General discussion, page-11758

@blueskybaby ... assuming we sell 50% for $2B, we only then have to pay for 50% of development costs, so $1B from us and $1B from them, which would buy a very good large plant and processing facilities, plus further processing facilities for final product somewhere else..

Assume something like a 5Mt/a plant in such a situation. Even just the current high grade area has 10 years at that rate with another 20-30 at lower grade assuming no further upgrades or additions..

5Mt/a X 0.021% grade X .53 recovery equals 55,000t/a Nb2O5 and assuming just $A20k/t profit = $1.1B EBITDA, or $550M/a each for an investment of $3B for the big company.

Of course the big mobs would want it much cheaper than $2B and will try everything to get it cheaper, assuming they are not in competition with another major.

Spending $2B on mine, development, plant and processing buys a hell ava lot!!

Perhaps Paul's comment about time being the enemy is all about proving up more, drilling more, finding more as the 'discussions' are coming thick and fast.

Assuming a 10% growth in niobium use for the next decade, for both greener steel and batteries, then both us and CBMM would need to expand, even if we built a 5Mt/a plant to start with.

Realistically, the downside is major depression, WW3 etc to stop huge growth in niobium use, in which case it doesn't matter where your money is anyway.