship ore spodumene project, and a maiden resource of 1.8 million tonnes at 1.5% lithium oxide was estimated.

Core said it recently signed a framework agreement to negotiate a DSO off-take with Chinese lithium producer Sichuan Yahua Industrial Group Co. Ltd.

The company already has a heads of agreement with Darwin Port to export up to 1 million tonnes per annum of ore from East Arm Wharf to support developing Grants.