Attachment: 10-K


aa-ex104_122.htm

Exhibit  10.4

 

FIRST AMENDMENT

TO PATENT, KNOW-HOW AND TRADE SECRET LICENSE AGREEMENT

 

THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE PATENT, KNOW-HOW AND TRADE SECRET

LICENSE AGREEMENT (the "First Amendment") is made and entered into effective as of November 1, 2016 ("First Amendment Effective Date"), by and between Alcoa USA Corp. ("Alcoa") and Arconic Inc. ("Arconic").

 

RECITALS

 

WHEREAS, Alcoa and Alcoa Inc. are parties to that certain Patent, Know-How and Trade Secret License Agreement, having an effective date of October 31, 2016 (the "Agreement");

 

WHEREAS, effective as of November 1, 2016, Alcoa Inc. changed its name to Arconic Inc.;

 

WHEREAS, Alcoa and Arconic now desire to amend the Agreement.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, and good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

 

1.Definitions. All capitalized terms used in this Amendment but not defined in this Amendment shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement. To the extent there is a conflict in meaning or interpretation as between the Agreement and this Amendment, this Amendment shall govern.

 

2.Amendments to the Agreement. The Agreement is hereby amended as of the First Amendment Effective Date by adding the following to the Patent section of Schedule 5:

 

PATIO

Title

Status

Country

Serial No.

Patent No.

Technology

16- 114242

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING CERAMIC POWDERS AND CERAMIC PRODUCTS

Filed

US

62/353,880

 

Advanced Ceramics

16- 114059

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MAKING CERAMIC POWDERS

Filed

US

62/360,079

 

Advanced Ceramics

 

 

1


 

 

 

 

3.No Other Amendments; Confirmation. Except as expressly amended hereby, the provisions of the Amendment are and shall remain in full force and effect. Nothing herein shall be deemed to entitle either party to a consent to, or a waiver, amendment, modification or other change of, any of the terms, conditions, obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the Amendment other than as provided herein.

 

4.Severability. If any term, provision, covenant or condition of this Amendment is held invalid or unenforceable for any reason, the remaining provisions of this Amendment shall continue in full force and effect as if this Amendment had been executed with the invalid portion eliminated, provided the effectiveness of the remaining portions of this Amendment will not defeat the overall intent of the parties. In such a situation, the parties agree, to the extent legal and possible, to incorporate a replacement provision to accomplish the originally intended effect.

 

5.Electronic/Facsimile Signatures; Counterparts. The parties agree that a facsimile or electronically-copied signature has the same effect as an original signature. This Amendment may be executed in multiple copies, each of which is an original and all of which constitute one instrument.

 

[Signature page follows]

 

 

 

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amendment or caused the same to be executed by a duly authorized officer as of the Amendment Effective Date.

 

Alcoa USA Corp.

 

 

 

By:

 

/s/ John Kenna

 

 

Name:  John Kenna

 

 

Title: Vice President, Tax

 

 

Date: 1/5/17

 

 

 

Arconic Inc.

 

 

 

 

By:

 

/s/ Max Laun

 

 

Name:  Max Laun

 

 

Title: VP and General Counsel

 

 

Date:  1/5/17

 

 

 

 

 

 

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aa-ex105_126.htm

Exhibit  10.5

 

SECOND AMENDMENT

TO PATENT, KNOW-HOW AND TRADE

SECRET LICENSE AGREEMENT

THIS SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE PATENT, KNOW-HOW AND TRADE SECRET LICENSE AGREEMENT (the “Second Amendment”) is made and entered into effective as of October 18, 2021 (the “Second Amendment Effective Date”), by and between Alcoa USA
Corp. (“Alcoa”) and Howmet Aerospace Inc. (“Howmet”).  Individually, Alcoa and Howmet are referred to in this Second Amendment as a “Party” and collectively as the “Parties.”

RECITALS

WHEREAS, Alcoa and Howmet (f/k/a Arconic Inc. and Alcoa Inc.) are parties to that certain Patent, Know-How and Trade Secret License Agreement, having an effective date of October 31, 2016 under which Alcoa is the “Licensor” and Howmet is the “Licensee” (the “Agreement”);

WHEREAS, on January 5, 2017 Alcoa and Howmet signed a FIRST AMENDMENT TO PATENT, KNOW-HOW AND TRADE SECRET LICENSE AGREEMENT (the “First Amendment”) to the Agreement;

WHEREAS, on November 1, 2016 Howmet changed its name to Arconic Inc. from Alcoa Inc. and on March 30, 2020 Howmet changed its name to Howmet Aerospace Inc. from Arconic Inc.; and

WHEREAS, the Parties now desire to amend the Agreement for a second time.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises and covenants contained herein, and good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the Parties hereto, intending to be legally bound, agree as follows:

1.Definitions.  All capitalized terms used in this Second Amendment but not defined in this Second Amendment or in Exhibit 1, annexed hereto and made a part of this Second Amendment, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the Agreement and/or First Amendment.  To the extent there is a conflict in meaning or interpretation as between the Agreement, First Amendment, and this Second Amendment, this Second Amendment shall govern.

 

a.

“Competitors of Howmet” shall mean (i) the companies listed by their generally known (as opposed to legal entity) name (each a “Parent Company” and collectively the “Parent Companies”) set forth in Exhibit 1 hereto: and (ii) the Parent Companies’ subsidiaries: (a) that are wholly owned by a Parent Company, or (b) whose financial results are consolidated into a Parent Company’s reported financial results, or (c) that are reasonably understood to be under the control of a Parent Company (each a “Subsidiary” and collectively the “Subsidiaries”), provided further that the Subsidiary’s primary business is in competition with Howmet’s business.

For purposes of this definition, “control”, when used with respect to a Subsidiary, means the power to direct the management and policies of such party, directly or indirectly, whether through ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise.

2.Amendments to the Agreement.  The Agreement is hereby amended as of the Second Amendment Effective Date as follows:

 


 

A.Schedule 2 of the Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced by the version attached hereto.

B.In consideration for the changes made in this Second Amendment to Schedule 2:

i.Alcoa shall pay Howmet $350,000.00 (three hundred fifty thousand United States Dollars) within thirty (30) days of the Second Amendment Effective Date.  All payments made by Alcoa to Howmet hereunder shall and will be payable in United States Dollars in immediately available funds to an account designated by Howmet via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) or such other electronic payment form as agreed to in writing by Howmet.

ii.Absent Howmet’s express written consent, which consent may be withheld by Howmet in Howmet’s sole discretion, Alcoa agrees not to license (or permit any third-party to license or sublicense) Competitors of Howmet to: (i) make Advanced Ceramics Products using Technology (including without limitation as set forth in Schedule 5), unless such Advanced Ceramic Products are for Smelting Applications; and/or (ii) sell, offer for sale, import, export, or otherwise convey Advanced Ceramics Products produced using such Technology unless such Advanced Ceramics Products are sold thereto by Alcoa.

3.No Other Amendments; Confirmation.  Except as expressly amended hereby, the provisions of the Agreement are and shall remain in full force and effect.  Nothing herein shall be deemed to entitle either Party to a consent to, or a waiver, amendment, modification or other change of, any of the terms, conditions, obligations, covenant or agreements contained in the Second Amendment other than as provided herein.

4.Severability.  If any term, provision, covenant or condition of this Second Amendment is held invalid or unenforceable for any reason, the remaining provisions of this Second Amendment shall continue in full force and effect as if this Second Amendment had been executed with the invalid portion eliminated, provided the effectiveness of the remaining portions of this Second Amendment will not defeat the overall intent of the Parties.  In such a situation, the Parties agree, to the extent legal and possible, to incorporate a replacement provision to accomplish the originally intended effect.

5.Electronic/Facsimile Signatures; Counterparts.  The Parties agree that a facsimile or electronically-copied signature has the same effect as an original signature.  This Second Amendment may be executed in multiple copies, each of which is an original and all of which constitute one instrument.


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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have executed this Second Amendment or caused the same to be executed by a duly authorized officer as of the Second Amendment Effective Date.

ALCOA USA CORP.

 

HOWMET AEROSPACE INC.

 

 

 

/s/ Benjamin D. Kahrs

 

/s/ Michael Chantry

By:  Signature

 

By:  Signature

 

 

 

Benjamin D. Kahrs

 

Michael Chantry

 

 

 

Name:

 

Name:

 

 

 

Executive Vice President

 

Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer

 

 

 

Title:

 

Title:

 

 

 

Pittsburgh, PA – Alcoa

 

Westchester, OH – Howmet

Place:

 

Place:

 

 

 

10/18/21

 

10/18/21

Date:

 

Date:


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SCHEDULE 2:

ADVANCED CERAMICS PRODUCTS

“Advanced Ceramics Products” means products made using certain proprietary advanced ceramic processes, but excluding Technology pertaining to boron nitride.

“Smelting Applications” means products for use in smelting or refining or molten metal processing, as well as ceramic armor (other than boron nitride for ceramic armor), TiB2 applications in electronics tooling, and TiB2 applications in semi-conductor tooling applications.

The license granted with respect to Technology (including without limitation as set forth in Schedule 5) and pertaining to Advanced Ceramics Products is a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free right and license (with no right to sublicense other than to joint ventures controlled by Licensee) to make and have made and to use and have used solely for the Licensee’s internal uses (including joint ventures) any Advanced Ceramics Products that are not Smelting Applications.

Licensor retains the exclusive rights of ownership of all Technology (including without limitation as set forth in Schedule 5) pertaining to Advanced Ceramics Products.

Licensee shall have a non-exclusive license (with no right to sublicense) to use the Advanced Ceramics Products that are smelting or molten metal processing on projects related to smelting metals other than aluminum for its internal use (including joint ventures) only.

Licensee shall have an exclusive (even as to Licensor) license for all applications containing boron nitride.

For a period of four (4) years following the Effective Date, subject to obligations of confidentiality, each party will provide the other with details of Improvements relating to the vertical reactor only.  Each party agrees to license and hereby licenses to the other party any such Improvements on a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free and perpetual basis.

Licensor will provide Licensee with access to complete engineering and electrical drawings for all vertical reactor equipment and copies of all laboratory reports relating to the vertical reactor generated prior to the Effective Date. All such drawings and laboratory reports will be considered “Confidential Information” for the purposes of this Agreement.

Licensor will grant access to the vertical reactor to Licensee to produce powders for Licensee’s commercialization efforts under the terms of “Schedule ATC-01: Ceramics” to the Transition Services Agreement between Licensor and Licensee (“TSA”).  Licensee will pay Licensor’s then current overhead rate to Licensor for such access to the vertical reactor.  Licensee’s access to the vertical reactor during 2017 will be limited to approximately 50% of the vertical reactor’s available time and approximately 25% of the vertical reactor’s available time in 2018.  Licensee will not have access to the vertical reactor after 2018. Licensee acknowledges that the vertical reactor is subject to three-months’ downtime each year due to the need to change tubes. If Licensee does not utilize its access to the vertical reactor as granted in this Schedule 2 then Licensor is free to use this time.  Licensee will provide Licensor with a rolling two-month forward looking schedule of its desired access time to the vertical reactor.  In the event of a conflict between the terms of this Schedule 2 and the TSA, the terms of the TSA will prevail.

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aa-ex1024_125.htm

Exhibit  10.24

 

ALCOA USA CORP. DEFERRED COMPENSATION PLAN
(EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2016, AS AMENDED NOVEMBER 15, 2021)

Effective August 1, 2016, in anticipation of its separation into two separate publicly-traded companies, Alcoa Inc. spun off certain assets and liabilities from the Alcoa Deferred Compensation Plan (now referred to as the Arconic Deferred Compensation Plan) (the “Predecessor Plan”) to form this Plan.  This Plan is intended as a continuation of the Predecessor Plan for the Participants covered by this Plan and recognizes elections and Retirements under the Predecessor Plan.  No person is entitled to a benefit under both this Plan and the Predecessor Plan.  References in this Plan to dates and actions prior to August 1, 2016, refer to the Predecessor Plan.

The Predecessor Plan and this Plan were adopted for the exclusive benefit of select management and highly compensated employees (1) who are actively at work for the Company (as defined below) or a subsidiary on or after June 1, 1990, (2) who meet the requirements for participation hereunder, and (3) who are not in a collective bargaining unit.

The purposes of this Plan are to promote the growth and profitability of the Company, to attract and retain employees and to provide eligible employees with certain benefits under the terms and conditions as set forth herein.  In order to enhance the benefits provided under this Plan, the Predecessor Plan was amended and restated effective October 30, 1992.  All Credits in Participants’ accounts under the Predecessor Plan as of December 31, 2004, including any Earnings Credits thereon after December 31, 2004, shall continue to be subject to all Plan provisions in effect as of that date.

Effective January 1, 2009, the AFL Deferred Compensation and Excess Plan, (which was created by the merger of the Alcoa Fujikura Ltd. Telecommunications Division Deferred Compensation Plan and Alcoa Fujikura Ltd. Deferred Compensation Plan effective January 1, 1993) (“AFL Plan”) was merged into the Predecessor Plan and the Predecessor Plan was the surviving plan.  All Pre-2005 Credits from the AFL Plan and earnings thereon continued to be treated as Pre-2005 Credits under the Predecessor Plan.  All Post-2004 Credits from the AFL Plan and earnings thereon, including all account balances of any Participant with less than three (3) years of Continuous Service as of January 1, 2005, are treated as Post-2004 Credits under this Plan.

ARTICLE I - DEFINITIONS

1.1The following terms have the specified meanings.

“Additional Salary Reduction Credits” means any amounts deemed to be credited to a Participant’s account equivalent to the dollar amount by which a Participant elected to reduce his or her salary up to a whole percentage of not more than 14%.  Effective June 1, 1995, a Participant who is authorized by the Committee may elect to reduce his or her salary up to a whole percentage of not more than 20%.  Effective January 1, 2011, a Participant who is authorized by the Committee may elect to reduce his or her salary up to a whole percentage of not more than 25%; provided however that a Participant who has elected and is contributing a portion of his or her Salary under the Savings Plan, may not elect to defer any percentage of said Salary as an Additional Salary Reduction Credit under this Plan, except as otherwise provided in Section 3.2 but only up to the foregoing limitation.  In no circumstance shall any portion of an Employee’s sales incentive payments be included for the preceding purposes.

“Affiliate” means any corporate or non-corporate business entity which the Company and/or one or more Subsidiaries, or Alcoa Upstream Corporation (anticipated in the second half of 2016 to be renamed Alcoa Corporation) (the parent of the Company) or one of its subsidiaries, controls in fact.

“Award Year” means the calendar year for which awards are made under the provisions of the Incentive Compensation Plan.

“Award Date” means February of the calendar year following the Award Year except as may be otherwise designated in accordance with the provisions of the Incentive Compensation Plan.

“Beneficiary” means the person or persons designated in writing by a Participant, in accordance with Article VIII of this Plan, to receive benefits in the event of the Participant’s death.  Beneficiary also includes any person or persons designated in writing by a Participant’s Beneficiary, to receive benefits in the event of the Participant’s Beneficiary’s death.  Beneficiary designations made under the Predecessor Plan will be honored under this Plan.

“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company or any duly authorized committee thereof.

 


 

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

“Committee” means the Benefits Management Committee of the Company, administrative committee that has complete authority to control and manage the operation and administration of this Plan.

“Company” means Alcoa USA Corp. Prior to August 1, 2016, references to the Company shall mean Alcoa Inc.

“Company Stock” means the Company Stock of the Company’s publicly traded parent corporation, as defined in the Savings Plan.

“Continuous Service” means, except as modified by the balance of this definition, the period of continuous employment with the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate, either as a salaried employee or as an hourly-rated employee, subject to such rules as may be adopted from time to time by the Committee.  Continuous Service shall terminate upon any quit, dismissal, discharge or any other termination of employment with the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate; any determination by the Committee that employment with these entities has terminated shall be conclusive.  Continuous Service upon reemployment does not include any Continuous Service accrued prior to a termination of Continuous Service, except that if a Participant’s Continuous Service is terminated by reason of Retirement, Continuous Service at the time of such termination shall be reinstated upon the date of his or her reemployment with the Company, a Subsidiary or Affiliate.  Effective January 1, 2009, absences from such employment due to inactive status, sick leave, leave of absence or layoff shall constitute a termination of Continuous Service after such status has continued for 6 months, except to the extent the Participant has the legal right to be reemployed either through contract or statute.  Effective as of July 1, 1998 all years of service accrued with Alumax, Inc. or any of its subsidiaries (“Alumax”) on and after June 16, 1998, by any Participant who was actively employed with Alumax on June 16, 1998, will be taken into account to determine Continuous Service.

“Credits” means the Salary Reduction Credits, Additional Salary Reduction Credits, Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits, Employer Contribution Credits, Excess D Deferral Credits and Matching Company Credits credited to a Participant’s account with a deemed value equivalent to the unit value of the Investment Option in which each Credit is deemed to be invested.  In no circumstance shall any portion of an Employee’s sales incentive payments be included for the preceding purposes.

“Earnings Credits” mean:

 

(a)

the interest deemed to be credited to the accounts of Participants in the Equivalent Fixed Income Investment Fund,

 

(b)

the amount of the increase or decrease in the deemed value of Participant’s investments in the Equivalent Equity Investment Fund,

and

 

(c)

, as described in Section 5.1(c), the deemed amount of dividends received, and gain or loss realized on, Equivalent Company Stock.

“Eligible Employee” means any employee who is a member of the group of select management and highly compensated employees, who on or after June 1, 1990 is actively at work for the Company, a Subsidiary or Affiliate, has a job grade of 19 or higher, as determined by the Company, is not in a collective bargaining unit, and (a) who is eligible for participation in the Savings Plan, or (b) who on or after January 1, 1999 is eligible to participate in the Alumax Inc. Thrift Plan for Salaried Employees and is named as an Eligible Employee by the Executive Vice President—Human Resources, as previously identified, or (c) who on or after May 3, 2000 is a Reynolds Metals Company employee and is eligible for Incentive Compensation.  Such Alumax eligible employees will be eligible to make Salary Reduction Credits and/or Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits, in accordance with this plan, as previously identified, or (d) who is a participant in the Howmet Deferred Compensation Plan, and has elected to transfer their account balance in that plan to this Plan prior to December 1, 2007.  Effective January 1, 2013, only employees, who are in a job grade 21 or higher or effective August 11, 2014, employees who are in a job band of 40 or higher (or under a comparable level of compensation band), as determined by the Company, are eligible to participate in the Plan.  All Credits, including Earnings Credits in the accounts of former Eligible Employees who are not in a job grade of 21 or higher or effective August 11, 2014, a job band of 40 or higher (or under a comparable level of compensation band) will continue to be maintained under all Plan provisions.

“Employer Contribution Credits” means an amount deemed to be equivalent to the dollar amount that otherwise would have been contributed by the Company to the Participant’s account under the Savings Plan as either a Discretionary Contribution, Restricted

2


 

Discretionary Contribution or an Employer Retirement Income Contribution, had the contribution under the Savings Plan not been limited by the Code’s limits on contributions to the Savings Plan.  In no circumstance shall any portion of an Employee’s sales incentive payments be included for the preceding purposes.

“Equivalent Company Stock” means the number of shares of Company Stock deemed to be credited to a Participant’s account.  “Equivalent Equity Investment Fund” means the phantom investment vehicle which is deemed to be equivalent in all respects, including value, to the Equity Investment Fund established under the Savings Plan.

“Equivalent Fixed Income Fund” means the phantom investment vehicle which is deemed to be equivalent in all respects, including value, to the Fixed Income Fund established under the Savings Plan.

“Excess D Deferral Credits” means any amounts on and after January 1, 1993 deemed to be credited to a Participant’s account equivalent to the dollar amount which the Participant will have automatically credited to the Plan in accordance with the Company’s Employees’ Excess Benefits Plan D.

“Incentive Compensation Plan” means the Incentive Compensation Plan of the Company, and effective January 1, 1997 the Management Incentive Program of Alcoa Building Products for employees in Job Grades 19 and above.

“Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits” means any amounts deemed to be credited to a Participant’s account on the applicable Award Date equivalent to the percentage that the Participant has elected to defer from an award which he or she is eligible to receive under the Company’s Incentive Compensation Plan for the 1991 Award Year or any later Award Year.  Any such deferrals must be in an amount equal to 25%, 50%, 75%, or 100% of such award.

“Investment Options” means the phantom investment vehicles established hereunder for either Salary Reduction Credits, Additional Salary Reduction Credits, Matching Company Credits, Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits, Employer Contribution Credits, and/or Excess D Deferral Credits with reference to the equivalent investment options under the Savings Plan, or any other such equivalent investment option added to the Savings Plan after January 1, 1993 unless otherwise determined by the Committee.

“Matching Company Credits” means an amount deemed to be equivalent to the dollar amount that otherwise would have been contributed by the Company to the Participant’s account under the Savings Plan, had the Participant elected to contribute to the Savings Plan an amount equivalent to the Participant’s elected Salary Reduction Credits under this Plan and the Participant’s contribution under the Savings Plan had not been limited by the Code’s limits on contributions to the Savings Plan.  In no circumstance shall any portion of an Employee’s sales incentive payments be included for the preceding purposes.

“Other Plan” means any cash or deferred arrangements established under Section 401(k) of the Code, other than the Savings Plan, under which a Participant may elect to have a portion of his or her Salary reduced.

“Participant” means any Eligible Employee who commences participation in this Plan as provided in Article II.  Effective August 1, 2016, “Participant” shall not include any person who is a participant in the Arconic Deferred Compensation Plan.

“Plan” means the Alcoa USA Corp. Deferred Compensation Plan, adopted by the Company as described herein or as from time to time hereafter amended.  References to the Plan prior to August 1, 2016, shall be references to the Predecessor Plan.

“Post-2004 Credits” means Salary Reduction Credits, Additional Salary Reduction Credits, Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits, and Matching Company Credits credited to a Participant’s account on and after January 1, 2005, including any Earnings Credits on such amounts.  Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, Post-2004 Credits also include all Credits of any Participant with less than three (3) years of Continuous Service as of January 1, 2005.  In no circumstance shall any portion of an Employee’s sales incentive payments be included for the preceding purposes.

“Predecessor Plan” means Arconic Deferred Compensation Plan (prior to August 1, 2016, referred to as the Alcoa Deferred Compensation Plan).

“Retirement” means termination of employment after either:

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(a)

becoming eligible for a normal or early Retirement type under a qualified pension plan of the Company, a Subsidiary or Affiliate; or

 

(b)

if not eligible to participate in a qualified pension plan pursuant to the above subsection (a) , attaining either:

 

(i)

age 55 and completing 10 or more years of Continuous Service; or

 

(ii)

age 65 and completing three or more years of Continuous Service.

“Salary” means “Eligible Compensation” as defined in the Savings Plan or “Compensation” as defined in the Alumax Inc. Thrift Plan for Salaried Employees, as applicable, without regard to the limitations imposed by Section 401(a)(17) of the Code.  In no circumstance shall any portion of an Employee’s sales incentive payments be included for the preceding purposes.

“Salary Reduction Credits” means any amounts deemed to be credited to a Participant’s account equivalent to the dollar amount by which a Participant elected to reduce his or her Salary by a whole percentage of not more than 6%; provided, however, a Participant who has elected and is contributing a portion of his or her Salary under the Savings Plan, may not elect to defer any percentage of said Salary as a Salary Reduction Credit under this Plan except as otherwise provided in Section 3.2 but only up to the foregoing limitation.  In no circumstance shall any portion of an Employee’s sales incentive payments be included for the preceding purposes.

“Savings Plan” means, effective August 1, 2016, the Retirement Savings Plan for Salaried Employees of Alcoa USA Corp., as now in existence or hereinafter amended.  Prior to August 1, 2016, “Savings Plan” refers to the Arconic Salaried Retirement Savings Plan, the Arconic Hourly Non-Bargaining Retirement Savings Plan, and/or the Arconic Fastener Systems and Rings Retirement Savings Plan.

“Specified Employee” means a “specified employee” as defined under written guidelines adopted by the Company, which comply with Section 409A of the Code and any regulations promulgated thereunder.

“Subsidiary” means a corporation at least 50% of whose outstanding voting stock is owned or controlled by the Company and/or one or more other Subsidiaries, and any non-corporate business entity in which the Company and/or one or more other Subsidiaries have at least a 50% interest in capital or profits.

“Year of Plan Participation” means any 12-month period extending from the first day of the month a Participant begins participation in the Savings Plan and/or this Plan if the Participant has maintained an account in the Savings Plan and/or this Plan for such 12-month period.

ARTICLE II - PARTICIPATION

2.1An Eligible Employee shall commence participation in this Plan upon the first day of his or her first full payroll period following the receipt of his or her application or request for participation by the Company or its designee.  Such Eligible Employee may only become a Participant after executing the appropriate form for authorizing payroll deductions from his or her Salary and for selecting investment options.  An Eligible Employee shall also commence participation on the Award Date applicable to the portion of any award which he or she is eligible to receive under the provisions of the Incentive Compensation Plan and has deferred for the 1991 Award Year or any later Award Year, or on such date that his or her account would have been credited with Excess D Deferral Credits.  If a Participant ceases to participate in this Plan as a result of the transfer of such Participant’s employment to a company whose employees participate in the Arconic Deferred Compensation Plan (“Arconic Plan”) after August 1, 2016, but before the date of the legal separation of Alcoa Inc. into two separate publicly-traded companies (Arconic Inc. and Alcoa Corporation) (the “Separation Date”), the account balance of such Participant shall automatically be transferred from this Plan to the Arconic Plan and such person shall cease to be a Participant.  If a participant in the Arconic Plan transfers employment to the Company (or an Affiliate or Subsidiary) after August 1, 2016, but before the Separation Date, the Arconic Plan account balance of such Participant shall be accepted by this Plan.

ARTICLE III - PARTICIPANT DEFERRALS

3.1Commencing January 1, 1993 a Participant may by proper election reduce his or her Salary each month in an amount up to, but not more than 6% of his or her Salary, which shall be deemed to be credited to his or her account as Salary Reduction Credits.  Whether or not the Participant elects any Salary Reduction Credits, Participant may by proper election reduce his or her Salary each month in an amount up to, but not more than 14% of said Salary, which shall be credited to his or her account as Additional Salary

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Reduction Credits.  Effective June 1, 1995, the figure 14% in the foregoing sentence is revised to read 20% for Participants whose Additional Salary Reduction Credit limitation has been increased to 20% by the Committee.

A Participant may change a previously elected percentage of Salary reduction or terminate further deferrals in this Plan effective for the first full payroll period following the date the Company or its designee is advised of such request either orally or in writing in accordance with uniform rules established by the Committee.  Effective January 1, 2005, elections for salary reductions must be received by the Plan in the year before such salary is earned, and such election is irrevocable.  Effective January 1, 2011, the figure 20% in the foregoing sentence is revised to read 25% for Participants whose Additional Salary Reduction Credit limitation has been increased to 25% by the Committee.  Elections made under the Predecessor Plan as of August 1, 2016, are recognized under the Plan, and Participants do not have the ability to change such elections unless they otherwise would have had such right under the Predecessor Plan.

3.2In accordance with uniform rules established by the Committee, Salary Reduction Credits and Additional Salary Reduction Credits shall be deemed to be credited to the Participant’s account equivalent to the amount by which the Participant’s Salary is reduced in each category.

Effective January 1, 2013, only Eligible Employees, including any promotions, new hires or rehires on or after that date, who are in a job band of 60 or above (or under a comparable level of compensation band and formerly job grade 25) at the time of election may elect or remove a “spill over” election.  From that date forward, an Eligible Employee who is in a job band 60 or above (or under a comparable level of compensation band and formerly job grade 25), who has elected and is contributing a portion of his or her Salary under the Savings Plan, but has been limited by Code limits on their contributions to the Savings Plan, and who has elected to make a “spill-over” election to this Plan will be credited with Salary Reduction Credits or Additional Salary Reduction Credits, as applicable, up to the amount that their election to the Savings Plan was limited.  An Eligible Employee, who is in a job band 50 (or under a comparable level of compensation band and formerly job grade 24) on or after January 1, 2013 will not be eligible to elect a “spill- over” election.  Notwithstanding the forgoing, any Participant who was in a job band 50 (formerly job grade 24), and who was eligible to make a “spill-over” election to this Plan, on December 31, 2012, will remain eligible to do so in the future as long as they have not incurred a severance from service.

3.3Commencing for the 1991 Award Year and later Award Years a Participant who by proper election has deferred under the Incentive Compensation Plan all or a portion of an award which he or she is eligible to receive under said Plan, shall have his or her account deemed to be credited with Incentive Compensation Deferred Credits in an amount equal to the amount of such deferral.  Effective January 1, 2005, such Incentive Compensation Deferral Credit elections must be received by the Plan at least 6 months before the end of the year in which they are earned, and such election is irrevocable.

3.4Excess D Deferral Credits shall be credited to Participants’ accounts as applicable.

3.5A Participant who is authorized by the Committee and who by proper election has deferred the receipt of any “special payments” (as determined by the Company), shall have his or her account credited in an amount equal to the amount of such deferral.  Such special payment credits shall be treated as Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits.  Participant elections related to the deferrals of “special payments,” which were elected prior to the Participant’s termination of Continuous Service, will be credited to the Participant’s Plan account at the time payment would otherwise have been made.  Payments in 2001 under the Performance Enhancement Reward Program will be treated as “special payments” under this plan.

3.6Effective as of May 1, 2008, to the extent the Company agrees to contribute an amount(s) to a Participant’s account pursuant to an employment agreement approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board, the Participant shall have his or her account credited with such amount(s).  Any vesting contingencies related to such amount(s) that are provided for in such employment agreement will continue to apply to any such amount(s) pursuant to the terms of such employment agreement.  Except for the vesting contingencies, which will continue to apply, any such contributed amount(s) will be treated the same as an Employer Contribution Credit.

ARTICLE IV - MATCHING COMPANY CREDIT

4.1A Participant who has elected to reduce his or her Salary under this Plan shall have his or her account deemed to be credited with Matching Company Credits for which he or she is eligible.

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Effective April 1, 2009, no Matching Company Credits will be deemed to be credited to any Participant account under this Plan.  Effective February 1, 2010, Matching Company Credits equivalent to the dollar amount that otherwise would have been contributed by the Company to the Participant’s account under the Savings Plan on or after February 1, 2010 will again be deemed to be credited to Participant accounts under this Plan.

ARTICLE V - INVESTMENTS

5.1(a)Employer Contribution Credits, Salary Reduction Credits, Additional Salary Reduction Credits, Excess D Deferral Credits and Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits shall be deemed to be invested in 1% increments, at the election of the Participant, in one or more of the Investment Options.  A Participant may change his or her investment election, effective for the first full payroll period following the date the appropriate direction has been properly received by the Company or its designee, in accordance with uniform rules established by the Committee.

(a)Matching Company Credits shall be deemed to be invested in the phantom investment vehicle which is equivalent to the investment vehicle under the Savings Plan in which the Company’s matching contributions to Participants’ accounts are invested.

(b)To the extent a Participant holds Equivalent Company Stock, on the date that the Company pays a cash dividend (if any) to holders of shares of Common Stock, the Participant shall be credited with cash per share of Equivalent Company Stock equal to the amount of such dividend. Any amounts credited pursuant to the preceding sentence shall be deemed invested in the Equivalent Equity Investment Fund and shall be deferred and paid in the same manner in cash and at the same time as the Equivalent Company Stock to which amounts credited relate.

(c)Any interest deemed to be credited to the account of a Participant in the Equivalent Fixed Income Investment Fund shall be deferred and paid in the same manner in cash and at the same time as the portion of the Participant’s account in the Equivalent Fixed Investment Account to which the deemed interest relates.

ARTICLE VI - cREDIT CONVERSION

All Credits and Earnings Credits in a Participant’s account on October 30, 1992 shall be converted to the applicable Investment Option in accordance with the conversion of investments in the Savings Plan as in effect on October 30, 1992, and shall thereafter be contingently credited by reference to the unit value of the Investment Options.

ARTICLE VII - TRANSFER OF CREDITS

7.1(a)A Participant may, by appropriate direction which is properly received by the Company or its designee, in accordance with uniform rules established by the Company, elect to transfer in increments of 1% or $1.00 all or part of the deemed value of his or her Salary Reduction Credits, Additional Salary Reduction Credits, Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits, Matching Company Credits, Excess D Deferral Credits, except as may be limited by the Committee, from any one or more investment Options to any one or more other such Investment Options.  Such a transfer may be made daily.

(a)Effective Date of Transfer.  The effective date of any transfer under paragraph (a) above shall be the date for which the Appropriate Direction to the Company or its designee has been properly received in accordance with uniform rules established by the Company.

(b)Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon a Participant’s termination of employment, for any reason other than Retirement, he or she may not elect to transfer any part of his or her Salary Reduction Credits, Additional Salary Reduction Credits, Matching Company Credits, Incentive Compensation Deferral Credits, Excess D Deferral Credits and Earnings Credits from the investment vehicle in which such Credits were deemed to be invested on the date employment was terminated, to any other investment vehicle.

(c)The Company reserves the right to refuse to honor any Participant direction related to investments or withdrawals, including transfers among investment options, where necessary or desirable to assure compliance with applicable law including U.S. and other Securities laws.  However, the Company does not assume any responsibility for compliance by officers or others with any such laws, and any failure by the Company to delay or dishonor any such direction shall not be deemed to increase the Company’s legal exposure to the Participant or third parties.

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ARTICLE VIII - DISTRIBUTIONS

8.1Except as otherwise specified in this Article VIII, the amount of Credits in a Participant’s account shall be distributed to the Participant upon his or her termination of Continuous Service, unless the Participant has the legal right to be reemployed either through contract or statute.

Effective September 1, 2000, any transfer of employment to a subsidiary or affiliate in which the Company and/or any one or more Subsidiaries have at least a 20% ownership interest will not be considered a termination in Continuous Service for purposes of this Article VIII– Distributions.

Effective June 1, 2007, Participants, whose employment is with such a subsidiary or affiliate of the Company in which the Company and/or any one or more Subsidiaries have at least a 20% ownership interest but less than a majority ownership interest, must notify the Company upon his or her termination of Continuous Service with such subsidiary or affiliate.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, any contributions made pursuant to Section 3.6 will be subject to the vesting contingencies related thereto.

8.2All distributions of Pre-2005 Credits made pursuant to the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service by reason other than death or Retirement shall be paid to the Participant as soon as administratively practical in a lump sum.  All distributions of Post-2004 Credits made pursuant to the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service by reason other than Retirement, or to the extent such Post-2004 Credits are valued equal or less than $50,000, shall be paid to the Participant as soon as administratively practical in a lump sum.  The term “as soon as administratively practical” for purposes of this paragraph means within 90 days of Retirement or termination.

8.3For Pre-2005 Credits, prior to his or her Retirement date, a Participant may elect that the value of his or her account be distributed either in a lump sum at Retirement or in annual installments of any number designated by the Participant up to, but not more than ten (10) following his or her Retirement, commencing the January 31 of the first calendar year following such Retirement and each January 31 thereafter until he or she has received all installments.  A Participant’s election to receive installments must be made at least 6 months prior to his or her Retirement date.  The Participant’s election to receive either a lump sum or annual installments shall become irrevocable 6 months prior to the Participant’s Retirement date, or at such other time as may be approved by the Committee.  In the event the Participant fails to make such an election, all amounts in his or her account shall be distributed as a lump sum distribution as soon as administratively practical after his or her Retirement.  All distributions of Post-2004 Credits made pursuant to the termination of the Participant’s Continuous Service by reason of Retirement and to the extent such Post-2004 Credits are valued more than $50,000, shall be paid to the Participant in ten (10) annual installments, unless the Participant made an irrevocable election for a different distribution option as of the later of:  i. June 30, 2005 or ii. within 30 days after becoming a Eligible Participant.  The term “as soon as administratively practical” for purposes of this paragraph means within 90 days of Retirement.

If a Participant has irrevocably elected to receive annual installments following Retirement or is receiving annual installments, for either Pre- 2005 or Post-2004 Credits, and is subsequently reemployed by the Company on or after January 1, 2009, such annual installments shall continue regardless of reemployment or reinstatement of Continuous Service.  Credits and Earnings Credits thereon accrued during the term of reemployment will be distributed separately upon subsequent termination.

8.4The Beneficiary under this Plan shall be the Participant’s spouse unless otherwise designated in writing by the Participant and such other designated Beneficiary has been agreed to in writing by the Participant’s spouse on a form approved by the Committee.

