Name of the Project
Beyondie sulphate of potash (SoP) project.

Location
Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Kalium Lakes.

Reward Minerals announced in December 2023 that it had entered into a binding share sale agreement with the receivers and managers of Kalium Lakes to acquire Beyondie on a debt-free basis, without encumbrances, for a total consideration of A$20-million. The share sale agreement involved the acquisition of 100% of the issued share capital of Kalium Lakes Infrastructure and Kalium Lakes potash, which were under administration. However, in March 2024, Reward advised that, "despite an exhaustive effort, it has been unable to secure sufficient funding to complete the acquisition of the Beyondie SoP project".

Project Description
The project went into administration in 2023.

The project is based on expanding existing infrastructure where required, for instance, the brine extraction and evaporation ponds, combined with a process plant debottlenecking and optimisation.

Production is estimated at 120 000 t/y, which is inclusive of the 90 000 t/y and 100 000 t/y production targets previously announced by previous owner Kalium Lakes.

The additional brine will initially come from the expansion of Beyondie’s Sunshine and Ten Mile borefields and, subsequently, the incremental expansion of the Ten Mile West trenches and borefield during the next 15 years.

Significant opportunity exists for further expansion beyond 120 000 t/y, with further studies in progress.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Reward Minerals has secured the Beyondie potash plant for A$2.13-million.

The plant was previously part of the Beyondie project, which was built between 2020 and 2022 and operated by Kalium Lakes, before it went into administration in August 2023.

The acquisition includes the processing plant, administration and operations offices, as well as minor associated infrastructure from the former.

The deal excludes the power station, gas and brine supply facilities, evaporation ponds and accommodation camp from the broader Beyondie project.

Reward’s directors consider the acquisition as a strategic step towards realising their long-standing goal of producing sulphate of potash (SoP) fertiliser from brine resources on a commercially viable basis. 

The acquisition of the plant will enable Reward to conduct definitive pilot studies for its Carnarvon potash project at a fraction of the cost required for a new pilot facility, potentially attracting joint venture partners by significantly lowering risk.

Although Kalium Lakes’ Beyondie operation failed to reach viable production, Reward believes that the plant’s infrastructure holds valuable components. By combining this with recent advances in SoP technology, and relocating operations to a more favourable site, Reward aims to achieve commercial-scale SoP production in the near future.

Reward plans to update the engineering scoping study for its Carnarvon project, incorporating the newly acquired plant infrastructure into its designs.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
SRK (independent technical adviser for senior lenders).

Contact Details for Project Information
Kalium Lakes, tel +61 8 9240 3200 or email info@kaliumlakes.com.au.