Double YAWN was the market response. 

Looks like my opinion of the importance of the new announcement about a lithium battery 1 Billion Dollar plant being built in Reno, Nevada wasn't shared by the market since LAC went Down instead of Up.

OK, I accept defeat regarding my enthusiasm for the short run, however the long view of this development should ultimately be in favor of LAC since it provides an esseentially local market for a sizeable portion of the production of lithium carbonate/lithium hydroxide that will be produced at Thacker Pass in the future and in addition to the contracted 38% of the Phase 2 output from Thacker Pass committed to GM.  Think of the savings in transportation costs to this new Gigabattery plant in Reno if they resourced their lithium carbonate/lithium hydroxide from Thacker Pass in Humboldt County, Nevada.

Anyway, that is the way I see it.  Maybe through Rose colored glasses, or so it would seem from the negative response of the market earlier this morning.

Meanwhile, the DLE topic continues to heat up as it affects other lithium mining companies.  Some new and some not so new articles are linked below regarding DLE:

IBAT Launches New Lithium Extraction Technology in Utah (usnews.com)

Focus: New lithium technology can help the world go green -- if it works | Reuters

New lithium extraction method promises cleaner energy output (interestingengineering.com)

Direct lithium extraction: A new paradigm for lithium production and resource utilization - ScienceDirect

New Lithium Extraction Technology Secures Global Patents - METALS WIRE

About LiTHOS Technology — Trusted global standard for sustainable lithium resource development – Lithos Technology

Rio Tinto's real prize: Arcadium's lithium extraction technology | Reuters

OK, most of this applies to lithium brine as the base for extraction.  So to my limited understanding regarding the proposed method to be used at Thacker Pass, isn't there a slurry formed in that process and, if so, my question would be:  Could that slurry be a base for some form of DLE technology so as to reduce the expense and the time involved for turning lithium clay into the final LCE product?

Perhaps there is some technical issue prohibitive to using some form, any form because there are several different forms of DLE, to be used on lithium clay.  Obviously, LAC would have to have at least considered DLR in one form or another at some point.  I would hope that they would address this situation in some form of a public statement.  Perhaps they have already done so and I just missed it and maybe one of the members here is "Up to Speed" on this issue, if so then please post something to that effect here.  Thanks!

Okiedo