Distributions from this Plan to a Beneficiary shall be in a lump sum or in annual installments of any number designated by the Participant up to, but not more than ten (10) following his or her death commencing the first January 31 after the Participant’s death and each January 31 thereafter until all installments have been distributed.

In the event a Beneficiary dies prior to receiving all the annual installments which he or she is entitled to receive from this Plan, any remaining installments will be distributed as soon as administratively practical in a lump sum to the Beneficiary’s designated Beneficiary, or if there is no designated Beneficiary, then to the Beneficiary’s estate, The term “as soon as administratively practical” for purposes of this paragraph means within 90 days of death.

8.5This Plan shall not be construed as conferring any rights upon any Participant for continuation of employment with the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate, nor shall it interfere with the rights of the Company, Subsidiary or Affiliate to terminate the

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employment of any Participant and/or to take any personnel action affecting any Participant without regard to the effect which such action may have upon such Participant as to recipient of benefits under this Plan.

8.6No benefit under this Plan may be assigned, transferred, pledged or encumbered or be subject in any manner to alienation or anticipation except as provided in a qualified domestic relations order.

8.7(a)Benefits payable hereunder shall be payable out of the general assets of the Company or a participating Subsidiary, and no segregation of assets for such benefits shall be made.  The right of a Participant or any Beneficiary to receive benefits under this Plan shall be an unsecured claim against said assets and shall be no greater than the rights of an unsecured general creditor to the Company.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Company establishes a trust, to which it may, but shall not be required to contribute money or other property of the Company in contemplation of paying benefits under this Plan, such money or other property shall remain subject to the claims of creditors of the Company.

(a)Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Plan, if any amounts held in a trust of the above described nature are found, due to the creation or operation of said trust, in a final decision by a court of competent jurisdiction, or under a “determination” by the Internal Revenue Service in a closing agreement in audit or a final refund disposition (within the meaning of Section 1313(a) of the Code), to have been includable in the gross income of a Participant or Beneficiary prior to payment of such amounts from said trust, the trustee for the trust shall, as soon as administratively practicable, pay to such Participant or Beneficiary an amount equal to the amount determined to have been includable in gross income in such determination, and shall accordingly reduce the Participant’s or Beneficiary’s future benefits payable under this Plan.  The trustee shall not make any distribution to a Participant or Beneficiary pursuant to this paragraph 8.7(b) unless it has received a copy of the written determination described above together with any legal opinion which it may request as to the applicability thereof.  The term “as soon as administratively practical” in this Section means within 90 days of the trustee’s determination.

8.8To the extent a Participant is a Specified Employee, any distribution to the Participant, will be delayed until the first day of the seventh month following the date that the distribution would otherwise have begun.  Other than Earnings Credits, no other Credits will be applied to the Participant’s account during that time.

ARTICLE IX - ADMINISTRATION AND EXPENSES OF THE PLAN

9.1The general administration of this Plan shall be by the Committee.  The Committee’s discretion with respect to this Plan includes the authority to determine eligibility under all provisions, correct all defects, supply all omissions, reconcile all inconsistencies in the Plan, ensure all benefits are paid in accordance to the Plan, interpret Plan provisions for all Participants or Beneficiaries, and decide all issues of credibility necessary to carry out and operate the Plan.  Benefits under this Plan will be paid only if the Committee in its sole and absolute discretion decides that the applicant is entitled to them.  All actions, decisions, or interpretations of the Committee are conclusive, final, and binding.

All costs and expenses incurred in administering the Plan, including the expenses of the Committee, the fees and expenses of the Trustee, the fees and charges payable under the investment arrangements, and other legal and administrative expenses, shall be paid by the Plan.  Notwithstanding, for any Affiliate of which the Company owns less than an 80% interest as defined under Code Section 1504, the obligation of and liability for the deferred compensation benefits accrued under this Plan for Participants employed by such an Affiliate, shall remain the sole obligation and liability of the Affiliate by express resolution of its board or other governing body.

ARTICLE X - AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION

10.1This Plan may be amended, suspended or terminated at any time by the Board or any other entity approved by the Board, including the Committee, provided that no such amendment, suspension or termination shall reduce or in any manner adversely affect any Participant’s or Board’s rights with respect to benefits that are payable or may become payable under this Plan based upon said Participant’s Credits as of the date of such amendment, suspension or termination.

ARTICLE XI - - CONSTRUCTION

11.1This Plan shall be construed, regulated and administered under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, including its choice of law provisions and applicable statute of limitations.

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11.2The Plan is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and the provisions of the Plan and any deferral election form shall be interpreted in a manner that satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and the Plan shall be operated accordingly.  If any provision of the Plan or any term or condition of any deferral election form would otherwise frustrate or conflict with this intent, such provision, term or condition will be interpreted and deemed amended so as to avoid this conflict.  Although the Company may attempt to avoid adverse tax treatment under Section 409A of the Code, the Company makes no representation to that effect and expressly disavows any covenant to maintain favorable or avoid unfavorable tax treatment.

ARTICLE XII - -CLAIMS AND APPEALS

12.1If a claim by a Participant or Beneficiary is denied, in whole or in part the Participant or Beneficiary, or their representative will receive written notice from the plan administrator.  This notice will include the reasons for denial, the specific plan provision involved, an explanation of how claims are reviewed, the procedure for requesting a review of the denied claim, and a description of the information that must be submitted with the appeal.  The Participant or Beneficiary, or their representative, may file a written appeal for review of a denied claim to the Committee or its delegate.  The process and the time frames for the determination claims and appeals are as follows:

(a)The plan administrator reviews initial claim and makes determination within 90 days of the date the claim is received.

(b)The plan administrator may extend the above 90-day period an additional 90 days if required due to special circumstances beyond control of plan administrator.

(c)The Participant or Beneficiary, or their representative, may submit an appeal of a denied claim within 60 days of receipt of the denial.

(d)The plan administrator reviews and makes a determination on the appeal within 60 days of the date the appeal was received.

(e)The plan administrator may extend the above 60-day period an additional 60 days if required by special circumstances beyond the control of the plan administrator.

12.2In the case where the plan administrator requires an extension of the period to provide a determination on an initial claim or an appeal, the Plan will notify the Participant or Beneficiary, or their representative, prior to the expiration of the initial determination period.  The notification will describe the circumstances requiring the extension and the date a determination is expected to be made.  If additional information is required from the Participant or Beneficiary, the determination period will be suspended until the earlier of i) the date the information is received by the plan administrator or ii) 45 days from the date the information was requested.

12.3Participants or Beneficiaries, or their representative, who having received an adverse appeal determination and thereby exhausted the remedies provided under the this Plan, proceed to file suit in state or federal court, must file such suit within 180 days from the date of the adverse appeal determination notice or any right to file such suit will be permanently foreclosed.

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aa-ex1037_124.htm

Exhibit  10.37

 

ALCOA CORPORATION
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS

These terms and conditions, including Appendices attached hereto (the “Award Terms”), are authorized by the Compensation and Benefits Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors. They are deemed to be incorporated into and form a part of the Award of Restricted Share Units issued on or after December 8, 2021 under the Alcoa Corporation 2016 Stock Incentive Plan, as may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”).

Terms that are defined in the Plan have the same meanings in the Award Terms.

General Terms and Conditions

1.Restricted Share Units are subject to the provisions of the Plan and the provisions of the Award Terms.  If the Plan and the Award Terms are inconsistent, the provisions of the Plan will govern. Interpretations of the Plan and the Award Terms by the Committee are binding on the Participant and the Company. A Restricted Share Unit is an undertaking by the Company to issue the number of Shares indicated in the Participant’s account with the Company’s designated stock plan broker or service provider (the “Broker”), subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, except to the extent otherwise provided in the Plan or herein. A Participant has no voting rights or rights to receive dividends on Restricted Share Units, but the Board of Directors may authorize that dividend equivalents be accrued and paid on Restricted Share Units upon vesting in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 4 below.

Vesting and Payment

2.A Restricted Share Unit vests on the third anniversary date of the grant date and, subject to paragraph 3 and, if the Restricted Share Unit is subject to a performance condition, paragraph 33, will be paid to the Participant in Shares on the vesting date or within 90 days thereafter (or, if it is not practicable to make payment by such date, as soon as practicable thereafter, but in no event later than the end of the calendar year in which the vesting date occurs and/or later than the time permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

3.Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in paragraph 4, if a Participant’s employment with the Company (including its Subsidiaries) is terminated before the Restricted Share Unit vests, the Award is forfeited and is automatically canceled.

4.The following are exceptions to the vesting rules:

 

Death or Disability:  a Restricted Share Unit held by a Participant, who dies while an Employee or who is permanently and totally disabled (as defined below) while an Employee, is not forfeited but vests and is paid on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2.

A Participant is deemed to be permanently and totally disabled if the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months. A Participant shall not be considered to be permanently and totally disabled unless the Participant furnishes proof of the existence thereof in such form and manner, and at such times, as the Company may require. In the event of a dispute, the determination whether a Participant is permanently and totally disabled will be made by the Committee or its delegate.

 


 

Change in Control:  a Restricted Share Unit vests if a Replacement Award is not provided following certain Change in Control events, as described in the Plan. Notwithstanding anything in the Award Terms to the contrary, if a Change in Control qualifies as a “change in control event” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. § 1.409-3(i)(5), the vested Restricted Share Unit (whether vested pursuant to the preceding sentence or otherwise and with vesting determined under Section 409A of the Code) will be paid to the Participant within 30 days following the Change in Control.  If the Change in Control does not so qualify, the vested Restricted Share Unit will vest and be paid to the Participant on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2.

Termination Following Change in Control:  as further described in the Plan, if a Replacement Award is provided following a Change in Control, but within 24 months of such Change in Control the Participant’s employment is terminated without Cause (as defined in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan) or by the Participant for Good Reason (as defined in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan), the Replacement Award will vest and be paid to the Participant on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2.

Retirement:  unless otherwise determined by the Committee or its delegate, a Restricted Share Unit is not forfeited if it is held by a Participant who terminates employment due to Retirement (as defined in the Plan) at least six months after the grant date. In such event, the Restricted Share Unit vests and is paid on the original vesting schedule of the grant set forth in paragraph 2.

Divestiture:  if a Restricted Share Unit is held by a Participant who is to be terminated from employment with the Company or a Subsidiary as a result of a divestiture of a business or a portion of a business of the Company (each, a “Divestiture”) and the Participant either becomes an employee of (or is leased or seconded to) the entity acquiring the business on the date of the closing, or the Participant is not offered employment with the entity acquiring the business and is terminated by the Company or a Subsidiary within 90 days of the closing of the sale, then, at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer of the Company, for Participants other than those subject to the short-swing profit rules of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act (a “Section 16 Insider”), or, at the discretion of the Committee for Section 16 Insiders, as the case may be, the Restricted Share Unit will not be forfeited and will vest and be paid on the original vesting schedule set forth in paragraph 2. For purposes of this paragraph, employment by “the entity acquiring the business” includes employment by a subsidiary or affiliate of the entity acquiring the business; and “Divestiture of a business” means the sale of assets or stock resulting in the sale of a going concern. “Divestiture of a business” does not include a plant shut down or other termination of a business.

Involuntary Termination without Cause: in circumstances other than a Divestiture, if a Participant is involuntarily terminated without Cause (as defined below) from employment with the Company or a Subsidiary at least one year after the grant date and during the vesting period, the Restricted Share Unit Award is not forfeited in whole but only in part upon termination of employment. The portion of the Restricted Share Unit Award that is not forfeited vests on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2 and is calculated based on a proportionate share of the time during the vesting period that the Participant remained actively employed with the Company or a Subsidiary, with the remaining portion being automatically forfeited. The proportionate share is computed on the basis of the actual number of days actively employed after the date of grant over the total numbers of days in the three years vesting period (with the resulting Restricted Share Units rounded up to the next whole unit). For example, a Participant who is

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involuntarily terminated without Cause from employment with the Company (or a Subsidiary) at the end of the first year of the three-year vesting period will receive one-third of the Shares upon vesting, with the remaining two-thirds of the Shares being automatically forfeited upon termination.

For this purpose, if the Participant participates in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan, “Cause” shall have the meaning set forth in such plan. If the Participant does not participate in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan, “Cause” means (i) the willful and continued failure by the Participant to substantially perform the Participant’s duties with the Company or Subsidiary employer that has not been cured within 30 days after a written demand for substantial performance is delivered to the Participant by the Board or the Participant’s direct supervisor, which demand specifically identifies the manner in which the Participant has not substantially performed the Participant’s duties, (ii) the willful engaging by the Participant in conduct which is demonstrably and materially injurious to the Company or a Subsidiary, monetarily or otherwise; (iii) the Participant’s fraud or acts of dishonesty relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) the Participant’s conviction of any misdemeanor relating to the affairs of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or indictment for any felony. For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) of this definition, no act, or failure to act, on the Participant’s part shall be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant not in good faith and without reasonable belief that the Participant’s act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company.

5.A Participant will receive one Share upon the vesting and payment of a Restricted Share Unit. Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything in the Award Terms to the contrary, to the extent that payment in Shares is prohibited under applicable law or would require the Participant or the Company to obtain the approval of any governmental and/or regulatory body in the Participant’s country, or as necessary to meet tax objectives, the Company in its sole discretion may substitute a cash payment in lieu of Shares, such cash payment to be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date that such Shares would have otherwise been issued under the terms of the Plan and the Award Terms.

Taxes

6.All taxes required to be withheld under applicable tax laws in connection with a Restricted Share Units must be paid by the Participant at the appropriate time under applicable tax laws. The Company may satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations by any of the means set forth in Section 15(k) of the Plan, but will generally withhold from the Shares to be issued upon payment of the Restricted Share Units that number of Shares with a fair market value on the vesting date equal to the taxes required to be withheld at the minimum required rates, or at any other rate approved by the Committee, up to the maximum individual tax rate for the applicable tax jurisdiction, which include, for Participants subject to taxation in the United States, applicable income taxes, federal and state unemployment compensation taxes and FICA/FUTA taxes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Participant is a Section 16 Insider, the Company will withhold Shares from the Shares to be issued upon payment of the Restricted Share Unit, as described herein, at the minimum required rates or such other rates approved by the Committee and other means will not be used to satisfy such tax withholding obligations.

Beneficiaries

7.If permitted by the Company, Participants will be entitled to designate one or more beneficiaries to receive all Restricted Share Units that have not yet vested at the time of death of the Participant. All beneficiary designations will be on beneficiary designation forms approved for the Plan. Copies of the form will generally be available from the Broker or may otherwise be obtained from the Company.

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8.Beneficiary designations on an approved form will be effective at the time received by the Company, including, as applicable, through submission to the Broker. A Participant may revoke a beneficiary designation at any time by written notice to the Company, including as applicable, through submission to the Broker, or by filing a new designation form. Any designation form previously filed by a Participant will be automatically revoked and superseded by a later-filed form.

9.A Participant will be entitled to designate any number of beneficiaries on the form, and the beneficiaries may be natural or corporate persons.

10.The failure of any Participant to obtain any recommended signature on the form will not prohibit the Company from treating such designation as valid and effective. No beneficiary will acquire any beneficial or other interest in any Restricted Share Unit prior to the death of the Participant who designated such beneficiary.

11.Unless the Participant indicates on the form that a named beneficiary is to receive Restricted Share Units only upon the prior death of another named beneficiary, all beneficiaries designated on the form will be entitled to share equally in the Restricted Share Units upon vesting. Unless otherwise indicated, all such beneficiaries will have an equal, undivided interest in all such Restricted Share Units.

12.Should a beneficiary die after the Participant but before the Restricted Share Units are paid, such beneficiary’s rights and interest in the Award will be transferable by the beneficiary’s last will and testament or by the laws of descent and distribution. A named beneficiary who predeceases the Participant will obtain no rights or interest in Restricted Share Units, nor will any person claiming on behalf of such individual. Unless otherwise specifically indicated by the Participant on the beneficiary designation form, beneficiaries designated by class (such as “children,” “grandchildren” etc.) will be deemed to refer to the members of the class living at the time of the Participant’s death, and all members of the class will be deemed to take “per capita.”

13.If a Participant does not designate a beneficiary or if the Company does not permit a beneficiary designation, the Restricted Share Units that have not yet vested or been paid at the time of death of the Participant will be paid to the Participant’s legal heirs pursuant to the Participant’s last will and testament or by the laws of descent and distribution.

Adjustments

14.In the event of an Equity Restructuring or other transaction described in Section 4(f) of the Plan, the Committee will equitably adjust the Restricted Share Units as it deems appropriate in accordance with the terms of the Plan. The adjustments authorized by the Committee will be final and binding.

Repayment/Forfeiture

15.As an additional condition of receiving the Restricted Share Units, the Participant agrees that the Restricted Share Units and any benefits or proceeds the Participant may receive hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture and/or repayment to the Company as provided in Sections 15(e) and (f) of the Plan including, without, limitation, to the extent required (i) under the terms of any recoupment or “clawback” policy adopted by the Company to comply with applicable laws or with the Corporate Governance Guidelines or other similar requirements, as such policy may be amended from time to time (and such requirements shall be deemed incorporated into the Award Terms without the consent) or (ii) to comply with any requirements imposed under applicable laws and/or the rules and regulations of the

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securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Shares are listed or quoted, including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. Further, if the Participant receives any amount in excess of what the Participant should have received under the terms of the Restricted Share Units for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a financial restatement, mistake in calculations or administrative error), all as determined by the Committee, then the Participant shall be required to promptly repay any such excess amount to the Company. By accepting this Award, subject to applicable law, Participant agrees and acknowledges the obligation to cooperate with, and provide any and all assistance necessary to, the Company to recover or recoup this Award or amounts paid hereunder pursuant to this Section 15 and the Plan.

Miscellaneous Provisions

16.Stock Exchange Requirements; Applicable Laws. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Award Terms, no Shares issuable upon vesting of the Restricted Share Units, and no certificate representing all or any part of such Shares, shall be issued or delivered if, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, such issuance or delivery would cause the Company to be in violation of, or to incur liability under, any securities law, or any rule, regulation or procedure of any U.S. national securities exchange upon which any securities of the Company are listed, or any listing agreement with any such securities exchange, or any other requirement of law or of any administrative or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company or a Subsidiary.

17.Non-Transferability. The Restricted Share Units are non-transferable and may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company; provided, that, the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.

18.Stockholder Rights. No person or entity shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of any Shares until the Restricted Share Units shall have vested and been paid in the form of Shares in accordance with the provisions of the Award Terms.

19.Notices. Any notice required or permitted under the Award Terms shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficient when delivered personally or sent by confirmed email, telegram, or fax or five days after being deposited in the mail, as certified or registered mail, with postage prepaid, and addressed to the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices or to the Participant at the address maintained for the Participant in the Company’s records or, in either case, as subsequently modified by written notice to the other party.

20.Severability and Judicial Modification. If any provision of the Award Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable under the applicable laws of any country, state, province, territory or other political subdivision or the Company elects not to enforce such restriction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be modified only to the extent necessary to render that provision valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law. If the invalid or unenforceable provision cannot be, or is not, modified, that provision shall be severed from the Award Terms and all other provisions shall remain valid and enforceable.

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21.Successors. The Award Terms shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company and its successors and assigns, on the one hand, and the Participant and his or her heirs, beneficiaries, legatees and personal representatives, on the other hand.

22.Appendices. Notwithstanding any provisions in the Award Terms, for Participants residing and/or working outside the United States, the Restricted Share Units shall be subject to the additional terms and conditions set forth in Appendix A to the Award Terms and to any special terms and conditions for the Participant’s country set forth in Appendix B to the Award Terms. Further, Appendices C and D include information for European Union / European Economic Area Participants. Moreover, if the Participant relocates outside the United States or relocates between the countries included in Appendix B, the additional terms and conditions set forth in Appendix A and the special terms and conditions for such country set forth in Appendices B, C  and D will apply to the Participant, to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons. The Appendices constitute part of the Award Terms.

23.Imposition of Other Requirements. The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Participant’s participation in the Plan, on the Restricted Share Units and on any Shares acquired under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons, and to require the Participant to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.

24.Compliance with Code Section 409A. It is intended that the Restricted Share Units granted pursuant to the Award Terms be compliant with (or exempt from) Section 409A of the Code and the Award Terms shall be interpreted, construed and operated to reflect this intent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Award Terms and the Plan may be amended at any time, without the consent of any party, to the extent necessary or desirable to satisfy any of the requirements under Section 409A of the Code, but the Company shall not be under any obligation to make any such amendment. Further, the Company and its Subsidiaries do not make any representation to the Participant that the Restricted Share Units granted pursuant to the Award Terms satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, and the Company and its Subsidiaries will have no liability or other obligation to indemnify or hold harmless the Participant or any other party for any tax, additional tax, interest or penalties that the Participant or any other party may incur in the event that any provision of the Award Terms or any amendment or modification thereof or any other action taken with respect thereto, is deemed to violate any of the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

25.Waiver. A waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of the Award Terms shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of the Award Terms, or of any subsequent breach by the Participant or any other Participant.

26.No Advice Regarding Award. The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding the Participant’s participation in the Plan, or the Participant’s acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares. The Participant is hereby advised to consult with the Participant’s own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding the Participant’s participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

27.Governing Law and Venue. As stated in the Plan, the Restricted Share Units and the provisions of the Award Terms and all determinations made and actions taken thereunder, to the extent not otherwise governed by the laws of the United States, shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, without reference to principles of conflict of laws, and construed

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accordingly. The jurisdiction and venue for any disputes arising under, or any actions brought to enforce (or otherwise relating to), the Restricted Share Units will be exclusively in the courts in the State of Delaware, including the Federal Courts located therein (should Federal jurisdiction exist).

28.Electronic Delivery and Acceptance. The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to current or future participation in the Plan by electronic means. The Participant hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agrees to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company.

29.Entire Agreement. The Award Terms and the Plan embody the entire understanding and agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof (including, without limitation, the obligations and understandings set forth in Section 15(e) of the Plan), and no promise, condition, representation or warranty, express or implied, not stated or incorporated by reference herein, shall bind either party hereto.

30.Employment at Will. Nothing in the Award Terms or the Plan provide the Participant with any right to continue in the Company’s or any of its affiliates’ employ for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the Participant’s or the rights of the Company and its affiliates to terminate the Participant’s service at any time for any reason, with or without cause, subject to applicable law. The Participant’s status with the Company and its affiliates will accordingly remain at will.

31.Amendments. Except as otherwise provided herein or the Plan, these Award Terms may be amended or modified at any time by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto or by the Company without the consent of the Participant if such action would not materially impair the rights of the Participant under this Award.

Acceptance of Award

32.In accordance with Section 15(c) of the Plan (as in effect at the grant date), the Participant may reject the Restricted Share Units by notifying the Company within 30 days of the grant date that he or she does not accept the Restricted Share Units. The Participant’s acceptance of the Restricted Share Units constitutes the Participant’s acceptance of and agreement with the Award Terms. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if required by the Company, the Participant will provide a signed copy of the Award Terms in such manner and within such timeframe as may be requested by the Company. The Company has no obligation to issue Shares to the Participant if the Participant does not accept the Restricted Share Units.

Performance Feature

33.If the vesting of Restricted Share Units is subject to a performance condition, the following additional terms and conditions will apply to that Award:

 

The Participant will have the right to receive from 0% to 200% of the number of Shares indicated on the grant date, based on achievement of performance goals established by the Committee for that Award.

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The performance period is three years, which may consist of a single performance period or multiple interim periods as determined by the Committee.

 

Achievement of performance objectives will be determined or certified by the Committee following the end of the applicable period.

 

Except as otherwise set forth in paragraph 4 of the Award Terms or below in this “Performance Feature” section, vesting of the Award will occur upon satisfaction of the time-based vesting conditions set forth in paragraph 2 of the Award Terms and vesting and payment of the Award will be based on the extent to which the performance objectives established by the Committee have been attained. In any case, except where payment of the Award is made upon a Change in Control within the meaning of Treas. Reg. § 1.409-3(i)(5), in no event will payment of the Award occur outside of the time period set forth in paragraph 2.

 

In the event of termination of the Participant’s employment with the Company (including its Subsidiaries) before the vesting of the Restricted Share Units by reason of death, disability, Retirement, Divestiture, or involuntary termination without Cause, each as described in paragraph 4, payment of the Restricted Share Unit Award (or portion thereof in the case of an involuntary termination without Cause) will be based on the extent to which the performance objectives established by the Committee have been attained following the end of the performance period.

 

In the event of a Change in Control, the performance feature of the Award will cease to apply and the Award will be converted into a time-based award in accordance with the formula set forth in Section 12(a)(v) of the Plan. The vesting and payment of such Award will then be governed in accordance with paragraph 4.


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APPENDIX A
TO THE ALCOA CORPORATION
2016 Stock Incentive Plan
Terms and Conditions for Restricted Share Units
for Non-U.S. Participants

This Appendix A contains additional (or, if so indicated, different) terms and conditions that govern the Restricted Share Units if the Participant resides and/or works outside of the United States. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the same meanings assigned to them in the Plan and the Terms and Conditions for Restricted Share Units (the “Terms and Conditions”).

A.Termination. This provision supplements paragraph 3 of the Terms and Conditions.

The Company will determine when the Participant is no longer providing services for purposes of the Restricted Share Units (including whether the Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence).

B.Responsibility for Taxes. This provision replaces paragraph 6 of the Terms and Conditions (except to the extent that the Participant is a Section 16 Insider).

The Participant acknowledges that, regardless of any action taken by the Company or, if different, the Subsidiary that employs the Participant (the “Employer”), the ultimate liability for all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax-related items related to the Participant’s participation in the Plan and legally applicable to the Participant (“Tax-Related Items”) is and remains the Participant’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or the Employer. The Participant further acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (a) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of these Restricted Shares Units, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting or settlement of Restricted Shares Units, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired pursuant to the Restricted Share Units and the receipt of any dividends or dividend equivalents; and (b) do not commit to and are under no obligation to structure the terms of the Restricted Share Units or any aspect of the Restricted Share Units to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items or achieve any particular tax result. The Participant shall not make any claim against the Company, the Employer or any other Subsidiary, or their respective board, officers or employees related to Tax-Related Items arising from this Award. Furthermore, if the Participant has become subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction, the Participant acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.

Prior to any relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant will pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items. In this regard, the Participant authorizes the Company and/or the Employer, or their respective agents, at their discretion, to satisfy their withholding obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by: (i) requiring a cash payment from the Participant; (ii) withholding from the Participant’s wages or other cash compensation paid to the Participant by the Company and/or the Employer, (iii) withholding from the proceeds of the sale of Shares acquired pursuant to the Restricted Share Units, either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company (on the Participant’s behalf pursuant to this authorization without further consent); and/or (iv) withholding from the Shares subject to Restricted Share Units.

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Depending on the withholding method, the Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by considering applicable minimum statutory withholding rates or other applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates, in which case the Participant may receive a refund of any over-withheld amount in cash (with no entitlement to the Share equivalent) or, if not refunded, the Participant may seek a refund from the local tax authorities. If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding in Shares, the Participant is deemed, for tax purposes, to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the vested Restricted Shares Units, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares is held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items.

Finally, the Participant shall pay to the Company and/or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company and/or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of the Participant’s participation in the Plan that cannot be satisfied by the means previously described. The Company may refuse to issue or deliver the Shares or the proceeds of the sale of Shares if the Participant fails to comply with his or her obligations in connection with the Tax-Related Items.

C.Nature of Award. In accepting the Restricted Share Units, the Participant acknowledges, understands and agrees that:

 

a.

the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, is discretionary in nature and may be modified, amended, suspended, or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted by the Plan;

 

b.

this Award of Restricted Share Units is exceptional, voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future Restricted Share Units, or benefits in lieu of Restricted Share Units, even if Restricted Share Units have been granted in the past;

 

c.

all decisions with respect to future Restricted Share Units or other Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company;

 

d.

this Award of Restricted Share Units and the Participant’s participation in the Plan shall not create a right to, or be interpreted as forming an employment or service contract with the Company and shall not interfere with the ability of the Employer to terminate the Participant’s employment contract (if any) at any time;

 

e.

the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;

 

f.

this Award of Restricted Share Units and the Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not intended to replace any pension rights or compensation;

 

g.

this Award of Restricted Share Units and the Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income and value of the same, are not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments;

 

h.

the future value of the Shares subject to the Restricted Share Units is unknown, indeterminable and cannot be predicted with certainty;

 

i.

no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from the forfeiture of any portion of this Award of Restricted Share Units resulting from the Participant’s termination of

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employment and/or service relationship (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment or other laws in the jurisdiction where the Participant is employed or otherwise rendering services, or the terms of his or her employment or service agreement, if any);

 

j.

unless otherwise agreed with the Company, Restricted Share Units and the Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of the same, are not granted as consideration for, or in connection with, the service the Participant may provide as a director of any Subsidiary;

 

k.

unless otherwise provided in the Plan or by the Company in its discretion, this Award of Restricted Share Units and the benefits under the Plan evidenced by these Award Terms do not create any entitlement to have this Award of Restricted Share Units or any such benefits transferred to, or assumed by, another company nor to be exchanged, cashed out or substituted for, in connection with any corporate transaction affecting the Shares; and

 

l.

neither the Company, the Employer nor any other Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar that may affect the value of the Restricted Share Units or of any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the Restricted Share Units or the subsequent sale of any Shares acquired under the Plan.

D.Data Privacy.  The following Data Privacy consent only applies to Participants located outside the EU.  Participants located in the EU should review the GDPR Notice in Appendix D.  

The Participant hereby explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of the Participant’s personal data as described in these Award Terms and any other grant materials by and among, as applicable, the Company, the Employer and any other Subsidiary for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan.

The Participant understands that the Company and the Employer may hold certain personal information about the Participant, including, but not limited to, the Participant’s name, home address, email address and telephone number, date of birth, social insurance number, passport or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares of stock or directorships held in the Company, details of all Restricted Share Units or any other entitlement to shares of stock awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in the Participant’s favor (“Data”), for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan.

The Participant understands that Data may be transferred to the Broker or such additional or other stock plan service providers as may be selected by the Company, which are assisting the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan. The Participant understands that the recipients of Data may be located in the United States or elsewhere, and that the recipients’ country (e.g., the United States) may have different data privacy laws and protections than the Participant’s country. The Participant understands that the Participant may request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of Data by contacting the Participant’s local human resources representative. The Participant authorizes the Company, the Broker and any other possible recipients which may assist the Company (presently or in the future) with implementing, administering and managing the Plan to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer Data, in electronic or other form, for the sole purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s

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participation in the Plan. The Participant understands that Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan. The Participant understands that the Participant may, at any time, view Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of Data, require any necessary amendments to Data or refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost, by contacting in writing the Participant’s local human resources representative. Further, the Participant understands that the Participant is providing the consents herein on a purely voluntary basis. If the Participant does not consent, or if the Participant later seeks to revoke the Participant’s consent, the Participant’s employment and career with the Employer will not be affected; the only consequence of refusing or withdrawing the Participant’s consent is that the Company would not be able to grant this Award of Restricted Share Units or other Awards to the Participant or administer or maintain such Awards. Therefore, the Participant understands that refusing or withdrawing the Participant’s consent may affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan. For more information on the consequences of the Participant’s refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, the Participant understands that the Participant may contact the Participant’s local human resources representative.

E.Retirement. Notwithstanding paragraph 4 of the Terms and Conditions, if the Company receives an opinion of counsel that there has been a legal judgment and/or legal development in the Participant’s jurisdiction that would likely result in the favorable treatment applicable to the Restricted Share Units pursuant to paragraph 4 being deemed unlawful and/or discriminatory, then the Company will not apply the favorable treatment at the time of the Participant’s retirement, and the Restricted Share Units will be treated as set forth in the remaining provisions of paragraph 4 of the Terms and Conditions.

F.Language. If the Participant has received these Award Terms, or any other document related to this Award of Restricted Share Units and/or the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control.

G.Insider Trading Restrictions/Market Abuse Laws. The Participant acknowledges that, depending on his or her country of residence, the Broker’s country of residence, or where the Shares are listed, the Participant may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws in applicable jurisdictions, which may affect his or her ability to accept, acquire, sell or attempt to sell or otherwise dispose of Shares or rights to Shares (e.g., Restricted Share Units) or rights linked to the value of Shares, during such times as the Participant is considered to have “inside information” regarding the Company (as defined by applicable laws or regulations in the applicable jurisdictions). Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation or amendment of orders the Participant placed before possessing inside information. Furthermore, the Participant may be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information to any third party including colleagues of the Participant (other than on a “need to know” basis) and (ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy or sell securities. Any restrictions under these laws or regulations are separate from and in addition to any restrictions that may be imposed under any applicable Company insider trading policy. The Participant acknowledges that it is his or her responsibility to comply with any applicable restrictions, and the Participant should consult his or her personal advisor on this matter.

H.Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Requirements, Exchange Controls and Tax Requirements. The Participant acknowledges that his or her country may have certain foreign asset and/or account reporting requirements and exchange controls which may affect his or her ability to acquire or hold Shares under the Plan or cash received from participating in the Plan (including from any dividends received or sale proceeds arising from the sale of Shares) in a brokerage or bank account outside his or her country. The

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Participant understands that he or she may be required to report such accounts, assets or transactions to the tax or other authorities in his or her country. The Participant also may be required to repatriate sale proceeds or other funds received as a result of the Participant’s participation in the Plan to his or her country through a designated bank or broker and/or within a certain time after receipt. The Participant acknowledges that it is his or her responsibility to be compliant with all such requirements, and that the Participant should consult his or her personal legal and tax advisors, as applicable, to ensure the Participant’s compliance.


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APPENDIX B
TO THE ALCOA CORPORATION
2016 Stock Incentive Plan
Terms and Conditions for Restricted Share Units
For Non-U.S. Participants

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Appendix B have the meanings set forth in the Plan and the Terms and Conditions for Restricted Share Units (the “Terms and Conditions”).

Terms and Conditions

This Appendix B includes special terms and conditions that govern Restricted Share Units if the Participant resides and/or works in one of the countries listed below.

If the Participant is a citizen or resident of a country other than the country in which the Participant is currently residing and/or working, or if the Participant transfers to another country after the grant of Restricted Share Units or is considered a resident of another country for local law purposes, the Committee shall, in its discretion, determine to what extent the special terms and conditions contained herein shall be applicable to the Participant.

Notifications

This Appendix B also includes information regarding exchange controls, tax and certain other issues of which the Participant should be aware with respect to participation in the Plan. The information is based on the securities, exchange control, tax and other laws in effect in the respective countries as of October 2021. Such laws are often complex and change frequently. As a result, the Company strongly recommends that the Participant not rely on the information in this Appendix B as the only source of information relating to the consequences of participation in the Plan because the information may be out of date at the time the Participant sells Shares acquired under the Plan.

In addition, the information contained herein is general in nature and may not apply to the Participant’s particular situation and the Company is not in a position to assure the Participant of any particular result. Accordingly, the Participant should seek appropriate professional advice as to how the relevant laws in the Participant’s country may apply to his or her situation.

Finally, if the Participant is a citizen or resident of a country other than the country in which the Participant currently works and/or resides, or if the Participant transfers to another country after the grant of the Restricted Share Unit, or is considered a resident of another country for local law purposes, the information contained herein may not be applicable to the Participant in the same manner.

 

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AUSTRALIA

Terms and Conditions

Australia Offer Document.

The grant of Restricted Share Units is intended to comply with the provisions of the Corporations Act, 2001, Australian Securities & Investments Commission (“ASIC”) Regulatory Guide 49 and ASIC Class Order CO 14/1000. Additional details are set forth in the Offer Document for the Restricted Share Units to Australian resident employees, which is being provided to the Participant with the Award Terms.

Notifications

Exchange Control Information.

Exchange control reporting is required for cash transactions exceeding A$10,000 and for international fund transfers. If an Australian bank is assisting with the transaction, the bank will file the report on the Participant’s behalf.

Tax Information.

The Plan is a plan to which Subdivision 83A-C of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) applies (subject to conditions in the Act).  The Restricted Share Units should satisfy the real risk of forfeiture test for deferral.

BELGIUM

Notifications

Stock Exchange Tax.

A stock exchange tax applies to transactions executed through a non-Belgian financial intermediary.  The stock exchange tax will likely apply when Shares are sold.  The Participant should consult with his or her personal tax advisor to determine the Participant’s obligations with respect to the stock exchange tax.

