en.Wedoany.com Reported - To reduce upfront costs and bring forward plant expansion, Wildcat Resources is accelerating the development timeline of its Tabba Tabba lithium project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This initiative aims to establish a stronger economic foundation for the definitive feasibility study scheduled for release later this year.
The company is currently advancing optimization work, targeting an early upgrade of the Stage 2 processing plant capacity to 4.5 million tonnes per annum, while reducing pre-production strip ratios and capital expenditure at the project area near Port Hedland. Metallurgical test results from material representing the first two years of planned operations delivered a spodumene concentrate grading 5.65% lithium oxide with only 0.63% iron oxide, demonstrating excellent recovery rates. Wildcat also plans to incorporate tantalum processing for the Tabba Tabba project, along with petalite processing from the Chewy, Han, and Hutt deposits, into the definitive feasibility study to further enhance economic returns.
"We are nearing completion of the definitive feasibility study for the Tabba Tabba project," said James Dornan, Project Director at Wildcat Resources. "Mine planning and metallurgical test work is progressing across the entire mine life, with material from open pit Years 1-2 achieving a spodumene concentrate grading 5.65% Li₂O with low iron content and excellent recoveries, providing confidence for the project's commissioning and ramp-up phase."
Furthermore, Wildcat has completed a review of the spodumene processing plant design, adopting a two-stage crushing circuit to replace the three-stage crushing scheme set out in the project's 2025 pre-feasibility study. The company stated that cultural heritage and environmental surveys across the development area are largely complete, with geotechnical investigations for the proposed processing plant, site roads, and non-processing infrastructure areas revealing no major issues. Environmental approval applications submitted under relevant environmental protection legislation are expected to be lodged shortly, while financing and offtake negotiations are also progressing concurrently.
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