Name of the Project
Jaguar nickel sulphide project.

Location
Carajás, in Brazil.

Project Owner/s
Aliança Mineração, a wholly owned Brazilian subsidiary of Centaurus Metals.

Project Description
A value-add scoping study has been undertaken to evaluate the potential development of the project.

The project is expected to have a low-carbon emission footprint and generate strong financial returns while delivering significant long-term social and economic benefits for the local communities around it.

The scoping study envisages the development of openpit and underground mines supplying a 2.7-million-tonne-a-year nickel sulphate plant over an initial 13-year mine life.

The mine is expected to produce more than 20 000 t/y of recovered nickel in sulphate and more than 9 600 t/y of mixed sulphide precipitate.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an estimated pretax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of $1.03-billion and an internal rate of return of 60%, with an after-tax payback period of 1.8 years.

Capital Expenditure
The project will require preproduction development capital of $288-million.

Planned Start/End Date
First production from Jaguar is currently targeted for 2025.

Latest Developments
Centaurus Metals has pushed back the completion of its definitive feasibility study (DFS) on its Jaguar nickel sulphide project to mid-2023, rather than the end of March 2023.

A final investment decision for the project has also been pushed back to the fourth quarter of 2023, rather than the third quarter, after front-end engineering work has been sufficiently advanced to place long-lead orders and once the second stage of the environmental approval process has been completed.

The rescheduling of the DFS was done to accommodate additional sample requirements for pressure oxidation and downstream solution purification testwork as offtake discussions continue.

MD Darren Gordon has said the additional time being taken to finalise the DFS will enable the company to take advantage of enhancements to the pressure oxidation process flowsheet, and optimise capital and operating costs.

First production from the mine is still being targeted for 2025, although in the latter half of the year.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
Entech, Re-Metallica and DRA Global (value-add scoping study).

Contact Details for Project Information
Centaurus Metals, tel +61 8 6424 8420 or email office@centaurus.com.au.