rekeeb, excellent analysis by you, per usual.  Several potential positive catalystic ingredients in what could be a recipe for 2022 LAC success.

To be perfectly honest, I almost forgot about the DFS since it has been moved forward so many times that I have lost count.  

I came across this interesting little paragraph just a few minutes ago that was "hot news" back in 2018, not so hot now:

"A 2018 prefeasibility study had envisaged a 46-year mine at Thacker Pass, with $581 million phase one producing 30,000tpa before doubling output to 60,000tpa of battery-grade lithium carbonate in phase two. The company estimated first production at Thacker Pass in the third quarter of 2022, according to a timeline on its website."

Oh, would it have been so nice were that prognostication to have come true!  Then, of course, reality set in.

On 28 June, 2012, LAC released the DFS for Cauchari-Olaroz.  So the time from DFS to cutting the ribbon on the start of production at Cauachari-Olaroz will be somewhere in the neigborhood of 10 years, plus ?  

If Thacker Pass development replicates that 10 year gap then between DFS and the start of production that occurred for LAC with Cauchari-Olaroz then I will be lucky to still be vertical when production starts.  Hopefully, the experience at Thacker Pass will be light years faster than the 10 year delay between DFS and production at Cauchari-Olaroz, eh Cal?  

On 25 September, 2019, Mining Weekly had this to say about the DFS for Thacker Pass:

"The DFS should be completed by mid-2020, the company said. A formal financing process, including a potential joint venture partner, would start next year."

Mining.com on 4 December 2020 had the following optimistic prognostication about Thacker Pass:

"The mine is expected to open by 2023."

https://www.mining.com/lithium-americas-thacker-pass-moves-closer-to-production/

Not exactly what you would term as on target journalism, not even close.

Well, that is all water under the bridge, especially if Judge Du shines upon Thacker Pass and the DFS becomes a DBD ( "darn big deal"? ).  

As you already know, I for one, look forward to the split of LAC and for the exact reason you mentioned in your excellent post, rkeeb:

"We could imagine by early next year two companies - one encompassing South American operations (Cauchari, Pastos Grandes and Arena's project, with Cauchari producing and not having to worry about dilution due to TP), and one encompassing North American operations (TP primarily but also GT1 and any projects that come out of that relationship, not encumbered by any ties to China as LAC contributes to the highly publicized North American supply chain). 

This could be a classic example of where the sum of two parts is greater than the whole."

JMO, but I don't think that there is any "could be" about it, rkeeb.  I believe it is a brilliant strategy on the part of "Big Jon".  Absolutely tootly "beautiful"!  Let's get 'er done!

Okiedo