2023 AGM CEO Presentation
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
EQ RESOURCES LIMITED
Annual General Meeting
29th November 2023
ASX : EQR
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Disclaimer
Competent Person's Statement
•
The information in this presentation partly relates to the outcomes of the Mt Carbine Bankable Feasibility Study Update (May 2023), made available through the Company’s website
www.eqresources.com.au/.
•
The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information that materially affects the information included in the corresponding market announcements and that all material assumptions
and technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant market announcements continue to apply and have not materially changed. The Company confirms that the form and
context in which the Competent Person’s findings are presented have not been materially modified from the original market announcements.
General Disclaimer
•
The material contained in this document is a presentation of general information about the Company's activities current as at the date of this presentation. It is provided in summary and does
not purport to be complete. You should not rely upon it as advice for investment purposes, as it does not take into account your investment objectives, financial position or needs. These factors
should be considered, with or without professional advice, when deciding if an investment is appropriate.
•
This document may contain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, and business strategy of the Company. These forward-looking statements
are based on estimates, projections and assumptions made by the Company about circumstances and events that have not yet taken place. Although the Company believes the forward- looking
statements to be reasonable, they are not certain. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that are in some cases beyond the Company's
control, and which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements (and from past results).
•
The Company makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of any forward-looking statements in this document and undue reliance should not be placed upon such statements.
•
Forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “aim”, “anticipate”, “assume”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “plan”, “predict”, “should”, “will”, or
“would” or the negative of such terms or other similar expressions that are predictions of or otherwise indicate future events or trends. The forward-looking statements included in this
document speak only as of the date of this document. The Company does not intend to update the forward-looking statements in this document in the future.
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A Globally Significant
Tungsten
Raw Materials
Supplier
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Corporate Overview
Share Price Performance
Key Statistics
Share Price
A$0.067 per share
12-month range
A$0.04 - A$0.088 per share
Shares on Issue
1.57B
Market Capitalisation
A$107 million
Top 20 Shareholders
58% (~10% Board/Management)
Board & Management
Oliver Kleinhempel
Non-executive Chairman
Stephen Layton
Non-executive Director
Zhui Pei Yeo
Non-executive Director
Richard Morrow
Non-executive Director
Kevin MacNeill
Chief Executive Officer
Tony Bainbridge
Chief Geologist
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1
Feasibility Study Resource Drilling results announced – Announcements: 06 July 2021 (link), 13 July 2021 (link), 05 August 2021 (link)
2
Updated JORC Mineral Resource announced – Announcement: 23 September 2021 (link)
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Bankable Feasibility Study results announced – Announcement: 13 December 2021 (link)
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AMGC Grant for 2nd XRT Sorter announced – Announcement: 25 January 2022 (link)
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Underground Scoping Study results announced – Announcement: 12 April 2022 (link)
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Government $6M Critical Minerals Grant announced – Announcement: 28 April 2022 (link)
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Early Work Program completion announced – Announcement: 27 June 2022 (link)
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Phase 1 2022 Drill Program and Updated JORC Mineral Resource announced – Announcements: 04 May 2022 (link), 20 May 2022 (link), 04 August 2022 (link)
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Bankable Feasibility Study Update results announced – Announcement: 09 November 2022 (link)
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First 2022 Drill Results: Iron Duke Disvocery and Confirmation Western Extension – Announcement: 13 February 2023 (link)
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JORC Mineral Resources Update (+64%) announced – Announcement: 04 April 2023 (link)
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Strong BFS Update Delivers 47% Increase In NPV – Announcement: 22 May 2023 (link)
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EQR acquires Tungsten Producer and Secures $25M Funding – Announcement: 10 August 2023 (link)
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Strategic Partner Cronimet Joins EQR Register – Announcement: 18 October 2023 (link)
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A Globally Significant Tungsten Raw Materials Supplier
WO3
Established
Production
Australia’s largest primary tungsten producer, consistently accelerating production. Recent acquisition of
Saloro (Barruecopardo Mine) makes EQR the largest western supplier of tungsten raw materials.
