The
information contained within this announcement is deemed to
constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse
Regulation ("MAR") (EU) No. 596/2014, as incorporated into UK law
by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (as amended). Upon the
publication of this announcement, through the agency of the contact
person of the Company set out below, this inside information is now
considered to be in the public domain.
16 July
2024
Beowulf Mining Plc
("Beowulf" or the
"Company")
Gállok/ Kallak Iron Ore Project
Update
Beowulf (AIM: BEM; Spotlight: BEO)
and its wholly owned Swedish subsidiary Jokkmokk Iron Mines AB
("Jokkmokk Iron") are pleased to provide an update on the Gállok or
Kallak Iron Ore project ("Gállok" or "the Project").
Highlights
Environmental permitting
·
Formal consultation process for the Environmental
Impact Assessment ("EIA") to be initiated following the
summer
·
This process will inform the completion of the EIA
and subsequent Environmental Permit application
·
Reindeer Herding analysis, World Heritage Impact
Assessments ("WHIA") and local stakeholder engagement
ongoing
·
Submission of the Environmental Permit application
now targeted for Spring 2025
Pre-Feasibility Study
("PFS")
·
Final results from metallurgical test-work
anticipated within coming weeks
·
Initial indications confirm that Gállok can
produce a very high grade, low impurity concentrate
·
Infill drilling programme, focused on upgrading
Inferred resource to Measured and Indicated category, now expected
to commence in Autumn 2024
·
Following this drilling, the Mineral Resource
Estimate ("MRE") will be updated and form the basis of mine
planning and reserve estimation
·
Other workstreams including metallurgy, mineral
processing, waste management, site infrastructure and
transportation and logistics are being advanced or nearing
completion
·
Conclusion of the PFS now anticipated in Q2 2025
to allow focus on environmental permitting activities
Dmytro Siergieiev, Project Director of Jokkmokk Iron,
commented:
"We are gearing up activity towards the initiation of the
consultation process after the summer when Government agencies and
other stakeholders return from their break. The consultation is a
critical element of the EIA process and will inform the subsequent
Environmental Permit application. In parallel with this, we
continue to progress numerous studies critical for the permitting
process including the Reindeer Herding analysis, WHIA and Waste
Management Plan.
"We have an excellent team of consultants supporting us and I
am confident we will submit a comprehensive permit
application."
Ed
Bowie, Chief Executive Officer of Beowulf,
commented:
"Under Dmytro's leadership, we continue to make excellent
progress at Gállok. The timeline for the submission of the
Environmental Permit application has been extended to allow for a
thorough EIA consultation process and the ultimate submission of a
robust application.
"Many of the workstreams continue to advance in preparation of
the PFS and these will feed directly into the EIA and Environmental
Permit submissions. The Gállok project has been well drilled
historically and we therefore have strong confidence in the current
MRE. Indeed, over 80% of the material within the mining schedule
from the Scoping Study was in the Indicated category. We have
therefore taken the decision to defer the drill programme until the
Autumn, enabling us to focus fully on the consultation and
permitting process. The objective of the drill programme will be to
convert Inferred resources into the Indicated category, as required
for inclusion within a PFS, with a focus on near-surface material
that will be mined in the earlier years of the mine life and
therefore have the greatest impact on the Project's near-term cash
flow and overall economics.
"The delay to the drilling will have a knock-on effect to the
PFS, which we now anticipate completing in the Spring of 2025.
However, the overall development timeline for the Project will be
determined by the permitting process and therefore this remains our
primary focus at this stage."
Environmental Permitting
The initial step in the
Environmental Permitting process is the completion of an EIA. This
requires the broad parameters of the Project to be presented to a
range of stakeholders including Government agencies and local
communities. The initial consultation documentation is being
prepared and the intention is to initiate the consultation process
during Q3 2024. It is anticipated that the consultation process
will take approximately six weeks to complete. Thereafter, feedback
from the consultation will be incorporated within the final EIA and
subsequent Environmental Permit application.
In parallel with the EIA
consultation, a range of studies are required as part of the
Environmental Permit application including:
·
Hydrogeological assessment
·
Surface water impact assessment
·
Dust assessment
·
Noise assessment
·
Biodiversity assessment
·
Reindeer herding analysis
·
Ecological compensation plan
·
Social impact assessment
·
World Heritage impact assessment
·
Waste management plan including mine closure
plan
The Environmental Permit application
is submitted to the Environmental Court for review under the
Environmental Code. The final submission of the application is
anticipated in Spring 2025. Based on recent precedents in Sweden,
the Environmental Court is now expected to take approximately two
years to review the application. Following the approval of the
Environmental Permit, the Company will also require a Land
Designation Permit and Construction Permit prior to construction of
the Project.
Pre-Feasibility Study
The PFS consists of a broad range of
workstreams assessing the technical and economic viability of the
Project. Those that are well-advanced include:
·
Metallurgy
·
Mineral Processing
·
Site Infrastructure
·
Logistics and Transportation
·
Water Management
·
Waste Management
With the infill drilling programme
deferred until the autumn, the following workstreams are yet to be
initiated although they will clearly build on the work already
completed in the preparation for the Scoping Study released in
2023. These workstreams include:
·
Mineral Resource Estimate
·
Mine Engineering and Scheduling
·
Mineral Reserve Estimation
With the conclusion of the technical
studies, the economics of the project will be assessed including
market studies and analysis of capital and operating
costs.
It is currently anticipated that the
PFS will be completed in Q2 2025, after which a Feasibility Study
will be initiated which is expected to take approximately 12 months
to conclude.
Enquiries:
Beowulf Mining
plc
|
|
Ed Bowie, Chief Executive Officer
|
ed.bowie@beowulfmining.com
|
|
|
SP
Angel
|
|
(Nominated Adviser & Joint
Broker)
|
|
Ewan Leggat / Stuart Gledhill / Adam
Cowl
|
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3470 0470
|
|
|
Alternative
Resource Capital
|
|
(Joint Broker)
|
|
Alex Wood
|
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7186 9004
|
|
|
BlytheRay
|
|
Tim Blythe / Megan Ray
|
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7138 3204
|
About Beowulf Mining plc
Beowulf Mining is a mining company
with main activities in exploration and development in Sweden,
Finland, and Kosovo. Beowulf's portfolio is diversified by
commodity, geography, and stage of development of the projects, and
consists primarily of iron ore, graphite, gold, and base metals.
Beowulf Mining is headquartered in London, England.
Cautionary Statement
Statements and assumptions made in
this document with respect to the Company's current plans,
estimates, strategies and beliefs, and other statements that are
not historical facts, are forward-looking statements about the
future performance of Beowulf. Forward-looking statements include,
but are not limited to, those using words such as "may", "might",
"seeks", "expects", "anticipates", "estimates", "believes",
"projects", "plans", strategy", "forecast" and similar expressions.
These statements reflect management's expectations and assumptions
in light of currently available information. They are subject to a
number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to ,
(i) changes in the economic, regulatory and political environments
in the countries where Beowulf operates; (ii) changes relating to
the geological information available in respect of the various
projects undertaken; (iii) Beowulf's continued ability to secure
enough financing to carry on its operations as a going concern;
(iv) the success of its potential joint ventures and alliances, if
any; (v) metal prices, particularly as regards iron ore. In the
light of the many risks and uncertainties surrounding any mineral
project at an early stage of its development, the actual results
could differ materially from those presented and forecast in this
document. Beowulf assumes no unconditional obligation to
immediately update any such statements and/or forecast.