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Firebird Metals
Overview
Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB) is an Australian mining company that’s well-positioned to develop a new manganese mining operation in Western Australia with a strategy to become a global battery cathode producer supporting a rapidly expanding electric vehicle market.
Batteries currently represent the largest non-alloy market for manganese, accounting for roughly 3 percent of global annual manganese consumption. The metal has a long history of being used as a cathode material in batteries, both in its natural form and in the form of electrolytic manganese dioxide. That includes modern lithium-ion batteries, the supply and manufacturing chain for which could potentially grow by over 30 percent annually from now through 2030.
Manganese-rich batteries are increasingly being held up as an alternative to standard lithium-ion batteries, leading to an expected exponential demand for the mineral. Tesla alone has already committed to producing manganese-based batteries for two thirds of its supply, owing to the metal's relative abundance and lower cost compared to nickel and cobalt.
Lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) represents one of the most prominent phosphate battery configurations. In recent years, however, the business case for using manganese as a cathode material for lithium-ion batteries, known as lithium manganese iron phosphate (LMFP), has become stronger. LMFP not only improves the battery’s energy density, but also increases capacity by up to 20 percent. LMFP batteries also perform better in low-temperature environments.
As LFP rapidly nears its theoretical energy density capacity, the rise of LMFP batteries as a replacement is all but inevitable as the world continues its slow march towards electrification and sustainable energy. Consequently, this means that demand for battery-grade manganese is set to explode in the coming years. And Firebird Metals is more than ready to step in and provide some much-needed supply.
Firebird maintains ownership over a massive manganese resource in Western Australia's Pilbara region in the form of its flagship Oakover project. Characterised by near-surface mineralisation, Oakover houses an estimated 176.65 million tons (Mt) of manganese across several different targets. Because of Oakover's favourable geology, Firebird can potentially leverage Oakover to supply not just the battery market but also multiple other industries, such as steel, all through a low-cost, simple mining operation.
The end result? Significant returns for investors — a projection only further emphasised by the impressive results returned by a recent concentrate scoping study on the project. Firebird maintains several other projects in Australia as well, including the Oakover-like Hill 616 and the exploration-focused Wadanya.
Firebird's long-term strategy reaches far beyond Australia's borders, however. From mining to downstream processing, the company's vision is to become a global cathode producer. For that, Firebird is looking to China, which to date accounts for roughly 90 percent of global manganese sulphate demand.
In early September 2023, the company announced its plans to establish a processing plant in China, noting to investors that an in-house scoping study was already well underway. According to Firebird's managing director Peter Allen, the construction of this plant represents the next phase of major growth for Firebird. As with the rest of Firebird's operations, this new plant will be constructed with the company's ESG methodology front of mind, ensuring transparency and accountability in addition to human welfare, support for local communities and environmental sustainability.
This plan, should it proceed apace, has the potential to make an enormous impact on global manganese supply — all while positioning Firebird as a cost-competitive player in the manganese sulphate market and a promising investment opportunity.
Company Highlights
- An Australian junior exploration company, Firebird Resources is well-positioned to take advantage of the growing demand for manganese as the rapidly expanding electric vehicle market and global electrification continue to ramp up.
- Firebird maintains ownership of a massive manganese resource in Australia with significant growth potential.
- A recent concentrate scoping study confirmed the potential and profitability of the company's flagship project, Oakover, situated in Western Australia's Pilbara region.
- Firebird's long-term goal involves leveraging its manganese resource to position itself as a leading global producer of manganese sulphate for the battery industry.
- The company is currently embarking on a scoping study with plans to build a manganese sulphate plant in China. This will allow it to gain a foothold in the Chinese market, which currently accounts for 90 percent of global manganese sulphate demand.
- This study represents the next phase of major growth for Firebird, and is a significant part of the company's overall strategy to establish itself as a near-term producer of battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate.
Key Projects
Oakover
Situated 85 kilometres East of Newman in Western Australia's East Pilbara Manganese Province, Firebird's flagship Oakover project is characterised by favourable near-surface and shallow-dipping mineralisation. The project's favourable geology provides Firebird with multiple processing options, with the company currently targeting production of manganese concentrate and high-purity manganese sulphate. Oakover has, over the course of its history, been subject to extensive modern and historic exploration.
The most recent exploration program, completed by Firebird, resulted in a mineral resource estimate of 176.65 Mt at 9.9 percent manganese, including 105.8Mt at 10.1 percent manganese in the indicated resource category.