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

Belgian residents are required to report any security (e.g., Shares acquired under the Plan) or bank account established outside of Belgium on their annual tax return.  In a separate report, Belgian residents are also required to provide the National Bank of Belgium with certain details regarding such foreign accounts (including the account number, bank name and country in which any such account was opened).  The forms to complete this report are available on the website of the National Bank of Belgium.  Belgian residents should consult with their personal tax advisors to determine their personal reporting obligations.

 

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BRAZIL

Terms and Conditions

Compliance with Law.

By accepting the Restricted Share Units, the Participant acknowledges that he or she agrees to comply with applicable Brazilian laws and to pay any and all applicable taxes associated with the vesting of the Restricted Share Units, the sale of the Shares acquired under the Plan and the receipt of any dividends or dividend equivalents.

Acknowledgement of Nature of the Grant.

This provision supplements paragraph C “Nature of Award” of Appendix A:

By accepting the Restricted Share Units, the Participant agrees that he or she is making an investment decision, the Shares will be issued to the Participant only if the vesting conditions are met and any necessary services are rendered by the Participant over the vesting period, and the value of the underlying Shares is not fixed and may increase or decrease in value over the vesting period without compensation to the Participant.

Notifications

Exchange Control Information.

If the Participant is a resident of or domiciled in Brazil, he or she will be required to submit an annual declaration of assets and rights held outside of Brazil to the Central Bank of Brazil if the aggregate value of the assets and rights is equal to or greater than US$1,000,000. If such amount exceeds US$100,000,000, the declaration must be submitted quarterly. Assets and rights that must be reported include Shares acquired under the Plan. Foreign individuals holding Brazilian visas are considered Brazilian residents for purposes of this reporting requirement and must declare at least the assets held abroad that were acquired subsequent to the date of admittance as a resident of Brazil.

Tax on Financial Transactions (IOF).

Repatriation of funds (e.g., sale proceeds) into Brazil and the conversion of USD into BRL associated with such fund transfers may be subject to the Tax on Financial Transactions. It is the Participant’s responsibility to comply with any applicable Tax on Financial Transactions arising from the Participant’s participation in the Plan. The Participant should consult with his or her personal tax advisor for additional details.

 

 

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CANADA

Terms and Conditions

Payment.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in paragraphs 2 and 4 of the Terms and Conditions, any vested Restricted Share Unit will be paid to the Participant by no later than the end of the calendar year in which the vesting date specified in paragraph 2 occurs (i.e., by the end of the calendar year in which the third anniversary of the grant date occurs).

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Terms and Conditions, a Participant will receive one Share upon the vesting and payment of a Restricted Share Unit.  Notwithstanding paragraph 5 of the Terms and Conditions, the Company shall not have discretion to substitute a cash payment in lieu of Shares.

Further, in no event will the Restricted Share Units carry any right to receive payment of any dividend equivalents in cash.  To the extent the Board of Directors authorizes that dividend equivalents be accrued and paid on vesting of Restricted Share Units, such dividend equivalents shall be paid in such whole number of Shares with a fair market value at the time the Restricted Share Units vest equal to the amount of dividend equivalents accrued on the Restricted Share Units at that time.  Any fractional Shares attributable to dividend equivalents shall be rounded down to the nearest whole Share, and the Participant shall not be entitled to any consideration for such fractional Shares, or any other amount in respect of the accrued dividend equivalents.

Withholding.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Terms and Conditions, the number of Shares otherwise required to be issued to a Participant on vesting and payment of a Restricted Share Unit shall not be reduced to satisfy the payment of Tax Obligations, except for at the election of a Participant, in the Participant’s sole discretion. A Participant who is not a Section 16 Insider shall be permitted to make such an election only if the Company has established procedures for such withholding.

Termination of Service.

The following provision replaces paragraph A “Termination” of Appendix A:

For purposes of the Restricted Share Units, the Participant’s employment relationship will be considered terminated (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of Canadian laws or the terms of the Participant’s employment agreement, if any) effective as of the date that is the earlier of  (i) the date the Participant receives notice of termination, or (ii) the date the Participant is no longer actively providing service (the “Termination Date”), except, in either case, to the extent applicable employment standards legislation requires the Restricted Share Units to continue through any minimum termination notice period applicable under the legislation. In such case, the Termination Date will be the last day of the Participant’s minimum statutory termination notice period.

Unless otherwise expressly provided in these Award Terms or determined by the Company, or explicitly required by applicable legislation, the Participant’s right to vest in the Restricted Share Units, if any, will terminate on the Termination Date and the Participant will not earn or be entitled to (i) any pro-rated vesting for that period of time before the Termination Date, (ii) any portion of the Restricted Share

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Units that is thereby forfeited upon termination, or (iii) any payment of damages in lieu thereof.  Unless otherwise expressly provided in these Award Terms or determined by the Company, there shall be no vesting of Restricted Share Units during any applicable common law or civil law reasonable notice period following the Termination Date or any payment of damages in lieu thereof. Subject to application legislation, in the event the Termination Date cannot be reasonably determined under the terms of the Award Terms and/or the Plan, the Committee shall have the exclusive discretion to determine the Termination Date for purposes of the Restricted Share Unit (including whether the Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence).

The following provision supplements section C “Nature of Award” of Appendix A:

Subsections C(b), C(g) and C(i) of this Appendix A are subject to such explicit and minimal requirements set forth under local employment standards or pension-related legislation.

The Following Provisions Apply for Participants Resident in Quebec:

Consent to Receive Information in English.

The Participant acknowledges that it is the express wish of the parties that these Award Terms, as well as all documents, notices and legal proceedings entered into, given or instituted pursuant hereto or relating directly or indirectly hereto, be written in English.

Les parties reconnaissent avoir exigé la rédaction en anglais de Conditions d’attribution, ainsi que de tous documents, avis et procédures judiciaires, exécutés, donnés ou intentés en vertu de, ou liés directement ou indirectement à, la présente convention.

Authorization to Release and Transfer Necessary Personal Information.

The following provision supplements paragraph D “Data Privacy” of Appendix A:

The Participant hereby authorizes the Company and the Company’s representatives to discuss with and obtain all relevant information from all personnel, professional or not, involved in the administration and operation of the Plan. The Participant further authorizes the Company, any Subsidiary and the administrator of the Plan to disclose and discuss the Plan with their advisors. The Participant further authorizes the Company and any Subsidiary to record such information and to keep such information in the Participant’s Employee file.

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

The Participant acknowledges that he or she is permitted to sell the Shares acquired under the Plan through the Broker, provided the sale of the Shares takes place outside of Canada through facilities of a stock exchange on which the Shares are listed (i.e., the NYSE).

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

Canadian residents are required to report to the tax authorities any foreign property held outside of Canada (including Restricted Share Units and Shares acquired under the Plan) annually on form T1135 (Foreign Income Verification Statement) if the total cost of the foreign property exceeds C$100,000 at

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any time in the year. The form must be filed by April 30 of the following year. Restricted Share Units must be reported--generally at a nil cost--if the C$100,000 cost threshold is exceeded because of other foreign property the Participant holds. If Shares are acquired, their cost generally is the adjusted cost base (“ACB”) of the Shares. The ACB would normally equal the fair market value of the Shares at vesting, but if the Participant owns other Shares, this ACB may have to be averaged with the ACB of the other Shares. The Participant should consult with his or her personal legal advisor to ensure compliance with applicable reporting obligations.

CHINA

Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions will apply to Participants who are subject to exchange control restrictions and regulations in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), including the requirements imposed by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”), as determined by the Company in its sole discretion:

Termination of Employment.

Due to exchange control laws in PRC, the Participant agrees that the Company reserves the right to require the sale of any Shares acquired at vesting of the Restricted Share Units upon the termination of the Participant’s employment for any reason. If the Company, in its discretion, does not exercise its right to require the automatic sale of Shares issuable upon vesting of the Restricted Share Units, as described in the preceding sentence, the Participant understands and agrees that any Shares acquired by the Participant under the Plan must be sold no later than six (6) months after termination of the Participant’s employment, or within any other such time frame as permitted by the Company or required by SAFE. The Participant understands that any Shares acquired under the Plan that have not been sold within six (6) months of the Participant’s termination of employment will be automatically sold by a designated broker at the Company’s discretion, pursuant to this authorization by the Participant.

The Participant agrees that the Company is authorized to instruct its designated broker to assist with the mandatory sale of such Shares (on the Participant’s behalf, pursuant to this authorization), and the Participant expressly authorizes the Company’s designated broker to complete the sale of such Shares. The Participant also agrees to sign any agreements, forms and/or consents that may be reasonably requested by the Company (or the designated broker) to effectuate the sale of the Shares (including, without limitation, as to the transfers of the proceeds and other exchange control matters noted below) and shall otherwise cooperate with the Company with respect to such matters, provided that the Participant shall not be permitted to exercise any influence over how, when or whether the sales occur. The Participant acknowledges that the Company’s designated broker is under no obligation to arrange for the sale of the Shares at any particular price. Due to fluctuations in the Share price and/or applicable exchange rates between vesting and (if later) the date on which the Shares are sold, the amount of proceeds ultimately distributed to the Participant may be more or less than the market value of the Shares upon vesting (which is the amount relevant to determining the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items). The Participant understands and agrees that the Company is not responsible for the amount of any loss the Participant may incur and the Company assumes no liability for any fluctuations in the Share price and/or any applicable exchange rate.

Upon the sale of the Shares, the Company agrees to pay the cash proceeds from the sale (less any Tax-Related Items, brokerage fees or commissions) to the Participant in accordance with the applicable

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exchange control laws and regulations including but not limited to the restrictions set forth in this Appendix B for China below under “Exchange Control Restrictions.”

Exchange Control Restrictions.

The Participant understands and agrees that, pursuant to local exchange control requirements, the Participant will be required to immediately repatriate any cash payments or proceeds obtained with respect to participation in the Plan to the PRC. The Participant further understands that such repatriation of any cash payments or proceeds may need to be effectuated through a special exchange control account established by the Company or any Subsidiary, and the Participant hereby consents and agrees that any payment or proceeds may be transferred to such special account prior to being delivered to the Participant. Any payment or proceeds may be paid to the Participant in U.S. dollars or local currency at the Company’s discretion. If the payments or proceeds are paid to the Participant in U.S. dollars, the Participant will be required to set up a U.S. dollar bank account in the PRC (if the Participant does not already have one) so that the payments or proceeds may be deposited into this account. If the payments or proceeds are paid to the Participant in local currency, the Company is under no obligation to secure any particular exchange conversion rate and the Company may face delays in converting the payments or proceeds to local currency due to exchange control restrictions. The Participant agrees to bear any currency exchange conversion rate fluctuation risk between the time the cash proceeds are received and the time the cash proceeds are distributed to the Participant through the special account described above.

The Participant further agrees to comply with any other requirements that may be imposed by the Company in the future to facilitate compliance with exchange control requirements in the PRC.

HUNGARY

There are no country-specific provisions.

ICELAND

There are no country-specific provisions.

ITALY

Terms and Conditions

Plan Document Acknowledgement.

By accepting the Restricted Share Units, the Participant acknowledges that the Participant has received a copy of the Plan and the Award Terms and has reviewed the Plan and the Award Terms, including the Appendices, in their entirety and fully understands and accepts all provisions of the Plan and the Award Terms, including the Appendices. The Participant further acknowledges that the Participant has read and specifically and expressly approves the following paragraphs of the Award Terms: paragraphs 2-5: Vesting and Payment; paragraph 15: Repayment and Forfeiture; paragraph 16: Stock Exchange Requirements and Applicable Laws; paragraph 20: Severability and Judicial Modification; paragraph 22: Appendices; paragraph 23: Imposition of Other Requirements; paragraph 27: Governing Law and Venue; paragraph A of Appendix A: Termination; Appendix D: GDPR Notice.

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Notifications

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

Italian residents who, during the fiscal year, hold investments abroad or foreign financial assets (e.g., cash, Shares) which may generate income taxable in Italy are required to report such on their annual tax returns (UNICO form, RW Schedule) or on a special form if no tax return is due. The same reporting obligations apply to Italian residents who, even if they do not directly hold investments abroad or foreign financial assets (e.g., cash, Shares), are beneficial owners of the investment pursuant to Italian money laundering provisions. The Participant should consult his or her personal tax advisor to ensure compliance with applicable reporting obligations.

Tax on Foreign Financial Assets.

The value of the financial assets held outside of Italy by Italian residents is subject to a foreign asset tax at an annual rate of 2 per thousand (0.2%). The taxable amount will be the fair market value of the financial assets (including Shares) assessed at the end of the calendar year and is subject to pro-ration for the portion of the year that the Participant holds the Shares received at vesting.

NETHERLANDS

There are no country-specific provisions.

NORWAY

There are no country-specific provisions.

SAUDI ARABIA

Terms and Conditions

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

This document may not be distributed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia except to such persons as permitted under the Offers of Securities Regulations issued by the Capital Market Authority.

The Capital Market Authority does not make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this document, and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from, or incurred in reliance upon, any part of this document. The Participant should conduct his or her own due diligence on the accuracy of the information relating to the Restricted Share Units and the underlying Shares. The Participant should consult with his or her authorized financial advisor in this regard.

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SINGAPORE

Terms and Conditions

Sale Restriction.

The Participant agrees that any Shares received upon vesting will not be offered for sale or sold in Singapore prior to the six-month anniversary of the grant date, unless such sale or offer is made pursuant to the exemption under Part XIII Division (1) Subdivision (4) (other than Section 280) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289, 2006 Ed.) (“SFA”).

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

The grant of the Restricted Share Units is being made in reliance on the “Qualifying Person” exemption under section 273(1)(f) of the SFA under which it is exempt from the prospectus and registration requirements under the SFA and the grant of the Restricted Share Units is not made to the Participant with a view to the Shares being subsequently offered for sale to any other party. The Plan has not been lodged or registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Director Notification Obligation.

Directors, associate directors or shadow directors of a Singapore Subsidiary are subject to certain notification requirements under the Singapore Companies Act. Specifically, such directors must notify the Singapore Subsidiary in writing of an interest (e.g., Restricted Share Units, Shares, etc.) in the Company or any related company within two business days of (i) its acquisition or disposal, (ii) any change in a previously-disclosed interest (e.g., upon vesting of Restricted Share Units or when Shares acquired under the Plan are subsequently sold), or (iii) becoming a director.

SPAIN

Terms and Conditions

No Entitlement for Claims or Compensation.

The following provisions supplement paragraph A “Termination” of Appendix A.

By accepting the Restricted Share Units, the Participant consents to participation in the Plan and acknowledges that Participant has received a copy of the Plan.

The Participant understands and agrees that, as a condition of the grant of the Restricted Share Units, if the Participant’s employment terminates, unless otherwise provided in the Award Terms or by the Company, any unvested Restricted Share Units shall be forfeited without entitlement to the underlying Shares or to any amount as indemnification in the event of a termination, including, but not limited to: resignation, disciplinary dismissal adjudged to be with cause, disciplinary dismissal adjudged or recognized to be without cause, individual or collective layoff on objective grounds, whether adjudged to be with cause or adjudged or recognized to be without cause, material modification of the terms of employment under Article 41 of the Workers’ Statute, relocation under Article 40 of the Workers’

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Statute, Article 50 of the Workers’ Statute, unilateral withdrawal by the Employer, and under Article 10.3 of Royal Decree 1382/1985.

The Participant understands that the Company has unilaterally, gratuitously and in its sole discretion decided to grant Restricted Share Units under the Plan to individuals who may be Employees of the Company or a Subsidiary. The decision is limited and entered into based upon the express assumption and condition that any Restricted Share Units will not economically or otherwise bind the Company or any Subsidiary, including the Employer, on an ongoing basis, other than as expressly set forth in the Award Terms. Consequently, the Participant understands that the Restricted Share Units are granted on the assumption and condition that the Restricted Share Units shall not become part of any employment or service agreement (whether with the Company or any Subsidiary, including the Employer) and shall not be considered a mandatory benefit, salary for any purpose (including severance compensation) or any other right whatsoever. Furthermore, the Participant understands and freely accepts that there is no guarantee that any benefit whatsoever shall arise from the grant of Restricted Share Units, which is gratuitous and discretionary, since the future value of the Restricted Share Units and the underlying Shares is unknown and unpredictable. The Participant also understands that the grant of Restricted Share Units would not be made but for the assumptions and conditions set forth hereinabove; thus, the Participant understands, acknowledges and freely accepts that, should any or all of the assumptions be mistaken or any of the conditions not be met for any reason, the Restricted Share Unit and any right to the underlying Shares shall be null and void.

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

No “offer of securities to the public”, as defined under Spanish law, has taken place or will take place in the Spanish territory with respect to the Restricted Share Units. No public offering prospectus has been nor will be registered with the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (Spanish Securities Exchange Commission) (“CNMV”). Neither the Plan nor the Award Terms constitute a public offering prospectus and they have not been, nor will they be, registered with the CNMV.

Exchange Control Information.

The Participant may be required to declare electronically to the Bank of Spain any securities accounts (including brokerage accounts held abroad), any foreign instruments (e.g., Shares) and any transactions with non-Spanish residents (including any payments of cash or Shares made to the Participant by the Company or Broker) if the balances in such accounts together with the value of such instruments as of December 31, or the volume of transactions with non-Spanish residents during the prior or current year, prior tax year exceed €1,000,000. Once the €1,000,000 threshold has been surpassed in either respect, the Participant will generally be required to report all of his or her foreign accounts, foreign instruments and transactions with non-Spanish residents, even if the relevant threshold has not been crossed for an individual item.

Share Reporting Information.

It is the Participant’s responsibility to declare the acquisition, ownership and disposition of Shares to the Spanish Direccion General de Comercio e Inversiones (the “DGCI”) of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness on a Form D-6. Generally, the declaration must be made in January for Shares owned as of December 31 of the prior year and/or shares acquired or disposed of during the prior year;

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however, if the value of the Shares acquired or disposed of or the amount of the sale proceeds exceeds a designated threshold, the declaration must be filed within one month of the acquisition or disposition, as applicable. The Participant should consult with his or her personal advisor to determine the Participant’s obligations in this respect.

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

To the extent that the Participant holds Shares and/or has bank accounts outside Spain with a value in excess of €50,000 (for each type of asset) as of December 31, the Participant will be required to report information on such assets on his or her tax return (tax form 720) for such year. After such Shares and/or accounts are initially reported, the reporting obligation will apply for subsequent years only if the value of any previously-reported Shares or accounts increases by more than €20,000 or if the Participant sells or otherwise disposes of any previously-reported Shares or accounts.

SURINAME

There are no country-specific provisions.

SWITZERLAND

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

Neither this document nor any other materials relating to the Restricted Share Units (i) constitute a prospectus according to articles 35 et seq. of the Swiss Federal Act on Financial Services (FinSA), (ii) may be publicly distributed nor otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland to any person other than an Employee of the Company or other Participant or (iii) has been or will be filed with, approved or supervised by any Swiss reviewing body according to article 51 FinSA or any Swiss regulatory authority, including the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

 

 

 

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aa-ex1038_123.htm

Exhibit 10.38

 

ALCOA CORPORATION
TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR
SPECIAL RETENTION AWARDS
(RESTRICTED SHARE UNITS)

These terms and conditions, including Appendices attached hereto (the “Award Terms”), are authorized by the Compensation and Benefits Committee (the “Committee”) of the Board of Directors.  They are deemed to be incorporated into and form a part of every special retention Award (“Special Retention Award”) issued on or after December 8, 2021 under the Alcoa Corporation 2016 Stock Incentive Plan, as may be amended from time to time (the “Plan”).

Terms that are defined in the Plan have the same meanings in the Award Terms.

General Terms and Conditions

1.

Special Retention Awards are subject to the provisions of the Plan and the provisions of the Award Terms.  If the Plan and the Award Terms are inconsistent, the provisions of the Plan will govern.  Interpretations of the Plan and the Award Terms by the Committee are binding on the Participant and the Company.  A Special Retention Award is an undertaking by the Company to issue the number of Shares indicated in the notice of the Special Retention Award on the date the Special Retention Award vests, subject to the fulfilment of certain conditions, except to the extent otherwise provided in the Plan or herein.

Vesting and Payment

2.

A Special Retention Award vests on the third anniversary date of the grant date, and, subject to paragraph 3, will be paid to the Participant in Shares on the vesting date or within 90 days thereafter (or, if it is not practicable to make payment by such date, as soon as practicable thereafter, but in no event later than the end of the calendar year in which the vesting date occurs and/or later than the time permitted under Section 409A of the Code).

3.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, as a condition to a Special Retention Award vesting, a Participant must remain an active employee of the Company or a Subsidiary through the date of vesting.  Except as provided in paragraph 5, if a Participant’s employment with the Company (including its Subsidiaries) is terminated prior to the vesting date of the Special Retention Award, the Special Retention Award is forfeited and is automatically cancelled.

4.

Special Retention Awards will be paid by the issuance to the Participant of Shares covered by the Special Retention Award.  Prior to issuance of the Shares, the Participant has no voting rights.  A Participant will receive one Share upon the vesting and payment of a Restricted Share Unit.  Notwithstanding the foregoing or anything in the Award Terms to the contrary, to the extent that payment in Shares is prohibited under applicable law or would require the Participant or the Company to obtain the approval of any governmental and/or regulatory body in the Participant’s country, or as necessary to meet tax objectives, the Company in its sole discretion may substitute a cash payment in lieu of Shares, such cash payment to be equal to the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date that such Shares would have otherwise been issued under the terms of the Plan and the Award Terms.  Dividend equivalents will accrue on Special Retention Awards, unless the Committee determines that no dividend equivalents may be accrued or paid.  Dividend equivalents that accrue on Special Retention Awards will be equal to the common stock dividend per Share payable on the Company’s common stock multiplied by the number of Shares covered by the Special Retention Award.  Notwithstanding any provision herein to the contrary, no dividends or dividend equivalents will be paid on Special Retention Awards that have not vested.  Payment of any dividend equivalents will be made in accordance with paragraph 2.

5.

The following are exceptions to the vesting rules:

 

Involuntary Termination without Cause: An unvested Special Retention Award held by a Participant who is involuntarily terminated without Cause (as defined below) from employment with the Company or a Subsidiary during the vesting period is not forfeited in whole but only in part upon termination of employment.  The portion of the Special Retention Award that is not forfeited vests on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2 and is calculated based on a proportionate share of the time during the vesting period that the Participant remained actively employed with the Company or a Subsidiary, with the remaining portion being automatically forfeited. The proportionate share is computed on the basis of the actual number of days actively employed after the date of grant over the total number of days in the three-year vesting period (with the resulting Restricted Share Units rounded up to the next whole unit).  For example, a Participant who is involuntarily terminated without Cause from employment

 


 

 

with the Company (or a Subsidiary) at the end of the first year of the three-year vesting period will receive one-third of the Shares upon vesting, with the remaining two-thirds of the Shares being automatically forfeited upon termination.

For this purpose, if the Participant participates in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan, “Cause” shall have the meaning set forth in such plan.  If the Participant does not participate in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan, “Cause” means (i) the willful and continued failure by the Participant to substantially perform the Participant’s duties with the Employer that has not been cured within thirty (30) days after a written demand for substantial performance is delivered to the Participant by the Board or the Participant’s direct supervisor, which demand specifically identifies the manner in which the Participant has not substantially performed the Participant’s duties, (ii) the willful engaging by the Participant in conduct which is demonstrably and materially injurious to the Company or a Subsidiary, monetarily or otherwise; (iii) the Participant’s fraud or acts of dishonesty relating to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, or (iv) the Participant’s conviction of any misdemeanor relating to the affairs of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or indictment for any felony.  For purposes of clauses (i) and (ii) of this definition, no act, or failure to act, on the Participant’s part shall be deemed “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant not in good faith and without reasonable belief that the Participant’s act, or failure to act, was in the best interest of the Company.

 

Death or Disability:  An unvested Special Retention Award held by a Participant, who dies while an employee or who is permanently and totally disabled (as defined below) while an employee, is not forfeited but vests on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2.

A Participant is deemed to be permanently and totally disabled if the Participant is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous period of not less than 12 months.  A Participant shall not be considered to be permanently and totally disabled unless the Participant furnishes proof of the existence thereof in such form and manner, and at such times, as the Company may require.  In the event of a dispute, the determination whether a Participant is permanently and totally disabled will be made by the Committee or its delegate.

 

Change in Control: A Special Retention Award vests if a Replacement Award is not provided following certain Change in Control events, as described in the Plan.  Notwithstanding anything in the Award Terms to the contrary, if a Change in Control qualifies as a “change in control event” within the meaning of Treas. Reg. § 1.409-3(i)(5), the vested Special Retention Award (whether vested pursuant to the preceding sentence or otherwise and with vesting determined under Section 409A of the Code) will be paid to the Participant within 30 days following the Change in Control.  If the Change in Control does not so qualify, the vested Special Retention Award will be paid to the Participant on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2.

 

Termination Following Change in Control: As further described in the Plan, if a Replacement Award is provided following a Change in Control, but within 24 months of such Change in Control the Participant’s employment is terminated without Cause (as defined in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan) or by the Participant for Good Reason (as defined in the Alcoa Corporation Change in Control Severance Plan), such award will vest and will be paid to the Participant on the original stated vesting date set forth in paragraph 2.

Taxes

6.

All taxes required to be withheld under applicable tax laws in connection with a Special Retention Award must be paid by the Participant at the appropriate time under applicable tax laws.  The Company may satisfy applicable tax withholding obligations by any of the means set forth in Section 15(k) of the Plan, but will generally withhold from the Shares to be issued upon payment of the Special Retention Award that number of Shares with a fair market value on the vesting date equal to the taxes required to be withheld at the minimum required rates, or at any other rate approved by the Committee, up to the maximum individual tax rate for the applicable tax jurisdiction, which include, for Participants subject to taxation in the United States, applicable income taxes, federal and state unemployment compensation taxes and FICA/FUTA taxes.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Participant is subject to the short-swing profit rules of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, the Company will withhold Shares from the Shares to be issued upon payment of the Special Retention Award, as described herein, at the minimum required rates or such other rates approved by the Committee and other means will not be used to satisfy such tax withholding obligations.

Beneficiaries

7.

If permitted by the Company, Participants will be entitled to designate one or more beneficiaries to receive all Special Retention Awards that have not yet vested at the time of death of the Participant.  All beneficiary designations will be

 

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on beneficiary designation forms approved for the Plan.  Copies of the form will generally be available from the Company’s designated stock plan broker or service provider (the “Broker”) or may otherwise be obtained from the Company.

8.

Beneficiary designations on an approved form will be effective at the time received by the Company, including, as applicable, through submission to the Broker.  A Participant may revoke a beneficiary designation at any time by written notice to the Company, including as applicable, through submission to the Broker, or by filing a new designation form.  Any designation form previously filed by a Participant will be automatically revoked and superseded by a later-filed form.

9.

A Participant will be entitled to designate any number of beneficiaries on the form, and the beneficiaries may be natural or corporate persons.

10.

The failure of any Participant to obtain any recommended signature on the form will not prohibit the Company from treating such designation as valid and effective.  No beneficiary will acquire any beneficial or other interest in any Special Retention Award prior to the death of the Participant who designated such beneficiary.

11.

Unless the Participant indicates on the form that a named beneficiary is to receive Special Retention Awards only upon the prior death of another named beneficiary, all beneficiaries designated on the form will be entitled to share equally in the Special Retention Awards upon vesting.  Unless otherwise indicated, all such beneficiaries will have an equal, undivided interest in all such Special Retention Awards.

12.

Should a beneficiary die after the Participant but before the Special Retention Award is paid, such beneficiary’s rights and interest in the Special Retention Award will be transferable by the beneficiary’s last will and testament or by the laws of descent and distribution.  A named beneficiary who predeceases the Participant will obtain no rights or interest in a Special Retention Award, nor will any person claiming on behalf of such individual.  Unless otherwise specifically indicated by the Participant on the beneficiary designation form, beneficiaries designated by class (such as “children,” “grandchildren” etc.) will be deemed to refer to the members of the class living at the time of the Participant’s death, and all members of the class will be deemed to take “per capita.”

13.

If a Participant does not designate a beneficiary or if the Company does not permit a beneficiary designation, the Special Retention Award that has not yet vested or been paid at the time of death of the Participant will vest and be paid to the Participant’s legal heirs pursuant to the Participant’s last will and testament or by the laws of descent and distribution.

Adjustments

14.

In the event of an Equity Restructuring or other transaction described in Section 4(f) of the Plan, the Committee will equitably adjust the Special Retention Award as it deems appropriate in accordance with the terms of the Plan.  The adjustments authorized by the Committee will be final and binding.

Repayment/Forfeiture

15.

As an additional condition of receiving the Special Retention Award, the Participant agrees that the Special Retention Award and any benefits or proceeds the Participant may receive hereunder shall be subject to forfeiture and/or repayment to the Company as provided in Sections 15(e) and (f) of the Plan including, without, limitation, to the extent required (i) under the terms of any recoupment or “clawback” policy adopted by the Company to comply with applicable laws or with the Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines or other similar requirements, as such policy may be amended from time to time (and such requirements shall be deemed incorporated into the Award Terms without the Participant’s consent) or (ii) to comply with any requirements imposed under applicable laws and/or the rules and regulations of the securities exchange or inter-dealer quotation system on which the Shares are listed or quoted, including, without limitation, pursuant to Section 954 of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010.  Further, if the Participant receives any amount in excess of what the Participant should have received under the terms of the Special Retention Award for any reason (including without limitation by reason of a financial restatement, mistake in calculations or administrative error), all as determined by the Committee, then the Participant shall be required to promptly repay any such excess amount to the Company.  By accepting this Award, subject to applicable law, Participant agrees and acknowledges the obligation to cooperate with, and provide any and all assistance necessary to, the Company to recover or recoup this Award or amounts paid hereunder pursuant to this Section 15 and the Plan.

 

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Miscellaneous Provisions

16.

Stock Exchange Requirements; Applicable Laws.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Award Terms, no Shares issuable upon vesting of the Special Retention Awards, and no certificate representing all or any part of such Shares, shall be issued or delivered if, in the opinion of counsel to the Company, such issuance or delivery would cause the Company to be in violation of, or to incur liability under, any securities law, or any rule, regulation or procedure of any U.S. national securities exchange upon which any securities of the Company are listed, or any listing agreement with any such securities exchange, or any other requirement of law or of any administrative or regulatory body having jurisdiction over the Company or a Subsidiary.

17.

Non-Transferability.  The Special Retention Awards are non-transferable and may not be assigned, alienated, pledged, attached, sold or otherwise transferred or encumbered by the Participant other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution and any such purported assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance shall be void and unenforceable against the Company; provided, that, the designation of a beneficiary shall not constitute an assignment, alienation, pledge, attachment, sale, transfer or encumbrance.

18.

Stockholder Rights.  No person or entity shall be entitled to vote, receive dividends or be deemed for any purpose the holder of any Shares until the Special Retention Award shall have vested and been paid in the form of Shares in accordance with the provisions of the Award Terms.

19.

Notices.  Any notice required or permitted under the Award Terms shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficient when delivered personally or sent by confirmed email, telegram, or fax or five days after being deposited in the mail, as certified or registered mail, with postage prepaid, and addressed to the Company at the Company’s principal corporate offices or to the Participant at the address maintained for the Participant in the Company’s records or, in either case, as subsequently modified by written notice to the other party.

20.

Severability and Judicial Modification.  If any provision of the Award Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable under the applicable laws of any country, state, province, territory or other political subdivision or the Company elects not to enforce such restriction, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect and the invalid or unenforceable provision shall be modified only to the extent necessary to render that provision valid and enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by law.  If the invalid or unenforceable provision cannot be, or is not, modified, that provision shall be severed from the Award Terms and all other provisions shall remain valid and enforceable.

21.

Successors.  The Award Terms shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Company and its successors and assigns, on the one hand, and the Participant and his or her heirs, beneficiaries, legatees and personal representatives, on the other hand.

22.

Appendices.  Notwithstanding any provisions in the Award Terms, for Participants residing and/or working outside the United States, the Special Retention Award shall be subject to the additional terms and conditions set forth in Appendix A to the Award Terms and to any special terms and conditions for the Participant’s country set forth in Appendix B to the Award Terms.  Further, Appendices C and D include information for European Union / European Economic Area Participants.  Moreover, if the Participant relocates outside the United States or relocates between the countries included in Appendix B, the additional terms and conditions set forth in Appendix A and the special terms and conditions for such country set forth in Appendices B, C and D will apply to the Participant, to the extent the Company determines that the application of such terms and conditions is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons.  The Appendices constitute part of the Award Terms.

23.

Imposition of Other Requirements.  The Company reserves the right to impose other requirements on the Participant’s participation in the Plan, on the Special Retention Award and on any Shares acquired under the Plan, to the extent the Company determines it is necessary or advisable for legal or administrative reasons, and to require the Participant to sign any additional agreements or undertakings that may be necessary to accomplish the foregoing.

24.

Compliance with Code Section 409A.  It is intended that the Special Retention Award granted pursuant to the Award Terms be compliant with (or exempt from) Section 409A of the Code and the Award Terms shall be interpreted, construed and operated to reflect this intent.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Award Terms and the Plan may be amended at any time, without the consent of any party, to the extent necessary or desirable to satisfy any of the requirements under Section 409A of the Code, but the Company shall not be under any obligation to make any such amendment.  Further, the Company and its Subsidiaries do not make any representation to the Participant that the Special Retention Award granted pursuant to the Award Terms satisfies the requirements of Section 409A of the Code,

 

4


 

and the Company and its Subsidiaries will have no liability or other obligation to indemnify or hold harmless the Participant or any other party for any tax, additional tax, interest or penalties that the Participant or any other party may incur in the event that any provision of the Award Terms or any amendment or modification thereof or any other action taken with respect thereto, is deemed to violate any of the requirements of Section 409A of the Code.

25.

Waiver.  A waiver by the Company of breach of any provision of the Award Terms shall not operate or be construed as a waiver of any other provision of the Award Terms, or of any subsequent breach by the Participant or any other Participant.

26.

No Advice Regarding Award.  The Company is not providing any tax, legal or financial advice, nor is the Company making any recommendations regarding the Participant’s participation in the Plan, or the Participant’s acquisition or sale of the underlying Shares.  The Participant is hereby advised to consult with the Participant’s own personal tax, legal and financial advisors regarding the Participant’s participation in the Plan before taking any action related to the Plan.

27.

Governing Law and Venue.  As stated in the Plan, the Special Retention Award and the provisions of the Award Terms and all determinations made and actions taken thereunder, to the extent not otherwise governed by the laws of the United States, shall be governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, United States of America, without reference to principles of conflict of laws, and construed accordingly.  The jurisdiction and venue for any disputes arising under, or any actions brought to enforce (or otherwise relating to), the Special Retention Award will be exclusively in the courts in the State of Delaware, including the Federal Courts located therein (should Federal jurisdiction exist).

28.

Electronic Delivery and Acceptance.  The Company may, in its sole discretion, decide to deliver any documents related to current or future participation in the Plan by electronic means.  The Participant hereby consents to receive such documents by electronic delivery and agrees to participate in the Plan through an on-line or electronic system established and maintained by the Company or a third party designated by the Company.

29.

Entire Agreement.  The Award Terms and the Plan embody the entire understanding and agreement of the parties with respect to the subject matter hereof (including, without limitation, the obligations and understandings set forth in Section 15(e) of the Plan), and no promise, condition, representation or warranty, express or implied, not stated or incorporated by reference herein, shall bind either party hereto.

30.

Employment at Will.  Nothing in the Award Terms or the Plan provide the Participant with any right to continue in the Company’s or any of its affiliates’ employ for any period of specific duration or interfere with or otherwise restrict in any way the Participant’s or the rights of the Company and its affiliates to terminate the Participant’s service at any time for any reason, with or without cause, subject to applicable law.  The Participant’s status with the Company and its affiliates will accordingly remain at will.

31.

Amendments.  Except as otherwise provided herein or the Plan, these Award Terms may be amended or modified at any time by an instrument in writing signed by the parties hereto or by the Company without the consent of the Participant if such action would not materially impair the rights of the Participant under this Award.

Acceptance of Award

32.

In accordance with Section 15(c) of the Plan (as in effect at the grant date), the Participant may reject the Special Retention Award by notifying the Company within 30 days of the grant date that he or she does not accept the Special Retention Award.  The Participant’s acceptance of the Special Retention Award constitutes the Participant’s acceptance of and agreement with the Award Terms.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if required by the Company, the Participant will provide a signed copy of the Award Terms in such manner and within such timeframe as may be requested by the Company.  The Company has no obligation to issue Shares to the Participant if the Participant does not accept the Special Retention Award.

