Name of the Project
Elk Creek superalloy material project.

Location
Near Elk Creek, in Nebraska, US.

Project Owner/s
NioCorp Superalloy Metals.

Project Description
The Elk Creek Project is expected to produce an average of 7 220 t/y of ferroniobium, 95 t/y of scandium trioxide and 11 642 t/y of titanium dioxide.

The design for the project’s underground mine is expected to deliver a higher net present value (NPV), stronger investment returns, accelerated cash flows, a longer mine life, reduced permitting risk and even greater improvements in overall environmental performance than the previous plan.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has a pretax NPV, at an 8% discount rate, of $2.57-billion and an internal rate of return of 27.3%, with an after-tax payback of 2.86 years from the onset of production.

Capital Expenditure
Total net upfront capital expenditure is estimated at $1.14-billion.

Planned Start/End Date
The 2019 feasibility envisages a ten-month commissioning and ramp-up period to nameplate production capacity from first ore.

Latest Developments
NioCorp Developments has selected several key contractors – Olsson (project permitting), DuPont Clean Technologies (engineering and procurement activities pertaining to the project’s sulphuric acid recycling plant) and Veolia Water Technologies (engineering and procurement activities pertaining to the project’s water treatment plant) to work on the proposed Elk Creek project.

The development of the project will require significant additional capital, and the company expects that any significant work on the project pursuant to agreements that may be reached with Olsson, DuPont Clean Technologies and/or Veolia will be contingent on obtaining sufficient project financing, if and when available.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Olsson (project permitting); DuPont Clean Technologies (engineering and procurement activities pertaining to the project’s sulphuric acid recycling plant); Veolia Water Technologies (engineering and procurement activities pertaining to the project’s water treatment plant); and Cementation USA (EPC contractor for underground).

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
NioCorp Developments VP of External Affairs tel Jim Sims, +1 720 639 4650, email jim.sims@niocorp.com.