Project Highlights:
- Confirmed Potential: Firebird recently achieved a major milestone at Oakover with the completion of a concentrate scoping study which confirmed the project's outstanding long-term potential as a manganese hub. Highlights of the study include:
- Potential 18-year mine life.
- 1.2 Mt per annum with low strip ratio (0.45:1) and mining costs.
- Upfront capital investment of A$124 million with low capex optionality.
- A$741.3 million NPV and IRR of 73.1 percent.
- Indicated material accounts for 99.2 percent of material processed.
- 80 percent uplift in indicated resource at Oakover to 105.8 Mt.
- Metallurgical Results: Firebird has undertaken extensive metallurgical and hydrometallurgical testwork at Oakover, with results providing the company with a high level of confidence in its growth and profit potential. Notable highlights are as follows:
- Achievable 30 to 32 percent manganese concentrate saleable product
- Achievable battery-grade manganese sulphate
- Current Plans: Firebird's concentrate scoping study assessed two production scenarios, each utilising simple processing, crush, screen, scrub and DMS beneficiation. It has chosen to pursue full production from startup with ~4 Mtpa processing and ~1.2 Mtpa of 30 to 32 percent manganese concentrate.
Hill 616
Located 35 kilometres south of the Oakover project, Hill 616 shares highly similar geological characteristics to Firebird's flagship, with shallow, gently dipping geology. Covering approximately 15.7 square kilometres within the Peak Hill Mineral Field, Hill 616 has to date undergone extensive historical drilling, with 116 holes for 4,900 metres over a 2.2-kilometre strike.
This drilling has resulted in an inferred mineral resource of 57.5 Mt at 12.2 percent manganese.
Wandanya
Wandanya is a recently established exploration-focused project situated 50 kilometres southwest of the world-class Woodie Woodie Manganese Mine. Its close proximity to Port Hedland affords it considerable direct shipping ore potential. Rock chip results indicate that Wandanya's deposits are also exceptionally high grade, returning results up to 64.9 percent and 55.2 percent manganese.
Management Team
Evan Cranston — Chairperson
Evan Cranston is an experienced mining executive with a background in corporate and mining law. He is the principal of corporate advisory and administration firm Konkera Corporate and has extensive experience in the areas of equity capital markets, corporate finance, structuring, asset acquisition, corporate governance and external stakeholder relations.
Cranston holds both a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia. He is currently the non-executive chairman of African Gold (ASX:A1G) and Benz Mining (TSXV:BZ, ASX:BNZ).
Peter Allen — Managing Director
Peter Allen is a mining executive with more than 20 years of experience in marketing of manganese, lithium and a range of other commodities. He was previously the managing director of marketing for Consolidated Minerals Limited, which operates Woodie Woodie mine in WA and the Nsuta Manganese mine in Ghana.
Allen assisted manganese-focused explorer Element 25 (ASX:E25) and Gulf Manganese Corporation (ASX:GMC) with PFS and product marketing. More recently, he was the marketing manager for AVZ Minerals (ASX:AVZ), a company focussed on the Manono lithium project.
Wei Li — Executive Director & CFO
Wei Li is a chartered accountant with extensive professional experience across several key sectors which include the resource industry, international trade, capital markets, project management of IPOs and spin-outs, and financial accounting. His experience includes being employed by and acting as director and CFO of several companies, predominantly in the resource sector. Prior to these roles, he managed a private base metal exploration company in the NT of Australia and assisted in commissioning an AU$150-million electrolytic manganese dioxide plant in Hunan China.
Li is currently a non-executive director of Macro Metals.
Ashley Pattison — Non-executive Director
Ashley Pattison brings over 20 years of experience in the resources sector across corporate finance and operational roles. Qualified as chartered accountant, he has extensive experience in operations, finance, strategy and corporate finance. Pattison has been the managing director of a number of listed and private mining companies over the past 10 years and also CEO of a listed mining service company.
Pattinson is currently the executive chairman of PC Gold and a non-executive director of Industrial Minerals (ASX:IND) and Macro Metals.
Brett Grosvenor — Non-executive Director
Brett Grosvenor is an experienced mining executive with over 25 years of experience in the mining and power industries. He holds a dual tertiary qualification in engineering and a master’s in business.
