JMS Mining is a large, private entity in India that is traditionally a key player in the development and implementation of mass underground production technology for underground coal mining. The business grew its reputation as a mining contractor and national leader in championing mining technology.

JMS has diversified by purchasing their own mining licences with the intention of producing minerals with an owner-operator model. While their focus remains on coal, JMS has an interest in hard rock lithium deposits in the town of Katghora, Chhattisgarh, India.

Lithium production is a new industry in India and there is little expertise locally to develop, produce and process hard rock deposits. The geology of the JMS deposit is typical of other deposits in India.

The JMS Katghora deposit has the following characteristics based on a high-level geological survey:

- Mineralisation is predominantly pegmatite and country rock granite with mica containing lithium.

- The principal rock types include: migmatite granite gneiss, foliated monzogranite, porphyritic granite, coarse-grained homophanus granite and granitic pegmatite.

- The area around Katghora comprises granitoids along with metasedimentary and metabasite supracrustal rocks.

The three undeformed granite components occurring in the area:

- Medium grained syeno-to-monzogranite.

- Coarse grained homophanus leucogranite.

- Very coarse grained granitic pegmatite that are compositionally similar with differing in grain size and modal abundance of fluid bearing minerals, indicating high volatile rich peraluminous nature of melt.

The homophanus granite and its co-genetic granitic pegmatite of the study area are visibly present with lithium bearing micas in the form of golden-brown mica and pink mica. These country rocks are the source of lithium in the study area.

JMS is seeking a suitably qualified partner to propose technological solutions to process this type of lithium based on the above geological characteristics.

At this stage, only a high-level technology overview and relevant experience is required. The aim is to establish a long-term collaboration with JMS to successfully develop lithium operations.

Submission Period
Suppliers are invited to submit their short-form solution to the challenge by Friday 16 August 2024 for evaluation by Austmine and JMS Mining.

A shortlisting process takes place, and successful companies are invited to participate in phase 2.

Phase 2
Shortlisted suppliers will be invited to pitch their solution directly to JMS Mining in an online meeting. This provides the opportunity to ‘sell’ the solution, gain feedback from operational teams and field questions about the solution.

Phase 3
Following the Pitch Session, a final shortlisting of suppliers takes place. The remaining suppliers are invited to continue discussions with JMS and work towards a commercial agreement.

The solution submission questions can be viewed here.

Submission deadline - Friday 16 August 2024

Shortlisted vendors advised - Wednesday 4 September 2024

Pitch sessions - September 2024

Final shortlisting - October 2024

Austmine is hosting this innovation opportunity within the GMCI Program, supported by the Australian Government DISR.

Find more information about this program here.