Selecting companies with the right management team is key in lithium, but having an understanding of the assets a company holds and intends to develop is also essential, Paola Rojas of Synergy Resource Capital told INN last year. When asked about how she chooses lithium projects, Rojas said she prefers brine projects due to her experience, but she is also interested in hard-rock assets. Aside from type of deposit, she looks at grades above 500 milligrams per liter in brine with low impurities, and 1 percent in spodumene ore, ideally with known deposits in the vicinity. “Going a step further, even when early, is important to understand what management’s preliminary plans for extraction are,” Rojas said. “Although evaporation ponds have been a workhorse and are commonly used, I’m excited to see what direct lithium extraction (DLE) can bring.” There are some deal breakers for Rojas when assessing lithium projects. “I prefer to stay away from low grades — although new technologies will close the gap soon, I believe, and there are alternatives such as resins and DLE variants, which potentially can make a big difference there, so I’m keeping an eye,” she said. She also avoids OTC listings, and in terms of jurisdictions, Rojas said she stays away from anything outside of Australia, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, the US and Canada.