 

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APPENDIX A
TO THE ALCOA CORPORATION

2016 Stock Incentive Plan

Terms and Conditions for Special Retention Awards

For Non-U.S. Participants

This Appendix A contains additional (or, if so indicated, different) terms and conditions that govern the Special Retention Awards if the Participant resides and/or works outside of the United States.  Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the same meanings assigned to them in the Plan and the Terms and Conditions for Special Retention Awards (the “Terms and Conditions”).

A.

Termination.  This provision supplements paragraph 3 of the Terms and Conditions.

The Company will determine when the Participant is no longer providing services for purposes of the Special Retention Awards (including whether the Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence).

B.

Responsibility for Taxes.  This provision replaces paragraph 6 of the Terms and Conditions (except to the extent that the Participant is a Section 16 Insider).

The Participant acknowledges that, regardless of any action taken by the Company or, if different, the Subsidiary that employs the Participant (the “Employer”), the ultimate liability for all income tax, social insurance, payroll tax, fringe benefits tax, payment on account or other tax-related items related to the Participant’s participation in the Plan and legally applicable to the Participant (“Tax-Related Items”) is and remains the Participant’s responsibility and may exceed the amount actually withheld by the Company or the Employer.  The Participant further acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (a) make no representations or undertakings regarding the treatment of any Tax-Related Items in connection with any aspect of these Special Retention Awards, including, but not limited to, the grant, vesting or settlement of Special Retention Awards, the subsequent sale of Shares acquired pursuant to the Special Retention Award and the receipt of any dividends or dividend equivalents; and (b) do not commit to and are under no obligation to structure the terms of the Special Retention Awards or any aspect of the Special Retention Awards to reduce or eliminate the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items or achieve any particular tax result.  The Participant shall not make any claim against the Company, the Employer or any other Subsidiary, or their respective board, officers or employees related to Tax-Related Items arising from this Award.  Furthermore, if the Participant has become subject to tax in more than one jurisdiction, the Participant acknowledges that the Company and/or the Employer (or former employer, as applicable) may be required to withhold or account for Tax-Related Items in more than one jurisdiction.

Prior to any relevant taxable or tax withholding event, as applicable, the Participant will pay or make adequate arrangements satisfactory to the Company and/or the Employer to satisfy all Tax-Related Items.  In this regard, the Participant authorizes the Company and/or the Employer, or their respective agents, at their discretion, to satisfy their withholding obligations with regard to all Tax-Related Items by: (i) requiring a cash payment from the Participant; (ii) withholding from the Participant’s wages or other cash compensation paid to the Participant by the Company and/or the Employer, (iii) withholding from the proceeds of the sale of Shares acquired pursuant to the Special Retention Awards, either through a voluntary sale or through a mandatory sale arranged by the Company (on the Participant’s behalf pursuant to this authorization without further consent); and/or (iv) withholding from the Shares subject to Special Retention Awards.

Depending on the withholding method, the Company may withhold or account for Tax-Related Items by considering applicable minimum statutory withholding rates or other applicable withholding rates, including maximum applicable rates, in which case the Participant may receive a refund of any over-withheld amount in cash (with no entitlement to the Share equivalent) or, if not refunded, the Participant may seek a refund from the local tax authorities.  If the obligation for Tax-Related Items is satisfied by withholding in Shares, the Participant is deemed, for tax purposes, to have been issued the full number of Shares subject to the vested Special Retention Awards, notwithstanding that a number of the Shares is held back solely for the purpose of paying the Tax-Related Items.

Finally, the Participant shall pay to the Company and/or the Employer any amount of Tax-Related Items that the Company and/or the Employer may be required to withhold or account for as a result of the Participant’s participation in the Plan that

 

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cannot be satisfied by the means previously described.  The Company may refuse to issue or deliver the Shares or the proceeds of the sale of Shares if the Participant fails to comply with his or her obligations in connection with the Tax-Related Items.

C.

Nature of Award.  In accepting the Special Retention Awards, the Participant acknowledges, understands and agrees that:

 

a.

the Plan is established voluntarily by the Company, is discretionary in nature and may be modified, amended, suspended, or terminated by the Company at any time, to the extent permitted by the Plan;

 

b.

this Special Retention Award is exceptional, voluntary and occasional and does not create any contractual or other right to receive future Special Retention Awards, or benefits in lieu of Special Retention Awards, even if Special Retention Awards have been granted in the past;

 

c.

all decisions with respect to future Special Retention Awards or other Awards, if any, will be at the sole discretion of the Company;

 

d.

this Special Retention Award and the Participant’s participation in the Plan shall not create a right to, or be interpreted as forming an employment or service contract with the Company and shall not interfere with the ability of the Employer to terminate the Participant’s employment contract (if any) at any time;

 

e.

the Participant’s participation in the Plan is voluntary;

 

f.

this Special Retention Award and the Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of the same, are not intended to replace any pension rights or compensation;

 

g.

this Special Retention Award and the Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income and value of same, are not part of normal or expected compensation or salary for any purposes, including, without limitation, calculating any severance, resignation, termination, redundancy, dismissal, end-of-service payments, bonuses, long-service awards, pension or retirement or welfare benefits or similar payments;

 

h.

the future value of the Shares subject to the Special Retention Award is unknown, indeterminable and cannot be predicted with certainty;

 

i.

no claim or entitlement to compensation or damages shall arise from the forfeiture of any portion of this Special Retention Award resulting from the Participant’s termination of employment and/or service relationship (for any reason whatsoever, whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of employment or other laws in the jurisdiction where the Participant is employed or otherwise rendering services, or the terms of his or her employment or service agreement, if any);

 

j.

unless otherwise agreed with the Company, Special Retention Awards and the Shares acquired under the Plan, and the income from and value of same, are not granted as consideration for, or in connection with, the service the Participant may provide as a director of any Subsidiary;

 

k.

unless otherwise provided in the Plan or by the Company in its discretion, this Special Retention Award and the benefits under the Plan evidenced by these Award Terms do not create any entitlement to have this Special Retention Award or any such benefits transferred to, or assumed by, another company nor to be exchanged, cashed out or substituted for, in connection with any corporate transaction affecting the Shares; and

 

l.

neither the Company, the Employer nor any other Subsidiary shall be liable for any foreign exchange rate fluctuation between the Participant’s local currency and the United States Dollar that may affect the value of the Special Retention Awards or of any amounts due to the Participant pursuant to the Special Retention Awards or the subsequent sale of any Shares acquired under the Plan.

D.

Data Privacy.  The following Data Privacy consent only applies to Participants located outside the EU.  Participants located in the EU should review the GDPR Notice in Appendix D.

The Participant hereby explicitly and unambiguously consents to the collection, use and transfer, in electronic or other form, of the Participant’s personal data as described in these Award Terms and any other grant materials by and among, as applicable, the Company, the Employer and any other Subsidiary for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan.

 

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The Participant understands that the Company and the Employer may hold certain personal information about the Participant, including, but not limited to, the Participant’s name, home address and telephone number, email address, date of birth, social insurance number, passport or other identification number, salary, nationality, job title, any shares of stock or directorships held in the Company, details of all Special Retention Awards or any other entitlement to shares of stock awarded, canceled, exercised, vested, unvested or outstanding in the Participant’s favor (“Data”), for the exclusive purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Plan.

The Participant understands that Data may be transferred to the Broker, or such additional or other stock plan service providers as may be selected by the Company, which are assisting the Company with the implementation, administration and management of the Plan.  The Participant understands that the recipients of Data may be located in the United States or elsewhere, and that the recipients’ country (e.g., the United States) may have different data privacy laws and protections than the Participant’s country.  The Participant understands that the Participant may request a list with the names and addresses of any potential recipients of Data by contacting the Participant’s local human resources representative.  The Participant authorizes the Company, the Broker and any other possible recipients which may assist the Company (presently or in the future) with implementing, administering and managing the Plan to receive, possess, use, retain and transfer Data, in electronic or other form, for the sole purpose of implementing, administering and managing the Participant’s participation in the Plan.  The Participant understands that Data will be held only as long as is necessary to implement, administer and manage the Participant’s participation in the Plan.  The Participant understands that the Participant may, at any time, view Data, request additional information about the storage and processing of Data, require any necessary amendments to Data or refuse or withdraw the consents herein, in any case without cost, by contacting in writing the Participant’s local human resources representative.  Further, the Participant understands that the Participant is providing the consents herein on a purely voluntary basis.  If the Participant does not consent, or if the Participant later seeks to revoke the Participant’s consent, the Participant’s employment and career with the Employer will not be affected; the only consequence of refusing or withdrawing the Participant’s consent is that the Company would not be able to grant this Special Retention Award or other Awards to the Participant or administer or maintain such Awards.  Therefore, the Participant understands that refusing or withdrawing the Participant’s consent may affect the Participant’s ability to participate in the Plan.  For more information on the consequences of the Participant’s refusal to consent or withdrawal of consent, the Participant understands that the Participant may contact the Participant’s local human resources representative.

E.

Language.  If the Participant has received these Award Terms, or any other document related to this Special Retention Award and/or the Plan translated into a language other than English and if the meaning of the translated version is different than the English version, the English version will control.

F.

Insider Trading Restrictions/Market Abuse Laws.  The Participant acknowledges that, depending on his or her country of residence, the Broker’s country of residence, or where the Shares are listed, the Participant may be subject to insider trading restrictions and/or market abuse laws in applicable jurisdictions, which may affect his or her ability to accept, acquire, sell or attempt to sell or otherwise dispose of Shares or rights to Shares (e.g., Special Retention Award), or rights linked to the value of Shares during such times as the Participant is considered to have “inside information” regarding the Company (as defined by applicable laws or regulations in the applicable jurisdictions).  Local insider trading laws and regulations may prohibit the cancellation or amendment of orders the Participant placed before possessing inside information.  Furthermore, the Participant may be prohibited from (i) disclosing the inside information to any third party including colleagues of the Participant (other than on a “need to know” basis) and (ii) “tipping” third parties or causing them otherwise to buy or sell securities.  Any restrictions under these laws or regulations are separate from and in addition to any restrictions that may be imposed under any applicable Company insider trading policy.  The Participant acknowledges that it is his or her responsibility to comply with any applicable restrictions, and the Participant should consult his or her personal advisor on this matter.

G.

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Requirements, Exchange Controls and Tax Requirements.  The Participant acknowledges that his or her country may have certain foreign asset and/or account reporting requirements and exchange controls which may affect his or her ability to acquire or hold Shares under the Plan or cash received from participating in the Plan (including from any dividends received or sale proceeds arising from the sale of Shares) in a brokerage or bank account outside his or her country.  The Participant understands that he or she may be required to report such accounts, assets or transactions to the tax or other authorities in his or her country.  The Participant also may be required to repatriate sale proceeds or other funds received as a result of the Participant’s participation in the Plan to his or her country through a designated bank or broker and/or within a certain time after receipt.  The Participant acknowledges that it is his or her responsibility to be compliant with all such requirements, and that the Participant should consult his or her personal legal and tax advisors, as applicable, to ensure the Participant’s compliance.

 

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APPENDIX B
TO THE ALCOA CORPORATION

2016 Stock Incentive Plan

Terms and Conditions for Special Retention Awards

For Non-U.S. Participants

Capitalized terms used but not defined in this Appendix B have the meanings set forth in the Plan and the Terms and Conditions for Special Retention Awards (the “Terms and Conditions”).

Terms and Conditions

This Appendix B includes special terms and conditions that govern Special Retention Awards if the Participant resides and/or works in one of the countries listed below.

If the Participant is a citizen or resident of a country other than the country in which the Participant is currently residing and/or working, or if the Participant transfers to another country after the grant of Special Retention Awards or is considered a resident of another country for local law purposes, the Committee shall, in its discretion, determine to what extent the special terms and conditions contained herein shall be applicable to the Participant.

Notifications

This Appendix B also includes information regarding exchange controls, tax and certain other issues of which the Participant should be aware with respect to participation in the Plan.  The information is based on the securities, exchange control, tax and other laws in effect in the respective countries as of November 2021.  Such laws are often complex and change frequently.  As a result, the Company strongly recommends that the Participant not rely on the information in this Appendix B as the only source of information relating to the consequences of participation in the Plan because the information may be out of date at the time the Participant sells Shares acquired under the Plan.

In addition, the information contained herein is general in nature and may not apply to the Participant’s particular situation and the Company is not in a position to assure the Participant of any particular result.  Accordingly, the Participant should seek appropriate professional advice as to how the relevant laws in the Participant’s country may apply to his or her situation.

Finally, if the Participant is a citizen or resident of a country other than the country in which the Participant currently works and/or resides, or if the Participant transfers to another country after the grant of the Special Retention Award, or is considered a resident of another country for local law purposes, the information contained herein may not be applicable to the Participant in the same manner.

Australia

Terms and Conditions

Australia Offer Document.

The grant of the Special Retention Award is intended to comply with the provisions of the Corporations Act, 2001, Australian Securities & Investments Commission (“ASIC”) Regulatory Guide 49 and ASIC Class Order CO 14/1000.  Additional details are set forth in the Offer Documents for the Special Retention Award to Australian resident employees, which is being provided to the Participant with the Award Terms.

Notifications

Exchange Control Information.

Exchange control reporting is required for cash transactions exceeding A$10,000 and for international fund transfers.  If an Australian bank is assisting with the transaction, the bank will file the report on the Participant’s behalf.

Tax Information.

 

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The Plan is a plan to which Subdivision 83A-C of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997 (Cth) applies (subject to conditions in the Act).  The Restricted Share Units should satisfy the real risk of forfeiture test for deferral.

Belgium

Notifications

Stock Exchange Tax.

A stock exchange tax applies to transactions executed through a non-Belgian financial intermediary.  The stock exchange tax will likely apply when Shares are sold.  The Participant should consult with his or her personal tax advisor to determine the Participant’s obligations with respect to the stock exchange tax.

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

Belgian residents are required to report any security (e.g., Shares acquired under the Plan) or bank account established outside of Belgium on their annual tax return. In a separate report, Belgian residents are also required to provide the National Bank of Belgium with certain details regarding such foreign accounts (including the account number, bank name and country in which any such account was opened). The forms to complete this report are available on the website of the National Bank of Belgium. Belgian residents should consult with their personal tax advisors to determine their personal reporting obligations.

Brazil

Terms and Conditions

Compliance with Law.

By accepting the Special Retention Award, the Participant acknowledges that he or she agrees to comply with applicable Brazilian laws and to pay any and all applicable taxes associated with the vesting of Special Retention Awards, the sale of the Shares acquired under the Plan and the receipt of any dividends or dividend equivalents.

Acknowledgement of Nature of the Grant.  

This provision supplements paragraph C “Nature of Award” of Appendix A.

By accepting the Special Retention Awards, the Participant agrees that he or she is making an investment decision, the Shares will be issued to the Participant only if the vesting conditions are met and any necessary services are rendered by the Participant over the vesting period, and the value of the underlying Shares is not fixed and may increase or decrease in value over the vesting period without compensation to the Participant.

Notifications

Exchange Control Information.

If the Participant is a resident of or domiciled in Brazil, he or she will be required to submit an annual declaration of assets and rights held outside of Brazil to the Central Bank of Brazil if the aggregate value of the assets and rights is equal to or greater than US$1,000,000.  If such amount exceeds US$100,000,000, the declaration must be submitted quarterly.  Assets and rights that must be reported include Shares acquired under the Plan.  Foreign individuals holding Brazilian visas are considered Brazilian residents for purposes of this reporting requirement and must declare at least the assets held abroad that were acquired subsequent to the date of admittance as a resident of Brazil.

Tax on Financial Transactions (IOF).

Repatriation of funds (e.g., sale proceeds) into Brazil and the conversion of USD into BRL associated with such fund transfers may be subject to the Tax on Financial Transactions.  It is the Participant’s responsibility to comply with any applicable Tax on Financial Transactions arising from the Participant’s participation in the Plan.  The Participant should consult with his or her personal tax advisor for additional details.

 

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Canada

Terms and Conditions

Payment.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in paragraphs 2 and 5 of the Terms and Conditions, any vested Special Retention Award will be paid to the Participant by no later than the end of the calendar year in which the vesting date specified in paragraph 2 occurs (i.e., by the end of the calendar year in which the third anniversary of the grant date occurs).

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Terms and Conditions, a Participant will receive one Share upon the vesting and payment of a Restricted Share Unit. Notwithstanding paragraph 4 of the Terms and Conditions, the Company shall not have discretion to substitute a cash payment in lieu of Shares.

Further, in no event will the Restricted Share Units carry any right to receive payment of any dividend equivalents in cash.  To the extent the Board of Directors authorizes that dividend equivalents be accrued and paid on vesting of Restricted Share Units, such dividend equivalents shall be paid in such whole number of Shares with a fair market value at the time the Restricted Share Units vest equal to the amount of dividend equivalents accrued on the Restricted Share Units at that time.  Any fractional Shares attributable to dividend equivalents shall be rounded down to the nearest whole Share, and the Participant shall not be entitled to any consideration for such fractional Shares, or any other amount in respect of the accrued dividend equivalents.

Withholding.

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Terms and Conditions, the number of Shares otherwise required to be issued to a Participant on vesting and payment of a Restricted Share Unit shall not be reduced to satisfy the payment of Tax Obligations, except for at the election of a Participant, in the Participant’s sole discretion. A Participant who is not a Section 16 Insider shall be permitted to make such an election only if the Company has established procedures for doing so.

Termination of Service.  

The following provision replaces paragraph A “Termination” of Appendix A.

For purposes of the Special Retention Award, the Participant’s employment relationship will be considered terminated (regardless of the reason for such termination and whether or not later found to be invalid or in breach of Canadian laws or the terms of the Participant’s employment agreement, if any) effective as of the date that is the earlier of (i) the date the Participant receives notice of termination, or (ii) the date the Participant is no longer actively providing service (the “Termination Date”), except, in either case, to the extent applicable employment standards legislation requires the Special Retention Award to continue through any minimum termination notice period applicable under the legislation. In such case, the Termination Date will be the last day of the Participant’s minimum statutory termination notice period.  

Unless otherwise expressly provided in these Award Terms or determined by the Company, or explicitly required by applicable legislation, the Participant’s right to vest in the Special Retention Awards, if any, will terminate on  the Termination Date and the Participant will not earn or be entitled to (i) any pro-rated vesting for that period of time before the Termination Date, (ii) any portion of the Special Retention Award that is thereby forfeited upon termination, or (iii) any payment of damages in lieu thereof. Unless otherwise expressly provided in these Award Terms or determined by the Company, there shall be no vesting of the Special Retention Award during any applicable common law or civil law reasonable notice period following the Termination Date or any payment of damages in lieu thereof. Subject to application legislation, in the event the Termination Date cannot be reasonably determined under the terms of the Award Terms and/or the Plan, the Committee shall have the exclusive discretion to determine the Termination Date for purposes of the Special Retention Award (including whether the Participant may still be considered to be providing services while on a leave of absence).

The following provision supplements section C “Nature of Award” of Appendix A:

Subsections C(b), C(g) and C(i) of this Appendix A are subject to such explicit and minimal requirements set forth under local employment standards or pension-related legislation.

The Following Provisions Apply for Participants Resident in Quebec:

 

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Consent to Receive Information in English.

The Participant acknowledges that it is the express wish of the parties that these Award Terms, as well as all documents, notices and legal proceedings entered into, given or instituted pursuant hereto or relating directly or indirectly hereto, be written in English.

Les parties reconnaissent avoir exigé la rédaction en anglais de Conditions d’attribution, ainsi que de tous documents, avis et procédures judiciaires, exécutés, donnés ou intentés en vertu de, ou liés directement ou indirectement à, la présente convention.

Authorization to Release and Transfer Necessary Personal Information.  The following provision supplements paragraph D “Data Privacy” of Appendix A.

The Participant hereby authorizes the Company and the Company’s representatives to discuss with and obtain all relevant information from all personnel, professional or not, involved in the administration and operation of the Plan.  The Participant further authorizes the Company, any Subsidiary and the administrator of the Plan to disclose and discuss the Plan with their advisors.  The Participant further authorizes the Company and any Subsidiary to record such information and to keep such information in the Participant’s Employee file.

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

The Participant acknowledges that he or she is permitted to sell the Shares acquired under the Plan through the Broker, provided the sale of the Shares takes place outside of Canada through facilities of a stock exchange on which the Shares are listed (i.e., the NYSE).

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

Canadian residents are required to report to the tax authorities any foreign property held outside of Canada (including Special Retention Awards and Shares acquired under the Plan) annually on form T1135 (Foreign Income Verification Statement) if the total cost of the foreign property exceeds C$100,000 at any time in the year.  The form must be filed by April 30 of the following year.  Special Retention Awards must be reported--generally at a nil cost--if the C$100,000 cost threshold is exceeded because of other foreign property the Participant holds.  If Shares are acquired, their cost generally is the adjusted cost base (“ACB”) of the Shares.  The ACB would normally equal the fair market value of the Shares at vesting, but if the Participant owns other Shares, this ACB may have to be averaged with the ACB of the other Shares.  The Participant should consult with his or her personal legal advisor to ensure compliance with applicable reporting obligations.

China

Terms and Conditions

The following terms and conditions will apply to Participants who are subject to exchange control restrictions and regulations in the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”), including the requirements imposed by the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (“SAFE”), as determined by the Company in its sole discretion:

Termination of Employment.

Due to exchange control laws in PRC, the Participant agrees that the Company reserves the right to require the sale of any Shares acquired at vesting of the Special Retention Awards upon the termination of the Participant’s employment for any reason.  If the Company, in its discretion, does not exercise its right to require the automatic sale of Shares issuable upon vesting of the Special Retention Awards, as described in the preceding sentence, the Participant understands and agrees that any Shares acquired by the Participant under the Plan, must be sold no later than six (6) months after termination of the Participant’s employment, or within any other such time frame as permitted by the Company or required by SAFE.  The Participant understands that any Shares acquired under the Plan that have not been sold within six (6) months of the Participant’s termination of employment will be automatically sold by a designated broker at the Company’s discretion, pursuant to this authorization by the Participant.

 

12


 

The Participant agrees that the Company is authorized to instruct its designated broker to assist with the mandatory sale of such Shares (on the Participant’s behalf, pursuant to this authorization) and the Participant expressly authorizes the Company’s designated broker to complete the sale of such Shares.  The Participant also agrees to sign any agreements, forms, and/or consents that may be reasonably requested by the Company (or the designated broker) to effectuate the sale of the Shares (including, without limitation, as to the transfers of the proceeds and other exchange control matters noted below) and shall otherwise cooperate with the Company with respect to such matters, provided that the Participant shall not be permitted to exercise any influence over how, when or whether the sales occur.  The Participant acknowledges that the Company’s designated broker is under no obligation to arrange for the sale of the Shares at any particular price.  Due to fluctuations in the Share price and/or applicable exchange rates between vesting and (if later) the date on which the Shares are sold, the amount of proceeds ultimately distributed to the Participant may be more or less than the market value of the Shares upon vesting (which is the amount relevant to determining the Participant’s liability for Tax-Related Items).  The Participant understands and agrees that the Company is not responsible for the amount of any loss the Participant may incur and the Company assumes no liability for any fluctuations in the Share price and/or any applicable exchange rate.

Upon the sale of the Shares, the Company agrees to pay the cash proceeds from the sale (less any Tax-Related Items, brokerage fees or commissions) to the Participant in accordance with the applicable exchange control laws and regulations, including but not limited to the restrictions as set forth in this Appendix B for China below under “Exchange Control Restrictions.”

Exchange Control Restrictions.

The Participant understands and agrees that, pursuant to local exchange control requirements, the Participant will be required to immediately repatriate any cash payments or proceeds obtained with respect to participation in the Plan to the PRC.  The Participant further understands that such repatriation of any cash payments or proceeds may need to be effectuated through a special exchange control account established by the Company or any Subsidiary, and the Participant hereby consents and agrees that any payment or proceeds may be transferred to such special account prior to being delivered to the Participant.

Any payment or proceeds may be paid to the Participant in U.S. dollars or local currency at the Company’s discretion.  If the payments or proceeds are paid to the Participant in U.S. dollars, the Participant will be required to set up a U.S. dollar bank account in the PRC (if the Participant does not already have one) so that the payments or proceeds may be deposited into this account.  If the payments or proceeds are paid to the Participant in local currency, the Company is under no obligation to secure any particular exchange conversion rate and the Company may face delays in converting the payments or proceeds to local currency due to exchange control restrictions.  The Participant agrees to bear any currency exchange conversion rate fluctuation risk between the time the cash proceeds are received and the time the cash proceeds are distributed to the Participant through the special account described above.

The Participant further agrees to comply with any other requirements that may be imposed by the Company in the future to facilitate compliance with exchange control requirements in the PRC.

Hungary

There are no country-specific provisions.

Iceland

There are no country-specific provisions.

Italy

Terms and Conditions

Plan Document Acknowledgement.

By accepting the Special Retention Award, the Participant acknowledges that the Participant has received a copy of the Plan and the Award Terms and has reviewed the Plan and the Award Terms, including the Appendices, in their entirety and fully understands and accepts all provisions of the Plan and the Award Terms, including the Appendices.  The Participant further acknowledges that the Participant has read and specifically and expressly approves the following paragraphs of the Award Terms: paragraphs 2-5: Vesting and Payment; paragraph 15: Repayment and Forfeiture; paragraph 16: Stock Exchange Requirements and Applicable Laws; paragraph 20: Severability and Judicial Modification; paragraph 22: Appendices;

 

13


 

paragraph 23: Imposition of Other Requirements; paragraph 27: Governing Law and Venue; paragraph A of Appendix A: Termination; Appendix D: GDPR Notice.

Notifications

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

Italian residents who, during the fiscal year, hold investments abroad or foreign financial assets (e.g., cash, Shares) which may generate income taxable in Italy are required to report such on their annual tax returns (UNICO form, RW Schedule) or on a special form if no tax return is due.  The same reporting obligations apply to Italian residents who, even if they do not directly hold investments abroad or foreign financial assets (e.g., cash, Shares), are beneficial owners of the investment pursuant to Italian money laundering provisions.  The Participant should consult with his or her personal tax advisor to ensure compliance with the applicable reporting obligations.

Tax on Foreign Financial Assets.

The value of the financial assets held outside of Italy by Italian residents is subject to a foreign asset tax at an annual rate of 2 per thousand (0.2%).  The taxable amount will be the fair market value of the financial assets (including Shares) assessed at the end of the calendar year and is subject to pro-ration for the portion of the year that the Participant holds the Shares received at vesting.

Netherlands

There are no country-specific provisions.

Norway

There are no country-specific provisions.

Saudi Arabia

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

This document may not be distributed in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia except to such persons as permitted under the Offers of Securities Regulations issued by the Capital Market Authority.The Capital Market Authority does not make any representation as to the accuracy or completeness of this document, and expressly disclaims any liability whatsoever for any loss arising from, or incurred in reliance upon, any part of this document.  The Participant should conduct his or her own due diligence on the accuracy of the information relating to the Special Retention Awards and the underlying Shares.  The Participant should consult with his or her authorized financial advisor in this regard.

Singapore

Terms and Conditions

Sale Restriction.

The Participant agrees that any Shares received upon vesting will not be offered for sale or sold in Singapore prior to the six-month anniversary of the grant date, unless such sale or offer is made pursuant to the exemption under Part XIII Division (1) Subdivision (4) (other than Section 280) of the Securities and Futures Act (Chapter 289, 2006 Ed.) (“SFA”).

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

The grant of the Special Retention Awards is being made in reliance on the “Qualifying Person” exemption under section 273(1)(f) of the SFA under which it is exempt from the prospectus and registration requirements under the SFA and the grant

 

14


 

of the Special Retention Awards is not made to the Participant with a view to the Shares being subsequently offered for sale to any other party.  The Plan has not been lodged or registered as a prospectus with the Monetary Authority of Singapore.

Director Notification Obligation.

Directors, associate directors or shadow directors of a Singapore Subsidiary are subject to certain notification requirements under the Singapore Companies Act.  Specifically, such directors must notify the Singapore Subsidiary in writing of an interest (e.g., Special Retention Awards, Shares, etc.) in the Company or any related company within two business days of (i) its acquisition or disposal, (ii) any change in a previously-disclosed interest (e.g., upon vesting of Special Retention Awards or when Shares acquired under the Plan are subsequently sold), or (iii) becoming a director.

Spain

Terms and Conditions

No Entitlement for Claims or Compensation.  The following provisions supplement paragraph A “Termination” of Appendix A.

By accepting the Special Retention Award, the Participant consents to participation in the Plan and acknowledges that Participant has received a copy of the Plan.

The Participant understands and agrees that, as a condition of the grant of the Special Retention Award, if the Participant’s employment terminates, unless otherwise provided in the Award Terms or by the Company, any unvested Special Retention Awards shall be forfeited without entitlement to the underlying Shares or to any amount as indemnification in the event of a termination, including, but not limited to: resignation, disciplinary dismissal adjudged to be with cause, disciplinary dismissal adjudged or recognized to be without cause, individual or collective layoff on objective grounds, whether adjudged to be with cause or adjudged or recognized to be without cause, material modification of the terms of employment under Article 41 of the Workers’ Statute, relocation under Article 40 of the Workers’ Statute, Article 50 of the Workers’ Statute, unilateral withdrawal by the Employer, and under Article 10.3 of Royal Decree 1382/1985.

The Participant understands that the Company has unilaterally, gratuitously and in its sole discretion decided to grant Special Retention Awards under the Plan to individuals who may be Employees of the Company or a Subsidiary.  The decision is limited and entered into based upon the express assumption and condition that any Special Retention Awards will not economically or otherwise bind the Company or any Subsidiary, including the Employer, on an ongoing basis, other than as expressly set forth in the Award Terms.  Consequently, the Participant understands that the Special Retention Awards are granted on the assumption and condition that the Special Retention Awards shall not become part of any employment or service agreement (whether with the Company or any Subsidiary, including the Employer) and shall not be considered a mandatory benefit, salary for any purpose (including severance compensation) or any other right whatsoever.  Furthermore, the Participant understands and freely accepts that there is no guarantee that any benefit whatsoever shall arise from the grant of Special Retention Awards, which is gratuitous and discretionary, since the future value of the Special Retention Awards and the underlying Shares is unknown and unpredictable.  The Participant also understands that the grant of Special Retention Awards would not be made but for the assumptions and conditions set forth hereinabove; thus, the Participant understands, acknowledges and freely accepts that, should any or all of the assumptions be mistaken or any of the conditions not be met for any reason, the Special Retention Award and any right to the underlying Shares shall be null and void.

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

No “offer of securities to the public”, as defined under Spanish law, has taken place or will take place in the Spanish territory with respect to the Special Retention Award.  No public offering prospectus has been nor will be registered with the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (Spanish Securities Exchange Commission) (“CNMV”).  Neither the Plan nor the Award Terms constitute a public offering prospectus and they have not been, nor will they be, registered with the CNMV.

Exchange Control Information.

The Participant may be required to declare electronically to the Bank of Spain any securities accounts (including brokerage accounts held abroad), any foreign instruments (e.g., Shares) and any transactions with non-Spanish residents (including any payments of cash or Shares made to the Participant by the Company or Broker) if the balances in such accounts together with

 

15


 

the value of such instruments as of December 31, or the volume of transactions with non-Spanish residents during the prior or current year, prior tax year exceed €1,000,000. Once the €1,000,000 threshold has been surpassed in either respect, the Participant will generally be required to report all of his or her foreign accounts, foreign instruments and transactions with non-Spanish residents, even if the relevant threshold has not been crossed for an individual item.

Share Reporting Information.

It is the Participant’s responsibility to declare the acquisition, ownership and disposition of Shares to the Spanish Direccion General de Comercio e Inversiones (the “DGCI”) of the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness on a Form D-6.  Generally, the declaration must be made in January for Shares owned as of December 31 of the prior year and/or shares acquired or disposed of during the prior year; however, if the value of the Shares acquired or disposed of or the amount of the sale proceeds exceeds a designated threshold, the declaration must be filed within one month of the acquisition or disposition, as applicable.  The Participant should consult with his or her personal advisor to determine the Participant’s obligations in this respect.

Foreign Asset/Account Reporting Information.

To the extent that the Participant holds Shares and/or has bank accounts outside Spain with a value in excess of €50,000 (for each type of asset) as of December 31, the Participant will be required to report information on such assets on his or her tax return (tax form 720) for such year.  After such Shares and/or accounts are initially reported, the reporting obligation will apply for subsequent years only if the value of any previously-reported Shares or accounts increases by more than €20,000 or if the Participant sells or otherwise disposes of any previously-reported Shares or accounts.

Suriname

There are no country-specific provisions.

Switzerland

Notifications

Securities Law Information.

Neither this document nor any other materials relating to the Special Retention Award (i) constitute a prospectus according to articles 35 et seq. of the Swiss Federal Act on Financial Services (FinSA), (ii) may be publicly distributed nor otherwise made publicly available in Switzerland to any person other than an Employee of the Company or other Participant or (iii) has been or will be filed with, approved or supervised by any Swiss reviewing body according to article 51 FinSA or any Swiss regulatory authority, including the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

 

16


aa-ex211_9.htm

 

Exhibit 21.1

SUBSIDIARIES OF THE REGISTRANT

 

 

 

 

Name

  

State or

Country of

Organization

Alcoa Alumínio S.A.

  

Brazil

Alcoa Australian Holdings Pty Ltd

  

Australia

Alcoa Nederland Holding B.V.

  

Netherlands

Alcoa of Australia Limited1

  

Australia

Alcoa USA Corp.

  

Delaware

Alcoa USA Holding Company

  

Delaware

Aluminerie Lauralco S.À.R.L.

  

Luxembourg

The names of particular subsidiaries have been omitted because, considered in the aggregate as a single subsidiary, they would not constitute, as of the end of the year covered by this report, a “significant subsidiary” as defined in Regulation S-X under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

1

Part of the AWAC joint venture.

 

 


aa-ex231_11.htm

 

Exhibit 23.1

CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (Nos. 333-214420, 333-214423, 333-218038, and 333-228258) of Alcoa Corporation of our report dated February 24, 2022 relating to the financial statements and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, which appears in this Form 10-K.

/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

February 24, 2022

 

 


aa-ex232_443.htm

Exhibit 23.2

SLR International Corporation

22118 20th Ave SE, Suite G202, Bothell, WA 98021 USA

 

February 24, 2022

CONSENT OF QUALIFIED PERSON

Re: Form 10-K of Alcoa Corporation (the “Company”)

SLR International Corporation (“SLR”), in connection with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 (the “Form 10-K”), consents to:

 

the public filing by the Company and use of the technical report summaries titled “Technical Report Summary for Darling Range, Western Australia” and “Technical Report Summary for Juruti, Brazil” (the “Technical Report Summaries”), each with an effective date of December 31, 2021 and dated February 24, 2022, that were prepared in accordance with Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, as exhibits to and referenced in the Form 10-K;

 

the incorporation by reference of the Technical Report Summaries into the Company’s Registration Statements on Form S-8 (Nos. 333-214420, 333-214423, 333-218038, and 333-228258) (collectively, the “Registration Statements”);

 

the use of and references to our name, including our status as an expert or “qualified person” (as defined in Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K promulgated by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), in connection with the Form 10-K, the Registration Statements, and the Technical Report Summaries; and

 

any extracts from or a summary of the Technical Report Summaries in the Form 10-K and incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the use of any information derived, summarized, quoted, or referenced from the Technical Report Summaries, or portions thereof, that was prepared by us, that we supervised the preparation of, and/or that was reviewed and approved by us, that is included or incorporated by reference in the Form 10-K and the Registration Statements.

SLR is responsible for authoring, and this consent pertains to, the Technical Report Summaries. SLR certifies that it has read the Form 10-K and that it fairly and accurately represents the information in the Technical Report Summaries for which it is responsible.

SLR International Corporation

Per:

/s/ Richard J. Lambert

 

Richard J. Lambert, P.E., P.Eng.
Global Technical Director

Technical Director, Mining Advisory US

 

www.slrconsulting.com


aa-ex311_6.htm

 

Exhibit 31.1

CERTIFICATIONS

I, Roy C. Harvey, certify that:

 

 

1.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Alcoa Corporation;

 

 

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

 

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

 

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

 

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

 

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

 

(c)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

 

(d)

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

 

5.

