Manganese developer Firebird Metals (ASX:FRB) has lodged a mining lease application (MLA) for its flagship Oakover Manganese Project near Newman in Western Australia.
The company reports the MLA represents the delivery of another milestone in the development of Oakover as Firebird continues its strategy to establish Western Australia’s next ‘major’ manganese operation.
Additionally, Firebird says it has advanced discussions with the Karlka Nyiyaparli Aboriginal Corporation RNTBC regarding Oakover and will now start negotiations in good faith with the Nyiyaparli People to enter an agreement to use the land for mining activities. The company will also engage and progress discussions with other key stakeholders relating to progressing its MLA.
Meanwhile, Firebird reports ongoing high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate (HPMSM) production and optimisation work is nearing completion ahead of a HPMSM Scoping Study slated to begin in Q3 2023.
The primary objective of this production and optimisation work is to further enhance the process design and product quality, with the results feeding into the HPMSM Scoping Study.
The company also reports environmental flora and fauna studies progressed during Q2 2023, with hydrogeological, materials characterisation, and other targeted environmental studies set to continue into 2024.
Commenting on the MLA, Firebird Metals Managing Director Peter Allen says: “We continue to methodically tick all the boxes with our accelerated strategy to develop Oakover into a major, long-life manganese operation.
“the submission of the MLA is another critical step forward in our plans to ensure Oakover is well-positioned to supply a quality product into this growing market”
We are starting to see strong levels of interest and demand for battery-grade manganese sulphate, and the submission of the MLA is another critical step forward in our plans to ensure Oakover is well-positioned to supply a quality product into this growing market.
We have a very busy period coming up as we look to continue to complete several key work programs ahead of commencing our high-purity sulphate manganese Scoping Study in Q3 2023.
There is a lack of emerging manganese developers, and we are excited about taking our place as a new producer of this important commodity and maximising the full potential of Oakover to deliver significant value to our shareholder base.”
Firebird Metals is an ASX-listed manganese developer focused on advancing its portfolio of assets in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia. These assets include the Oakover, Hill 616, and Wandanya projects, which boast a total resource of 234 million tonnes.
The Oakover Project holds a Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 176.7 million tonnes @ 10% manganese, with 105.8 million tonnes in the indicatory category.
Write to Harry Mulholland at Mining.com.au
Images: Firebird Metals Ltd
