https://newsletter.mw.creamermedia.com
Building|Construction|Crushing|Design|Energy|Engineering|Fabrication|Financial|flotation|generation|Infrastructure|Mining|Power|PROJECT|Resources|Services|Underground|Environmental|Infrastructure
Building|Construction|Crushing|Design|Energy|Engineering|Fabrication|Financial|flotation|generation|Infrastructure|Mining|Power|PROJECT|Resources|Services|Underground|Environmental|Infrastructure
building|construction|crushing|design|energy|engineering|fabrication|financial|flotation|generation|infrastructure|mining|power|project|resources|services|underground|environmental|infrastructure

Kathleen Valley lithium/tantalum project, Australia – update

Image of the Australian flag and periodic table symbols for lithium and tantalum

9th August 2024

By: Sheila Barradas

Creamer Media Research Coordinator & Senior Deputy Editor

     

Font size: - +

Name of the Project                                    
Kathleen Valley lithium/tantalum project.

Location
North-east Goldfields of Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Lithium developer Liontown Resources and Hancock Prospecting.

Project Description
A definitive feasibility study (DFS) has confirmed the potential to develop a state-of-the-art, second-generation lithium/tantalum mining and processing operation.

The DFS optimises the mine schedule, process plant design and forecast sales pricing to enhance the technical and financial viability of a standalone, long-life, four-million-tonne-a-year operation.

The project has an ore reserve of 68.5-million tonnes grading 1.34% lithium oxide and 120 parts per million tantalum pentoxide, underpinning an initial estimated 23-year mine life, based on the updated mining schedule.

Building on the October 2020 prefeasibility study (PFS), the DFS base production has been increased from two-million tonnes a year to 2.5-million tonnes a year, producing about 500 000 t/y of spodumene concentrate, with a four-million-tonne-a-year expansion planned in Year 6 to deliver about 700 000 t/y spodumene concentrate.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at a real 8% discount rate, of A$4.2-billion and an internal rate of return of 57%, with a payback of 2.3 years.

Capital Expenditure
Capital costs for the project are now estimated at A$951-million, up from the previous estimate of A$895-million.

Planned Start/End Date
First production is expected to start in the first half of 2024.

Latest Developments
Following progressive commissioning of the process plant, ore has been processed through the entire crushing, milling and flotation circuit, culminating in the first spodumene concentrate having been produced.

With 216 000 t of clean ore already mined to date from the Kathleen’s Corner and Mt Mann openpits, and the primary ore zone in Kathleen’s Corner scheduled to be mined in late August, Liontown’s stockpile of clean ore was well positioned for processing, the company said on July 31.

Liontown will now focus on completing the remaining commissioning activities in the noncritical path areas of the plant; concluding construction of critical underground infrastructure, such as the paste fill plant; and ramping up the process plant to a three-million-tonne-a-year throughput.

Full nameplate production of three-million tonnes a year is expected by the end of the first quarter of next year, with lithium recoveries expected to be optimised over the next 12 to 18 months.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
ZOOID (environmental, social and governance); Optiro (geology and mineral resources estimate); Snowden Mining Industry Consultants (mine optimisation, planning, design and scheduling); ALS Metallurgy (process testwork); Lycopodium Minerals (process and infrastructure design, capital and operating expenditure); Knight Piésold (tailings and hydrogeology); MBS Environmental (environmental studies); Peter O’Bryan and Associates (geomechanical engineering); Metso-Outotec (design, fabrication and delivery of a semiautogenous grinding mill); Lycopodium Minerals (engineering, procurement and construction management); Zenith Energy (hybrid power station – design, build, own, operate and maintain); and GR Engineering Services (EPC).

Contact Details for Project Information
Liontown Resources, tel +6 8 6186 4600 or email info@ltresources.com.au.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Comments

Showroom

Multotec
Multotec

Multotec, recognised industry leaders in metallurgy and process engineering help mining houses across the world process minerals more efficiently,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Schauenburg SmartMine IoT
Schauenburg SmartMine IoT

SmartMine IoT has been developed with the mining industry in mind, to provides our customers with powerful business intelligence and data modelling...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Magazine round up | 01 November 2024
Magazine round up | 01 November 2024
1st November 2024

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.087 0.229s - 129pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now