Tivan has announced that it will be progressing the Speewah Fluorite Project, which forms part of the company’s broader Speewah Project in the Kimberley region of north-east Western Australia.
The Speewah Fluorite Project hosts a JORC compliant indicated and inferred resource of 27.2 million tonnes at 9.5 per cent calcium fluoride (CaF₂) (at a two per cent CaF₂ cut-off grade) with a high-grade component of 6.7 million tonnes at 24.6 per cent CaF₂ (at a ten per cent CaF₂ cut-off grade).
The resource was acquired as part of the Speewah Project acquisition in 2023 from King River Resources. The fluorite deposit is located to the southeast of the Speewah vanadium deposits.
Fluorite is an important industrial mineral used to produce commercial grade fluorspar products. Industrial and metallurgical uses include steel and iron production, refrigeration and air conditioning systems, aluminium manufacturing, fluoropolymer and fluorochemical production, and uranium fuel production; and in energy transition sectors including next-generation lithium ion batteries, solar cells and semiconductor manufacturing.
The Federal Government recently added fluorine to Australia’s Critical Minerals List, providing eligibility for in-country projects for strategic and targeted Government policy, facilitation and financing support for development.
The broader Speewah Project is located 100km south of the port of Wyndham, 110km south-west of Kununurra in the Kimberley region of north-east Western Australia and covers an area of 226km².
Tivan Executive Chairman, Grant Wilson, said that fluorite was discovered at Speewah in 1905.
“With the emergence of structural demand from next-gen EV batteries, its time may well have arrived,” Mr Wilson said.
“In making the decision to progress to a pre-feasibility study the board recognised the strong synergies that exist with the Speewah Vanadium Project.
“This includes our extensive progress on long-lead environmental items, our networking with global offtake partners, and our early and inclusive engagement with Traditional Owners.
“The inclusion of fluorine on the Critical Minerals List provides Tivan with strong tailwinds to advance the Speewah Fluorite Project, building upon the large body of work previously conducted.
“The relative simplicity of the project enables us to target the end of the second quarter for PFS delivery, providing Tivan with two major catalysts in the year ahead.”
Featured image: Fluorite mineralisation from the Speewah fluorite deposit. Image credit: Tivan.