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

 

(a)

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

 

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Date: February 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ Roy C. Harvey

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

Roy C. Harvey

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

President and

Chief Executive Officer

 

 

 


aa-ex312_12.htm

 

Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATIONS

I, William F. Oplinger, certify that:

 

 

1.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Alcoa Corporation;

 

 

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

 

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

 

 

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

 

(a)

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

 

(b)

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

 

(c)

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

 

(d)

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

 

 

5.

The registrant’s other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

 

(a)

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

 

(b)

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      Date: February 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/s/ William F. Oplinger

 

 

 

 

Name:

 

William F. Oplinger

 

 

 

 

Title:

 

Executive Vice President and

Chief Financial Officer

 

 


aa-ex321_7.htm

 

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Alcoa Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the undersigned, in the capacity and on the date indicated below, hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to his knowledge:

 

 

1.

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

 

2.

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: February 24, 2022

  

/s/ Roy C. Harvey

 

  

 

  

Roy C. Harvey

 

  

 

  

President and Chief Executive Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906, has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed as part of this report.

 

 


aa-ex322_8.htm

 

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO

18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO

SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Alcoa Corporation (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the period ended December 31, 2021 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), the undersigned, in the capacity and on the date indicated below, hereby certifies pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that to his knowledge:

 

 

1.

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

 

 

2.

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: February 24, 2022

  

/s/ William F. Oplinger

 

  

 

  

William F. Oplinger

 

  

 

  

Executive Vice President and

 

  

 

  

Chief Financial Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906, or other document authenticating, acknowledging, or otherwise adopting the signature that appears in typed form within the electronic version of this written statement required by Section 906, has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and is not being filed as part of this report.

 

 


aa-ex951_10.htm

 

Exhibit 95.1

Mine Safety Disclosure

Until recently, Alcoa Corporation’s alumina refinery in Point Comfort, Texas, was subject to regulation by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) under the U.S. Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 (the “Mine Act”). The MSHA inspected this facility on a regular basis and issued various citations and orders when it believed a violation had occurred under the Mine Act.

In December 2019, Alcoa announced that the facility was being permanently closed. During the first quarter of 2020, MSHA notified Alcoa that it would no longer exercise jurisdiction over the facility. Following this notice, Alcoa no longer had any facilities subject to regulation by MSHA.

As of December 31, 2021, Alcoa had no matters pending before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission (the “Commission”), an independent adjudicative agency that provides administrative trial and appellate review of legal disputes arising under the Mine Act. In the first quarter of 2021, the Company closed its lone remaining matter concerning a retaliation complaint filed by an employee in 2015. On December 17, 2017, this matter was dismissed by an Administrative Law Judge after a trial on the merits.  On January 22, 2020, the Commission affirmed the trial judgment. On February 21, 2020, the employee appealed the decision to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, where the matter was denied further review by the Court in March of 2021.

 


aa-ex961_518.htm

EXHIBIT 96.1

 

 

 

Technical Report Summary  on the Darling Range, Western Australia S-K 1300 Report Alcoa Corporation SLR Project No:  425.01184.00071    February 24, 2022

 

 

 


 

 

Technical Report Summary on the Darling Range, Western Australia

SLR Project No:  425.01184.00071

 

Prepared by

SLR International Corporation

22118 20th Ave SE, Suite G202

Bothell, WA 98021 USA

for

 

Alcoa Corporation

201 Isabella Street, Suite 500

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

15212-5858

 

 

Effective Date – December 31, 2021

Signature Date - February 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

Distribution:1 copy – Alcoa Corporation

1 copy –  SLR International Corporation

1 copy –  SLR Consulting Ltd


Error! No text of specified style in document. | Error! No text of specified style in document.

Technical Report Summary - February 24, 2022

i

 


 

Contents

 

1.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1-1

1.1

Summary

1-1

1.2

Economic Analysis

1-7

1.3

Technical Summary

1-9

2.0

INTRODUCTION

2-1

2.1

Site Visits

2-1

2.2

Sources of Information

2-2

2.3

List of Abbreviations

2-3

3.0

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION

3-1

3.1

Location

3-1

3.2

Land Tenure

3-1

3.3

Naming Conventions

3-6

3.4

Encumbrances

3-7

3.5

Royalties

3-8

3.6

Required Permits and Status

3-8

3.7

Other Significant Factors and Risks

3-9

4.0

ACCESSIBILITY, CLIMATE, LOCAL RESOURCES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PHYSIOGRAPHY

4-1

4.1

Accessibility

4-1

4.2

Climate

4-1

4.3

Local Resources

4-2

4.4

Infrastructure

4-2

4.5

Physiography

4-3

5.0

HISTORY

5-1

5.1

Prior Ownership

5-1

5.2

Exploration and Development History

5-1

6.0

GEOLOGICAL SETTING, MINERALIZATION, AND DEPOSIT

6-1

6.1

Bauxite deposits

6-1

6.2

Regional Geology

6-1

6.3

Local Geology

6-4

6.4

Mineralization

6-4

6.5

Property Geology

6-5

7.0

EXPLORATION

7-1

7.1

Exploration

7-1

7.2

Resource Definition Drilling

7-1

7.3

Drilling methods

7-5

7.4

Drill sampling

7-7

7.5

Topography

7-11

7.6

Surveying

7-13

7.7

Sampling conclusions

7-15

7.8

Hydrogeology Data

7-15

7.9

Geotechnical Data

7-15

8.0

SAMPLE PREPARATION, ANALYSES, AND SECURITY

8-1

8.1

Sample security

8-1


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8.2

Sample preparation

8-1

8.3

Assaying

8-3

8.4

Quality Assurance (QA)

8-8

8.5

Quality Control (QC)

8-9

9.0

DATA VERIFICATION

9-1

9.1

Data structures

9-1

9.2

Data verification measures

9-2

9.3

QP Opinion

9-3

10.0

MINERAL PROCESSING AND METALLURGICAL TESTING

10-1

10.1

QP opinion

10-3

11.0

MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATES

11-1

11.1

Summary

11-1

11.2

Resource Database

11-3

11.3

Geological Interpretation

11-3

11.4

Statistical Checks

11-8

11.5

Treatment of High-Grade Assays

11-12

11.6

Compositing

11-14

11.7

Trend Analysis - Variography

11-14

11.8

Bulk Density

11-15

11.9

Resource Models

11-18

11.10

Block Model Validation

11-20

11.11

Cut-off Grade and Mining Constraints

11-26

11.12

Reconciliation

11-27

11.13

Mineral Resource estimation risk

11-29

11.14

Classification

11-31

11.15

Mineral Resource Reporting

11-35

11.16

QP Opinion

11-36

12.0

MINERAL RESERVE ESTIMATES

12-1

12.1

Summary

12-1

12.2

Modifying Factors

12-2

12.3

Basis of Estimate

12-4

12.4

Dilution and Ore Loss

12-4

12.5

Extraction and Mine Planning

12-5

12.6

Cut-off Grade

12-10

12.7

Metallurgical Factors

12-11

12.8

QP Opinion

12-11

13.0

MINING METHODS

13-1

13.1

General Description of Operations

13-1

13.2

Haul Roads and Infrastructure

13-4

13.3

Geotechnical and Hydrogeology Considerations

13-7

13.4

Mine Equipment

13-11

13.5

Personnel

13-14

14.0

PROCESSING AND RECOVERY METHODS

14-1

14.1

Process Description

14-1

14.2

Primary Equipment List

14-4

14.3

Consumables and Power

14-5

14.4

QP Opinion

14-5


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15.0

INFRASTRUCTURE

15-1

15.1

Access Roads

15-3

15.2

Power

15-3

15.3

Water

15-3

15.4

Accommodation Camp

15-4

15.5

Mine Waste Management

15-4

16.0

MARKET STUDIES

16-1

16.1

Overview

16-1

16.2

Market: Darling Range

16-2

16.3

Contracts

16-3

17.0

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, PERMITTING, AND PLANS, NEGOTIATIONS, OR AGREEMENTS WITH LOCAL INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS

17-1

17.1

Environmental Studies

17-1

17.2

Waste and Tailings Disposal, Site Monitoring, and Water Management

17-1

17.3

Project Permitting

17-4

17.4

Social or Community Requirements

17-4

17.5

Mine Closure Requirements

17-5

17.6

Local Procurement and Hiring

17-6

18.0

CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS

18-1

18.1

Capital Costs

18-1

18.2

Operating Costs

18-1

19.0

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

19-1

19.1

Economic Criteria

19-1

19.2

Cash Flow Analysis

19-2

19.3

Sensitivity Analysis

19-3

20.0

ADJACENT PROPERTIES

20-1

21.0

OTHER RELEVANT DATA AND INFORMATION

21-1

22.0

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS

22-1

22.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

22-1

22.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

22-2

22.3

Mineral Processing

22-3

22.4

Infrastructure

22-3

22.5

Environment

22-4

23.0

RECOMMENDATIONS

23-1

23.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

23-1

23.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

23-2

23.3

Mineral Processing

23-2

23.4

Infrastructure

23-2

23.5

Environment

23-2

24.0

REFERENCES

24-1

25.0

RELIANCE ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE REGISTRANT

25-1

26.0

DATE AND SIGNATURE PAGE

26-1

 


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TABLES

 

Table 1 1: LOM Technical-Economic Assumptions

1-7

Table 1‑2: LOM Indicative Economic Results

1-8

Table 1-3: 10 Year LOM Sustaining Capital Costs by Area

1-18

Table 1-4: LOM On-site Mine Operating Costs by Category

1-18

Table 3-1: ML1SA license details

3-2

Table 4-1: Historical Climate Data

4-1

Table 6-1: Alcoa’s Darling Range deposit typical stratigraphic column

6-5

Table 6-2: Summary of typical (modal) stratigraphic horizons within each area

6-6

Table 7-1: Drill quantities by year and location

7-2

Table 7-2: Logging codes for Material Type

7-10

Table 8-1: Assaying methodologies for resource estimation samples

8-5

Table 8-2: Standards used for drilling and REF monitoring (IRMs)

8-10

Table 8-3: Summary of performance of IRMs KH10 and KH14 for the full analytical suite

8-11

Table 8-4: Summary of precisions for umpire check results on assay dataset P175

8-16

AL, SI, FE and OX at SGS and BV compared to KWI

8-16

Table 8-5: Summary of precisions and means for 678 STE tests (November 2020)

8-22

Table 8-6: Summary of precisions and means for REF vs FTIR (final corrected result)

8-26

Table 8-7: Summary of pulp repeats for Myara North (P159): MD-ICP (Original) vs New FTIR

8-27

Table 8-8: Summary of pulp repeats for Larego (P163): MD-ICP (Original) vs New FTIR

8-28

Table 8-9: Summary of pulp repeats for Larego (P163) – trimmed: MD-ICP (Original) vs New FTIR

8-28

Table 8-10: Summary of Stockpile Belt paired samples for Myara North in 2018: 292 pairs for SP-271 vs SP-171

8-33

Table 9-1: Count of records by database Table for two database extracts

9-2

Table 10-1: Product grades of Darling Range Operation (Willowdale – Wagerup refinery feed)

10-1

Table 10-2: Product grades of Darling Range operations (Huntly–Pinjarra refinery feed)

10-2

Table 10-3: Product grades of Darling Range operations (Huntly– Kwinana refinery feed)

10-2

Table 11-1: Summary of Mineral Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves – 31st December 2021

11-2

Table 11-2: Summary of density test data (t/m3) from 1980 to 1992 (Senini, 1993)

11-16

Table 11-3: Ordinary Kriging search parameters

11-20

Table 11-4: Summary of Mineral Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves by Mining Region – 31st December 2021

11-35


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Table 12-1: Summary of Mineral Reserves – Effective 31st December 2021

12-1

Table 13-1: Darling Range operations equipment list

13-11

Table 13-2: Darling Range personnel

13-14

Table 14-1: Primary equipment list (Willowdale)

14-4

Table 14-2: Primary equipment list (Huntly)

14-4

Table 15-1: Water Abstraction License Volumes

15-4

Table 18-1: LOM Sustaining Capital Costs by Area

18-1

Table 18-2: LOM Mine Operating Costs by Category

18-2

Table 18-3: Workforce Summary

18-2

Table 19-1: Technical-Economic Assumptions

19-1

Table 19-2: LOM Production Summary

19-2

Table 19-3: LOM Indicative Economic Results

19-3

 

FIGURES

 

Figure 3-1: ML1SA lease extents (Alcoa, 2022)

3-3

Figure 3-2: Map of Mining Reporting Centers, Mining Regions, and Production Sheets (Alcoa, 2022)

3-4

Figure 3-3: Map of current Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve extents (Alcoa, 2022)

3-5

Figure 3-4: Exploration Sheet, Production Sheet, and Map Sheet conventions (SRK, 2021)

3-7

Figure 5-1: Bauxite exploration in the southwest of Western Australia 1961 (adapted from Hickman, 1992)

5-2

Figure 6-1: Regional Geology (adapted from SRK, 2021)

6-2

Figure 6-2: Surface geology showing laterite over granite (Alcoa, 2015)

6-3

Figure 6-3: Bauxite deposit formation schematic – relief exaggerated (Alcoa, 2021)

6-4

Figure 6-4: Typical Alcoa Darling Range mineralogy profile (Hickman et al, 1992)

6-6

Figure 6-5: Typical Alcoa Darling Range grade profile (Alcoa, 2015)

6-6

Figure 6-6: Typical Alcoa Darling Range mining sequence and vertical profile (SLR, 2021)

6-7

Figure 7-1: Chart of resource drill holes by year (Alcoa, 2021)

7-4

Figure 7-2: Example geological section – F55 N 6,325,500 (SRK, 2021)

7-5

Figure 7-3: Resource drilling tractor accessing the forest (SLR, 2021)

7-5

Figure 7-4: Drill bits, reverse circulation drill string and particle size of the sample residue (SLR, 2021)

7-7

Figure 7-5: Sample catching and riffle splitting practices (SLR, 2021)

7-9


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Figure 7-6: Barcode reader and digital recorder mounted on the drill rig (SLR, 2021)

7-10

Figure 7-7: Topographic data coverage of the 2015, 2016 and 2018 LiDAR surveys (Alcoa, 2022)

7-12

Figure 7-8: Error in actual collar location from the nominal (planned) position is monitored for the three drill rig types (Alcoa, 2021)

7-14

Figure 7-9: Possible lateral and vertical sample location error on 15o sloping ground (SLR, 2021)

7-15

Figure 8-1: The Bella robotic sample preparation using Rocklabs ring mills (SLR, 2021)

8-2

Figure 8-2: The pulverized sample is stored in a barcoded dedicated receptacle for assay (SLR, 2021)

8-3

Figure 8-3: The pulverized sample is tracked digitally through the Bella preparation and assaying (SLR, 2021)

8-3

Figure 8-4: The robotic FTIR assaying equipment  (RHS shows the sampling scoop arm and pulp dish with the lid elevated) (SLR, 2021)

8-4

Figure 8-5: Digestion and assay equipment used for REF samples at the KWI Clockwise from top left: BD, MD, TICTOC, ICP, XRF, GC (SLR, 2021)

8-7

Figure 8-6: Sample preparation monitoring (Alcoa, 2021)

8-9

Figure 8-7: Assaying Standards (left IRMs KH09 and KH10, right CRM for MALSI) (SLR, 2021)

8-12

Figure 8-8: Umpire checks of REF A.Al2O3 at SGS and BV (SLR, 2021)

8-14

Figure 8-9: Umpire checks of REF R.SiO2 at SGS and BV (SLR, 2021)

8-15

Figure 8-10: Twinned hole comparison for 238 data points from 2018 (after SRK 2021a)

8-17

Figure 8-11: Precision of STE Parent AL to Average of Daughters (top) and to Daughter 1 (bottom) (SLR, 2021)

8-20

Figure 8-12: Precision of STE Parent SI to Average of Daughters (top) and to Daughter 1 (bottom) (SLR, 2021)

8-21

Figure 8-13: Example of the methodology used for broken stick correction of the FTIR results (from Franklin, 2019)

8-24

Figure 8-14: Precision of REF vs Corrected FTIR for AL and SI (SLR, 2021)

8-25

Figure 8-15: Poor precision of REF vs RAW FTIR for BO (SLR, 2021)

8-27

Figure 8-16: P159 Myara North pulp re-assaying of old MD vs new FTIR for AL and SI. Note artefacts in SI plots, which can be removed by trimming (SLR, 2021)

8-29

Figure 8-17: P163 Larego pulp re-assaying of old MD vs new FTIR for AL and SI (trimmed) (SLR, 2021)

8-30

Figure 8-18: Precision of paired Stockpile Belt samples for AL and SI (SLR, 2021)

8-32

Figure 9-1: Visual display of hole status (logged and assayed) for hole G39150224 in Serpentine (Alcoa, 2021)

9-1

Figure 11-1: Plan View of Polygonal Approach (Pass = red, pass open = green, marginal = yellow, fail = blue) (Alcoa, 2022)

11-5


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Figure 11-2: Example Section showing Domain (DOMAF) and Wireframed Surfaces (SLR, 2022)

11-7

Figure 11-3: Plan View of Bauxite Zone and Interpreted Dykes at Serpentine (SLR, 2022)

11-8

Figure 11-4: Histograms of AL by DOMAF at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)

11-9

Figure 11-5: Histograms of SI by DOMAF at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)

11-10

Figure 11-6: Scatterplots of SI versus ST for DOMAF 50 at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)

11-11

Figure 11-7: Scatterplots of AL versus SI by Domain at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)

11-11

Figure 11-8: Cumulative Log Probability Plots for Serpentine Composites

11-13

Figure 11-9: AL, SI, FE, and ST Directional Variogram Models at Serpentine

11-15

Figure 11-10: Example section showing Bauxite Zone and mining solid (SLR, 2021)

11-20

Figure 11-11: Resource comparison scatterplots for Huntly (Tonnage, AL, SI, OX) (SLR, 2021)

11-22

Figure 11-12: Example sections showing DOMAF, AL, and SI block estimates (SLR, 2021)

11-23

Figure 11-13: AL swath plots by DOMAF at Serpentine (SLR, 2021)

11-24

Figure 11-14: Scatterplots of AL versus SI by DOMAF at Serpentine (SLR, 2021)

11-25

Figure 11-15: AL grade-tonnage DG curves versus Serpentine block model

11-26

Figure 11-16: Resource versus Sample Plant Reconciliation – Huntly (Alcoa, 2021)

11-28

Figure 11-17: Resource versus Sample Plant Reconciliation – Willowdale (Alcoa, 2021)

11-29

Figure 11-18: Plan view of Resource Classification (SLR, 2021)

11-34

Figure 12-1: Undulating Hanging wall hardcap surface; and footwall (white clay, lower right in the floor) (Left: Pearman, 2015 & Right: SLR, 2021)

12-5

Figure 12-2: Willowdale Ten-Year Mine Plan Resource confidence (drill hole spacing in meters shown in brackets) (SRK, 2021)

12-6

Figure 12-3: Huntly Ten-Year Mine Plan Resource confidence (drill hole spacing in meters shown in brackets) (Alcoa, 2022)

12-7

Figure 12-4: Example of reconciliation between Mineral Resource and Grade Control models for tonnage, Al, Si, and OX (Alcoa, 2022)

12-10

Figure 13-1: SOBR (SLR, 2021)

13-2

Figure 13-2: Topsoil removal (background), blasting of hardcap and marking of ore (foreground) (SLR, 2021)

13-3

Figure 13-3: Contour mining (SLR, 2021)

13-4

Figure 13-4: Truck on haul road (SLR, 2021)

13-5

Figure 13-5: Haul roads with berms (SLR, 2021)

13-6

Figure 13-6: Covered conveyor (SLR, 2021)

13-7

Figure 13-7: Contour Mining (SLR, 2021)

13-8

Figure 13-8: Soil being returned for backfilling and landscaping the pit (Alcoa, 2018)

13-9


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Figure 13-9: Landscaped mining area, prior to replanting of forest (SLR, 2021)

13-10

Figure 13-10: Rehabilitated pit through re-plantation of native vegetation (SLR, 2021)

13-10

Figure 13-11: Ore mining at Darling Range (SLR, 2021)

13-11

Figure 13-12: Blasthole drill working on hardcap (SLR, 2021)

13-13

Figure 14-1: Simplified block flow diagram of the Willowdale operation

14-2

Figure 14-2: Simplified block flow diagram of the Huntly operation

14-3

Figure 15-1: Infrastructure Layout (Alcoa, 2022)

15-2

 

 

 

 


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2.0

Executive Summary

2.1

Summary

SLR International Corporation (SLR) was appointed by Alcoa Corporation (Alcoa) to prepare an independent Technical Report Summary on the Darling Range bauxite mines, located in Western Australia. The purpose of this report is to support the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates for the mines as of December 31, 2021. This Technical Report Summary (TRS) conforms to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Modernized Property Disclosure Requirements for Mining Registrants as described in Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K, Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations (S-K 1300), and Item 601(b)(96) of Regulation S-K, Technical Report Summary.  

2.1.1

Conclusions

2.1.1.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

 

SLR is independently declaring the 31 December 2021 Mineral Resources for the defined bauxites located within Alcoa’s Darling Range deposits. The Mineral Resource models were prepared by Alcoa using their in-house estimation procedures and reviewed extensively by SLR.

 

As of December 31, 2021, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, as summarized in Table 11‑4 at an appropriate level of precision reflecting confidence, the Measured Mineral Resources are estimated to be 48.0 Mt at a grade of 32.9% available alumina (A.Al2O3) and 1.11% reactive silica (R.SiO2). Similarly the Indicated Mineral Resources are estimated to be 34.8 Mt at 31.9% A.Al2O3 and 1.12% R.SiO2, and the Inferred Mineral Resources are estimated to be 320 Mt at 33.0% A.Al2O3 and 1.2% R.SiO2.

 

SLR considers that, because of the integrated process by which Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources translate to Mineral Reserves for Alcoa’s Darling Range operation, there are no foreseeable risks associated with Modifying Factors (mining, processing, metallurgical, infrastructure, economic, marketing, legal, environment, social, or government) that materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate at 31 December 2021.

Specific conclusions reached by the SLR QP and provided in the body of this report in Sections 6, 7, 8. 9, and 11 are aggregated here as follows:

 

In the SLR QP’s opinion, the drill sampling and sample control procedures at Alcoa’s Darling Range Bauxite Operations are adequate and appropriate for use in the estimation of Mineral Resources. The defined volumes and grades of mineralization are not expected to be systematically impacted (biased) by errors in either the collar location or the 3D sample location.

 

In the opinion of the SLR QP, the QA/QC of sample preparation and assaying is adequate and the assay results are suitable for use in Mineral Resource estimation.

 

It is the opinion of the SLR QP that the analytical procedures used for the Alcoa Mineral Resource comprises part of conventional industry practice. FTIR is not widely used yet in the bauxite industry but is becoming more widely accepted and applied to more operations. At Alcoa the method has been consistently applied successfully for a decade and is routinely validated by industry standard XRF and wet chemical procedures as discussed in Section 8.3 and 8.4.


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It is the opinion of the SLR QP from the studies on FTIR repeatability discussed above that the overall precision and accuracy of the FTIR assaying is acceptable..

 

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the database is adequate and the data is appropriate for the purpose of Mineral Resource estimation.

 

In SLR’s opinion the dry bulk density data is less well controlled than other analytes, but the long history of mining production and stockpile reconciliation means that the assumed values are adequate for resource estimation.

 

In the SLR QP’s opinion, the condition of Reasonable Prospects For Economic Extraction is met by constraining the Mineral Resource model using the ArcGIS system, by ensuring that the model defines key parameters for the refinery, and by sound reconciliation practices providing feedback at the modelling is appropriate for the purpose.

2.1.1.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

As of December 31, 2021, Proven Mineral Reserves are estimated to total 108.6 Mt at 32.4% A.Al2O3 and 1.01% R.SiO2 and Probable Mineral Reserves are estimated to total 132.7 Mt at 32.2% A.Al2O3 and 1.38% R.SiO2.

 

SLR has used the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate as the basis for its Mineral Reserve estimate. The bauxite operations are operating mining projects with a long history of production for which establishment capital has been repaid and for which sustaining capital and supported operating costs have been observed to be applied in economic analysis. Consequently, the QP considers that support by a Feasibility Study is demonstrated by the demonstrable history of profitable operation and the level of technical support for the Modifying Factors. The QP has reviewed the operating and planning procedures and parameters for the operations.

 

The QP considers that the accuracy and confidence in the Mineral Reserve estimate to be appropriate for the classification applied, which is supported by both the conservative operational processes and the long operational history.

 

The QP is not aware of any risk factors associated with, or changes to, any aspects of the Modifying Factors such as mining, metallurgical, infrastructure, permitting, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate.

2.1.1.3

Mineral Processing

 

The operating data between 2010 to 2020 indicates that the product from the Darling Range operations consisted of an average A.Al2O3 grade of 33%, with R.SiO2 below the target for refinery feed.

 

SLR is of the opinion that the Darling range operation demonstrated that ore can be effectively crushed and supplied to a refinery for further upgrading to produce Alumina. The historical operational data confirmed that the ore consistently met refinery specifications without any deleterious elements.

 

o

Based on this, and additional information provided by Alcoa regarding the mine plan, it is reasonable to assume that the ore from Darling range can be economically processed for the next 10 years.


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2.1.1.4

Infrastructure

 

The Darling Range mining operations have established and operational infrastructure, with mining hubs that host administrative offices, as well as crushing facilities and maintenance facilities.

 

o

Hubs are relocated periodically as production moves away from the hub and transportation costs increase. These relocations are well-understood with planning and associated budgeting occurring well in advance of relocations; production restarted seven days after the shutdown.

 

An extensive haul road network, rail, and overland conveyors transport crushed bauxite from the Hub to the refineries.

 

o

Bauxite is transferred from each mine to the refineries primarily via long distance conveyor belt, apart from the Kwinana refinery which receives bauxite via railway. The

 

o

Alumina produced by the three refineries is then shipped to external and internal smelter customers through the Kwinana and Bunbury ports.

 

The Huntly and Willowdale mines are located near the towns of Pinjarra and Waroona respectively. These are easily accessible via the national South Western Highway, a sealed single carriageway road, spanning almost 400 km from the southern side of Perth to the southwest corner of Western Australia.

 

Major haul roads have been established to each mining area, while secondary haul roads, cross-cut each individual mining plateau. Roads are unsealed and require continuous maintenance.

 

The Darling Range’s Pinjarra refinery receives power from the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), but also has internal generation capacity of 100 MW from four steam driven turbine alternators, with steam produced by gas fired boilers and a gas turbine Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG).

 

o

The refinery supplies power to the Huntly Mine by a 33,000 volt power supply line and two 13,800 volt lines.

 

The Wagerup refinery is a net exporter of power to the SWIS, with internal generation capacity of 108 MW from three steam driven turbine alternators and one gas turbine; steam being generated by gas fired boilers.

 

o

The refinery supplies power to the Willowdale Mine by a single 22,000 volt power supply.

 

Water is used on the mines for dust suppression, dieback washdown, vehicle washdown, workshops, conveyor belt wash, construction, and domestic purposes.

 

o

The water supplies for mining consist of licensed surface water sources supplemented with treated wastewater from vehicle washdowns, stormwater runoff and maintenance workshops.

 

o

In 2020, water abstraction comprised approximately 15% of the total Department of Water and Environmental Regulation license allocation (for those sites where abstraction occurred).  An additional 534,975 kL was also abstracted from South Dandalup Dam under the agreement with Water Corporation.  


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On site facilities include offices, ablutions, crib-rooms, and workshops, however there are no Alcoa accommodation facilities, as the Huntly and Willowdale mining areas are close to established population centers.

 

No tailings are generated within the boundaries of the mining operations. The management of tailings generated downstream at the refineries is beyond the boundaries of the Darling Range mining operations and are therefore not considered in this TRS. Waste rock is used to backfill shallow completed before covering with topsoil and reforesting.

2.1.1.5

Environment

 

Alcoa has established processes to facilitate conformance with environmental requirements, while identifying sensitive areas ahead of time enables them to be managed ahead of disturbance.

 

Overburden is carefully segregated for later contouring and rehabilitation of adjacent, completed mining operations. Caprock and other non-viable rock is used to backfill these shallow, completed pits and the viable topsoil spread on top, contoured, and revegetated.

 

Bauxite processing residue is only generated at the Refineries, with no tailings generated within the boundaries of the mining operations. Absence of mine waste prevents the need for waste dump construction and monitoring.

 

Site monitoring is completed in accordance with conditions of government authorizations and operational licenses at Huntly and Willowdale.

 

Alcoa implements a comprehensive water management and monitoring program in accordance with the requirements of its abstraction and operational licenses.  

 

The Darling Range operations have no groundwater monitoring programs associated with legislation, licenses or approvals.

 

o

Additional groundwater monitoring may be required if groundwater quality or quantity has been identified as potentially at risk due to mining activities, or potential exists for mining to impact offsite/private groundwater supply quantity or quality.

 

o

Alcoa has a long-term groundwater research project within the Intermediate Rainfall Zone to evaluate potential impacts of clearing on groundwater salinization.

 

Outcomes of and compliance with the management and monitoring programs are tracked and reported within a Triennial Environmental Review report.

 

o

Review of the most recent report, published for the period from 2018 to 2020 largely reported compliance with environmental commitments and success of operational controls to managed environmental objectives.

 

Only a small number of non-compliances were noted; none of which represent a risk that could adversely affect its license to operate.  


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2.1.2

Recommendations

2.1.2.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

It is apparent to the SLR QP that the long history of exploration, development and mining of Alcoa’s Darling Range bauxite tenements have established sound knowledge and understanding of the geology and mineral endowment. The QP has not identified any fatal flaws in the current practices of mapping (based on the ArcGIS system), drill sampling (based on progressive continuous improvement), assaying (based on calibrated and validated FTIR, with reasonable Quality Control), estimation (3DBM), database management (using acQuire), the application of mining criteria that assure Reasonable Prospects for Economic Extraction (RPEE), and the application of Modifying Factors (again using the ArcGIS system to establish forestry, heritage and noise constraints). The following recommendations are offered as suggestions for further improvement, aligned with Alcoa’s comprehensive approach to research and development (seen for example in the evolution of their drilling, sampling and assaying technologies). These recommendations are prioritized in terms of their perceived value to the overall operation:

 

More effort on the 3D block modelling methodology, leading to a script-based semi-automated approach will enable more robust rapid model building over the Indicated and Inferred Resources. The validation of interpolation parameters using risk-based (conditional simulation) techniques to quantify confidence should be considered.

 

More rapid infill drilling of the 60 by 60 m and 30 by 30 m drill grids.

 

Further redrilling or where viable re-assaying of pulps

 

Moving away from the having drill holes notionally at the centroids of the 15 by 15 m grid map sheet system would mean that the use of offset grids and more flexible grid spacings would be viable.

 

Implementation of a mine wide reconciliation system should be considered as a way to overcome the issue of density estimation. This could be integrated with the extensive production tracking data already available from the current fleet management system and operational control system (covering the mining equipment, crushers, conveyors, sampling towers, stockpile stackers and reclaimers).

 

Technology now becoming available, including volume surveys using drones and truck gantry scanning, wet mass measurement using weightometers on conveyors and LoadRite sensors on mining equipment, and infra-red moisture determination, mean that better in situ dry density estimation may become possible if the operation requires it for better refinery feedstock control.

Specific recommendations noted in previous Sections are reiterated here:

 

The SLR QP considers that twinned hole studies are of limited value and should only be implemented once the sample splitting and preparation demonstrates good repeatability, using Field Duplicates (or the equivalent STE samples). They may be of value to investigate specific issues under closely supervised conditions.

 

While the STE procedure could be retained for specific studies, in the SLR QP’s opinion, the reintroduction of Field Duplicates using appropriate riffle splitters under supervision should be considered.


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The grade characteristics of the bauxite profile could be reproduced in the model, enabling optimization techniques to be used for the definition of mining floors and boundaries, better support for ore loss and dilution studies, and more accurate reconciliation studies.

2.1.2.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

Currently a dilution and mining recovery factor is applied to the final Reserves to reconcile the tonnes and grade. The SLR QP recommends applying dilution and ore loss at the re-blocked model level before performing the optimization and reporting these values independently.

 

The life-of-mine scheduling requires further refinement with regards to sequencing of the different mining areas and assigning the scheduled years back to the orebest model.

 

The SLR QP recommends detailed haulage analysis focusing on haulage profiles and cycle times to provide more accurate operating costs.

 

The SLR QP noted the mining models were in both a 2D grid and 3D model system. Aligning all the mining models within the same 3D mining model system will provide clarity and consistency across Darling Range project with regards to evaluation and reporting processes.

2.1.2.3

Mineral Processing

As mentioned in Section 22.3, the historical operational data for the Darling Range demonstrate that ore consistently met refinery specifications. SLR make the following recommendations regarding processing:

 

SLR recommends independent verification of the sample analysis by a certified laboratory, on a structured program to ensure the QA/QC aspects of the internal analysis.  

 

It is recommended that a proportion of samples from each batch could be sent to the independent laboratory for analysis and the results can be compared with the internal analysis.  

2.1.2.4

Infrastructure

As mentioned in Section 22.4, the Darling Range mining operations have well established infrastructure, with mining hubs that are periodically moved to reduce transportation distances between mining operations and the hubs. SLR make no recommendations regarding infrastructure.

2.1.2.5

Environment

 

As mentioned in Section 22.5, Alcoa has established systems to facilitate adherence to environmental commitments. SLR recommend that the following actions are taken to monitor previously enacted corrective actions, made in response to minor environmental incidents:

 

Monitor efficacy of corrective actions made following drainage failures related to significant rainfall events, which resulted in surface water flow from dieback areas into dieback free areas.

 

Monitor efficacy of corrective actions made following recordings of elevated turbidity for a period exceeding the compliance criteria (25 NTU).

 

Monitor efficacy of Interim PFAS Water Management Strategy implemented in response to incidents involving PFAS and AFFF contamination.


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2.2

Economic Analysis

2.2.1

Economic Criteria

An un-escalated technical-economic model was prepared on an after-tax discounted cash flow (DCF) basis, the results of which are presented in this subsection.  

Annual estimates of mine production with associated cash flows are provided for years 2022 to 2028, based on Proven and Probable Reserves only.

Key criteria used in the analysis are discussed elsewhere throughout this TRS. General assumptions used are summarized in Table 1‑1. All values are presented in United States Dollars ($) unless otherwise stated.

Table 1‑1: LOM Technical-Economic Assumptions

Description

Value

Start Date

January 1, 2022

Mine Life based on Mineral Reserves

7 years

Price Assumption

$25.49

Total Operating Costs

$3,259.8 million

Sustaining Capital over next seven years

$349.3 million

Discount Rate

$867.4 million

Discounting Basis

9%

Inflation

End of Period

Corporate Income Tax Rate

0%

 

2.2.2

Cash Flow Analysis

The indicative economic analysis results, presented in Table 1‑2, indicate an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV) of $1,315.2 million, using a 9% discount rate and an average bauxite price of $25.49/tonne.

Capital identified in the economics is for sustaining operations, haul roads, conveyor replacements and major mine moves.

The cashflow is presented on a 100% attributable basis.

The economic analysis was performed using the estimates presented in this TRS and confirms that the operations have a positive cash flow that supports the statement of Mineral Reserves.


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Table 12: LOM Indicative Economic Results

Description

Units

Total LOM

LOM

Years

7

LOM Bauxite Production

Mt

241.3

Average LOM Price

$/t

25.49

Gross Revenue

$ million

6,151.0

Labor

$ million

969.9

Service

$ million

858.2

Other

$ million

536.0

PAE – Corporate Chargebacks

$ million

139.4

Energy

$ million

81.0

Fuel

$ million

118.8

Supplies

$ million

164.9

Maintenance

$ million

288.2

On-site Mine Operating Costs

$ million

3,156.3

Off-site Mine Operating Costs

$ million

103.5

 

 

 

Corporate Income Tax

$ million

867.4

Net Income after Taxes

$ million

1,332.4

Depreciation Tax Savings

$ million

691.5

Sustaining Capital (2021 to 2028 inclusive)

$ million

$349.3

Closure Costs

$ million

Included in ARO under operating costs

Free Cash Flow

$ million

1,754.0

NPV @ 9%

$ million

1,315.2

2.2.3

Sensitivity Analysis

Project risks can be identified in both economic and non-economic terms. Key economic risks were examined by running cash flow sensitivities. The operation is nominally most sensitive to operating costs followed by market prices (revenues).



