Firebird Metals

Impressive Results from Manganese Concentrate Scoping Study at Oakover

Firebird Metals Limited (ASX: FRB, “Firebird” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce a significant milestone, with the Company delivering an impressive Scoping Study to produce manganese concentrate at its flagship Oakover Project.


Highlights

  • Scoping Study confirms manganese concentrate production underpins Firebird’s strategy to develop a manganese hub at Oakover, including high-purity manganese sulphate production
  • Robust financials using conservative assumptions to achieve:
    • NPV of approximately A$329M at a discount rate of 8% 4
    • Exceptional IRR of 47%, based on CIF US$5.27 CIF per dmtu for 30% manganese lump concentrate
    • Average EBITDA of approximately $72.7 M per annum, with EBITDA increasing to approximately $125M 5 per annum based on recent pricing (March / April)
    • Payback in less than 3years and within forecast production from Indicated Resource
  • Mining & production profile
    • Low mine strip ratio of 0.9:1
    • Envisages processing plant throughput of ~4 Mt annually, to produce ~900 kt of 30%
      Manganese (Mn) concentrate annually
    • 10 year Life of Mine
      • Based on Mineral Resource Estimate at Sixty Sixer, with approximately first 6.5 years of production based on 30.5Mt Indicated Resource and following years based on 11.9Mt Inferred Resource
  • Potential near-term upside to NPV
    • Potential to significantly extend LoM through conversion of inferred to indicated at Jay-Eye and Karen, which combined, host 62.9Mt of Inferred Resources 1
    • Infill drilling at Jay-Eye and Karen to be completed through remainder of 2022
    • Company has a high level of confidence of increasing Indicated Resources, following strong success of the 2021 infill drilling program, which converted 96% of Sixty Sixer inferred Resource to Indicated Resource 1 & 6
  • CAPEX estimated at a modest A$143.8M including $14.3M contingency
    • A$73.4M for plant
    • A$70.4M for renewable power plant, road upgrades and other infrastructure
  • Strong ESG credentials, with proposed renewable energy package delivering significantly lower processing costs and a long-term sustainable footprint
Completion of the Scoping Study follows the recent and significant 170% increase in the Oakover Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) to 172 Mt @ 9.9% Mn (7% Mn cut-off).

Firebird Managing Director Mr Peter Allen commented: “The excellent results from the scoping study have confirmed the outstanding potential of our flagship Oakover project and the exciting opportunity to establish a significant, long-term WA manganese operation that will deliver significant value to all our stakeholders.

“The sizeable MRE upgrade at Oakover from our successful maiden drill program enabled the opportunity for Firebird to consider large-scale production over a long life of mine. We believe Oakover has all the necessary requirements and characteristics which include resource size, near-surface, gently dipping geology and multiple processing options, provide a suitable production pathway, which If successfully executed and developed, will ultimately deliver superior long-term value and position Firebird as key supplier of high-quality manganese to a growing market.

“I am very proud of the effort from our team to deliver the Scoping Study and furthermore, the performance and progression of the Company since we listed a little over a year ago. We are dedicated and focused on executing our growth strategy at Oakover and importantly, continue to tick the boxes required to progress towards the development stage. The future is very exciting for Firebird and we look forward to updating the market as we achieve further milestones in the busy months ahead.”

Forward-looking Statements

This announcement contains forward-looking statements which are identified by words such as ‘may’, ‘could’, ‘believes’, ‘estimates’, ‘targets’, ‘expects’, or ‘intends’ and other similar words that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements are based on an assessment of present economic and operating conditions, and on a number of assumptions regarding future events and actions that, as at the date of this announcement, are considered reasonable. Such forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, the Directors and the management. The Directors cannot and do not give any assurance that the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this announcement will actually occur and investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The Directors have no intention to update or revise forward looking statements, or to publish prospective financial information in the future, regardless of whether new information, future events or any other factors affect the information contained in this announcement, except where required by law or the ASX listing rules.



Click here for the full ASX Release

This article includes content from Firebird Metals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.

The Conversation (0)
Lithium-ion battery with lightning bolt on it.

Firebird Metals Announces First Production of LMFP Batteries for EVs

Western Australia-focused manganese developer Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB) has started testwork and produced its first lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP) batteries for electric vehicles (EVs).

The company said in a Tuesday (March 4) press release that it is the first Australian company to achieve this milestone, adding that it is set to become a low-cost manganese-based cathode material business.

“Manganese sulphate is a critical element within LMFP and our manganese processing knowledge and IP enables Firebird to drive significant value by co-precipitation,” said Firebird Managing Director Peter Allen.

Keep reading...Show less
Person stamping a document.

Element25 Secures Key Approval for Butcherbird Manganese Mine Expansion

Element25 (ASX:E25) has secured approval for an expansion at its Butcherbird manganese mine.

The company said on Monday (January 13) that its mining proposal and mine closure plan have received a green light from Western Australia's Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.

“This is a key approval under the Western Australian regulatory framework and marks an important milestone for the Butcherbird project,” the company explained in a press release.

Keep reading...Show less
Supply chain visualization.

Manganese Market Forecast: Top Trends for Manganese in 2025

The manganese market was impacted by various factors in 2024, including growing demand for battery applications, geopolitical risk, production disruptions and strategic investments.

Positive demand from the electric vehicle (EV) sector offered support as automakers increasingly turned to manganese-rich chemistries like lithium-manganese-iron-phosphate (LMFP) to cut costs and reduce reliance on nickel and cobalt.

Meanwhile, supply chain vulnerabilities emerged due to political instability in major producing regions and heightened environmental scrutiny. In response, nations such as the US and Australia accelerated investments in refining facilities to reduce dependence on China and secure their EV battery supply chains.

Keep reading...Show less
Manganese highlighted on periodic table.

Element 25 Increases MRE for Butcherbird Manganese Mine

Manganese-focused producer Element 25 (ASX:E25,OTCQX:ELMTF) provided an update to the mineral resource estimate for its Butcherbird manganese operations earlier this week.

The company recently completed an infill drilling program at the site, which targeted known mineralisation within granted mining lease M52/1074, where Butcherbird Stage 1 mining and processing operations are located.

Element 25 reported a 142 percent increase in measured and indicated resources, which now total 130 million tonnes at 10.23 percent manganese. Additionally, the site hosts a total resource of 274 million tonnes at 10 percent manganese, marking a 6 percent increase from its 263 million tonne resource estimate from April 2019.

Keep reading...Show less
Files labelled "funding," "projects" and "grants."

Element 25 Chosen for US$166 Million Grant from US Department of Energy

Element 25 (ASX:E25,OTCQX:ELMTF) has been selected to receive a US$166 million grant from the US Department of Energy, the company said in an announcement on Tuesday (September 24).

The funds will come from the Battery Materials Processing Grant Program, and will be used for the construction of the company’s proposed battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) facility in Louisiana.

The Battery Materials Processing Grant Program has a US$3 billion budget to distribute grants for endeavours that will help ensure that the US has a viable battery materials processing industry.

Keep reading...Show less
Element 25 Limited

E25’s High-Purity Manganese Project Selected for US$166M Grant Under U.S. DoE Grant Program

Element 25 Limited (E25 or Company) (ASX: E25; OTCQX: ELMTF) is pleased to announce it has been selected for award negotiations for a US$166 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) under the Battery Materials Processing Grant Programme. This funding will support the construction of its proposed battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) facility in Louisiana, USA. The grant award is in addition to the US$115 million already committed by offtake partners General Motors LLC (GM) and Stellantis N.V. (Stellantis).

Keep reading...Show less

Latest Press Releases

Related News

×