NioCorp Developments - General Discussion

John

John

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Just thought I’d kick off a thread on NioCorp Developments.

Their Elk Creek project in Nebraska is mainly known for niobium, scandium, and titanium, but they’ve also flagged rare earths, particularly NdPr, as part of their potential product mix. Seems like they’re working on a phased production plan, and rare earths could be a second stage depending on how things play out.

Curious if anyone’s been following them lately?
  • Why has their Share Price been dropping since 2021?
  • How serious is the NdPr opportunity here?
  • Any updates on their financing or processing plans for rare earths?
  • Do you think they could become a meaningful supplier outside of China? I think I have previously read they want to produce about 7000 tpa of NdPr oxide? Is that right?
 
It is an interesting company...

Prices have been all over over the last few years. Possibly because of the long timeline.

All Permitting and licensing is complete: both state and federal

Underway for final analysis to satisfy Ex-Im bank financing

7000 tpa is projected

Have several refining operations that are under patent to keep this a green mine and refining operation.

Their website is a great read. www.niocorp.com

I am not a shill for them or an employee.
 
Hello,

I am a small retail investor. I am a share holder of Niocorp and have been watching them for a few years now. They had completed a FS in 2022 without the rare earths and using shafts for mine construction. They said they will go with a railveyor system saving $'s and should complete a new FS for EXIM later this year. Things appear to be lining up for EXIM funding in Q4 this year and possible Bank of England funding and maybe even the Germany gov funding. If anyone has heard anything different let me know. Right now we are all waiting on the FS coming soon to go from probable to proven reserves.
 
I find this a strange appointment....he has some State Govt experience/contacts.....but no real rare earth background...or contacts in the RE sector.....?

So what does Nio gain from his appointment?
 
John said:
I find this a strange appointment....he has some State Govt experience/contacts.....but no real rare earth background...or contacts in the RE sector.....?

So what does Nio gain from his appointment?
Click to expand...
I was thinking the same way. Hope he has good friends ;)
 
John said:
I find this a strange appointment....he has some State Govt experience/contacts.....but no real rare earth background...or contacts in the RE sector.....?

So what does Nio gain from his appointment?
Click to expand...
Pure speculation on my part but....since NB has all their permits in hand already and he was a prior Board member he could have helped with permitting. It also is reported he has a Mechanical Engineering Degree. Maybe help/oversee with the above ground part of the project ? Since I am a share holder and a Grandfather I always look for the better part of everyone. ;-) My understanding is we will get the updated FS and then the main EXIM loan in Q4 and we are off to the races........
 
dtucker said:
Pure speculation on my part but....since NB has all their permits in hand already and he was a prior Board member he could have helped with permitting. It also is reported he has a Mechanical Engineering Degree. Maybe help/oversee with the above ground part of the project ? Since I am a share holder and a Grandfather I always look for the better part of everyone. ;-) My understanding is we will get the updated FS and then the main EXIM loan in Q4 and we are off to the races........
Click to expand...
That is right - we all hope this addition is fruitful

Latest news from NioCorp

NioCorp Completes Phase I of Field Drilling Campaign at its Nebraska Critical Minerals Project

NioCorp Completes Phase I of Field Drilling Campaign at its Nebraska Critical Minerals Project | NioCorp Developments Ltd.

www.niocorp.com www.niocorp.com
 
Another FYI. There will be a Q and A about Niocorp on September 11th at 4:15 pm Eastern via RedChip. Does this sound like the EXIM decision will happen after that ? Hoping to hear more about the FS going to proven rather than probable.
 
I also see it as good for NB. Don't forget about the upcoming Q & A webinar on wednesday and Fox Business news with Maria on thursday morning. Appears Mark will be talking about the Niobium along with the Scandium.
 
No idea if this will become material or not. APEX critical metals said they have acquired mineral rights to properties east of and west of Niocorp's property. Same ore body. They are to start drilling yet this quarter. Will they be using the Niocorp processing plant is the first question that comes to mind ? It appears this area will become very busy.
 