IND Establishes HPQ Exploration Target at Pippingarra Project
Highlights
- IND’s recent RC drilling program informs a Maiden High Purity Quartz (HPQ) Exploration Target at the Pippingarra Quarry Project.
- Drilling is planned for the exploration target area and to test several quartz occurrences mapped across the wider Mining Lease area.
- IND plans to commence work on a HPQ Mineral Resource Estimate in parallel with metallurgical testwork being conducted by potential offtake partners and third-party mineral processing laboratories.
- A 300kg Pippingarra quartz sample crushed from existing quarry stockpiles sent to China in late 2023 produced a >GG.GG4% SiO2 end product following standard HPQ processing1.
- A further 24 tonne bulk sample comprising crushed quartz rock has been shipped to China for processing, metallurgical test work, and assessment by potential offtake partners.
Figure 1: IND Pippingarra Quarry Project location and infrastructure.
In October 2023, IND announced the agreement of binding terms2 with North West Quarries Pty Ltd (NWQ) for an exclusive option to acquire an 80% interest in the non-construction material mineral rights.
Jeff Sweet, Managing Director of Industrial Minerals, commented:
“Following on from one of our potential offtake partners in China achieving a processed High Purity Ǫuartz product grading >SS.SS4% SiO2, we are extremely positive about the potential to supply Pippingarra quartz into high-end quartz markets.
“The Pippingarra Exploration Target is limited to an area where IND completed RC drilling in late 2023, to the east of the existing open pit. There are several quartz outcrops mapped across the broader Mining Lease area that will also be drilled with the intention to include these untested HPǪ target opportunities in the upcoming Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for Pippingarra.
“Our motivation to commence work towards a MRE is to leverage our unique position of having an active mining operation at the Pippingarra Ǫuarry. We believe this will give potential offtake partners the confidence to enter into offtake agreements with IND, knowing that we can rapidly advance to be mine ready and have a suitable mine life to support long term supply needs.”
Maiden High Purity Quartz Exploration Target
Table 1: Pippingarra HPQ Exploration Target range.
The potential quantity and grade of the Exploration Target is conceptual in nature, and there has been insufficient exploration to estimate a Mineral Resource and it is uncertain if further exploration will result in the estimation of a Mineral Resource. The Exploration Target has been prepared and reported in accordance with the 2012 edition of the JORC Code.
The Exploration Target is based upon the Reverse Circulation (RC) Drilling program completed by IND in December 2023. Drilling was conducted on a 50m x 50m spacing. From this, holes INRC003 – INRC009 recorded thicknesses of white crystalline quartz over widths from 12m to 20m as reported in the Table 2 below.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Industrial Minerals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
Positive Findings from Newmont Ti Benchmarking Study
Highlights
- Titanium industry expert TZMI completes titanium benchmarking study on the Salazar Critical Minerals Project
- Study identifies Newmont as a standout from its peers in terms of Ti and TREO in-situ grade
- Benchmarking study is highly encouraging and supports validating flowsheet for production of titanium minerals from Salazar
Salazar Critical Minerals Project Ti Benchmarking Study
Following successful characterisation testwork of Ti mineralisation at the Newmont Deposit area1, West Cobar Metals engaged international titanium expert TZ Minerals International Pty Ltd (TZMI) to complete a benchmarking study of the Newmont resource.
TZMI is a global, independent consulting and publishing company which specialises in all aspects of the mineral sands, titanium dioxide and coatings industries2.
The Newmont resource3 and characterisation data was used by TZMI to benchmark the Salazar project deposit against several existing operations and potential new projects under development using publicly available information and TZMI estimates. The outcomes of the benchmarking are shown in Figure 1.
The benchmarking study shows that the Ti contained within the Newmont deposit has promising potential for economic extraction and that the Newmont resource is positioned favourably amongst peer resources in respect of both Ti and rare earth element content.
Figure 1 : Salazar Project (Newmont deposit) benchmarking
The relative positioning of the Newmont Inferred Ti and rare earth element resource is very positive for West Cobar, with relatively high insitu TiO2 grades and TREO grades compared to its peers. The Ti levels of the resource (on a whole rock basis) compare very favourably to both developing and operating projects.
TZMI concluded that “In terms of final ilmenite product quality, the composition of the magnetic fraction (comprising predominantly ilmenite) shows some promise with TiO₂ levels as high as 48.5%. This suggests the ilmenite is likely present as primary ilmenite … the CaO, MgO, V₂O₅, Cr₂O₃ in the magnetic fraction all seem relatively low which is positive and likely to be within the accepted levels for ilmenite used in sulfate pigment production.”