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2.3

Technical Summary

2.3.1

Property Description

The Mineral Resource estimates declared in this Report were derived for bauxite deposits located within the Darling Range in the southwest of Western Australia. The mining center of Huntly is located approximately 80 km to the southeast of Perth, and approximately 30 km east of the township of Pinjarra. Willowdale is located 100 km south-southeast of Perth, and approximately 15 km east of the township of Waroona.

The Pinjarra refinery is located adjacent to the east of the town of Pinjarra and is approximately 25 km southwest of the Huntly mining areas. The Kwinana refinery, also supplied by Huntly, is approximately 50 km northwest of Huntly in the city of Kwinana, a suburb approximately 40 km south of Perth. The Wagerup refinery, supplied by Willowdale, is located immediately adjacent to the east of the South Western Highway, approximately 8 km south of Waroona and 20 km west of the Willowdale mining area.

2.3.2

Land Tenure

The bauxite deposits are all located within ML1SA. The Agreement permits the exploration and mining of bauxite within the tenement boundaries. ML1SA was granted on 24 September 1961, for four 21-year periods, and the current lease expires on 24 September 2024, with provision for renewal extending beyond 2045. The current lease covers an area of 7,022.61 km2, and extends from just north of Perth, to Collie in the south. The legislation under which Alcoa operates is overseen by the Mining and Management Program Liaison Group, which comprises representatives from several State Government departments.

A number of environmental and statutory constraints exist within ML1SA, and Alcoa is not permitted to access bauxite from the areas covered under these constraints. Mineral Resources have not been defined in the constrained areas. In August 2001, Alcoa entered a sub-lease arrangement with a consortium referred to as the Worsley Participants. This arrangement permits the Worsley Participants to mine and process bauxites within the sub-lease area. Alcoa has not declared Mineral Resources within the sub-lease area.

2.3.3

Ownership

The mining rights and assets involved with bauxite mining and alumina refining in Australia are 100% owned by Alcoa of Australia Limited (AofA), an affiliate of Alcoa owned by Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC). AWAC is an unincorporated global joint venture between Alcoa and Alumina Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. AWAC consists of a number of affiliated entities that own, operate or have an interest in bauxite mines and alumina refineries, as well as an aluminum smelter, in seven countries. Alcoa Corporation owns 60% and Alumina Limited owns 40% of these entities, directly or indirectly, with such entities being consolidated by Alcoa Corporation for financial reporting purposes.

2.3.4

History

Bauxite occurrences were first recorded in the Darling Range in 1902. Bauxite was detected as a result of analysing laterite from Wongan Hills, and subsequently through examination of lateritic road gravels from several localities in the Darling Range. The Geological Survey of Western Australia (Geological Survey) produced studies and publications, driving the bauxite exploration, though most attention was focused


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on localities in the Darling Range close either to Perth or to railway lines servicing towns such as Toodyay and York. By 1938 bauxite deposits were known to be common throughout the Darling Range over an area of 560 km long by 40 km to 80 km) wide. The Geological Survey maintained interest in Darling Range laterite as an economic source of aluminum until the 1950s. However, by the late 1950s exploration had been taken over by mining companies. The earliest non-government exploration for bauxite was carried out in 1918 by the Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australia Pty Ltd, deeming the deposits to be generally low grade and not of commercial value, though like earlier explorers, did not focus upon the underlying friable units.

No further private exploration took place until 1957 when Western Mining Corporation Ltd (WMC) began to explore for bauxite in the Darling Range. Following a regional reconnaissance, a joint venture company, Western Aluminium NL (WANL), formed by WMC with North Broken Hill Ltd and Broken Hill South Ltd, explored temporary reserves over a large portion of the southwest. These areas were part of a Special Mineral Lease (ML1SA) granted to WANL in 1961.

By 1961, WANL had delineated 37 Mt of bauxite at an average grade of 33% A.Al2O3. Also in 1961, WANL joined with the Aluminum Company of America Ltd (Alcoa US), allowing additional systematic exploration of lease ML1SA. Commercial mining was finally started in 1963 at Jarrahdale and continued until 1998, supplying bauxite to the Kwinana refinery.

The Huntly and Willowdale mines commenced commercial production in 1972 and 1984 respectively. In 1977 WANL became Alcoa. As of 2021, the Huntly and Willowdale mining operations remain active. Huntly supplies bauxite to the Kwinana and Pinjarra refineries (approximately 27 Million tonnes per annum) while Willowdale supplies the Wagerup refinery (approximately 10 Mtpa).

2.3.5

Geological Setting, Mineralization, and Deposit

The Mineral Resource estimates declared in this Report were derived for bauxite deposits located within the Darling Range in the southwest of Western Australia. The Darling Range comprises a low incised plateau formed by uplift along the north-south trending Darling Fault, which is a major structural lineament that separates the Pinjarra Orogen to the west, from the Yilgarn Craton to the east. The range extends for over 250 km, from Bindoon in the north to Collie in the south.

Bauxite deposits have been identified throughout the Darling Range and generally occur as erratically distributed alumina-rich lenses within the eroded laterites that mantle the granites to the east of the scarp line. The bauxites are thought to have formed from the lateritization of the peneplained surface of the Western Gneiss Terrane rocks. Lateritization is thought to have commenced during the Cretaceous and continued through to the Eocene, with the subsequent periodic activity of the Darling Fault resulting in the current landform of scarps and deeply incised valleys on the western edge of the Darling Range.

Most of the bauxites display a typical profile comprising the following sequence, from the top down:

 

Overburden: A mix of soils, clays, rock fragments and humus that is typically 0.5 m deep, but deeper pockets are common.

 

Hardcap: An indurated iron-rich layer that is usually 1 m to 2 m thick. It is generally high in available alumina (A.Al2O3) and low in reactive silica (R.SiO2).

 

Friable Zone: A partially leached horizon that usually contains a mix of caprock fragments, clasts, nodules, pisolites, and clays. It is usually a few meters thick but can exceed several meters in places. It is generally high in A.Al2O3 and low in R.SiO2.


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Basal Clay: A kaolinitic clay horizon that represents the transition zone between the Friable Zone and the underlying saprolitic material. It is generally high in R.SiO2 and low in A.Al2O3.

The Hardcap and Friable Zone are targeted as the ore horizon. Selective mining practices are applied to minimise the inclusion of Overburden, because of its elevated organic carbon levels, and Basal Clay because of its elevated R.SiO2 concentrations. Within the Hardcap and Friable Zone, the dominant minerals, in order of abundance, are gibbsite, quartz, goethite, kaolinite, and haematite, with lesser amounts of anatase and muscovite.

2.3.6

Exploration

Systematic exploration for bauxite within the region commenced in the 1960s and is conducted on a continuous basis to maintain sufficient Resources and Reserves to meet refinery supply. Alcoa systematically drills the laterite areas on a regular grid spacing of 60 × 60 m, followed by successive infill programs in selected areas that reduce the spacing to 30 × 30 m, and finally to 15 × 15 m. The 2021 Mineral Resource estimates were derived from data acquired from a total of 310,906 holes, drilled between 1981 and 2020, with almost 80% of the holes drilled after 2009.

The planned drill hole collar locations are pegged by Alcoa surveying staff using real time kinematic differential global positioning system (RTK DGPS). Prior to mid-2015, theodolite/ total stations and DGPS were used to position the 60 m spaced holes, and the 30 m and 15 m grids were positioned by taping and optical square sighting between the 60 m pegs. If the drill rig cannot be setup within 2 m of the peg, the offset distance is measured and marked on the driller’s log. Alcoa has recently introduced the practice of resurveying all drill hole locations after drilling. However, the planned coordinates are used for subsequent modelling activities.

All holes are assumed to be vertical. However, the drill rigs have limited levelling capability, and most holes are orthogonal to the local surface gradient, resulting in deviations of several degrees from vertical.

A digital elevation model representing the natural surface was prepared from a combination of collar survey data, LiDAR data, and satellite imagery.

The drilling is conducted using a fleet of tractor-mounted vacuum rigs, which have been modified to operate in forested areas with minimal clearing or ground preparation. In 2015, Alcoa added aircore drilling rigs to the fleet. These rigs are also tractor-mounted and are fitted with a similar sample collection system to that used on the vacuum rigs. The rigs are fitted with hollow-bladed bits that have a nominal cutting diameter of 45 mm and an internal retrieval tube diameter of 22–25 mm.

All samples are collected on 0.5 m intervals, with the material extracted via the hollow drill stem into a collector flask attached to the cyclone underflow. Each sample, which weighs approximately 1.5 kg, is repeatedly passed through a riffle splitter to yield a retained split weighing approximately 200 g. This material is placed into barcode-labelled sample packets for despatch to the test laboratory. The remaining material is discarded.

For each hole, the drillers prepare a log sheet that contains survey, drilling, geological logging, and sample submission information.

2.3.7

Mineral Resource Estimates

The long production history of Alcoa’s ML1SA operations has resulted in the development of an integrated approach for data collection, bauxite delineation, and production planning, aimed at providing feedstock that meets the technical specification requirements of the local refineries. In the past few years, Alcoa


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recognized that some of its procedures required optimization and updating to be more consistent with best practice approaches within the industry. They commenced a process of investigation and revision of many of these procedures but recognized that this must be implemented in a staged manner to ensure that the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves delineation procedures remain consistent with, and do not result in significant disruption to, current mining practices. In 2019, they began introduction 3D block modelling techniques to replace the polygon and gridded seam modelling resource estimation procedures. Approximately 30% of the tonnages that contribute to the current Mineral Resource inventory have been prepared using the new 3D block modelling procedures.

The majority of the estimates that make up the current Mineral Resource inventory were prepared using techniques that Alcoa has developed since the commencement of mining in 1963. Over the period, Alcoa developed an integrated approach to data collection, resource definition, and mining that has proven effective in meeting the refineries’ feedstock requirements.

The development of the resource estimation procedures largely predates the wider industry move to block modelling and geostatistical estimation techniques that occurred in the 1990s. Although there have been numerous changes and refinements to Alcoa’s procedures, these systems are essentially a semi-automated implementation of the traditional 2D polygonal estimation techniques.

A legacy of the development history of the resource estimation system is that different procedures were used to delineate Mineral Resources using the 30 m and 60 m spaced data, termed the ResTag procedures, compared to those defined using the 15 m spaced data, termed the Gridded Seam Model (GSM) procedures.

The estimates defined using the 15 m spaced data are limited to the material that is planned to be mined. The parameters used by Alcoa meant that the resultant estimates were essentially nearest neighbor polygonal estimates.

In 2019, Alcoa introduced 3D block modelling and geostatistical estimation techniques, which they term the 3D Block Model (3DBM) procedures, to replace the polygonal and gridded seam modelling techniques.

In essence, all techniques largely rely upon the definition of a resource floor based on A.Al2O3 and R.SiO2 cut-off grade criteria applied to both individual and accumulated sample grades (for the traditional approaches) or individual and accumulated model grades (for the 3DBM approach). Minimum thickness criteria are also considered. For the models defined using the 15 m spaced data, practical mining constraints are also included in floor definition, including stripping ratios, and the floor heights in surrounding holes. The sample grades in each drill hole or column of model cells are composited over the interval between the base of overburden and the resource floor.

The lateral constraints are initially defined using A.Al2O3 and R.SiO2 grade thresholds, and then modified to include minimum area, minimum composite numbers, and maximum internal waste criteria. Additional constraints are applied for the resources defined using 15 m spaced data. These include maintaining equipment transit corridors and including minimum buffer distances around environmental exclusion zones and bedrock outcrop.

The resource outlines are divided into resource blocks that delineate sub-regions containing material with similar grade characteristics, and contain tonnages that can be used for long-term, medium-term, and short-term scheduling activities (80 kt to 100 kt for 60 m spacing, down to 20 kt to 40 kt for 15 m spacing). For the 30 m and 60 m areas, the resource blocks are assigned the length-weighted average grades of the enclosed composites.


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The model contains estimates for a range of constituents that are of prime importance for Bayer processing including A.Al2O3, R.SiO2, oxalate, sulphate, boehmite, and iron. Validation included visual and statistical checks between the input data and resource block estimates, comparisons of the estimates derived from different data spacings, and comparisons of the estimates with production data.

The annual reconciliation data for the past 19 years indicate the presence of grade and tonnage biases which, although some show long-term trends, appear to be relatively consistent and predictable on a year-to-year basis. The As Mined tonnage estimates are consistently biased high by approximately 5%. The As Mined A.Al2O3 is biased low but has shown a gradual improvement from 5% to 1%, relative over the past decade. The As Mined R.SiO2 is biased low but has shown a gradual improvement from around 30% to 10% relative over the past decade. Most other constituents exhibit similar bias reductions over the past decade.

The Mineral Resource classifications have been applied to the resource estimates based on consideration of the confidence in the geological interpretation, the quality and quantity of the input data, the confidence in the estimation technique, and the likely economic viability of the material.

There are limited quality assurance data to enable a thorough assessment of the reliability of the estimation datasets, and the majority of the Mineral Resource estimates have been prepared using traditional 2D estimation techniques which have known limitations when used to prepare local estimates. However, the long production history and significant amount of reconciliation data indicate that past estimates prepared using these techniques have been relatively reliable and predictable.

Based on the above considerations, the main controlling factors for Mineral Resource classification are deemed to be sample spacing and data quality.

2.3.8

Mineral Reserve Estimates

A Mineral Reserve has been estimated for Alcoa’s Darling Range bauxite mining operations in accordance SEC S–K 1300 which are consistent with the guidelines of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (The JORC 2012 Code).

The SLR QP inspected the Alcoa Huntly and Willowdale operations on October 14, 2021, and Alcoa’s Mine Planning department on October 27, 2021, interviewing relevant personnel on these dates and on other occasions. The QP has had prior exposure to Alcoa’s Darling Range operations earlier in his career.

The Mineral Reserve is classified with reference to the classification of the underlying Mineral Resource and with reference to confidence in the informing Modifying Factors. The QP considers the Proven and Probable classification to be appropriate to the deposit and associated mining operations.

The reference point for the Mineral Reserve is prior to the processing plant at the refinery.

The Proven Mineral Reserve is a subset of Measured Resources only. The Proven Mineral Reserve is legally permitted for mining and is included in the Ten-Year Mine Plan.

The Probable Mineral Reserve is estimated from that part of the Mineral Resource that has been classified as Indicated.

Variable cut-off grades are applied in estimation of the Mineral Reserve and these are related to operating cost and the nature of the Mineral Resource in relation to blending requirements. The Mineral Reserve estimate is expressed in relation to available aluminum oxide (A.Al2O3) and reactive silica (R.SiO2), this being the critical contaminant in relation to the Refinery.


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2.3.9

Mining Methods

The Huntly and Willowdale mines employ conventional open pit mining practices and equipment. The fleet is mixed between contract and owner-operator, depending on the nature of the task at hand. Owner operator equipment is used for mining the bulk of the Mineral Reserve, operating in areas away from those subject to environmental restrictions. Contract mining operates smaller equipment, day shift only, in environmentally (noise) sensitive areas and at the perimeter of the mining area.

Following definition of Mineral Reserve blocks, vegetation is cleared ahead of mining by the Western Australian State Forest Products Commission (FPC), saleable timber being harvested for use. On receipt of clearance to proceed from the FPC, Alcoa operations commence stripping topsoil and secondary overburden removal (SOBR) using small excavators, scrapers, and trucks. Soil is stockpiled at the site, away from the proposed pit, for rehabilitation purposes.

Mining progresses on 4 m benches, utilizing a contour-mining sequence, cutting benches across the topography, working from top to bottom, maintaining the flattest floor obtainable to a maximum gradient of 1:10. This is most pronounced in steep areas. Most of the mineralization lies beneath a gently undulating topography and contour mining is minimal.

After completion of mining, overburden is progressively backfilled into adjacent exhausted pits, topsoiled and rehabilitated by re-establishment of native vegetation, creating a stable post-mining landform that replicates the pre-existing environment.

2.3.10

Processing and Recovery Methods

SLR understands that, according to the mine plan, total (T.SiO2) and R.SiO2 contents, on an annual average basis, remaining below the target for refineries for the next 10 years. This means, there are no evidence of any deleterious element’s presence in the Darling Range ore within the next 10 years of production.

The process plant for the Darling Range operations consists of two separate crushing facilities at the Huntly and Willowdale mines. Both facilities crush the Run-of-Mine (ROM) and convey the crushed ore to three separate refineries located at Pinjarra, Kwinana and Wagerup.

The power consumption of the Huntly operation is approximately 8,000 Megawatt-hour (MWh) to 9,000 MWh per month. The Willowdale power consumption is approximately 2,000 MWh per month.  

The process plant is a dry crushing operation and therefore water is only required for dust suppression and is included as part of mine water consumption. Water is not required as a consumable for the plant.

2.3.11

Infrastructure

The infrastructure for the mining operations is established and operational. In 2021, the infrastructure hub for Willowdale was relocated 16 km southwards from Orion (after having been based there for 21 years) to the Larego Hub which is located about 20 km north-east of the town of Harvey. The hub hosts administrative offices, as well as crushing facilities and maintenance facilities. The Orion Hub site is currently being decommissioned.

An extensive haul road network, rail, and overland conveyors transport crushed bauxite from the Hub to the refineries (namely Kwinana, Wagerup and Pinjarra). Bauxite is transferred from each mine to the refineries primarily via long distance conveyor belt, apart from the Kwinana refinery which receives bauxite via railway. The Alumina produced by the three refineries is then shipped to external and internal smelter customers through the Kwinana and Bunbury ports.


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The Darling Range’s Pinjarra refinery receives power from the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). The refinery also has internal generation capacity of 100 MW from 4 steam driven turbine alternators, with steam produced by gas fired boilers and a gas turbine Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). The refinery supplies power to the Huntly Mine by three different power supply lines (a single 33 kV and two 13.8 kV).  Willowdale Mine has a single 22 kV power supply fed from the Wagerup refinery. The Wagerup refinery is a net exporter of power to the SWIS, with internal generation capacity of 108 MW from three steam driven turbine alternators and one gas turbine. The steam is produced by gas fired boilers.

The WA mines are licensed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to draw surface water from five locations to meet their water supply requirements. The Huntly mine draws water from Banksiadale Dam and Boronia Waterhole. Huntly mine also holds a license to draw water from Pig Swamp and Marrinup, however these resources are retained as a backup water supply and have not been utilized in recent years. Huntly mine is also permitted to draw water from South Dandalup Dam under an agreement with the Water Corporation.  A pumpback facility from South Dandalup Dam to Banksiadale Dam is used to raise levels in Banksiadale Dam during periods of low rainfall runoff. Willowdale Mine draws water from Samson Dam.

There are no Alcoa accommodation facilities within the Darling Range. As described above, the Huntly and Willowdale mining areas are within proximity to established population centers including Pinjarra approximately 25 km to the West of Huntly and Waroona approximately 20 km West of Willowdale. On site facilities includes offices, ablutions, crib-rooms and workshops, all of which were observed to be in excellent condition.

No tailings are generated within the boundaries of the mining operations. The management of tailings generated downstream at the refineries is beyond the boundaries of the Darling Range mining operations and are therefore not considered in this TRS. Alcoa’s Darling Range mining operations do not produce mine waste or “mullock” in the same manner as conventional mining operations and waste dumps are not constructed.

2.3.12

Market Studies

Alcoa Corporation is a vertically integrated aluminum company comprising bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminum production (smelting and casting), and energy generation.

Through direct and indirect ownership, Alcoa Corporation has 28 operating locations in nine countries around the world, situated primarily in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Spain, and the United States. Governmental policies, laws and regulations, and other economic factors, including inflation and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, affect the results of operations in these countries.

There are three commodities in the vertically integrated system: bauxite, alumina, and aluminum, with each having their own market and related price and impacted by their own market fundamentals. Bauxite, which contains various aluminum hydroxide minerals, is the principal raw material used to produce alumina. Bauxite is refined using the Bayer process to produce alumina, a compound of aluminum and oxygen, which in turn is the raw material used by smelters to produce aluminum metal.

Alcoa obtains bauxite from its own resources and processes over 85% of its combined bauxite production into alumina. The remainder is sold to the third-party market. In 2021, total Alcoa production was 47.6 million dmt (dry metric tonne) of bauxite.


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China is the largest third-party seaborne bauxite market and accounts for more than 90% of all bauxite traded. Bauxite is sourced primarily from Australia, Guinea, and Indonesia on the third-party market. In the long run, China is expected to continue to be the largest consumer of third-party bauxite with Guinea expected to be the majority supplier. Further, third-party traded bauxite is expected to be in surplus over the next decade, with most new mining projects announced recently being located in Guinea.

Bauxite characteristics and variations in quality heavily impact the selection of refining technology and refinery operating cost. A market bauxite with high impurities could limit the customer volume an existing refinery could use, resulting in a discount applied to the value-in-use price basis.

Besides quality and geography, market fundamentals, including macroeconomic trends – the prices of raw materials, like caustic soda and energy, the prices of Alumina and Aluminum, and the cost of freight –  will also play a role in bauxite prices.

In 2016, Darling Range entered into a 5-year third-party sales contract with a major alumina producer in China. The volume exported was immaterial compared to the total production of the two mines and was immaterial to the overall operation. In 2021, less than 4% of the Darling Range bauxite was sold externally. Following the expiration of the third-party sales contract at the end of 2021, all bauxite production from Huntly and Willowdale will be consumed internally by the Darling Range refineries and there are no current plans for further bauxite export.

The pricing mechanism of the third-party sales contract was based on a value-in-use methodology (as described in Section 16-1) that was anchored to the customer’s other bauxite sources at the time of execution, with a market adjustment factor linked to the Alumina price.

As discussed in Section 16.2.1, all Western Australia bauxite production will be sold internally to Western Australia refineries following the expiration of the third-party sales contract in 2021. In 2021, the Western Australia internal bauxite transfer price referenced this third-party sales contract as a three-year trailing average.

2.3.13

Environmental Studies, Permitting and Plans, Negotiations, or Agreements with Local Individuals or Groups

Alcoa has established practices and processes for ensuring conformance to environmental requirements. Sensitive areas are identified and managed ahead of disturbance. Environmental factors are taken into account prior to infill drilling; hence, mining blocks carrying environmental risks do not feature in the Mineral Reserves (for example, areas around granite outcrops and water courses have a buffer applied and are essentially no-go areas from a mining perspective).

Additional baseline studies are understood to be in progress to support the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth) approvals for future extensions to the mining footprint. Baseline studies are guided by the requirements of the Environmental Protection Authority (WA) and are well understood.

No tailings are generated within the boundaries of the mining operations as bauxite processing residue is only generated at the Refineries. Similarly, Alcoa’s Darling Range mining operations do not produce mine waste or “mullock” in the same manner as conventional mining operations and as such waste dumps are not constructed. Overburden from Darling Range ore blocks is carefully segregated for later contouring and rehabilitation of adjacent, completed mining operations. Caprock and other non-viable rock is used to backfill these shallow, completed pits and the viable topsoil spread on top, contoured, and revegetated.


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As such, there is no requirement for the monitoring of any tailings or mine waste dumps associated within the mining operations as all tailings are processed outside the mine lease boundary.

Alcoa’s mine sites are monitored in accordance with the conditions of Government authorizations and its operational licenses at Huntly (L6210/1991/10) and Willowdale (L6465/1989/10). Outcomes of and compliance with the management and monitoring programs are tracked within Alcoa’s Environmental Management System and reported within the Annual Environmental Review report.

The environmental reviews and approvals form part of the Mining and Management Program Liaison Group (MMPLG) approvals process. Compliance with the MMPLG is demonstrated through an annual report submitted to the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DJTSI). Operational matters at the Willowdale and Huntly mines are licensed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation via instruments L6465/1989/10 and L6210/1991/10, respectively. These licenses condition the processing of ore and reporting is required annually to DWER describing the total volume of bauxite crushed and any non-compliance. The latest available reporting at the time of writing is for calendar year 2020. Compliance with the Alcoa ISO14001 accredited Environmental Management System (EMS) was audited in December 2021, with results expected in April 2022.

Alcoa has established systems and processes for maintaining its social license to operate and was admitted to ICMM in 2019, aligning to its social performance requirements. Related to the requirements of the MMPLG, Alcoa’s actions in relation to social performance include an annual consultation process aligned with the 5 Year Mine Plan. The consultation process involves engaging with affected landowners. Alcoa’s consultation extends to shires, as well as state and local government members. Where appropriate, the mine plan accommodates community requirements, in particular, concerns related to noise, dust, etc., and allows for buffer zones and modified working hours.

Alcoa’s Closure Planning group for Darling Range (located within the Global Planning Team) is responsible for developing the closure planning process as well as the subsequent Long-Term Mine Closure Plans (LTMCPs) of Alcoa’s WA Mining Operations (Huntly and Willowdale). Closure Strategies, Schedules and Cost Estimates are being developed across organizational divisions and includes multidisciplinary inputs from Operations, Mid- and Short-term Planning, Finance, Centre for Excellence, Environment and Asset Management (both Fixed and Mobile Plant). The agreed closure requirements for Darling Range centres around the return of Jarrah Forest across the site. End land uses are required to comply with the State’s Forest Management Plan and include water catchment protection, timber production and biodiversity conservation.

The Alcoa procurement system defines “local” as the localities of Dwellingup, Harvey, Pinjarra, Waroona, Coolup, North Dandalup and Yarloop. Within Alcoa’s guidelines of safe, ethical and competitive business practices, they state they will:

 

Invite capable local business to bid on locally supplied or manufactured goods or services.

 

Give preference to local business in a competitive situation.

 

Work with local business interest groups to identify and utilize local suppliers.

 

Where possible, structure bids to enable local supplier participation.

2.3.14

Capital and Operating Cost Estimates

Alcoa forecasts its capital and operating costs estimates based on annual budgets and historical actuals over the long life of the current operation.


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2.3.14.1

Capital Costs

The operation is well-established and since the LOM plan does not envisage any significant change of the production rate. Anticipated future major capital expenditure is related to major mine moves and sustaining the on-going operations.

Projected capital expenditure over the next seven years of mine life is estimated to total $349.3 million. Of this total, $160 million is associated with the completion of the mine move to the Myara North site . Capital for the Holyoake move will be incurred from 2027 to 2030 and is not include in this TRS cashflow.

A breakdown of the major expenditure areas and total expenditure over the full Ten-Year Mine Plan is shown in Table 1‑3

Table 1‑3: 10 Year LOM Sustaining Capital Costs by Area

Project

Cost

$ Million

Percentage of Total

Myara North Mine Moves

160

62%

Conveyor Belt Replacements

25

7%

Haul Road Improvements

51

15%

Other Sustaining Capital

113

32%

Total

349

100%

Other capital costs are for replacement of conveyors, haul road improvements and other sustaining capital needed to continue the operations.

Alcoa’s sustaining capital estimates for Darling Range are derived from annual budgets and historical actuals over the long life of the current operation.  According to the American Association of Cost Engineers (AACE) International, these estimates would be classified as Class 1 with an accuracy range of ‑3% to -10% to +3% to +15%.

2.3.14.2

Operating Costs

The main production mining operations are primarily Owner-operated using Alcoa equipment and employees. Contractors are also used for certain activities on site.

Operating costs for the current LOM of seven years are based on the 2022 budget.

No items have been identified that would significantly impact operating costs either positively or negatively over the life of mine.  Minor year-to-year variations should be expected based upon maintenance outages and production schedules.  Forecast costs for 2022 and average mine operating costs the seven-year LOM are shown below in Table 1‑4.

 


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Table 1‑4: LOM On-site Mine Operating Costs by Category

Cost Centre

2022

($/wmt)

Average LOM

($/wmt)

%age of Operating Cost

Direct Labour

$3.44

$4.50

30%

Services

$1.56

$4.26

31%

Other

$1.73

$3.80

27%

Corporate Chargebacks for support services

$0.53

$2.37

17%

Energy

$0.30

$0.61

4%

Fuel

$0.35

$0.36

3%

Operating Supplies and Spare Parts

$0.61

$0.53

4%

Maintenance (fixed plant and mobile fleet

$1.08

$0.72

5%

On-site Mine Operating Cash Cost ($/wmt)

$9.63

$1.26

9%

 

 

 

 

Off-site Costs

 

 

 

G & A, selling and other expenses

$0.20

0.18

 

R & D Corporate Chargebacks

$0.22

0.22

 

Other Costs of Goods Sold

0.03

0.03

 

Total Cash Operating Costs

$0.20

0.18

 

Services costs includes contractor costs for certain mining activities such as in noise sensitive areas and for haul road construction services, in select areas of pit development, and during landscaping activities for rehabilitation after mining.

As of Q4 2021, the Huntly and Willowdale operations together employ a total of 890 employees consisting of 92 Technical, 132 Management and 634 operations employees. Additionally, 32 employees are centrally employed on the combined operations.

 


 


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3.0

Introduction

SLR International Corporation (SLR) was appointed by Alcoa Corporation (Alcoa) to prepare an independent Technical Report Summary (TRS) on the Darling Range bauxite mines, located in Western Australia.  The purpose of this report is to support the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates for the mines as of December 31, 2021. This Technical Report Summary conforms to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Modernized Property Disclosure Requirements for Mining Registrants as described in Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K, Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations (S-K 1300), and Item 601(b)(96) of Regulation S-K.

Alcoa is one of the world’s largest aluminum producers and is a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). The company owns and operates integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminum smelting operations at numerous assets globally including in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Alcoa is also a Joint Venture partner for several other integrated operations in Brazil, Canada, Guinea, and Saudi Arabia.

The Darling Range, located south of Perth in Western Australia, comprises two active bauxite mining areas – the Huntly and Willowdale mines – owned and operated by Alcoa of Australia Limited, which is 60% owned by Alcoa Corporation and 40% owned by Alumina Limited. The Huntly and Willowdale operations collectively represent one of the world’s largest bauxite mines which supplies Alcoa’s three aluminum refineries in the region: Kwinana, Pinjarra, and Wagerup. On the basis that both mining areas supply ore to the same local refineries which are also operated by Alcoa, and that both mining areas are located within the same mining lease boundary, SLR considers the mines a single property for the purposes of this report.

Alcoa has a long history of mining in the Darling Range with Huntly and Willowdale commencing commercial production in 1972 and 1984 respectively. These mining areas were preceded by the Jarrahdale bauxite mine which was operational between 1963 and 1998. The Huntly mine currently supplies bauxite to the Pinjarra and Kwinana refineries, while the Willowdale mine supplies the Wagerup refinery. The mines collectively produce approximately 37 Mtpa of bauxite, with approximately 27 Mtpa from Huntly and 10 Mtpa from Willowdale.

3.1

Site Visits

SLR Qualified Persons (QPs) visited the site on October 14, 2021.   The SLR Mining Geologist QP and SLR Mining Engineer were accompanied by Alcoa’s Principal Geologist Global Planning to undertake site visits and inspections of various aspects of the Huntly and Willowdale mining areas.

The site visit commenced with a general induction overview at Alcoa’s Pinjarra office (Bindjareb). The group then visited the Willowdale mine site (specifically, the new mine office near the Larego crusher) as well as various locations on Larego accompanied by Alcoa’s Short Term Planning Superintendent.

The QPs then inspected the Darling Scarp including the covered downhill conveyor, sampling station, ore stockpile stacker/reclaimer, and Wagerup refinery.

The mine office at Huntly situated near the Myara crusher was visited with Alcoa’s Short-Term Planner, then the QP group proceeded to various mining locations around that operation. As it was a maintenance day, the crusher and conveyor were not operating.

The Digital fleet management system (FMS) was reviewed at the Myara site.


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The SLR QPs interviewed several senior Alcoa staff at the operation sites.

Alcoa provided permission to document the site visit with video, photos and audio which were shared with the other SLR team members. Some interviews were also carried out using remote video access.

SLR QPs visited the Alcoa’s Mine Planning department at Booragoon on October 27, 2021, for discussions about Alcoa’s planning systems.  One of SLR’s QPs carried out inspections of the Kwinana laboratory facilities, in particular the FTIR assaying procedures on November 01, 2021. Drilling methods were inspected on site on November 8, 2021, along with an examination of the database management procedures. The stockpile sampling, stacking, and reclaiming at Pinjarra refinery was inspected on November 12, 2021.

The SLR Metallurgist QP did not visit the site, since travel restriction related to the COVID-19 pandemic made this impractical, however the site was visited by others who reviewed all Modifying Factors.

3.2

Sources of Information

During the preparation of this Technical Report Summary, discussions were held with personnel from Alcoa Corporation and the Huntly and Willowdale Mines, including:

 

Mr Alex Hatch, Principal Geologist, Alcoa

 

Mr Gary Johnson, Short Term Planning Superintendent Willowdale Mine, Alcoa

 

Mr Damien Brown, Short Term Planner, Huntly mine, Alcoa

 

Mr John Greenwood, Director of Bella Analytical Services

 

Mr Neylor Aguiar, Principal Mining Engineer - Global Planning

 

Ms Beth Butler, Community Relations Advisor – WA Mining, Alcoa

 

Ms Suellen Jerrad, Corporate Affairs Manager, Alcoa

 

Mr Andrew Richardson, Senior Environmental Scientist – Approvals and Compliance – WA Mining, Alcoa

This Technical Report summary was prepared by SLR QPs. The documentation reviewed, and other sources of information, are listed at the end of this report in Section 24.0 References.


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3.3

List of Abbreviations

Units of measurement used in this report conform to the metric system.  All currency in this report is United States dollars (US$), unless otherwise noted.

