Speculators have reduced net-long positions by 3.6%.
Nine drill rigs are working a 30,000-35,000 metre program, with results feeding into future resource estimates.
Silicon can hold 10 times as many lithium ions by weight as graphite, but developing the battery technology to scale sustainably has met its share of challenges.
All-time-high gold prices combined with relatively-contained costs catapulted unit earnings to another epic record.
