The unique properties of tantalum and niobium determine a stable and reliable demand now and in the future. Modern industry is significantly interested in using these elements.
Project indicators
Economic efficiency
In 2019, Taurus Infiniti LLC carried out a preliminary geological and economic assessment of the ore occurrence Mostove. As a result, reserves of category C2 and resources of category P1were approved in the State Service of Geology and Subsoil of Ukraine
TANTALUM ORE RESOURCES OF THE MOSTOVE DEPOSIT
| Class | Category | Tonnage, tt | Ta2O5, % | Resources Ta2O5, t | Nb2O5, % | Resources Nb2O5, t |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 222 | C2 | 350.8 | 0.01030 | 36.1 | 0.00659 | 24.4 |
| 333 | P1 | 4384.3 | 0.02153 | 755.1 | 0.01101 | 386.1 |
| 222+333 | C2+P1 | 4735.1 | 0.0208 | 796.1 | 0.01076 | 413.0 |
| 334 | P2 | 1556.5 | 0.02061 | 200.9 | 200.9 | 104.2 |
| 222+333+334 | C2+P1P2 | 6291.6 | 0.02075 | 997.0 | 0.01074 | 517.2 |
As a result of the technical and economical report preparation, the sufficient attractiveness of the project according to standard indicators of investment projects is shown.
GENERALIZED TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC INDICATORS
| # | Indicator’s name | Values (annual or total) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Balance reserves, thousand tons | 350.791 |
| 2 | Annual ore production, thousand tons | 70 |
| 3 | Lifetime, years | 7 |
| 4 | Capital investment, $ million | 5.89 |
| 5 | Concentrate price, $/t | 89.43 |
| 6 | Net cash flow, million $ | 3.61 |
| 7 | Profitability index | 1.07 |
| 8 | РВР – payback period, years | 5 |
Prospects for increasing the resource base
There are two more mineralization zones at the Mostove project, whose reserves have been previously estimated. Vys’ and Kopanky mineral occurrences are located 2 km north-north-west and 1.5 km south-west. The prospective Ta2O5 and Nb2O5 resources of Р2 category were estimated.
They can be considered as an increase in the resource base.
INCREASE IN THE RESOURCE BASE
| Objects | Category | Ta2O5 resources, t | Nb2O5 resources, t |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mineralization zone 1 of Mostove project | P2 | 107,7 | 126,32 |
| Mineralization zone 2 of Mostove project | P2 | 147,2 | 283,36 |
| Vys’ mineral occurrence | P2 | 871,5 | 1098,3 |
| Kopanky mineral occurrence | P2 | 576,0 | 661,1 |
| 1702,4 | 2169,08 |
Proceeding from the above our resource base can be increased by:
− Ta2O5 from 992.1 t to 2,694.5 t;
− Nb2O5 from 514.7 t to 2,683.78 t.