THIS ANNOUNCEMENT CONTAINS INSIDER INFORMATION
Pensana Plc
("Pensana" or the "Company")
EPCM and Updated Ore Reserve estimate
Pensana Plc (PRE.LSE) is pleased to announce an updated ore reserve estimate and an update on the project delivery for the Longonjo rare earth project in Angola.
The highlights are as follows:
The technical due diligence carried out by independent technical consultants on behalf of the lender consortium has reported the following updated JORC compliant ore reserve estimate.
| ORE RESERVE CATEGORY | TONNES | TREO GRADE | NdPr GRADE | CONTAINED TREO | CONTAINED NdPr |
| Proved | 11.69 | 3.49 | 0.73 | 407,981 | 85,337 |
| Probable | 9.84 | 2.51 | 0.55 | 246,984 | 54,120 |
| TOTAL | 21.54 | 3.04 | 0.65 | 654,965 | 139,457 |
Note: Independent consultants “A&B Global Mining pty ltd” (ABGM) completed the ore reserve using the guidelines of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (JORC Code, 2012 Edition).
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PRODUCTION ASSUMPTIONS | UNIT | BFS |
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| years | 20 |
| Average grade | % | 4.12% TREO |
| Average strip ratio (LOM) tonnes:tonnes | waste:ore | 0.25 |
| ROM throughput (design capacity) | ktpadry (ROM) | 850 |
| MREC refinery production (design capacity) | tpadry (MREC) | 20,000 |
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| CAPITAL COSTS | UNIT | BFS |
| Recovery Plant | US$ m | 75.5 |
| Concentrator Plant | US$ m | 37.8 |
| Plant Common Area | US$ m | 14.7 |
| Mine, Plant and Project Infrastructure | US$ m | 25.4 |
| Indirect Costs | US$ m | 22.6 |
| TSF | US$ m | 7.2 |
| Miscellaneous | US$ m | 13.3 |
| Contingency (10.23%) | US$ m | 20.1 |
| Total Capital Pre-production | US$ m | 216.5 |
| Average annual sustaining capital (from year 6) | US$ m | 5.7 |
Update on Engineering Procurement and Construction Management (EPCM)
The project delivery is being undertaken by Mining Consultancy Company Limited (MCC) an experienced project management team with a track record of delivering projects in Angola, working with ADP Holdings Pty part of Lycopodium group (ADP) a specialist in modular construction with extensive experience in Angola, and ProProcess Engineering (Pty) Ltd (ProProcess) which has expertise in delivering modular process units across Africa.
The team has confirmed pricing and manufacturing schedules of all long lead equipment items including the ball mill, acid plant and thickeners.
About Longonjo
Pensana has spent over US$70 million over the past six years on exploration, technical and environmental studies on the Longonjo rare earth project in the Huambo district of Angola approximately 350 kilometres Southeast of the capital Luanda.
The Company has successfully delineated a near surface JORC compliant reserve of 22 million tonnes grading 3.04% TREO containing 139,457 tonnes of NdPrO making it one of the world’s largest undeveloped magnet metal rare earth deposits with a mine life of over 20 years.
The electrification of motive power is arguably the biggest energy transition in history and needs rare earths for permanent magnets.
Initial production will be 20,000 tonnes of a highly marketable clean MREC. A proposed second phase expansion will see production increase to 40,000 tonnes per annum of MREC representing around 5% of the world’s production capable of being converted into permanent magnets for electric vehicles and offshore wind turbines.
The Company is committed to developing the Longonjo mine to the very best international standards with the highest level of community engagement and have published a blueprint for sustainable rare earth development which is available on our website. Pensana_Blueprint_for_Sustainable_Rare_Earths.pdf
The team’s efforts were recognised in 2022 when Pensana received an award by S&P Green Bond Rating Agency CICERO and more recently, were awarded a Gold Medal by EcoVadis, a leading sustainability ratings provider, placing it among the top 5% of the companies assessed.
It has been independently estimated that the Longonjo mine, with access to hydroelectric power and direct access to the Atlantic Port of Lobito via the Lobito Corridor rail line will save over 4 million tonnes of CO2 emissions - the carbon equivalent of replacing 1.5 GW of fossil fuel electricity generation.
The information contained within this announcement is considered by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No.596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information will be considered to be in the public domain. The person responsible for arranging for the release of this announcement on behalf of the Company is Paul Atherley, Chairman.
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For further information, please contact:
Shareholder/analyst enquiries:
Pensana Plc
Paul Atherley, Chairman IR@pensana.co.uk
Tim George, Chief Executive Officer
Rob Kaplan, Chief Financial Officer