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Vital Metals Limited (ASX: VML) (“Vital”, “Vital Metals” or “the Company”), an advanced- stage rare earths exploration and development company, is pleased to announce the completion of a Scoping Study (“Study”) for the 100%-owned Tardiff Deposit (“the Project”), 100km east of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada.
This Scoping Study considers the advancement of Tardiff, a Rare Earth and Niobium project located in the NWT of Canada and 100% owned by Vital Metals. This Study evaluates development of a hard rock starter open pit that extracts only 15% of the total Tardiff Mineral Resource Estimate of 192.7Mt at 1.3% Total Rare Earth Oxide (TREO). The adjacent 100% owned North T and South T deposits have not been included as part of this Study.
Highlights:
- Scoping Study delivers robust financial outcomes of:
- Pre-tax NPV8 of US$776M and 32% IRR
- Post-tax NPV8 US$445M and 25.5% IRR
- Base case commodity pricing of US$90/kg of neodymium (Nd) and praseodymium (Pr), US$1322/kg for terbium (Tb) and US$338/Kg for dysprosium (Dy). The breakeven price for NdPr using all other prices from the base case is US$33.68/ kg.
- Average annual production estimate of 56kt of concentrate at a grade of 26.4% TREO and 3.3% Nb2O5, with 45.1% global TREO recovery over an initial 11-year life of mine (LOM). Average annual Rare Earth Element (REE) production is estimated to be: 2.9kt of Nd, 0.9kt of Pr with less than 100 tons each of Dy and Tb.
- Further infill drilling should increase the size and confidence of the resource supporting a longer LOM and thereby expanding project economics.
- Pit design targets a daily production of 14,000 tpd (approx. 3,000,000 tpa) with a very low 0.3:1 stripping ratio.
- Capital cost estimated at US$291 million (A$455 million), including a 35% contingency of US$68M; operating cost estimated at US$24/dry metric tonne mined (includes a 20% contingency).
- The Study states that building a Canadian supply chain will be preferred for the project’s success. The Canadian Rare Earth Supply Chain Consortium, in which Vital plays a founding role, will foster the collaboration between industry, government and technical partners to expedite the timeline from lab, and pilot work and demonstration plant to be ready to scale to commercial production of separated metals, permanent magnets and wind turbines.
- To potentially improve the project’s economics, the Study recommends advancing to a prefeasibility Study (PFS) with additional extensive metallurgical testing to:
- Optimize TREO and niobium recoveries;
- Prove the payability of niobium; and
- Test the recovery of zircon.
Vital Metals’ Managing Director Lisa Riley said: "The Study is an essential step towards moving the Project forward. It is a first step towards Vital playing a key role in building critical minerals supply chain in Canada. The Study has outlined the potential to build a viable, long- term rare earths and niobium project at Tardiff. Recommended next steps will aim to capture further economic upside by optimizing REE and Nb recoveries, lifting concentrate grades and delivering higher payability for the economic commodities.”
Figure 1: Vital Metals' Nechalacho Project, Canada
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