Ann: Donald Project Configuration and Feasibility Study Update, page-2

Some big changes proposed for the venerable DMS project , now rebranded the Donald Mineral Sands and Rare Earths Project, or perhaps that should be the Donald Rare Earths with Mineral Sands By-Products Project…

The rationale of “establishing the least risk path towards the commercialisation of the Phase 1 development of the Project on Mineral Licence 5532 (MIN5532)” looks to me like the ATR board’s response to the Victorian government’s kyboshing of Kalbar’s Fingerboards Mineral Sands project in Gippsland. Even though Donald is further down the development trail with a mining licence and approved EES in place, the fear is the Andrews Government could still stymie the project in myriad ways if they decide the support of urban Greens outweighs demands for regional development in conservative held electorates. The pivot to rare earths with ‘green’ energy applications is certainly more on-trend than ceramic glazes or paint opacifiers, which may help in marketing the project to environmentalists, governments and financiers with ESG mandates.

Maybe the thinking is that by reducing the annual ore throughput from 12.5 Mtpa to 7.5 Mtpa and the subsequent reduction in project footprint, infrastructure and water requirements, the project will fly under the radar somewhat. It certainly won’t help the project economics apart from reducing the initial capex and funding requirements, though at an estimated A$350m capex and A$400m in total funding these are still considerable.

The technical aspects of recovery and processing the +20-38 micron fraction of the ore and the split between the monazite and xenotime and subsequent REE assemblage in the RE concentrate may have major impacts on the project economics which won’t become apparent until we finally see the feasibility study, now slated for 1Q/2023.