Abbreviation

Description

°C

degree Celsius

°F

degree Fahrenheit

2D

2-dimensional

3D

3-dimensional

3DBM

3D Block Model

a

annum

A

ampere

A.Al2O3

available alumina

AACE

American Association of Cost Engineers

AFFF

Aqueous Film Forming Foams

AGD

Australian Geodetic Datum

Alcoa

Alcoa Corporation

Alcoa US

Aluminum Company of America Ltd

AMG

Australian Map Grid

AMPD

Absolute Mean Percentage Difference

AMSL

above mean sea level

AMWU

Australian Metal Workers Union

AofA

Alcoa of Australia Ltd

API

Alumina Price Index

ARO

Asset Retirement Obligations

AWAC

Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals

AWU

Australian Workers Union

B&P

Bias and Precision

bbl

barrels

BD

Bomb digest

BD-GC

bomb digest gas chromatography

BD-ICP

bomb digest inductively coupled plasma

BD-NDIR

bomb digest non-dispersive infrared

Bella

Bella Analytical Systems

Btu

British thermal units

BV

Bureau Veritas

C$

Canadian dollars

cal

calorie

CalVal

calibration and validation for FTIR

cfm

cubic feet per minute

CIM

CIM (2014)

cm

centimeter

cm2

square centimeter


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CRM

certified reference material

CV

Coefficient of Variation

d

Day

DBCA

Water Corporation, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions

DCF

Discounted Cash Flow

DEM

Digital Terrain Model

DG

Discrete Gaussian

DGPS

(Differential) Global Positioning System

dia

Diameter

DIBD

dry in situ bulk density (t/m3)

DJTSI

Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation

DMIRS

Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety

dmt

dry metric tonne

DWER

Department of Water and Environment Regulation

dwt

dead-weight ton

EMS

Environmental Management System

ETU

Electrical Trades Union

EWR

Ecological water requirements

FMS

Fleet Management System

FPC

Forest Products Commission

ft

foot

ft/s

foot per second

ft2

square foot

ft3

cubic foot

FTIR

fourier transform infrared spectrometry

g

gram

G

giga (billion)

g/L

gram per liter

g/t

gram per tonne

Gal

Imperial gallon

GC

gas chromatography

Geological Survey

Geological Survey of Western Australia

GIS

Geographical Information System

Gpm

Imperial gallons per minute

gr/ft3

grain per cubic foot

gr/m3

grain per cubic meter

GSM

gridded seam model

ha

hectare

HARD

Half Absolute Relative Difference

hp

horsepower

hr

hour

HRSG

Heat Recovery Steam Generator

Hz

Hertz


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ICP-OES

inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

IDW

inverse distance weighting

in.

inch

in2

square inch

IRM

internal reference material

IRR

Internal Rate of Return

ISO

International Standardization Organization

J

Joule

JORC

JORC Code (2012)

k

kilo (thousand)

kcal

kilocalorie

kg

kilogram

km

kilometer

km/h

kilometer per hour

km2

square kilometer

kPa

kilopascal

kV

kilovolt

kVA

kilovolt-amperes

kW

kilowatt

kWh

kilowatt-hour

KWI

Kwinana Mining Laboratory

L

liter

L/s

liters per second

lb

pound

LiDAR

Light Detecting and Ranging

LIMS

laboratory information management system

LME

London Metal Exchange

LOM

Life of Mine

LTMCPs

Long-Term Mine Closure Plans

m

micron

m

meter

M

mega (million); molar

m2

square meter

m3

cubic meter

m3/h

cubic meters per hour

Ma

Million years ago

MALSI

microwave available alumina (AL) and reactive silica (SI)

MASL

meters above sea level

MD

microwave digest

MD-ICP

microwave digest inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

mg

microgram

mi

mile

min

minute


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mL

milliliters

ML

Mineral Lease

mm

millimeter

MMPLG

Mining and Management Program Liaison Group

MMPs

Mining and Management Programs

mph

miles per hour

MS

Ministerial Statement or Magnetic Susceptibility

Mtpa

Million tonnes per annum

MVA

megavolt-amperes

MW

megawatt

MWh

megawatt-hour

NATA

Australian National Association of Testing Authorities

NI 43-101

National Instrument 43-101 (2014)

NPC

Net Present Cost

NPV

Net Present Value

NTU

Nephelometric Turbidity Units

NYSE

New York Stock Exchange

OK

ordinary kriging

oz

Troy ounce (31.1035g)

oz/st, opt

ounce per short ton

PFAS

per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances

ppb

part per billion

ppm

part per million

psia

pound per square inch absolute

psig

pound per square inch gauge

QA

Quality Assurance

QA/QC

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

QC

Quality Control

QP(s)

Qualified Person(s)

R.SiO2

reactive silica

RC

Reverse Circulation

REF

reference method

ResTag

mineral resource estimation system

RL

relative elevation

ROM

Run of Mine

RTK

real time kinematic

s

second

SEC

Securities and Exchange Commission

S-K 1300

Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K

SLR

SLR International Corproation

Snowden

Snowden Mining Consultants

SOBR

stripping topsoil and secondary overburden removal

SPU

sample presentation unit


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SRK

SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd

st

short ton

STE

sample to extinction

stpa

short ton per year

stpd

short ton per day

SWIS

South West Interconnected System

t

metric tonne

T.Al2O3

Total Alumina

T.SiO2

Total silica

TICTOC

Total Inorganic Carbon and Extractable Organic Carbon

tpa

metric tonne per year

tpd

metric tonne per day

TRS

Technical Report Summary

US$

United States dollar

USg

United States gallon

USgpm

United States gallon per minute

V

volt

W

watt

WA

Western Australia

WANL

Western Aluminium NL

WMC

Western Mining Corporation Ltd

wmt

wet metric tonne

wt%

weight percent

XRD

x-ray diffraction

XRF

x-ray fluorescence

Xstract

Xstract Resources

yd3

cubic yard

yr

Year

 

 

 

 


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4.0

Property Description

4.1

Location

The Darling Range is located in the southwest of Western Australia and comprises an extensive uplifted plateau of bauxite deposits which is host to several mining operations including the Huntly and Willowdale mining areas, approximately 80 km and 100 km southeast of Perth, respectively. The nearest towns to the mining centers are North Dandalup (approximately 15 km west of Huntly) and Waroona (approximately 15 km west of Willowdale). Both towns are within the Peel Region of southwest Western Australia and are on the route of the South Western Highway, a major national road connecting Perth with the south coast.

All spatial data used for Mineral Resource estimation are reported using a local grid based on Australian Map Grid 1984 (AMG84) system (Zone 50) and using Australian Geodetic Datum 1984 (AGD84) coordinate set. The approximate coordinates of the mining areas are 410000 m East and 6390000 m North (Huntly) and 410000 m East and 6365000 m North (Willowdale). The Huntly and Willowdale mining areas are separated by approximately 35 km (Figure 3‑1).

The Pinjarra refinery is located adjacent to the east of the town of Pinjarra and is approximately 25 km southwest of the Huntly mining areas. The Kwinana refinery, also supplied by Huntly, is approximately 50 km northwest of Huntly in the city of Kwinana, a suburb approximately 40 km south of Perth. The Wagerup refinery, supplied by Willowdale, is located immediately adjacent to the east of the South Western Highway, approximately 8 km south of Waroona and 20 km west of the Willowdale mining area.

4.2

Land Tenure

The Huntly and Willowdale bauxite mines are covered by a single mineral concession referred to as Mineral Lease (ML) 1SA. The concession was originally granted on September 25, 1961, by the State Government of Western Australia under the Alumina Refinery Agreement Act, 1961, permitting the exploration and extraction of bauxite. ML1SA was granted for a period of four, 21-year periods the third period of which is due to expire on September 24, 2024. Prior to September 24, 2024, Alcoa will notify the State Government of Western Australia of its intention to exercise its right to renew for a further 21-year period to extend the concession to 2045. Subject to Alcoa having complied with the Alumina Refinery Agreement Act, 1961, the State Government will grant Alcoa the renewal.  The State Government concession agreement includes the potential for conditional renewal beyond 2045. This will require negotiation between Alcoa and the State Government prior to this date to agree on an extension of the agreement, and is therefore not guaranteed.  

Conditions which must be fulfilled by Alcoa to retain ML1SA include annual reporting requirements under several State Agreement Acts, Ministerial Statements, and Environmental Protection Acts. These are described in Section 3.6 below.

The current concession of ML1SA covers an area of 7,022.61 km2, extending from the north of Perth on the eastern side to the town of Collie in the south (Table 3‑1). Alcoa has the exclusive right to explore for and mine bauxite on all Crown Land within the ML1SA.  This area includes sub-lease arrangements made between Alcoa and the Worsley Alumina joint venture participants which include South32, Japan Alumina Associates (Australia) Pty Ltd and Sojitz Alumina Pty Ltd (Worsley Participants). The agreements, made in August 2001 and September 2016, provide bauxite mining concessions to the Worsley Participants. No


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Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves attributable to the Darling Range mining areas have been declared within these sub-lease areas.

Table 3‑1: ML1SA license details

Concession Name

Title Holder

Expiry Date

Area (km2)

ML1SA

Alcoa of Australia

24/09/2024

7,022.61

 

Alcoa pays rental for each square mile of ML1SA in accordance with the Alumina Refinery Agreement Act 1961 (WA). In 2021 this amounted to A$13,560.

The boundary of the ML1SA concession area, including the limit of the Worsley Participants’ area, is illustrated in Figure 3‑1. The contained Mining Regions are shown in Figure 3‑4, while the extents of the mined areas and Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves are shown in Figure 3‑3:

 

 


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Figure 3‑1:ML1SA lease extents (Alcoa, 2022)


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Figure 3‑2:Map of Mining Reporting Centers, Mining Regions, and Production Sheets (Alcoa, 2022)


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Figure 3‑3:Map of current Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve extents (Alcoa, 2022)

4.3

Naming Conventions

Alcoa has developed a terminology to refer to various parts of the Mineral Lease. There are three major Mining Reporting Centers exist in ML1SA: North (previously Jarrahdale), Huntly in the central area, and Willowdale in the south. The boundaries are nominal and may change to match the planned ore destination. The southernmost region of the North mining center was reallocated to Huntly in 2017 and named Myara North.

Mining Regions subdivisions of the Reporting Centers that cover several years of mining activities, focused on a specific crusher location. The boundaries are named after forestry blocks. A total of 12 Mining Regions are represented in the current resource estimate: 1 in North, 7 in Huntly, and 4 in Willowdale.

Mining Pits are named based on their sequence along haul roads. These names are used by the mining fleet when referring to local short-term production. The map reference system outlined below is used for drilling, estimation, and long-term planning.

The Mineral Lease is divided into a grid of Exploration Sheets being rectangles 4.2 km (north) by 3.6 km (east). Each 15.12 km2 Exploration Sheet is assigned a name and coded using letters A to V (west to east), and numbers 10 to 80 (north to south), e.g. G45.

Each Exploration Sheet is divided into 28 Production Sheets 900 m (east) by 600 m (north), an area of 0.54 km2. The Production Sheets are assigned a number (1 to 28), sequentially 4 across (towards the east) and 7 down (towards the south), e.g. G4520.

Each Production Sheet is divided using a 15 m by 15 m grid resulting in 2,400 grid cells (40 north by 60 east). Each of these is regarded as a point, and assigned a numeric code 1 to 40 towards the south and 1 to 60 towards the east. These are appended to the Production Sheet name to provide a grid point label, e.g. G4520 1430 and used on 1:1000 Map Sheets to define drill hole locations.

The Exploration Sheet, Production Sheet, and Map Sheet conventions are shown in Figure 3‑4:


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Figure 3‑4:Exploration Sheet, Production Sheet, and Map Sheet conventions (SRK, 2021)

4.4

Encumbrances

Constraints on mining activities within the ML1SA concession are in place which prevent bauxite mining in these areas including:

 

Within 200 m from the Top Water Level of Drinking Water Reservoirs

 

National Parks

 

Aboriginal Heritage Sites

 

Old Growth Forest

 

Formal Conservation Areas

 

Within a 50 m buffer of Granite Outcrop (greater than 1 ha).

Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves have not been defined in these restricted areas. Operating rights are obtained by Alcoa through annual submission and approval of the Mining and Management Programs (MMPs) which include mining schedules and the authorizations provided by the Mining and Management Program Liaison Group (MMPLG).

Mining on a day-only basis is conducted in “noise zones” where noise from the mining operations will potentially exceed allowable levels. The operation actively seeks to maintain lower noise levels than those


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mandated, thus mining in these areas is undertaken by contract miners using smaller equipment on day shifts only.

4.5

Royalties

Alcoa is the holder of ML1SA. For bauxite that is mined and processed in Alcoa’s Western Australian alumina refineries, Alcoa pays royalties on the alumina produced in accordance with the Alumina Refinery Agreement Act 1961 (WA). For bauxite that is mined and exported, Alcoa pays royalties in accordance with the Mining Act 1978 (WA).

4.6

Required Permits and Status

Alcoa operates under several State Agreement Acts as well as Ministerial Statements and environmental operating licenses issued under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) including:

 

Alumina Refinery Agreement Act 1961 (WA)

 

Alumina Refinery (Pinjarra) Agreement Act 1969 (WA)

 

Alumina Refinery (Wagerup) Agreement Act 1978 and Acts Amendment Act 1978 (WA), which provided for the creation of the MMPLG

 

Alumina Refinery Agreements (Alcoa) Amendment Act 1987 (WA)

 

Ministerial Statement 728 (as amended by Ministerial Statements 897, 1069 and 1157) (MS728)

 

Ministerial Statement 646

 

Environmental Protection (Alcoa – Huntly and Willowdale Mine Sites) Exemption Order 2004 (Exemption Order)

 

Environmental licenses L6210/1991/10 and L6465/1989/10 granted under Part V of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA)

The MMPLG is chaired by the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.   The MMPLG was first established in 1978 and consists of representatives of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DJTSI), Department of Water and Environment Regulation (DWER), Water Corporation, Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), and the Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS).  The MMPLG is recognized by the Minster for Environment in Ministerial Statements (95, 390, 564, 728, 897 and 1069) regarding expansion of Alcoa operations. The management and oversight of all Darling Range operations by the MMPLG involves:

 

Provide oversight to mining, infrastructure, processing and related operations within ML1SA

 

Advise on the environmental and social adherence of the 5-year MMPs developed by Alcoa on a recurring annual basis.

 

Provide six-monthly authorizations for ground clearance for mining in accordance with the submitted and approved MMPs.

 

Provide oversight to ongoing rehabilitation of mined areas


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The permitting and approval processes, as provided by Alcoa, are summarized below:

 

Clause 9 (1) of the 1961 State Agreement provides Alcoa the sole rights to explore and mine the bauxite deposits within ML1SA.

 

Clause 5 of the Wagerup State Agreement specifies that Alcoa must consult with the DBCA in relation to the requirement to submit annual mine plans for mining associated with the Wagerup refinery.

 

Under Clause 6 (1) of the Wagerup State Agreement, Alcoa has submitted several environmental review documents to the State Government for subsequent approvals of the Wagerup refinery construction and expansions. Within these environmental assessment documents, significant information on Alcoa’s bauxite mining operations associated with the Wagerup refinery was included, resulting in several conditions in relation to Alcoa’s bauxite mining operations associated with the Wagerup refinery being incorporated in the Ministerial Statements of which the current one is Ministerial Statement 728 (as amended). Procedure 3 of MS728 outlines Alcoa’s requirements to have a publicly available Completion Criteria document for its bauxite mining operations, developed in consultation with the MMPLG. Procedure 4 of MS728 outlines the MMPLG’s authority to review and approve Alcoa’s mining operations through the five-year Mine Plan process.  To the extent the conditions on bauxite mining operations in Ministerial Statement 728 and the predecessor Ministerial Statements did not cover bauxite mining unrelated to the Wagerup refinery, Alcoa agreed to extend the conditions to the rest of its bauxite mining.

 

Through the Wagerup State Agreement, MS728, and agreement between the State Government and Alcoa, the MMPLG is responsible for reviewing and providing a recommendation to the Minister for Environment and the Minister for State Development to approve Alcoa’s five-year Mine Plans.  

 

Alcoa’s mining operations within ML1SA are also conducted in accordance with the Environmental Protection (Alcoa – Huntly and Willowdale Mine Sites) Exemption Order 2004 (Exemption Order) made by the Minister for the Environment. The Exemption Order is consistent with the Wagerup State Agreement that established the MMPLG and MMP processes and it also reflects the procedures of MS728 that sets out the MMPLG’s responsibility to review annual rolling 5-year mine plans for Alcoa’s operations.

Alcoa reports that all licenses and permissions for the mining operations are currently valid.  However, Alcoa is seeking formal environmental impact assessment and approval from the State and Federal Government, which is required prior to mining within the Myara North region of the Huntly mine.  These approvals will be through the current process under the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth). Alcoa is seeking these approvals to facilitate an increase in production at the Pinjarra refinery and additional bauxite mining for export as well as to modernize aspects of the regulatory framework for the Huntly mine.  

4.7

Other Significant Factors and Risks

SLR is not aware of any environmental liabilities on the property. Alcoa has all required permits to conduct the proposed work on the property.  SLR is not aware of any other significant factors and risks that may affect access, title, or the right or ability to perform the proposed work program on the property.

 

 


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5.0

Accessibility, Climate, Local Resources, Infrastructure and Physiography

5.1

Accessibility

As described in previous sections, the Darling Range Huntly and Willowdale operations are located approximately 150 km south of Perth. The Darling Range is readily accessible via road from Perth and surrounding areas. The mines are near the towns of Pinjarra and Waroona. Both towns are easily accessible via the national South Western Highway, a sealed single carriageway road, which starts on the southern side of Perth and continues for almost 400 km to the southwest corner of Western Australia.

Huntly is accessible from the South Western Highway via Del Park Road, a sealed single carriageway road which connects the town of North Dandalup in the north with Dwellingup in the south. From Del Park Road, a 3km sealed road following the route of the bauxite conveyor to the Pinjarra refinery provides access to the Huntly site administration offices.

Willowdale is similarly accessible 19 km from the South Western Highway via Nanga Brook Road, a sealed single carriageway road to the east of Waroona.

There are several airstrips in the region, although the closest major airport is in Perth, approximately 70 km north of North Dandalup. The nearest commercial port is at the Kwinana refinery, approximately 40 km south of Perth (as illustrated on Figure 15‑1).

While an extensive haul road network and overland conveyors transport crushed bauxite from the main mining hub to the Wagerup and Pinjarra refineries, bauxite is also transferred to the Kwinana refinery via the Kwinana freight railway system, using the Kwinana–Mundijong line.

5.2

Climate

The southwest region of Western Australia exhibits a temperate climate, with very hot and dry summers (December to February) and mild winters (June to August). Rainfall is generally low and variable, ranging from an average rainfall of 25 mm during the three summer months and exceeding 200 mm during the three winter months (Australian Government, Bureau of Meteorology). Local climate conditions generally do not interrupt the mining schedule, which continues throughout the year. Occasionally however, significant rainfall inhibits access and can impact mining activities.

Table 4‑1: Historical Climate Data

 

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

°C Mean Max

29.7

29.7

27.1

22.6

18.6

16.1

15.1

15.8

17.4

20.1

23.8

27.4

°C Mean Min

14.3

14.6

13.0

10.4

7.7

6.5

5.5

5.5

6.5

8.1

10.5

12.6

mm Mean Rainfall

16.5

22.0

26.8

65.1

156.4

233.7

234.9

193.4

130.1

79.2

46.2

20.6

Notes:

 

1.

Temperature and rainfall data sourced from the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology, collected from the weather station at Dwellingup http://www.bom.gov.au/climate/averages/tables/cw_009538.shtml


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2.

Data includes that collected from 1935 to 2021.

5.3

Local Resources

The Darling Range is located in an easily accessible region of southwest Western Australia with the Huntly and Willowdale mining areas both within 15 km of well-established towns which act as residential and commercial centers. Several other towns and smaller settlements are positioned along the South Western Highway which acts as a major connection for the Darling Range to the city of Perth where a far greater range of general services is available.

5.4

Infrastructure

The following section refers to several named mining areas within the Huntly and Willowdale mining centers, including Myara, Larego, Orion, and Arundel, each of which is illustrated in Figure 3‑2 above.

Mining infrastructure in the Darling Range is generally concentrated in the Myara site in the northwest of the Huntly mining center, and at the Larego area in the center of the Willowdale mining area (20 km southeast of Wagerup) having been relocated 16 km southwards from the Orion Hub during 2021). Both operations include various ancillary facilities that are not listed exhaustively here, however both infrastructure areas include:

 

Ore crushing and handling facilities

 

Ore stockpile stacker/reclaimer

 

Maintenance facilities

 

Sampling stations

 

Site offices including a production tracking room

 

Haul road networks

 

Overland conveyors, as illustrated on Figure 15‑1.

 

Water supplies consisting of abstraction from licensed surface water sources supplemented with treated wastewater from vehicle washdowns, stormwater runoff, and maintenance workshops. Water sources are illustrated on Figure 15‑1.

 

o

The Huntly mine draws water from Banksiadale Dam and Boronia Waterhole. The mine also holds a license to draw water from Pig Swamp and Marrinup, although these are reported as being rarely utilized, and it is permitted to draw water from South Dandalup Dam under an agreement with the Water Corporation.

 

o

Willowdale Mine draws water from Samson Dam, approximately 10 km southeast of Waroona.

The Willowdale five-year mining plan recently included the relocation of the crusher from the former Orion infrastructure area in the north to Larego in the south. This included supporting infrastructure construction activities including:

 

Overland conveyor construction from Arundel to Larego, as illustrated in Figure 15‑1.

 

Haul road development into new mining areas


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Establishment of production office facilities

 

Access routes between gated mining areas and fire-fighting tracks

 

Water offtake points for Larego (along the Samson Dam)

Personnel are sourced from the area around Perth, Western Australia, which benefits from a skilled workforce due to the relatively large number of operating mines in the region. Personnel typically have private accommodation in the nearby city of Mandurah (60 km from the mine) and towns (Waroona, Hamel, Yarloop, Harvey and Wagerup).

Huntly Mine has three power supplies fed from the Pinjarra refinery. A single 33 kilovolt (KV) supply and two 13.8 kV supplies. The Pinjarra refinery is a net importer of power from the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), with internal generation capacity of 100 Megawatt (MW) from 4 steam driven turbine alternators. The steam is produced by gas fired boilers and a non-Alcoa gas turbine Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG).

Willowdale Mine has a single power supply fed from the Wagerup refinery. A single 22 kV supply. The Wagerup refinery is a net exporter of power to the SWIS, with internal generation capacity of 108 MW from three steam driven turbine alternators and one gas turbine. The steam is produced by gas fired boilers.

5.5

Physiography

The western edge of the Darling Range is characterized by scarps and incised valleys, landforms which are attributed to tectonic activity along the Darling Fault, the dominant structural feature in the region which acts as the western boundary of the deposits. This feature is observable in regional topographical survey information and satellite imagery to roughly follow the coastline of southwest Western Australia and is approximately demarcated by the extent of Jarrah Forest, a recognized bioregion.

The topography of the ML1SA concession generally comprises wide valleys and undulating hills separated by minor surface water drainage channels and streams. Vegetation across the ML1SA is dominated by several areas of State Forest including Dwellingup, Lane Poole, and Youraling. These include distinct areas of old growth forest within which mining is prohibited.

The typical elevation ranges from 300 m to 400 m in the mining areas, however the highest points of the region (outside of the mining areas) are approximately 550 m.

Topography data was acquired from:

 

Drill hole collar survey data

 

Light Detecting and Ranging (LiDAR) surveys

 

Landgate satellite data.

 


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6.0

History

6.1

Prior Ownership

Prior to 1961, there were no records of ownership of the Darling Range mines. A Special Mineral Lease (ML ISA) was granted to Western Aluminium NL (WANL) in 1961. In the same year WANL joined Aluminum Company of America Ltd (Alcoa US). In 1977 WANL became Alcoa.

6.2

Exploration and Development History

The following text is sourced and modified from Hickman, et al, 1992.

Bauxite occurrences were first recorded in the Darling Range in 1902. Bauxite was detected as a result of analysing laterite from Wongan Hills, and subsequently through examination of lateritic road gravels from several localities in the Darling Range. The Geological Survey of Western Australia (Geological Survey) produced studies and publications, driving the bauxite exploration, though most attention was focused on localities in the Darling Range close either to Perth or to railway lines servicing towns such as Toodyay and York. The Geological Survey mapped the extent of laterite in the Darling Range (close to Perth) to determine whether it contained commercial deposits of iron or aluminum ore.

The earliest non-government exploration for bauxite was carried out in 1918 by the Electrolytic Zinc Co. of Australia Pty Ltd, deeming the deposits to be generally low grade and not of commercial value, though like earlier explorers, did not focus upon the underlying friable units.

Of 46 early samples of laterite analyzed in 1919, 26 contained 35% or more available alumina. It was then assumed that bauxite in the Darling Range was confined to the duricrust part of the profile, and not considered in the underlying friable units. By 1938 bauxite deposits were known to be common throughout the Darling Range over an area of 560 km long by 40 km to 80 km) wide.

The Geological Survey maintained an interest in Darling Range laterite as an economic source of aluminum until the 1950s. However, by the late 1950s exploration had been taken over by mining companies.

No further private exploration took place until 1957 when Western Mining Corporation Ltd (WMC) began to explore for bauxite in the Darling Range. Following a regional reconnaissance, a joint venture company, WANL, formed by WMC with North Broken Hill Ltd and Broken Hill South Ltd, explored temporary reserves over a large portion of the southwest. Profiles were sampled from road cuttings, with samples collected at 400 m intervals along main roads. Selected lateritic ridges and plateaus were sampled at 90 m intervals. These areas were part of a Special Mineral Lease (ML1SA) granted to WANL in 1961.

By 1961, WANL had delineated 37 Mt of bauxite at an average grade of 33% A.Al2O3. Also in 1961, WANL joined with the Alcoa US, allowing additional systematic exploration of lease ML1SA (Figure 5‑1). Holes were drilled initially on 370 m by 185 m centers. Progressive in-fill drilling down to a spacing of 45 m by 45 m blocked out the ore at Jarrahdale and was followed by grade-control drilling. Commercial mining was finally started in 1963 at the former Jarrahdale mining center and continued until 1998, supplying bauxite to the Kwinana refinery.

The Huntly and Willowdale mines commenced commercial production in 1972 and 1984, respectively. In 1977 WANL became Alcoa. As of 2022, the Huntly and Willowdale mining operations remain active. Huntly supplies bauxite to the Kwinana and Pinjarra refineries (approximately 27 Mtpa) while Willowdale supplies the Wagerup refinery (approximately 10 Mtpa).


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Figure 5‑1:Bauxite exploration in the southwest of Western Australia 1961 (adapted from Hickman, 1992)

 


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7.0

Geological Setting, Mineralization, and Deposit

7.1

Bauxite deposits

Bauxite deposits, economic concentrations of aluminum oxide, represent the world’s major source of aluminum and consist primarily of the minerals gibbsite, boehmite, and diaspore. These are commonly found alongside iron oxide minerals including goethite and hematite, kaolinite clay minerals, and minor accessory minerals.

Lateritic bauxite deposits such as those in the Darling Range of WA generally formed in tropical (hot and humid) environments through chemical weathering. As a result, lateritic bauxite deposits are known to exist across Central and South America, West Africa, Central Asia, and Australia.

With its large available resources, access to a stable workforce, infrastructure (comprising conveyors, rail, road and port access), and three captive (mine-to-mill) dedicated alumina refineries, Alcoa’s Darling Range Bauxite operations near Perth WA, has been one of the world’s leading alumina producing regions for at least 30 years (Hickman et al, 1992), or almost 60 years as of 2021.

7.2

Regional Geology

The bauxite deposits of the Huntly and Willowdale operations are located in the Darling Range region of southwest Western Australia. The predominant topographic feature of the region is the Darling Range Fault, a north-south trending scarp which extends approximately 220 km from Bindoon (70 km north-northeast of Perth) to Collie (160 km south-southeast of Perth).

The Darling Range Fault is the structural boundary between two geological terranes: the Pinjarra Orogen to the west, now the sedimentary Swan Coastal Plain, and the Yilgarn Craton to the east, a gneissic granite complex with greenstones. To the east of the Darling Range Fault intense weathering and erosion of exposed Archean basement rocks of the Western Gneiss Terrane, the western portion of the Yilgarn Craton, formed widespread lateritic bauxite deposits by the intense weathering, accumulation and leaching of the aluminosilicate rich material of the bedrock granites (Hickman et al, 1992).

Alcoa’s current bauxite mining areas of Huntly and Willowdale are on the eastern side of the Darling Range Fault, as low-lying plateaus separated by valleys in which alluvial deposits have accumulated. Figure 6‑1 shows the regional geology of the southwest region of Western Australia and Alcoa’s ML1SA lease boundary in relation to Perth, while Figure 6‑2 shows the distribution of surficial deposits across the region.

The Jarrahdale, Del Park, Huntly and Willowdale areas that have been mined by Alcoa are on laterite within the Western Gneiss Terrane (Figure 6‑2), formed over granites that have been intruded by numerous north trending tholeiitic, quartz dolerite dykes, of early to late Proterozoic age, with thicknesses ranging from 1 m to 200 m.

Lateritic bauxite developed from the Late Cretaceous (65 Million years ago, Ma) to the Eocene (40 Ma), with several periods of erosion and intense weathering of the basement granites and dolerites. Subsequent reactivation of the Darling Fault combined with periods of erosion led to the establishment of plateaus and incised valleys, trending to wider valleys and low hills to the east which now characterize the physiography of the region.


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Figure 6‑1:Regional Geology (adapted from SRK, 2021)


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Figure 6‑2:Surface geology showing laterite over granite (Alcoa, 2015)


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7.3

Local Geology

Laterite remnants are thickest and most extensive over a 150 km long region between the Avon and Harris Rivers, and within about 50 km of the Darling Scarp. The laterite occupies gently sloping (3o to horizontal) upland areas with an average elevation of 280 to 300 meters above sea level (MASL), and high annual rainfall. Steeper slopes may have a thin cover of partly transported laterite with bedrock near the surface. Above 340 m the laterite is penetrated by bedrock which rises above the general topographic level. Below 200 m drainage has removed pre-existing laterite. Blocks of laterite, released by headward erosion of streams, decay to lateritic gravels on the lower slopes of valleys, which pass laterally into alluvial sands and silt in the valley floors (Hickman et al, 1992).

Bauxite deposits typically occur as irregularly shaped lenses on the flanks of plateaus. Critical to this is the laterite position on the slopes (Figure 6‑3): erosion generally dominates on steeper slopes which prevent accumulation and effective bauxite formation, whereas flat areas lack the necessary sub-surface water flows which drive the removal of clays and the enrichment of soluble silicate minerals.

 

Figure 6‑3:Bauxite deposit formation schematic – relief exaggerated (Alcoa, 2021)

7.4

Mineralization

Weathering, alteration and leaching of the granite bedrock has developed the bauxite mineralization which principally occurs as 65% microcrystalline gibbsite Al(OH)3 with minor to rare boehmite AlO(OH), and accessory minerals of 18% goethite FeO(OH), 7% hematite Fe2O3, 9% quartz SiO2, 1% kaolinite/halloysite Al2Si2O5(OH)4, and 0.5% anatase/rutile TiO2.

Other minerals within the bauxite that may influence the alumina refinery performance include:


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Boehmite: generally occurring below 1%, this can cause premature precipitation of dissolved gibbsite resulting in alumina being lost to the red mud residues.

 

Organic Carbon: as oxalate, typically less than 0.2%, (2.0 kg/t, measured as Na2C2O4) this can result in reduced digestion efficiencies and cause crystal growth issues during precipitation.

 

Sulphate: generally occurring at 0.25%, this can consume caustic soda during digestion resulting in lower yields.

7.5

Property Geology

Table 6‑1 provides a summary of the typical stratigraphy defined by Alcoa across their Darling Range deposits. The Hardcap and Friable Zones represent the primary horizons of economic interest due to their concentrations of alumina. A generalized mineralogical profile through these horizons is provided in Figure 6‑4 and a typical grade profile in Figure 6‑5 showing the alumina and iron-rich Hardcap, with increasing silica and decreasing alumina through the Friable Zone.

Table 6‑1: Alcoa’s Darling Range deposit typical stratigraphic column

Stratigraphic horizon

Typical thickness range (m)

Description

Overburden

0 to 0.5

Mixed soils and clays, high in organic matter, generally forming a thin layer which can penetrate deeper if the underlying Hardcap surface is variable.

Hardcap
(Caprock)

1 to 3

Ferricrete formed by the remobilization of iron into a layer comprising iron and alumina-rich nodules which can exhibit the highest alumina concentrations across the deposit. Highly variable in thickness but generally 1 m to 3 m with a sharp contact against the underlying Friable Zone.

Friable Zone

3 to 5

Leached horizon resulting in the accumulation and enrichment of bauxite minerals. The Friable Zone comprises a mixture of the overlying Hardcap, clasts, Al and Fe rich nodules, and clays. Upper contact with the Hardcap is variable, found as a sharp or transitional boundary in places. Available Alumina (A.Al2O3) typically reduces with depth as Reactive Silica (R.SiO2) increases, defining the lower boundary with the Basal Clay.

Basal Clay

-

Kaolinitic clay horizon which, transitions into a saprolitic zone above unweathered basement. This horizon is typically used as a marker indicating the full bauxite zone has been intersected and where drilling is often stopped.

 

Alcoa’s bauxite deposits across the Darling Range show high variability in both the thickness and relative proportion of each horizon. Table 6‑2 provides an extract from the acQuire database for the Mining Centres of Huntly (in the north) and Willowdale (more southerly) showing the most common (modal) Depth To Top and Thickness of the four stratigraphic horizons, based on logged drill holes from 2016 to 2020.


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Table 62: Summary of typical (modal) stratigraphic horizons within each area

Area

Description (m)

Overburden

Hardcap

Friable Zone

Basal Clay

Huntly

Depth to top

-

0.64

1.51

4.54

Thickness

0.64

0.87

3.04

-

Willowdale

Depth to top

-

0.58

1.51

4.91

Thickness

0.58

0.93

3.40

-

North

Depth to top

-

0.64

1.78

4.45

Thickness

0.64

1.14

2.67

-

Figure 6‑4:Typical Alcoa Darling Range mineralogy profile (Hickman et al, 1992)

 

Figure 6‑5: Typical Alcoa Darling Range grade profile (Alcoa, 2015)

Typical photos of the bauxite profile in current mining areas observed on 14 October 2021 are provided in Figure 6‑6.


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Figure 6‑6: Typical Alcoa Darling Range mining sequence and vertical profile (SLR, 2021)

 


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8.0

Exploration

8.1

Exploration

WANL, which became Alcoa (in 1977), carried out exploration over much of the ML1SA lease area in the 1960s as mentioned in Section 5.2. Samples were assayed for Total Al2O3 only and the data, referred to as the Imperial Drilling, is still retained comprising approximately 104,400 holes and approximately 670,000 samples.

The Imperial Drilling has not been used to prepare the current Mineral Resource estimate because the sample collection, preparation, and assaying techniques were not consistent with current practices and can no longer be validated.

8.2

Resource Definition Drilling

Resource definition drilling is initially done on a nominal regular grid spacing of 60 by 60 m. Infill drilling programs are then scheduled as required to reduce the drill spacing to 30 by 30 m, and then 15 by 15 m.

The planned drill hole collars are assigned a hole identifier (Hole ID) using the code of the 15 by 15 m grid point on the 1:1,000 Map Sheets (Section 3.3).

The drilling and sampling database used for resource estimates contains data acquired from over 1.8 million holes drilled between the early 1970s and 2021. A total of 310,906 holes are located within approximately 30 m of the 2021 resource blocks and theses holes were drilled between 1981 to 2021, with approximately 80% drilled after 2009.

A tabulation of the drill quantities by year and location is presented in Table 7‑1, and a graphical summary is shown in Figure 7‑1.

 

 


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Table 7‑1: Drill quantities by year and location

Year

Holes

Meters

Assay

Huntly

North

Willowdale

Total

Huntly

North

Willowdale

Total

Huntly

North

Willowdale

Total

1981

613

 

 

613

5,216

 

 

5,216

9,748

 

 

9,748

1983

189

 

 

189

1,036

 

 

1,036

1,804

 

 

1,804

1984

941

 

 

941

6,711

 

 

6,711

11,456

 

 

11,456

1985

367

 

 

367

2,614

 

 

2,614

4,608

 

 

4,608

1990

251

 

 

251

1,620

 

 

1,620

2,955

 

 

2,955

1991

1,544

 

1,179

2,723

8,528

 

9,090

17,618

15,023

 

16,428

31,451

1992

5,269

 

1,760

7,029

29,335

 

12,706

42,041

51,432

 

22,986

74,418

1993

1,808

 

490

2,298

10,230

 

3,173

13,403

17,973

 

5,839

23,812

1994

5,838

632

1,145

7,615

32,694

4,019

6,348

43,061

56,873

7,103

11,010

74,986

1995

3,605

79

2,086

5,770

21,800

477

11,911

34,188

38,505

871

21,509

60,885

1996

5,036

336

836

6,208

28,387

1,522

5,125

35,034

49,934

2,667

9,274

61,875

1997

666

 

3,672

4,338

4,077

 

22,923

27,000

7,359

 

41,282

48,641

1998

372

 

912

1,284

2,495

 

5,411

7,906

4,603

 

9,784

14,387

1999

323

 

721

1,044

2,091

 

3,448

5,538

3,851

 

6,062

9,913

2000

232

 

213

445

1,530

 

1,266

2,796

2,773

 

2,287

5,060

2001

670

 

583

1,253

5,915

 

3,753

9,668

10,878

 

6,815

17,693

2002

1,087

 

214

1,301

9,886

 

1,190

11,076

18,293

 

2,110

20,403

2003

253

 

1,282

1,535

1,745

 

8,185

9,929

3,142

 

14,908

18,050

2004

 

 

264

264

 

 

1,354

1,354

 

 

2,459

2,459

2005

558

 

1,604

2,162

4,086

 

9,010

13,096

7,420

 

16,360

23,780

2006

1,090

 

794

1,884

8,113

 

4,736

12,849

14,973

 

8,680

23,653

2007

3,668

 

3,594

7,262

25,693

 

22,947

48,640

47,450

 

41,689

89,139

2008

2,036

 

556

2,592

12,723

 

3,248

15,970

23,072

 

5,865

28,937

2009

3,046

 

255

3,301

18,219

 

1,381

19,600

32,613

 

2,481

35,094


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Year

Holes

Meters

Assay

Huntly

North

Willowdale

Total

Huntly

North

Willowdale

Total

Huntly

North

Willowdale

Total

2010

6,825

 

1,114

7,939

40,575

 

7,669

48,243

71,959

 

14,160

86,119

2011

10,600

 

880

11,480

60,565

 

6,172

66,737

106,091

 

11,236

117,327

2012

10,755

 

1,170

11,925

64,041

 

9,192

73,234

113,088

 

16,916

130,004

2013

14,006

 

2,600

16,606

88,290

 

21,940

110,230

155,854

 

40,472

196,326

2014

13,283

 

10,616

23,899

76,166

 

72,592

148,757

135,466

 

132,814

268,280

2015

21,215

 

10,752

31,967

121,628

 

65,444

187,072

215,338

 

118,527

333,865

2016

18,597

 

856

19,453

110,030

 

4,997

115,026

194,987

 

8,957

203,944

2017

9,464

 

9,110

18,574

51,789

 

55,021

106,809

90,914

 

97,972

188,886

2018

12,597

 

9,485

22,082

68,224

 

51,037

119,261

120,355

 

90,291

210,646

2019

16,144

 

13,287

29,431

95,715

 

90,153

185,868

170,082

 

163,143

333,225

2020

17,408

 

16,041

33,449

90,666

 

102,122

192,788

159,400

 

184,176

343,576

2021

11,021

 

10,411

21,432

69,545

 

79,810

149,355

123,076

 

146,100

269,176

Total

201,377

1,047

108,482

310,906

1,181,977

6,018

703,351

1,891,346

2,093,349

10,641

1,272,592

3,376,582

 

 

 


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Figure 7‑1:Chart of resource drill holes by year (Alcoa, 2021)

The Darling Range deposits contain more than 3 million drillholes distributed across a lease of over 7,000 km2, making it unfeasible to show a plan view of the property with the locations of all drill holes and other samples. Figure 3‑3, however, shows the lateral extent of Alcoa’s mined areas and Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves within the ML1SA lease. The Darling Range bauxite project is considered to be in the process of sustaining Mineral Reserve from already defined mineralisation, rather than in Exploration mode. Resource Definition drilling is planned to continue throughout all areas where Alcoa has mining permits as described, to sustain the Mineral Reserves and future production. Figure 7‑2 shows a typical section through 30 m spaced Resource definition drillholes:


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Figure 7‑2:Example geological section – F55 N 6,325,500 (SRK, 2021)

8.3

Drilling methods

A picture containing tree, outdoor, forest, wooded

Description automatically generatedA picture containing tree, grass, outdoor, green

Description automatically generatedThe methods currently used for drill sampling in the Darling Range by Alcoa have been consistently used since the 1980s. Drilling is done using dedicated drills mounted on a fleet of tractors which can be driven off tracks into the forest, causing minimal damage or disturbance and obviating the need to clear drilling pads. Planned hole positions are located by the driller using Global Positioning System (GPS). The articulated tractors are highly maneuverable and there is only minor disruption to groundcover vegetation and saplings which may be eased out of the way (Figure 7‑3).