Secured Long-Term
Offtake Partnership
Secured offtake via CRONIMET partnership at fair market value. Product from both EQR mines globally
accepted, shipments to some of the largest Asian, US and European consumers.
De-Risked Operations
Both mines scaled up production over recent years: proven economics, fully permitted, infrastructure in
place, low-cost expansion ongoing, Government supported.
Large Economic
Resources
Both resources provide economic grades well above world average. Both mines with Life Of Mine >12 years.
Ongoing drilling programs at clearly defined targets provide upside potential. Both mines are located
in historic regional mining clusters.
Positive Market
Conditions & Outlook
Increasing commodity price forecast combined with favourable supply-demand dynamics underpins
EQR’s strategic relevance in the critical minerals sector. Classified as critical mineral for its economies by
US, UK, EU, Japan, South Korea & India.
Genuine ESG Performance
& Commitment
EQR is committed to embedding resource efficiency to minimise environmental footprint and delivering
positive societal impact while striving to lead by example. Recognised by industry and Government awards.
Beneficial Waste ReUse & Renewables As
Cost-Saving Measures
Beneficial re-use of waste product promotes Circular Economy commitment at Mt Carbine (similar
investigations initiated for Saloro). Installation of solar PV renewable energy plant(s) to lower cost and reduce
environmental footprint. Saloro’s PV project is construction-ready.
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Last 12 Month Priorities – Status Update
Drill Mt Carbine exploration targets and increase open pit optimisation tonnage, drill inferred resource to
indicated (Phase 1 2022 Drilling Program) – Completed
Drilling of Western Extension & exploration targets (Phase 2 2022 Drilling Program) – Completed
Receipt of EA Amendment, re-start open-pit mining & high-grade ore processing – Completed
Construction of BFS Phase 2 (expanded crushing and screening plant) – On Going
Re-opening underground access to decline – assess & define UG PFS scope of work – On Going
Progress initiatives around energy efficiency and critical minerals traceability – On Going
Co-ordinating with other Australian tungsten developers on suitable routes for down-streaming and
value-adding (strong customer engagement) – On Going
Identify opportunities for growth as a globally significant Tungsten raw materials supplier – On Going
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Corporate Priorities of Coming 12 Months
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Global Expansion and Collaboration: Emphasis on becoming an important global supplier of
tungsten concentrate, expanding beyond Australia into operations in Spain with Barruecopardo.
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People, Safety, and Community Engagement: Building and training a workforce, with an absolute
focus on safety, and engaging with local communities as a responsible mining operator.
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Continued Exploration and Expansion: Exploring extensions of the Mt Carbine/Barruecopardo
orebodies and executing the Wolfram Camp work program.
•
Operational Efficiency and Technology Adoption: Continue implementing advanced technology
like the TOMRA XRT ore-sorters and an advanced crushing circuit to optimise mining operations.
•
Safety and Training Initiatives: Continuing to prioritise safety and training, including extensive
employee development programs.
•
Infrastructure Development: Completing major capital projects for the enhancement of operational
capabilities.
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Tungsten – A Material of Global Critical Significance
Tungsten is classified as a 'critical mineral’ by the US, UK,
EU, Japan, South Korea, India and Australia:
- Due to its economic importance
- Supply dependency with >80% China market share
- Inability to be substituted in many end-use applications
EU Commission rates tungsten with highest ‘economic
importance’; EU Critical Raw Materials Act further
classifies tungsten as a ‘strategic mineral’
Dodd Frank Act (Art.1502) – tungsten, tin, tantalum &
gold defined as ‘conflict minerals’ (resulting in wide
ranging traceability obligations)
Australia-US ‘Climate, Critical Minerals & Clean Energy
Transformation Compact’ defines Australian resources
as ’US domestic source’
at 3420OC highest melting
point of all metals
as carbide compound hardest
element after diamond
10 U.S.C. 2533c prohibits acquisition of samarium -cobalt magnets,
neodymium -iron-boron magnets, tungsten metal powder, and tungsten
heavy alloy or any finished or semi-finished component containing
tungsten heavy alloy from North Korea, China, Russia, or Iran.
