Mineral sands ramp up in WA shows Thunderbird flying towards name plate capacity

Sheffield Resources Ltd (ASX:SFX) has ramped up production at its Thunderbird Mineral Sands Project in Western Australia through subsidiary Kimberley Mineral Sands (KMS), achieving 1,350,000 tonnes in this quarter, and 750,000 tonnes in the month of May alone – a significant rise from the previous quarter, and in-line with previously outlined ramp up plans.

In Sheffield’s 2022 Bankable Feasibility Study, the company indicated plans to ramp up to 10 million tonnes per annum from the project, which is 70 kilometres west of Derby in WA’s Kimberley region.

The ramp up has also facilitated a rise in the quantity of concentrates yielded from Thunderbird, with 65,000 tonnes of ilmenite produced this quarter – and 37,000 in May alone – and the amount of zircon totalling 20,000 tonnes for the quarter and 12,000 tonnes for May.

Product shipments for the June quarter are also up, including 55,000 tonnes of ilmenite being sent to joint venture partner Yansteel, and regular bulk product shipments expected through June for the rest of the quarter.

Sheffield Resources executive chair Bruce Griffin said the ramp up provided strong indications of where the Thunderbird project could go as it aims for nameplate capacity.

“The ramp up of activities at Thunderbird is progressing very well and the significant step change in production and shipment achievements during this quarter demonstrate that we are moving forward toward nameplate capacity in line with our original plans,” he said.

“Whilst we have observed cost pressure and near-term pressure on realised zircon concentrate pricing, Thunderbird remains a world class mineral sands asset capable of solid production and cost performance across many decades to come.”

Sheffield Resources has been trading at 49.5 cents.