IF you like the Niocorp (NB) narrative (not going to try to sell you one) you’re probably waiting to hear about EXIM bank offering the loan needed for build-out.

IF you think Niocorp stock price has already built in most of that near-term upside, what untapped plays might yield some more opportunities?

As mentioned above, APXCF has rights to surrounding carbonatite, sounds to me like a likely acquisition if Niocorp takes off running….

Coincidentally, IBC advanced alloys (OTC- IAALF) happens to have Mark Smith as CEO also…Their specialty is exotic copper alloy forging and machining, pouring their own 5 ton ingots irrc as needed. Interestingly, they recently ventured into producing some scandium-aluminum master alloy ingots for NB…

Depending on your point of view, such developments sound either synergistic or incestuous. I would love to hear more about some of these roots in Molycorp and the Canadian angles.

From my brief experience at Newport News Shipbuilding decades ago I can tell you defense shipbuilding ( submarines especially) use tremendous amounts of exotic copper and steel alloys.

Could be a thing
 
I have liked the Niocorp narrative for 10 years now. Since I am only a small retail investor and have been buying what I could when I could.

I did attend the luncheon open house in early December. the Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen was there in person and gave a very positive speech about the entire project. Senator Deb Fischer gave a video speech and has been behind the $10 million DOW the speech also being very positive. The Chairman of the EXIM Bank, Mr. Jovanovic gave a very positive video speech. I am paraphrasing but he said that this project is EXACTLY the kind of projects they like to help finance. Appears to be only a matter of crossing the T's and dotting the i's for the $800 million loan. Not sure how the UK and German equivelants of the US EXIM bank are going to fit in here either at the moment in regard to the $800 million total.

As for the Apex buying drilling rights and also getting drilling permits Mark Smith had also said a lot of "other" miners do this sort of actions in most all different types of mining and drilling projects. He did state that Niocorp had purchased what they really wanted already. He was not happy so who knows where this will go. They could be getting more drilling results so they can sell what they have completed at a higher price later to Niocorp. There are 38 years of mining with what they have now so anything willl be down the road quite a ways.

It was my understanding Mark Smith, CEO for Niocorp was part of the board of the other company (IBC Advanced Alloys) and now they have purchased that company and are working toward a Scandium Metal in conjuction with Lockheed for future projects such as fighter jets and so forth. Results are suppossed to be out in Febuary of this year.

Given the metals they will be producing I do not see any way this mine cannot succeed with flying colors. GO NOICORP !!!
 
Thanks for the insight on the town hall! Not enough green weenies in Nebraska to slow this train it appears..

Niocorp bought FEA materials (LLC in Massachusetts) which had intellectual property and equipment for scandium alloy production. IBC is in Indiana, Mark Smith is CEO, they are listed on OTC as IAALF. They did the test pours of small master alloy ingots.

IBC is in an unfilled 12 acre site in Franklin, Indiana (83,000sq ft under roof), perhaps we’ll see the FEA equipment and key staff move there under some master plan just a short rail hop from Nebraska?

Sounds like Mr. Smith is covering his bases, Molycorps would be one heck of a training ground in global critical metal chess.

I, too, am just a lay investor, I’ve dabbled in risky stuff a bit over the years but always felt stifled by lack of expertise or good information. As an example I am clueless as to AI or crypto , but I felt enough confidence to start exploring critical minerals when Trump regained office and gave the industry some incubation breathing room in the US.

Was quite surprised to find among all the stateside new activity there was a play in Nebraska less than 2 hours away from me and the cows here in Northeast KS!

As I looked further into all the dynamics I realized there was much more to the stateside incipient industry than at first glance and am quite thankful to have come across REEx; the quality of information, the granularity, the objectivity and the timeliness exceed anything else I have found, and you have a tough time beating the price!
 
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