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Tungsten Market Overview
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Decades of continuously increasing dependency on China resulted in a market where today 90% of tungsten raw materials
originate from China and other non-transparent or conflicted sources – including Russia, North-Korea and Central Africa
•
Contrary to the “disturbing” supply balance, NAFTA, EU, Japan and South Korea alone stand for ~2/3 of end-use demand
for tungsten products
•
Strategic / developed industries (automotive, energy, aerospace, defense) continue to depend on tungsten, in addition to new
applications in high-tech / high-growth sectors such as batteries and semiconductors (e.g. nano tungsten oxide)
•
Declining output from Chinese mines and the lack of new projects (i.e. in the western world) will result in a severe shortage and
further increasing geo-political competition around this critical mineral
Supply / Demand
Forecast Scenarios
?
Source: ITIA Tungsten End Use Analysis (2021)
Source: (a) Argus Tungsten Analytics (2021), (b) Roskill Tungsten Outlook to 2030 (2021), (c) ITIA Tungsten End Use Analysis (2021)
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What We Care About
Responsible and Sustainable Critical Mineral Production
BENEFICIAL REUSE
CORE VALUES
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Health & Safety Performance
Pro-active HSE culture through upskilling of employees
No lost time injuries record achieved at 600 days prior
to reset.
Safety and Management team continue to actively working to
promote a Think First, pro-active safety culture.
Pro-active indicators of risk assessments, JSEAs, Take-5, safety
permits, drug testing, safety meetings, inspections, pre-starts, etc.
continue to be at forefront of Company’s focus.
Strong focus on training and upskilling of employees through
on-site training and value-add courses.
PROACTIVE SAFETY INDICATORS – FY 2022/23
5,697
Take 5 Safety Assessments
80
JSEA Job Safety
Environment Analysis
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Toolbox Talks
2
Prestart safety
meetings per day
Strengthening Safety Together: EQ Resources' 2023 Safety Reset - A Testament to
Our Core Values. Featuring the attendance of a member of the QLD Mines
Inspectorate and a guest speaker from WorkSafe QLD sharing a personal story to
promote safety awareness. This important event emphasised our commitment to
'Act Safe. Feel Safe.' but also embodied our dedication to 'Lead with Integrity.' A
day of meaningful reflection and proactive engagement, aligning perfectly with our
ethos of 'Buddy Up' for collective safety and 'Dig Deep' in pursuit of continual
improvement in workplace safety.
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Training programs
completed
See EQ Resources Annual Report 2023
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ESG Commitment & Development Highlights
EQR is working towards GRI's Disclosure Standards for voluntary reporting, currently aligning 'in reference to' these standards. Additionally, EQR has
completed the ICMM Self-Assessment to evaluate alignment with their Performance Expectations.
Environmental
Social
Governance
Development of tools and platforms to
manage environmental impact
Supporting, sponsorship and involvement in
key community initiatives
Program Maturity and accountability: ESG
Sustainability Framework and Initiatives workbook
Continuous transparent monitoring studies
and reporting
Emphasis on workplace health, safety, well-being
and training
Launch of EQR Sustainability tab on website
promoting transparency, accountability and
development towards outward reporting
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Recognition For Our Sustainability Efforts
Responsible and Sustainable Critical Mineral Production
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Mt Carbine Open Pit Operations
Mt Carbine Open Pit Operations
Equipment
The build and commissioning of the
Golding Hitachi 1900 Excavator has
been completed without incident, and
this machine is now fully operational.
Due to local roads, the machine was at
shipping format on arrival.
Supervision of the build was
conducted by the Golding
Maintenance team with great results.
The build was completed to the
highest safety standards and all
contractors involved worked together
to complete the build on time and
within budget.
t Carbine
A rescue plan was also conducted to
bring awareness to the operational
teams in the event of an emergency.
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190 tons Hitachi 1900 excavator commissioned
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Additional 3 x 775F Articulated Dump Trucks to
ensure delivery of mine plan targets.
