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A confluence of U.S. government tailwinds, high-grade lithium assets, and opportunistic acquisitions all make it very clear: Chariot Corporation (ASX:CC9) is entering the final quarter of the year with momentum on its side.
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The story is building – the mineral explorer is positioned at the forefront of America’s push for domestic supply chain security, and the coming months look set to deliver milestones that could re-rate the company.
U.S. government tailwinds
Lithium has become a clear strategic commodity in Washington, and signs of high-level support in the U.S. administration are hard to ignore.
There’s a standout for investors to watch here: Reports suggest Trump is considering a 10% equity stake in Lithium Americas’ Thacker Pass mine as part of a renegotiation of its US$2.26 billion Department of Energy loan.
For Chariot, this backdrop is critical; it reinforces the government’s determination to secure domestic lithium supply – and Chariot’s projects sit right in the thick of the action.
That spotlight isn’t just good for sector sentiment either. It validates the importance of the Nevada-Oregon lithium district, where Chariot holds ground adjacent to – I think you guessed it – Thacker Pass. If Washington is writing cheques for one project in the basin, how long until they’re knocking on neighbours’ doors?
The project adjacent to Thacker Pass
To that end, Chariot’s flagship Resurgent Project is fast emerging as a clear near-term catalyst. It lies right next to the attention-catching Thacker Pass, and shares the same ancient paleo-lake basin that hosts Lithium Americas’ 66.1mt LCE resource.
Surface sampling at Resurgent has been interesting, too, to say the least, with results showing grades of up to 3,865ppm lithium and 17 separate samples exceeding 1,000ppm.
That’s widespread, high-grade mineralisation right at surface – the kind, the company believes, that hints at serious potential breadth. Once permits are secured, Chariot plans to start drilling to prove those beliefs; investors should expect momentum to build around Resurgent as soon as rigs roll in.
Horizon project: A tier one resource reclaimed
Thacker Pass-adjacent Resurgent isn’t the only spearhead Chariot has on the books, though, with a reclaimed project in Nevada coming under the explorer’s control after a structural shift in the Australian company’s favour. Through its 24.1% holding in Mustang Lithium, Chariot has reclaimed 100% of the Horizon Project; partner Pan American walked away following US$4.5M of failed obligations.
The kicker? Horizon already carries a maiden resource of 10.2Mt LCE (1.3Mt indicated, 8.8Mt inferred), and with Pan American’s missed payments seeing them leave the picture, Chariot stands shoulder to shoulder with established peers.
American Lithium’s TLC deposit is one good example on that front, with it sitting at virtually the same scale at 10.7Mt LCE. Horizon is still open in multiple directions, too, meaning it could well enjoy more growth eventually.
Together, Resurgent and Horizon combine to make Chariot:
America’s largest lithium holder
Scale matters, and here, Chariot stands alone. The explorer now boasts the largest lithium exploration land position in the United States, spanning both claystone lithium in Nevada/Oregon and hard rock in Wyoming.
For a nation pushing to de-risk EV supply chains, land dominance is strategic gold. It makes Chariot not just another explorer, but a capstone supplier in the making. The bigger the footprint, the greater the leverage on government policy and downstream demand. And whoever said size doesn’t matter?
Counter-cyclical opportunism
Timing matters, too, of course, and Chariot has pulled off its strategy in that regard perfectly. The company moved aggressively while sector sentiment was low, expanding its footprint in ways that could now pay off rather handsomely should lithium demand rebound heading into CY26 and beyond.
As CEO Shanthar Pathamanathan put it: “All the money is sewn in the downturn and harvested in the upturn.” That contrarian philosophy has been key, and is now embedded in the company’s growth trajectory.
What’s next for Chariot?
Chariot is shaping up to be one of the close watches of the year, with potential government support, heavyweight U.S. neighbours, and tier-one scale assets under the explorer’s belt heading into the future.
The near-term catalyst will definitely be Resurgent, where inked-in drilling could confirm whether the surface grades translate into resource scale.
The next weeks and months come down to a very simple battle plan for the Australian explorer: Permits, drill rigs, and news flow. In a market where lithium sentiment seems to be turning, Chariot has timing on its side.
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