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from West Cobar Metals Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
High Grade Copper Rock Chips to 18% on New Targets at Ti-Tree
- Two new prospects, Tiberius and Claudius, have returned high-grade copper and significant silver assays in rock chips from recent field work
- High grade assays up to 17.8% Cu and 282g/t Ag have been discovered on the Tiberius zone, currently 3m wide and extending for over 200m along strike.
- Claudius, 11km south of Tiberius, comprised of several parallel zones over a 100m by 300m area, returned grades up to 6.6% Cu and 86g/t Ag.
- The discovery of these prospects, 30km northwest from Copper Ridge which contain historic workings not marked on GSWA maps, highlights the significant prospectivity of the Gascoyne region.
- Further field work is being planned to determine the extent of these new discoveries.
Andrew Ford, GM Exploration
“These results highlight the potential of this underexplored area to host as yet undiscovered mineralisation. Less than 5% of the 3,600 sq km area of the Ti-Tree Project has had any previous exploration, and to discover unrecorded historic mining areas is very exciting. These results are a credit the Augustus geological team.”
Figure 1 Location of the Tiberius and Claudius prospects
Tiberius
Reconnaissance field work conducted on the Ti Tree Project’s northwestern tenement has discovered high grade copper and silver mineralisation (Figure 3) in two areas. Tiberius, the northern target comprises a quartz-sulphide vein system up to 3m wide and outcrops for over 200m (Figure 5).
A shallow shaft has been dug on the vein system (Figure 2). Another vein set was identified 600m along strike east-northeast of the main vein increasing the potential size of the target. The high grade veins contain both oxidized copper, high silver grades, lead sulphide and anomalous gold (Table 1).
Claudius
The Claudius prospect is located 10km to the southwest of Tiberius, comprised of quartz veined brecciated and silicified granite with mineralised veins mapped over a 100m x 300m area. The main area of outcropping mineralisation has been trenched by prospectors and rock chip sampling returned strong copper mineralisation in an iron rich siliceous vein. Silver was consistently elevated (up to 86g/t) with associated gold anomalism to 0.68g/t (Table 1, Figures 4 and 6).
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Augustus Minerals, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
From the Bronze Age to the Green Revolution: Mining's Timeless Role in Shaping Humanity's Future
During his presentation at the annual Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada convention, mining industry figure Mark Cutifani recounted the role the mining sector has had in humanity's past and will play in its burgeoning future.
“I'm focused on how we might catalyze new conversations around mining and its contribution to society,” he told listeners at the annual event, which took place in early March. “It is through our great pioneers and innovators that we continue to transform our work, and its value to society in so many different dimensions”
In simple terms, everything we use and make is derived from materials like metals and minerals, noted Cutifani.
Minerals used in electric cars compared to conventional cars.
Chart via the International Energy Agency.
In his view, while technical discussions about improving industry practices are essential, it's also crucial to help people understand the significance of the mining industry in the functioning of society as a whole.
For example, the average smartphone uses 13 metals and minerals, while electric vehicles require seven, including copper, lithium, nickel, manganese, cobalt, graphite, zinc and rare earths.
Mining's key role in the world's future
Cutifani went on to highlight how metals and minerals contribute to the health of our waterways and oceans.
“The provision of clean water is an absolute necessity to sustain life as we know it. We need minerals to purify, pump, use and recycle water. (We are) an industry that uses about 3 percent of the world's water to support everything else that happens on the planet. We are overwhelmingly a positive for global water balances,” he said.
In addition to water, the mining of phosphate and potash is imperative to global food supply, according to Cutifani, because without the valuable fertilizers they produce, “we could only feed half the planet.”
Even though there may be debates about eliminating certain products like fertilizers, he said it's essential to understand the broader implications and consequences of such decisions on global food security.
Beyond food security, metals and the alloys they produce have allowed us to curb urban sprawl through skyscrapers and high-rise residential towers that require steel and concrete, both of which are produced using mined and quarried materials. While we often hear of the vast amounts of metals needed for the energy transition, Cutifani noted that the energy transition debate tends to overlook other critical global issues like water, food security and shelter.
In his view, addressing global challenges will require the consideration of all fundamental human needs. It's essential to broaden the conversation and recognize the interconnectedness of various societal issues.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Georgia Williams, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Firebird Metals Investor Kit
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