•
Golding are operating at close to full capacity
with 38 full time staff members now on site.
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4 mechanical fitter awaiting to join the team
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Drill & blast activities commenced in June
with the first load hauled from the Andy
White Open Pit on the 27th of June 2023.
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21 blasts have been conducted to date.
Personnel
Drill & Blast
Activity
W atershed
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Mt Carbine Production
Quarter on Quarter Ramp Up, Including Q2 FY2024 Forecast
WO3 Concentrate Production 50% Equivalent (kg)
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
Q3 FY2023
Q4 FY2023
Q1 FY2024
Q2 FY2024 Forecast
Gravity Plant WO3 Concentrate Production 50% Equivalent last four Quarters.
*Based on wet weight off the scale.
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Solidly Developing Mt Carbine Economics Since 2021
Continuous Value Generation Through Targeted Exploration, Value Engineering and Technology Deployment
Comparison of Mt Carbine Project Economics (excl. Underground Feasibility Work)
Initial BFS
BFS Pit Optimisation
BFS Pit Optimisation
(December 2021)
(November 2022)
(May 2023)
US$/mtu
113
118
104
Capital Cost
A$m
22.96
21.4
26.3*
Pre-tax NPV8, real
A$m
131
210
307
NPV / Capex Ratio
x
5.7
9.2
11.7
years
2.25
1.5
<1
Strip Ratio
(Waste:Ore)
11.1:1
3.1:1
3.9:1
Concentrate
Produced
(t / 50%
WO3)
26,680
30,960
38,570
Parameter
Unit
Total Cash Cost (FCA)
Payback Period
Indicative Tax Payable from BFS modelling is +/- $95 Million over the LOM
* Capex has increased due to doubling plant capacity (without this, capex forecast is lower than last BFS)
Notes:
•
The BFS has been prepared to a -20% to +20% level of accuracy. The production target and financial information in this table must be read in conjunction with the cautionary
statement in the relevant ASX Release
•
AUD:USD average exchange rate of 0.688 over the life of project was used for currency conversions
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Ongoing Blast Master
Current bottom level of the pit floor divided by blasts, sorted by grade.
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Planned New UG Development to Access Iron Duke Resources
EQ026: 5.95m @ 0.94% WO3
EQ029: 9.76m @ 0.46% WO3 from 140.84m,
incl. 2.25m @ 1.90% WO3 from 140.84m
EQ029
EQ026
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Saloro as Latest Member of EQR Group
Barruecopardo
Open Pit
World-class
Processing Plant
Europe’s Largest Tungsten Mine, With Outstanding ESG Credentials, Additional Ramp-Potential and Regional Exploration Upside
Iberian Peninsula has historically been one of
the leading Tungsten producing regions globally:
Tungsten Cluster
Barruecopardo History:
• Mine discovered in 1900’s, stopped in 1982;
• Redeveoped by Saloro in 2019;
• EQR acquired in Q3/23, expansion planned for 2024
Note: Barruecopardo Mine has been in operation since 2019, funded by US private equity group, Oaktree, on the basis of a historic bankable feasibility study; EQR is
currently preparing an update of the historic independent mineral resource and ore reserves estimate and will report a JORC-compliant update within Q1/2024; until then
EQR is not allowed to report financial projections for the Barruecopardo project.
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EQR & Saloro’s Global Significance
Arguably the two best producing tungsten assets
today, with similar characteristics:
–
Both in Tier 1 jurisdictions
–
Similar mineralogy: Both are hosted in sheeted
quartz
–
Complementary geology: Granite (Barruecopardo)
and Metasediments (Mt Carbine)
–
Identical mining method: Open pit blast plus
truck and excavator - identical fleet
–
Similar processing: Crush, screen, XRT-sorting, jigs
and tables; Saloro incorporates flotation and
mag.sep.cleanup, producing a higher-grade product
–
Identical Marketing: Both supplying the same end
customers
–
Both operating adjacent to world renowned National
Parks (strong ESG credential)
–
Organisational and significant technical synergies
(comparable operational output)
EQR will have a production second only to Vietnam in ex
China/ Russia producing countries, and second only to Nui
Phao (Masan Group, Vietnam) compared to top producers ex
China/Russia.
