Name of the Project
Oakover manganese project.

Location
East of Newman, in Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Firebird Metals.

Project Description
An updated dense-media separation (DMS) manganese concentrate scoping study has confirmed the project as a long-life, tier-one manganese operation.

The study considers two scenarios.

The first scenario proposes the processing of four-million tonnes a year.

The second scenario proposes staging capital expenditure and processing 1.5-million tonnes a year for the first three years of production, then ramping up to four-million tonnes a year of manganese concentrate. Processing includes crushing, scrubbing and DMS.

Firebird has chosen to progress with Scenario 1, which will result in full-scale production starting from Year 1. The operation will have a mine life of 18 years, processing four-million tonnes a year for 1.2-million tonnes grading between 30% and 32% manganese concentrate a year.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of about A$741-million and an internal rate of return of 73.1%, with a payback of about 1.3 years.

Capital Expenditure
A$123-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
None stated.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
CSA Global and Earth and Sound/Dr Mathew Cobb (mineral resource estimate); CSA Global (conceptual study); SBC Metallurgy (processing); Mincore (engineering); Galetech Energy Services (energy); Increva (infrastructure); Wyntak (road infrastructure, and load and road haulage); and FRB Management Assumption (ocean freight).

Contact Details for Project Information
Firebird Metals, tel +61 8 6245 9818 or email admin@firebirdmetals.com.au.