E25 Investigates Butcherbird Restart Amid Record Mn Prices
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
ANNOUNCEMENT | 11 JUNE 2024 | ASX: E25
E25 INVESTIGATES BUTCHERBIRD RESTART OPTIONS
AMID RECORD HIGH MANGANESE ORE PRICES
Element 25 Limited (E25 or Company) (ASX: E25; OTCQX: ELMTF) is pleased to provide an update on activities to investigate
the potential to recommence operations at the Company’s 100%-owned Butcherbird Manganese Project in Western Australia
(Butcherbird) to take advantage of recent upward movement in manganese ore prices caused by market factors including
disruptions at South 32 Limited’s Groote Eylandt (GEMCO) operations1. This may include the sale of stockpiles and or
recommencing processing of run-of mine (ROM) stockpiles.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Manganese ore prices rise to four-year highs to U$8.30/dmtu for 44% cif Tianjin, China1.
• E25 operations team and Board investigating opportunities to process ROM and low-grade stockpiles at Butcherbird.
• If operationally feasible, ore production at current prices presents an opportunity to generate short-term cash flow.
GEMCO’s Groote Eylandt Mine typically produces
more than 6M tonnes of high-grade manganese ore
a year, and damage to the mine’s haul road and
ship loading facilities from Tropical Cyclone Megan
in March 2024 has resulted in a forecast supply
disruption of up to twelve months. GEMCO is
currently targeting a production restart in Q3 2025.2
The loss of GEMCO supply coupled with political
instability in South Africa has resulted in a
significant and rapid increase in manganese ore
prices due to increased competition for available
supply. This presents an opportunity to potentially
sell stockpiles that are of a lower grade, preventing
their previous sale at lower prices but which may be
profitable to ship now.
Figure 1: Manganese ore index – Yuan/dmtu Tianjin Port1.
Butcherbird Expansion Feasibility Study parameters also shown3.
1
Reference: MySteel Ferroalloys Market Weekly 3 June 2024.
2
South 32 Limited ASX Release dated 14 May 2024.
Element 25 Limited
Level 1, Building B, Garden Office Park,
355 Scarborough Beach Road,
Osborne Park WA 6017
ABN: 46 119 711 929
T: +61 8 6375 2525
E: admin@e25.com.au
W: element25.com.au
Additionally, ROM stockpiles that have been mined but not yet processed are available at site. The cost structure of a restart is
not currently defined, however E25’s Board recognises the potential opportunity of selling existing product stockpiles and/or
recommencing the processing of ROM stockpiles at Butcherbird to produce material for sale at current elevated prices. If
viable, these activities will occur in parallel with and will not impact the expansion plans for the Butcherbird Project. E25
suspended Butcherbird production in early 2024 during a period of depressed ore prices while readying for an upgrade of
facilities to achieve a nominal 1.1Mpta manganese concentrate production, as outlined in a Feasibility Study completed on
January 20243.
The expansion of Butcherbird production aligns with E25’s strategy to produce high-purity manganese sulphate monohydrate
(HPMSM) at a facility planned to be built in Louisiana, USA, in partnership with global automakers General Motors LLC and
Stellantis NV4.
Element 25 Managing Director Justin Brown said:
“A potential restart of Butcherbird’s processing operations at these increased manganese ore prices on a de-risked basis
may be an ideal opportunity to monetise existing stockpiles and generate short-term cashflow. E25 looks forward to
updating the market further as these investigations are completed and we will continue to monitor ore markets in the
meantime to optimise any potential opportunities that may arise.”
A potential restart requires several critical steps with respect to operational readiness and an assessment of re-start and
production costs, and it is not guaranteed that this will be commercially feasible in the immediate term. However, E25’s Board
believes it is a unique opportunity that should be explored. Restart investigations will focus on minimising cash outflows by reestablishing processing via a joint operational arrangement from existing partnerships with mining and haulage contractors
and utilising existing port access agreements. Discussions are also underway with E25’s existing offtake partner OM Holdings
Limited (ASX:OMH) with respect to recommencing ore sales.
ABOUT ELEMENT 25
Element 25 is an ASX-listed company (ASX: E25) that operates the world-class 100%-owned Butcherbird Manganese Project in
Western Australia and is currently undertaking activities to expand production to approximately 1.1Mtpa of medium-grade
high silica manganese ore for use in traditional and new energy markets.
E25 is also commercialising innovative proprietary technology to produce battery-grade high-purity manganese sulphate
monohydrate (HPMSM) for use in Electric Vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing. The Company plans to build its first HPMSM
refinery in Louisiana, USA, to produce raw materials for the US EV market, in partnership with General Motors LLC (GM) and
Stellantis N.V. (Stellantis). E25 aims to become an industry-leading, world-class, low-carbon battery materials manufacturer.
3
E25 ASX Announcement 23 January 2024
4
E25 ASX Releases dated 9 January 2023 and 26 June 2023.
Element 25 Limited
Company information, ASX announcements, investor presentations, corporate videos, and other investor material in the
Company’s projects can be viewed at: www.element25.com.au.
This announcement is authorised for market release by Element 25 Limited’s Board of Directors.
Justin Brown
Media Inquiries:
Managing Director
Nathan Ryan
Email: admin@e25.com.au
Email: nathan.ryan@nwrcommunications.com.au
Phone: +61 (8) 6375 2525
Phone: +61 (0) 420 582 887
Competent Persons Statement
The company confirms that in the case of Mineral Resources or Ore Reserve estimates, all material assumptions and technical parameters underpinning the
estimates in the market announcement dated 29 September 2023 continue to apply and have not materially changed. The company confirms that the form
and context in which the competent person’s findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcement.
Element 25 Limited
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