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Sage Potash Completes a PEA That Delivers After-Tax NPV of US$502 Million and IRR of 39%
Newsfileยท2025-09-23 00:28

Core Viewpoint - Sage Potash Corp. has completed a positive Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for its Sage Plain Potash Project, indicating a robust economic potential with an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV) of $502 million and an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of 39% [1][4][6]. Economic Overview - The PEA estimates an unlevered after-tax NPV of $502 million and a 39% IRR over a 20-year project life [6][15]. - The project is expected to generate cumulative free cash flow of $1.26 billion, with a payback period of 5 years and cash flow positive within 2 years [6][15][21]. - Initial capital expenditures (CapEx) are projected at $155 million, which includes $26 million in contingencies and $16 million in construction indirect costs [6][15][17]. - The average operating cost is estimated at $144 per metric tonne, with a gross margin of 68% [8][21]. Operations Overview - The project will utilize solution mining to produce potash, with an initial capacity of 300,000 metric tonnes per year [11][12]. - The facility is strategically located in San Juan County, Utah, close to agricultural markets, providing significant transportation cost advantages [19][20]. - The project is designed to support multiple phases of production and has a favorable timeline for permitting and engineering [6][14][19]. Resource Overview - The PEA identifies an inferred potash resource of 298 million metric tonnes, with a KCl grade of 42.1% [6][25]. - The resource is located in the Paradox Basin, known for its high-quality potash deposits and proven history of solution mining [25][26]. - The project has potential for significant future incremental capacity expansion, with additional exploration planned to convert inferred resources to measured and indicated resources [27][28]. Next Steps - Sage Potash plans to advance its efforts in delineating the resource and optimizing the project, including drilling an exploration well to confirm cavern concentrations and flow rates [27][28]. - The company aims to secure commercial initiatives, including potential off-take agreements and partnerships within the agricultural sector [28][30].