Wildcat Resources has confirmed the viability of a long-life lithium operation at its Tabba Tabba project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region, with the release of a pre-feasibility study (PFS).
The study outlines a two-stage development plan with Stage 1 capital expenditure of $443 million for a 2.2-million-tonne-per-annum (Mtpa) operation, incorporating infrastructure for a future Stage 2 expansion to 4.5Mtpa. An additional $144 million in pre-strip costs are included in the first year of development.
“Our Tabba Tabba PFS demonstrates a robust project with strong fundamentals. The flexibility of the project to scale up or down in a changing lithium environment is of particular note,” Wildcat Resources general manager – project development James Dornan said.
The maiden probable ore reserve stands at 46.3Mt at one per cent lithium oxide (Li₂O), with 79 per cent sourced from the Leia open pit and 21 per cent from underground mining at Luke and Leia. The PFS does not include any inferred material, underlining the project’s high-confidence base.
The financial model predicts a 5.4-year post-tax payback period, and an initial average production of 295,000tpa of 5.5 per cent Li₂O spodumene concentrate in Stage 1, growing to 565,000 tonnes in Stage 2.
Importantly, the current reserve supports a 17-year mine life, with opportunities for further growth through ongoing exploration and incorporation of additional deposits – Chewy, Han, Hutt and Tabba Tabba – into the upcoming definitive feasibility study (DFS).
“This high-quality pre-feasibility study further reinforces Tabba Tabba as one of the leading undeveloped lithium projects globally,” Wildcat Resources managing director AJ Saverimutto said.
Underground mining, which accounts for 21 per cent of the reserve, is flagged as a key value driver, improving mine flexibility, ore supply, and overall recovery.
The project’s strip ratio of 7.8:1 includes waste from deposits not yet converted to reserves. A reduction in stripping cost is anticipated as these deposits are assessed for conversion in the DFS.
