Niocorp Developments Ltd (NB)

[RJPETE7]

It took me a little time to find it, but I wanted to compare how 99.9% Scandium purity relates to other potential mining projects.

I'm trying to compare apples to apples when considering what Scandium brings to the table, and what NioCorp reports on its economics.

Scandium International had their FS completed over a year ago - and here is a snippet from their website where their Scandium would be produced at a purity of 98 to 99.9% depending on customer specs.


Pricing Assumptions

The price assumption in the feasibility study is US$2,000 per kilogram (kg) of scandium oxide product, as an average price covering all product sold, over various product grades. Current market pricing, such as that can be established, is substantially above these levels based on small unit quantities and varying grades. This product pricing benchmark applied in the feasibility study remains the same as was applied in the 2014 Preliminary Economic Assessment ("PEA") on this Project, and for the same reasons. In order to encourage a viable, over-subscribed and vigorous scandium market, across numerous applications, product suppliers will need to provide for adequate supply of quality product, available from trusted jurisdictions, at prices lower than product trades for today.

In addition to limited publically available price quotes for scandium oxide, the feasibility study notes two other reference points on the US$2,000/kg price assumption. The Company has an offtake agreement in place, for 7,500 kg/year (3 years), with pricing being supportive of the pricing assumption in the feasibility study. The customer is a knowledgeable alloy group, with longstanding interest in aluminum-scandium alloys. The feasibility study price assumption is also supported by a recent, independent marketing report that examines the 10 year scandium supply/demand outlook, and includes scenario-based 10 year price forecasts. The details and contents of this market outlook report will remain confidential, but select information will be included in the feasibility study. Both of these reference points support that the scandium value proposition for customers/consumers is valid at this price level.