Name of the Project
Bald Hill lithium plant.

Location
The project area is located 50 km south-east of Kambalda, in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia.

Client
Tawana Resources and Alliance Mineral Assets Limited (AMAL).

Project Description
The project comprises four mining leases, one mining lease application, 12 exploration licences, eight prospecting licences and one general-purpose lease totalling 790 km.

A July 2017 prefeasibility study confirmed the technical and financial viability of a low-capital-cost, 1.2-million-tonne-a-year lithium dense-media separation (DMS) circuit, adjacent to the existing tantalum processing facility at Bald Hill.

The PFS estimates initial production of 155 000 t/y of spodumene concentrate from the DMS and 260 000 lb/y of tantalum pentoxide from the tantalum processing facility. Further feasibility work is being undertaken on a lithium fines circuit to treat stockpiled fines and middlings, which has the potential to add to production.

Potential Job Creation
About 200 people will be on site during the peak construction period.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an expected internal rate of return of 185%.

Value
A$42.20-million.

Duration
The first shipment of lithium concentrate is scheduled for March 2018.

Latest Developments
Reserves at the Bald Hill lithium/tantalum project have more than doubled following pit design changes that have resulted from an increased resource estimate.

Tawana Resources and its joint venture partner Alliance Minerals have reported that total lithium resources at Bald Hill now stand at 26.5-million tonnes, at 1% lithium oxide, while lithium reserves were estimated at 11.3-million tonnes, at 1% lithium oxide and 160 parts per million (ppm) tantalum pentoxide.

The reserve estimate is a 105% increase on the previous reserve estimate.

Bald Hill’s tantalum ore reserves have also increased by 43% to two-million tonnes at 313 ppm tantalum pentoxide.

“The increased reserves, along with the potential for additional reserves resulting from infill drilling of inferred material, provide strong support for significantly increasing processing throughput rates,” Tawana MD Mark Calderwood has said.

“We are actively reviewing the options to best increase throughput in the existing plant and/or add an additional DMS circuit and fines circuit. There has been strong interest from a number of parties to obtain concentrate supply from Bald Hill.”

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Primero Group (EPC).

On Budget and on Time?
The project is on track for commissioning to start in the first quarter of 2018.

Contact Details for Project Information
Tawana investor relations, tel +61 8 9489 2600 or email admin@tawana.com.au.