Montezuma Mining Company Ltd (ASX:MZM) recently initiated a scoping study to review the potential for the Butcherbird Manganese Project located in Western Australia.
The company aims to produce a range of high-value manganese products on a commercial scale.
The study will assess the options for project development and provide an assessment of the potential capital and operating cost requirements for project development.
Application for mining lease
Montezuma is working to expedite this process to take advantage of buoyant conditions commodity markets.
As part of the integrated activities required to progress the project, a mining lease application has been submitted.
This will cover the Yanneri Ridge and Coodamudgi manganese deposits.
Yanneri Ridge identified as optimum location
The Yanneri Ridge manganese deposit was identified during resource definition work and a more recent mining study as the optimum location to commence mining operations.
This will potentially include the production of high purity battery grade manganese via the company’s hydrometallurgical process developed in conjunction with the CSIRO.
READ: Montezuma Mining Company results show high-purity, battery-grade manganese
CSIRO data could unlock large volumes
The work that has been completed by CSIRO has successfully developed a hydrometallurgical flowsheet which can unlock the large volume of manganese metal.
This could potentially position Montezuma to be a producer of high purity, high-value manganese products.
Deposits located close to infrastructure
The Yanneri Ridge and Coodamudgi deposits are close to infrastructure.
The mining lease application will contain all critical mining and production infrastructure and will support a mine life of more than 20 years.
Exploration work will continue within the broader exploration licence areas.
There will be a focus on further resource definition, water resourcing and testing conceptual targets for new sources of high-grade manganese ore.