Read More on EQR’s
Saloro Acquisition:
Click
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Saloro Transaction Summary – Key Terms
– EQR through its wholly-owned subsidiary, European Tungsten Pty Ltd, agreed to acquire 100% of Saloro for a
nominal consideration of EUR1
– European Tungsten also acquired the benefit of all of the intercompany loans owed by Saloro to the Oaktree Group
(which is approximately EUR80mio) for EUR1 (meaning no repayment of those loans to Oaktree, as now owned
by EQR)
– Closing conditional upon the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, including the approval of foreign direct
investment agencies in both Australia and Spain
– EQR will issue 278 million shares at an issue price of $0.09 per share (representing a ~30% premium to the 15
days VWAP) and grant 78 million Options (with an exercise price of $0.10 per share, exercisable during the period of
2 years following the Completion Date)
– Saloro currently has outstanding debts of approximately EUR35mio to various reputable third-party Spanish banks,
at very competitive interest rates (EUR5mio repaid from Subscription proceeds, additional EUR5mio from proceeds
of Oaktree options exercise).
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Wolfram Camp – EQR Awarded Preferred Tenderer EPM
Wolfram Camp
Historical Operations
Opportunity & Strategic Rationale
Perfectly situated within a
Critical Minerals Hub (W, Sn)
in Far North Queensland:
Tungsten Cluster
W atershed
Mt Carbine
Opportunity
Strategic Rationale
•
Two Primary Exploration Zones.
•
•
477 km2 area.
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Major areas of Wolfram Camp & Bamford Hill.
•
Potential access to historic processing plant.
•
Historic Waste Dumps are a priority (recent
•
Able to share management costs.
work done by University of Queensland
•
Potential for a processing hub (“tungsten
Proximity: Within 2-hours from Mt Carbine by
good road infrastructure.
highlights potential).
cluster”).
•
Strong potential for economic deposit.
•
Government support.
W olfram Camp
Cluster potential - significant mineral
deposits defined in the region:
Watershed: 2014 DFS by Vital
Metals (2012 JORC)
Wolfram Camp 2015 Technical
Report by Almonty Industries
(NI 43-101)
EQR Awarded Permit for Historic Wolfram Camp Mine.
27 Jul 2023 (link)
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Strategic Partners
Endorsement Through Funding & Grants
Strong Support for Critical Minerals Projects in Australia
Queensland METS Collaborative Projects Fund (METS Ignited) ASX Announcement 24 July 2020: Government Support for Mt Carbine Mine Waste Transformation Initiative
Advanced Manufacturing Growth Center (AMGC) ASX Announcement 25 January 2022: Federal Government Co-Invests in High-Tech Ore Sorting
Critical Minerals Accelerator Initiative (CMAI) ASX Announcement 19 September 2022: Federal Government Funding for Mt Carbine Reconfirmed
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Inflection Point of Value
INCREASING MARKET CAP & NPV
INCREASING SHARE PRICE
350
0.08
307
0.06
0.05
209
$AUD
$AU Millions
250
200
131
150
~100
100
50
24%
20
0.05
0.04
0.03
0.03
33%
100
50
0.07
0.07
300
0.02
0.01
15%
0.00
0
2021
Market Cap
NPV
2022
2023
01/07/2021
01/07/2022
03/07/2023
2021
2022
2023
JULY yearly
share price
.
%Of Market Cap
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Site Contact:
Investor Relations:
Kevin MacNeill
Chief Executive Officer
T: +61 438 542 260
E: kmacneill@eqresources.com.au
Peter Taylor
NWR Communications
T: +61 412 036 231
E: peter@nwrcommunications.com.au
Registered Office:
Mt Carbine Office:
Level 4, 100 Albert Road
South Melbourne, VIC 3205
Australia
E: info@eqresources.com.au
6888 Mulligan Highway,
Mt Carbine Qld 4871
PO Box 1496, Mareeba Qld 4880
www.eqresources.com.au
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