Figure 7‑3:Resource drilling tractor accessing the forest (SLR, 2021)

Drilling is completed by; Alcoa using vacuum drill rigs, by contractor Wallis Drilling using their patented reverse circulation (RC) aircore rigs, and by contractor JSW using a similar RC method. Wallis and JSW holes are both referred to as aircore drilling. In 2021 there were 5 Alcoa rigs, 3 Wallis rigs, and 4 JSW rigs.

In recent years the drilling period has been extended from 9 to 10 months. More wet ground is now encountered and, where required, vacuum drilling is either deferred until the ground conditions improve, or is re-assigned for aircore drilling.


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Drilling is rapid with holes typically completed every 15 minutes from locating the collar position to completing the drilling, cleaning the sampling equipment and readying the samples for despatch. While 12 rigs are currently used, the procedure is consistent across all rigs and virtually unchanged since the early 1990s at Jarrahdale. Minor modifications to the drilling procedures that have occurred include (in order of importance for their impact on the resource database):

 

Drilling initially was done by vacuum rigs but this has been supplemented by the aircore rigs.

 

GPS methods have been introduced to locate the drill hole collar positions in 3D space, providing more precision on the hole and sample locations (noting that hole positions are assigned to the planned position, see Section 7.6.

 

The sample catching, splitting and logging procedures have been progressively upgraded, following review by various independent consultants (Holmes, 2018; Snowden, 2015; SRK, 2017, 2018, 2019b, 2021a; Xstract, 2016). The riffle splitting system has been enhanced through simple changes to provide a better, more robust method.

 

The logging system has changed from manual paper plods to a completely digital recording system, albeit with paper backup where needed. Barcodes are now used on samples and matching these to the logs is now semi-automatic.

 

The splitting and logging equipment on the drill rig has been progressively improved to make setup and pack-down more efficient and to protect the logging equipment during site moves.

 

Rollover bars, guards, shields, lockouts and other safety protections have been added and safety procedures enhanced with industry norms.

 

Environmental protections and reporting have been enhanced to best practice in SLR’s opinion.

Samples used for Mineral Resource estimation are only acquired using vacuum drilling or aircore reverse circulation. Both methods generally drill dry holes in that water is not added. Water ingress into vacuum holes destroys the sample circulation and wet holes are abandoned. Alcoa commenced aircore drilling in 2015, with the initial plan being to phase out vacuum drilling. The prime advantage of aircore over vacuum is sample recovery when holes do encounter groundwater.

For the 2021 Mineral Resource inventory, 12% of the estimation dataset is derived from aircore holes. In the 2019-2021 drilling for which assay data is available, 79% was performed using aircore (71% for Huntly and 89% for Willowdale).

In vacuum drilling the sample is finely ground and sucked up from the bottom of the hole by a top-mounted vacuum pump. In aircore drilling, compressed air is blown down the annulus between the inner and outer drill string tubes, pushed out through ports on the face of the bit and then blows the sample through the centre of the bit and up the drill string.

In both methods, the sample material is extracted from inside the bit, avoiding sample delineation error (contamination), and carried up the centre of the drill string into the sampling container, avoiding sample extraction error (sample material left down the hole or lost as dust).

The aircore drilling uses a blade bit with a nominal cutting diameter of 45 mm and an internal retrieval tube diameter of 22 mm (Figure 7‑4). Alcoa increased the internal diameter to 25 mm in 2018 to reduce blockages. The particle size of drilled material is sufficiently small (less than 10 mm) to promote good sample splitting in dry conditions.


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Figure 7‑4: Drill bits, reverse circulation drill string and particle size of the sample residue (SLR, 2021)

Scale pen diameter 13 mm

8.4

Drill sampling

8.4.1

Procedure

The sample catching, splitting and logging procedures are the same for both vacuum and aircore drilling (Figure 7‑5).

The drilling and logging are controlled by the driller with minimal supervision by geologists. This has been observed and is deemed reasonable by the SLR QP due to the combination of very simple logging, experienced personnel, employment continuity and continual review by geologists.

Sampling commences at the base of the overburden and continues until the driller considers that the basal clays have been penetrated for at least 1 m or for infill holes at a 15 m spacing to the depth defined on the drill hole plan from surrounding data. Alcoa estimates that between 10% and 15% of the limited depth holes terminate in bauxite.

Samples are collected at 0.5 m intervals, measured using a laser gauge mounted on the rig. At the end of each 0.5 m interval, the drilling is paused and the sample passes from the cyclone (for aircore) into the collection flask. For vacuum drilling the collection flask is at the end of the vacuum system.

The sample, nominally 1.5 kg, is poured from the flask into a feed tray, distributed evenly, then on the vacuum rigs the tray is pivoted to feed a small 12-vane riffle splitter (the rotating tray is excellent but not


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yet fitted to the aircore rigs). Where (usually) required, the splitting is repeated to give a retained split of 150 to 200 g, small enough to be collected into a 120 mL measuring cup with minimal spillage. The riffle split subsample is poured into a barcoded Kraft packet and boxed for despatch to the assay laboratory. The sample retrieval and splitting systems are cleaned with compressed air after each hole.

During the site inspection, the JSW RC sampling procedures were observed closely. It was found that the principles of correct sampling were understood by all personnel at the rig and the equipment and practices were observed to be satisfactory.

Over the period 2015 to 2021 the drill sampling procedures have been externally reviewed (Snowden, 2015; Holmes, 2018; and others) and various improvements have been made such as using riffle splitters with more vanes, using a pivoting tray to consistently feed the splitter, training in the correct splitting and retention of all the subsample, digital recording of logging, monitoring of accuracy with Standards, and monitoring of precision with duplicates.


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Figure 7‑5:Sample catching and riffle splitting practices (SLR, 2021)


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8.4.2

Recording sampling data

The drill hole and sample information is recorded digitally onto a tablet at the rig during drilling (Figure 7‑6). The data is automatically loaded into an acQuire database. In previous years the same information was all recorded in a ticket book and manually transferred to the database. This approach remains as a backup method when needed. Data recorded includes hole number, drill rig number, driller name, offsider name, depth of overburden, depth of Caprock, map reference, material type code, and comments on the reason for ending the hole, e.g. if bedrock or water was encountered.

Figure 7‑6:Barcode reader and digital recorder mounted on the drill rig (SLR, 2021)

8.4.3

Sample logging

The geology of the Darling Range bauxite is well understood. The Material Type codes have been simplified to meet the production needs of the operation and the drill crew has been trained in their identification, which is primarily based on color and hardness.

This results in logging of a reasonably consistent regolith profile formed by surface weathering of the few bedrock types (granite or dolerite). A comprehensive geological log is not produced but the Material Type codes can be ratified by the assay results. The Material Type codes are provided in Table 7‑2.

Table 7‑2: Logging codes for Material Type

Material Type

Description

Comment

HB

Hard brown

Hardcap and Friable Zone

HSB

Hard / soft brown

SB

Soft brown

SY

Soft yellow

CLB

Clayish brown

CLY

Clayish yellow

Basal Clay Zone

BC

Brown clay

YC

Yellow clay

WC

White clay

DOL

Dolerite

Intrusion


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Material Type

Description

Comment

GR

Granite

WET

Wet

Other

ROD

Broken rod

 

8.5

Topography

Topography data was acquired from:

 

Drill hole collar survey data and check surveys performed using Trimble R10 real time kinematic differential global positioning system (RTK DGPS) equipment

 

LiDAR surveys conducted in April 2015, November 2016, and June 2018 (no further surveys have been required). A plan showing the LiDAR coverage for each survey is provided in Figure 7‑7.

 

Landgate satellite data collected in the late 1990s.

A digital elevation model representing the natural surface was prepared by combining (in order of priority) the collar survey data, the LiDAR data and the satellite data.


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Figure 7‑7:Topographic data coverage of the 2015, 2016 and 2018 LiDAR surveys (Alcoa, 2022)


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8.6

Surveying

Alcoa has consistently drilled the Darling Range bauxite deposit on a 60 by 60 m grid (with infills to 30 by 30 m and 15 by 15 m) since the 1970s. Initially collar peg positions were surveyed using either a theodolite or Total Station. The 30 m and 15 m pegs were positioned between the 60 m pegs using tape and an optical square. Alcoa commenced using GPS survey control (RTK DGPS) in mid-2015.

Drilling is conducted before any forest clearing activities, which are only carried out for mine development. Positioning the drill rigs is thus imperfect. If the actual coordinates are within 2 m of the planned coordinates, the hole is considered to be correctly located, and the planned coordinates are used in in all subsequent processing. Holes that are collared more than 2 m away from the planned location are flagged accordingly in the database, but the planned coordinates are still used in preference to the actual locations. In 2015, Alcoa commenced check surveying of collar positions after drilling. Most of the holes drilled in 2016 and 2017 were check surveyed. Major discrepancies, such as large differences between the actual coordinates and the coordinates defined by the hole identifier, are investigated and corrected in the database.

The planned coordinates at the 15 by 15 m grid points on Map Sheets (see Section 3.3) are used in preference to the actual coordinates because the original resource delineation systems (Polygonal and GSM, see Section 11.3) were based on the use of regularly gridded data. The use of planned instead of actual coordinates does introduce some uncertainty in the local sample position and consequently the local estimates. However, it is noted that:

 

The lateral error is random, small in magnitude compared to the smallest drill grid spacing (15 m), and monitored (Figure 7‑8) with deviations from plan greater than 7 m redrilled.

 

The error affects few holes (for 2020 of the 52,546 holes drilled, 65.0% were within 2 m, and 99.7% within 5 m).

 

The long range of the grade continuity of mineralization as shown by the variograms is several hundred meters.

 

The local small-scale variations on the grade of mineralization due to variations in the amount of lateralization are uncontrolled and unpredictable (see discussions of drill hole twinning in Section 8.5.3.3).

 

The effect is a controlled ‘random stratified grid’, given that the nominal collar position is always used for estimation and there is no evident bias.


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Figure 7‑8:Error in actual collar location from the nominal (planned) position is monitored for the three drill rig types (Alcoa, 2021)


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Downhole surveys are not performed in drill holes because of their generally shallow depth and narrow diameter, so all holes are assumed to be vertical.

The drill rigs have limited capacity to be levelled and cannot drill angled holes, so in some circumstances the holes may be drilled perpendicular to the natural surface. The rigs are designed to safely operate on gradients of up to 15°, so holes could be drilled up to 15° off the vertical. For a 6 m hole drilled at the planned collar position, the offset may be up to 1.55 m horizontally and 0.2 m vertically (Figure 7‑8).

Figure 7‑9:Possible lateral and vertical sample location error on 15o sloping ground (SLR, 2021)

The impact of differences between the actual locations of samples in 3D space compared to their nominal location on the mine plan is considered to not materially impact on the Mineral Resource because the errors in the spatial controls on mining are likely to be of the same magnitude as the spatial errors in mining (±2 m laterally and ±0.3 m vertically). Mining is locally controlled by DGPS on mining equipment to meet short-term plans and visually for indications of the base of ore (e.g., WC white clay).

8.7

Sampling conclusions

In the SLR QP’s opinion, the drill sampling and sample control procedures at Alcoa’s Darling Range Bauxite Operations are adequate and appropriate for use in the estimation of Mineral Resources. The defined volumes and grades of mineralization are not expected to be systematically impacted (biased) by errors in either the collar location or the 3D sample location.

8.8

Hydrogeology Data

No site-specific hydrogeological data is available; however, no hydrogeological considerations are required for the definition of mining plans in Alcoa’s Darling Range operations.


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8.9

Geotechnical Data

No site-specific geotechnical data is available; however, as the slopes are so shallow, no geotechnical considerations are required for the definition of mining plans in Alcoa’s Darling Range operations.


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9.0

Sample Preparation, Analyses, and Security

Sample preparation is performed by Bella Analytical Systems (Bella). Although the laboratory is located within Alcoa’s Kwinana Refinery complex and only processes Alcoa material, it is independently owned and operated by Bella. A link exists between the Bella and Alcoa Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) for the two-way exchange of data. The laboratory does not have Australian National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) accreditation.

All assays produced by Bella are monitored and controlled by Alcoa at the Kwinana Mining Laboratory (KWI), which, although it has a QA/QC system based on ISO 9001 protocols, only has one section of the laboratory certified to ISO 9001 for the purpose of certification of shipment assays of alumina.

A robotic processing system is used to prepare each sample for Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) and Reference Method (REF) testing. This entails pulverizing each sample in a flow-through ring mill to a nominal grind size of 85% passing 180 µm, and then splitting off sufficient material to fill a barcoded scanning flask (20 mm high with an 80 mm diameter). The material from the ring mill is discharged through a rotary splitter, with approximately 80–100 g of material retained for geochemical testing, and the remainder discarded. A duplicate sample is collected from 1% of the samples via a rotary splitter fitted with twin select chutes. These samples are used for Reference Methods testing.

9.1

Sample security

Subsamples are collected by the drillers, sealed into Kraft packets with barcodes and submitted for assay. Cardboard boxes holding 50 packets are delivered at the end of each shift, by the drilling crew, to secure sample storage facilities. Unfilled boxes are stored in the drill support vehicle and completed in the next shift.

The filled sample boxes are stacked onto pallets in batches of 40 (i.e., 2,000 samples), wrapped with plastic and despatched by courier to the Bella assay facility at the Kwinana Refinery.

9.2

Sample preparation

Upon receipt by Bella, the sample barcodes are scanned and checked against the submission data in the Bella LIMS. Each sample packet is then split open at the top, placed in a cardboard drying tray and oven-dried at 100°C for 10 hours. The packets are transferred to a customized holder in batches of about 60, with a control between each batch, and automatically fed to a bank of 10 Rocklabs flow-through ring mills, (Figure 8‑1), each of which have three concentric milling rings. The barcode is read, the sample is pulverized, a subsample is rotary split, captured in a single-use plastic Petri dish with the barcode printed on the lid, then sent to the spectral analyzer for assay. The ring mills are air flushed and vacuumed between samples.

Each sample is pulverized to a nominal grind size of 85% passing 180 µm. The ring mill discharges through a chute and rotary splitter, retaining 80 to 100 g and discarding the rest. One of the ring mills is set up to take two splits and these are used for pulp duplicate assays and to generate the Reference (REF) samples. These are sent to the KWI for wet chemical assay checking of the spectral assay.

The robotic system can run 24 hours a day handling approximately 3,000 samples per day. Only the Mineral Resource estimation samples are processed at Bella with all other stockpile and processing control samples processed using the same methods as the REF samples.


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Figure 8‑1:The Bella robotic sample preparation using Rocklabs ring mills (SLR, 2021)

 

 

 


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Figure 8‑2:The pulverized sample is stored in a barcoded dedicated receptacle for assay (SLR, 2021)

A LIMS system controls the progress of the sample packet through the whole of the sample preparation and assay procedure enabling digital tracking of all stages (Figure 8‑3). This ensures inter alia that the sample is valid, not previously assayed, and the assay looks like one for a bauxite sample. It also generates pulp duplicates at a frequency of 1 in 100 which are also the REF samples.

Figure 8‑3:The pulverized sample is tracked digitally through the Bella preparation and assaying (SLR, 2021)

Grind size monitoring is carried out with the advantage of the robotic sample preparation being consistent grind size (see Section 8.5.1). A risk with all such systems is the possibility of contamination between samples. This is usually avoided by inserting blank samples of zero grade into the sample processing stream. The difficulty is that the blank samples may themselves contaminate the next sample being assayed. Blank sample submission is discussed in Section 8.5.2.1.

9.3

Assaying

Assaying of the drill samples is based on a spectral method, using a Nicolet 6700 FTIR Spectrometer with a robotic feeder (Figure 8‑4). FTIR obtains an infrared absorption spectrum from the sample. The FTIR spectrometer simultaneously collects high-resolution spectral data over a wide spectral range. A


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mathematical process (Fourier transformation) converts the raw data into the actual spectrum for subsequent determination of the component analytes.

All drill samples are currently assayed using a customized, bespoke FTIR method, with the final corrected results used for Mineral Resource estimation. Calibration and monitoring of the FTIR results are done using the Reference Method assay results.

Bella generates the raw FTIR spectral dataset for each sample, which is transferred to the Alcoa LIMS system for post-processing. Alcoa performs all the Reference Method analyses at KWI.

The FTIR spectra are determined using a robotic scoop arm that collects an approximately 5 g aliquot of the pulp from the Petri dish and presents it to a platinum crucible. The material in the crucible is pressed flat to ensure an even surface for scanning. The crucible is then rotated several times through the spectrometer and 20 scans are conducted on the aliquot. The scans are processed and validated by the Bella system and when accepted, they are then transferred to the Alcoa LIMS system for post-processing and further validation.

Figure 8‑4:The robotic FTIR assaying equipment
(RHS shows the sampling scoop arm and pulp dish with the lid elevated) (SLR, 2021)

9.3.1

FTIR Method assays and the CalVal dataset

The FTIR Method for bauxite assay uses infrared absorption spectra to characterize the presented sample for multiple analytes as element, compound, or mineral percentages. The approach has been developed using an extensive calibration and validation (CalVal) dataset, constant monitoring of Reference samples and Standards, and periodic revision of the prediction algorithms.

In 1990, an initial set of approximately 2,300 CalVal samples was collected covering the Darling Range tenement. A subset of approximately 700 samples was used to develop the initial FTIR prediction model. Extra CalVal samples have been added to help predictions in areas of low Reactive Silica (less than 0.5% R.SiO2) and high Total Iron (greater than 50% Fe). The CalVal samples are run randomly through the FTIR equipment in triplicate, under differing conditions (time of day, season, operator, order, etc.) to test for external factors. The FTIR results based on the prediction model algorithm are monitored using the REF assays (Franklin, 2019).


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Initially some FTIR analytes (Available Alumina, Total Iron, Carbonate, Sulphate, Total Silica, Total Phosphorus and Magnetic Susceptibility) were all determined using a ‘common’ algorithm, whereas Reactive Silica, Oxalate, Extractable Organic Carbon, Total Alumina and Boehmite each used a specific algorithm. Since 2017 specific algorithms have been used for all analytes. The algorithms are periodically updated, typically if there has been a change in equipment or Reference Method. Retaining all FTIR spectra now means additional analytes can be determined using specific algorithms, with three new analytes being added to Method Set MIC#00005 in 2021 (Potassium, Titanium and Gallium).

9.3.2

Reference Method (REF) assays

The REF assaying is done by Alcoa in the KWI to validate and calibrate the FTIR assays. This is a suite of assays and tests that are carried out by wet chemical and other means and has included:

 

XRFx-ray fluorescence spectroscopy

 

ICP-OESinductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

 

XRDx-ray diffraction

 

MSmagnetic susceptibility, a proxy for grindability

 

BD-ICPbomb digest in a caustic solution, with an ICP-OES finish

 

BD-GCbomb digest in a caustic solution, with a gas chromatography finish

 

BD-NDIRbomb digest in a caustic solution, with a non-dispersive infrared finish

 

MD-ICPmicrowave digest in a caustic solution, with ICP-OES finish

There are differences in the nature of these tests. Both XRF and ICP methods are instrument-based methods designed to replicate wet chemical analysis results, either total or partial assays depending on the digestion. Both XRD and MS methods are used to investigate mineralogy contents so are regarded as proxies for assays. Bomb digest (BD) methods have been developed by the alumina refining industry to determine the expected yield of bauxite ore during processing. They are the basis for ‘metallurgical assays’ that are designed to replicate the physicochemical reactions in the refinery and accordingly may be customized for a particular ore type or process plant. At Alcoa some BD assaying has been replaced with a microwave digest (MD) method.

9.3.2.1

REF assaying methods

A summary of the assaying used for the REF samples, which are used to calibrate and validate the FTIR Method, is provided in Table 8‑1.

Table 8‑1: Assaying methodologies for resource estimation samples

Name

Analyte

Code

Units

Reference Method

Available Alumina

A.Al2O3

AL

%

MD – ICP (MALSI)

Reactive Silica

R.SiO2

SI

%

MD – ICP (MALSI)

Total Iron

Fe2O3

FE

%

XRF

Oxalate

NaC2O4

OX

kg/t

BD – GC


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Name

Analyte

Code

Units

Reference Method

Carbonate

Na2CO3

CO

kg/t

BD – NDIR (TICTOC)

Extractable Organic Carbon

C

EO

kg/t

BD – NDIR (TICTOC)

Total Phosphorous

P2O5

PT

%

XRF

Sulphate

Na2SO4

SU

kg/t

XRF

Total Silica

SiO2

ST

%

XRF

Magnetic Susceptibility

MagSus

MS

None

MS (CGS system)

Total Alumina

Al2O3

AT

%

XRF

Boehmite

AlO(OH)

BO

%

XRD

The bomb digest (BD) method involves adding a measured amount of carbonate free 52% caustic soda to the sample aliquot (1 g), sealing it in a small 10 mL pressure vessel and then cooking it at 145°C. After cooling, the solution is assayed by titration or other methods to determine the alumina and silica contents. As the digestion of these elements by the hot caustic solution is determined by the physical conditions during digestion (mainly temperature and pressure) the results provide a proxy for the expected performance of ore of that nature in the alumina refinery plant. The resulting assays are termed available alumina (A.Al2O3) and reactive silica (R.SiO2), measured as percentages.

The MD method was introduced in 1996 to supplant the BD methods for assaying of the Mineral Resource drill samples. Atmospheric digestion is done in a microwave oven using a 13% caustic solution. The advantage of this is that it is faster, more repeatable and uses a bigger aliquot (0.5 g). The MD assays are collectively named ‘microwave available alumina and reactive silica’ (MALSI). The BD methods are still used for the refinery monitoring samples including those taken from the sampling towers prior to the feed stockpiles of crushed ore.

Following digestion using either MD, BD, or wet chemical methods, the analytes are assayed (Table 8‑1) using the following methods (Figure 8‑5):

 

For ICP the digestion liquor is read using a PerkinElmer Optima 8300 machine.

 

For XRF an aliquot of 0.7 g is combined with a lithium borate flux, fused in platinum crucibles on a dedicated Phoenix 8-bank burner, and batches are assayed on an Axios Max PW4400 machine.

 

For gas chromatography (GC) a 1.00 g aliquot is used and assayed on an Agilent 7890B machine.

 

For Total Inorganic Carbon and Extractable Organic Carbon (TICTOC) a 1.00 g aliquot is digested and assayed using an Analytical Aurora 1030 Total Organic Carbon Analyzer with carousel.


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Figure 8‑5:Digestion and assay equipment used for REF samples at the KWI
Clockwise from top left: BD, MD, TICTOC, ICP, XRF, GC (SLR, 2021)


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Details on the assaying method used for the final (Best) assay value for every sample interval are carried in the acQuire database.

For resource estimation, the Reference Method results are used to monitor the performance of the FTIR assaying, and to calibrate (adjust) the FTIR results on a batch-by-batch basis. The Reference Method is also used for all monitoring of the refinery performance including the grades of ore presented to the sampling towers at Pinjarra and Wagerup prior to stockpiling and reclaiming of the ore feed.

A consistent approach to sample collection, preparation and assaying for Mineral Resource estimation has been used since 1980. Refinements to the assaying methods have comprised:

 

1996 Microwave digestion was introduced instead of bomb digestion for the REF samples

 

1999 The collection of the FTIR spectral data was outsourced to Bella, with direct control of processing and prediction still done by Alcoa

 

2006 Robotic sample preparation was introduced at Bella

 

2006 Digital retention of all FTIR spectral data was introduced, enabling additional post-processing of assayed samples for new analytes

 

2017 The calibration sets were rescanned with FTIR and an updated Method Set (MIC#00005), was developed

 

2018 Original wet chemical assays were replaced by FTIR for approximately 73,000 samples (drilled in Myara North from 1992 to 2002)

 

2019 Original wet chemical or FTIR assays were replaced by FTIR for approximately 251,000 samples (drilled in Myara North from 1991 to 1997).

The impact of these changes and validation of the results were investigated by Alcoa personnel and independently by SRK (2021a). It was concluded that the assaying precision (i.e. repeatability) and accuracy (lack of bias, as demonstrated by quantile-quantile plots) did not show significant differences between the pre-2018 and post-2018 data sets. Accuracy and repeatability are further discussed in Sections 8.5.2 and 8.5.2.2.

Since completion of the previous 2020 Mineral Resource inventory, an additional 61,906 vacuum and aircore holes have been drilled and approximately 644,000 routine FTIR analyses performed. These represent holes drilled between September 2020 and June 2021.

9.4

Quality Assurance (QA)

The Quality Assurance (QA) component of a sampling and assaying program is defined by the presence of written procedures which are used to guide current practice, and by which changes to practices over time may be monitored. These procedures also specify the Quality Control (QC) data that should be collected to monitor the performance of the sampling, sample preparation and assaying.

The existing written procedures include:

 

Franklin (2019) describing the FTIR process.

 

Use of the customized in-house Exploration PowerApps digital module to record and document field inspections by the geologist at the drill rigs (documenting visible contamination, Sample ID, Hole ID, splitting, chip size of sample, split volume, depth measurement, collection of Sample To


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Extinction (STE) samples discussed in Section 8.5.3.4, collection of further FTIR calibration and validation (CalVal) samples (discussed in Section 8.3.1), as well as other prestart, safety, risk and EHS inspections.

 

Procedures for generating STE samples.

 

Various PowerPoint presentations providing an overview of the laboratory procedures.

9.5

Quality Control (QC)

9.5.1

Sample preparation

QC procedures implemented to monitor the Bella robotic sample preparation system (Franklin, 2019) include:

 

Temperature testing on the ovens. These are recorded between 2 and 5 times a year since 2017 at 8 positions for each of 4 ovens and demonstrate consistent safe drying temperatures below 100oC (average 97.9oC for 352 readings).

 

Daily grind size checks. The percentage passing 180 microns and percentage exceeding 300 microns is recorded at Bella on all 10 ring mills at a rate of 1:200 for the resource drill samples, with independent checks by the KWI on a random selection of all samples milled for the week. These demonstrate satisfactory sample preparation, and the consistency of the Bella robotic system, which is critical for effective FTIR assaying (Figure 8‑6).

Figure 8‑6:Sample preparation monitoring (Alcoa, 2021)

Grind sizes for the robotic sample preparation unit tested by Bella and by KWI.


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9.5.2

Accuracy

Accuracy is determined by the difference (bias) between a result and the expected value. It is usually determined by assaying Standards (reference materials), blanks, and by comparing the means of datasets.

9.5.2.1

Blanks

Blank samples are routinely included in the FTIR submission batches after sample preparation, to prevent contamination of the mills by very low grade samples. Blanks are submitted with a frequency of 1 to 19 in the REF samples sets compiled by Bella and regularly despatched to KWI for Reference Method digestion and assay.

Blanks are not introduced into the robotic mills at Bella and there is no check on cross-contamination during sample preparation. Given the style of mineralization, the ore grades being assayed and the volume of material milled compared to the final aliquot assayed, the absence of sample preparation blanks is not considered material.

9.5.2.2

Standards

After the boxes of drill samples are received at Bella, packets of Reference Method samples (REF) are split out by the robotic sample preparation, based on a random selection by Alcoa LIMS, at a frequency of 1 in 100. These are submitted to the KWI in batches of 19 for REF assaying to calibrate and validate the Bella assays. Each batch of REF samples includes 1 Blank and 1 Standard.

Alcoa has used a series of specially prepared Internal Reference Material (IRM) samples derived from Darling Range bauxite, pulverized and homogenized by Gannet Holdings, labelled KH09 to KH18. Monitoring using these IRM samples provides arguably better assurance of assaying accuracy than commercial Certified Reference Material (CRM) samples. The IRMs have generally been sourced from stockpile material and used in both coarse-crushed and pulp form. IRMs are color coded as follows: pink for FTIR assay control, yellow for grain size, khaki for drill sampling. The IRMs have not been externally certified. A summary of the IRMs is provided in Table 8‑2.

Table 8‑2: Standards used for drilling and REF monitoring (IRMs)

Standard

Date

Comment

KH09

May 1999 to present

Boehmite analysis, FTIR, MD-ICP, and XRF analysis Mining reference analysis (IRM)

KH10

May 2012 to present

Mining reference analysis (IRM)

KH11

July 2008 to March 2015

FTIR analysis (IRM)

KH12

July 2008 to April 2014

Grind size control (IRM)

KH13

April 2014 to present

Grind size control (IRM)

KH14

March 2015 to present

FTIR analysis (IRM)

KH15

October 2015 to September 2017

Preparation and analytical control – introduced at the drill rig (IRM)


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Standard

Date

Comment

KH16

September 2017 to December 2018

Preparation and analytical control – introduced at the drill rig (IRM)

KH17

September 2017 to December 2018

Preparation and analytical control – introduced at the drill rig (IRM)

KH18

September 2017 to December 2018

Preparation and analytical control – introduced at the drill rig (IRM)

From October 2015 to December 2018 the IRMs KH15 to KH18 were introduced by the driller at the drill rig to monitor sample preparation (grinding and cross-contamination) and assaying. This material was sourced from the Kwinana Refinery stockpile crushed to nominal 3 mm, homogenized, and split into 200 g lots by Gannet Holdings, a commercial preparer of Standards.

Control of the accuracy of batches of FTIR samples is monitored using IRMs KH10 and KH14. FTIR batches of approximately 60,000 samples are controlled using Priority Codes (e.g. P157 to P175 covered the period September 2018 to October 2020). Priority Codes represent batches assayed by the FTIR Method using the same batch correction factors.

The frequency of insertion of IRMs such as KH10 is 1 in every REF batch (19 samples, 1 KH10 and 1 blank). The frequency of re-assaying the FTIR results (if rejected by a REF assay) has an expected rate of less than 1.5%. Actual performance depends on the total number of FTIR assayed samples, the area where they were drilled and whether there were issues with the Sample Presentation Unit (SPU) in the FTIR process.

A summary of the performance of IRMs KH10 and KH14 for batches tested between September 2018 and October 2020 is provided in Table 8‑3. The failure rates, using a criterion of Mean +35 Standard Deviations, are generally low with failure rates above 0.1% highlighted. Performance overall is excellent for AL, good for SI and generally reasonable for all analytes. This Table indicates that KH10 demonstrates better homogenization than KH14 (which admittedly has many more assay results) and repeatability of CO (carbonate), EO (extractable carbon) and BO (boehmite) are more challenging than the other analytes.

Table 8‑3: Summary of performance of IRMs KH10 and KH14 for the full analytical suite

Priority batches P157 to P175 for September 2018 to October 2020

Highlighted cells indicate %Fail rate exceeded 0.1%

IRM

Analyte

AL

SI

FE

OX

CO

EO

PT

SU

ST

MS

AT

BO

KH10

Count

934

934

849

810

811

824

841

841

841

820

841

811

Fail

0

0

0

1

6

22

0

1

0

0

0

7

% Fail

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.1%

0.7%

2.7%

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.9%

KH14

Count

30,828

30,828

30,828

30,828

30,828

30,828

24,641

30,828

30,828

30,828

30,828

30,828

Fail

19

117

208

137

225

117

269

105

75

565

56

586

% Fail

0.1%

0.4%

0.7%

0.4%

0.7%

0.4%

1.1%

0.3%

0.2%

1.8%

0.2%

1.9%

 

Alcoa uses CRMs for laboratory analytical control including NIST600 (used since June 1996), BXPA01 (used since December 2011) and SG11 (used February 1996 to May 1999) for XRF calibration. A commercial liquid CRM is used for monitoring the MD method for AL and SI referred to as MALSI (Figure 8‑7).


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Figure 8‑7:Assaying Standards (left IRMs KH09 and KH10, right CRM for MALSI) (SLR, 2021)

9.5.3

Repeatability

9.5.3.1

Measures Of Precision

There are a number of approaches to defining the repeatability of an assay result, and they are generally controlled by a framework first developed by Pierre Gy, now referred to as the Theory Of Sampling. Accepted approaches used here for determining the repeatability of sampling and assay results are:

 

Scatter plots with the same X and Y axes, showing the overall distribution of the paired samples, and obvious outliers, with perfect repeatability shown by the 45o line of equality.

 

Measures based on the robust Half Absolute Relative Difference (HARD) bivariate statistic (Shaw, 1997; Abzalov, 2016). These include the precision (as Coefficient of Variation (CV) with a confidence interval of 68%) and the 90th percentile HARD limit.

 

Other bivariate measures, that may be influenced by outliers, such as the slope of regression, variance and CV.

With all measures, trimming the data (excluding outliers, obvious errors, incorrect values, out of range values, and those near the Limit of Detection) can impact on statistical measures of precision, which is why scatter plots are helpful in interpreting results.

9.5.3.2

Umpire laboratory checks

Alcoa sends checks of REF samples assayed at the KWI to two independent laboratories, SGS and Bureau Veritas (BV). The Priority dataset P175 Bias and Precision (B&P) was examined by SLR. Results are provided in Figure 8‑8 and Figure 8‑9 for AL and SI results, and precisions for AL, SI, FE and OX are summarized in Table 8‑4.

It is apparent that there is a consistent bias with the Alcoa KWI reporting higher (by 3 to 4%) for AL and by 0.4 to 0.6% for SI. Precision measures indicate KWI shows better repeatability with BV than with SGS. Results for FE and OX are similar. Note that the precisions in the figures and Table 8‑4 are for untrimmed data, but the number of pairs vary due to some missing or zero values. The precisions are higher than expected, given the good repeatability of the REF assays at KWI (Section 8.5.3.6) and suggest that the KWI REF assays are better customized to the Alcoa bauxite than the umpire laboratories. Trimming the data


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to ranges appropriate to expected ore grades in some cases improves the precision (e.g. for AL but not for SI).

These results indicate that the repeatability of the MALSI assays in particular, and suggestions of possible bias, are because these are proxy metallurgical tests, and may be subject to slight variations in the microwave digestion procedures prior to XRF, between and within all three laboratories. While the precision results themselves are moderate, the lack of outliers and overall scatter indicates that the REF assays are reasonable as the basis for calibrating and validating the FTIR Method.

 


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Figure 8‑8:Umpire checks of REF A.Al2O3 at SGS and BV (SLR, 2021)


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Figure 8‑9:Umpire checks of REF R.SiO2 at SGS and BV (SLR, 2021)


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Table 8‑4: Summary of precisions for umpire check results on assay dataset P175

AL, SI, FE and OX at SGS and BV compared to KWI

REF analyte

Check lab and analyte

Pairs

Precision

90th Percentile

Bias

Note

REF_AL

SGS_AL

890

18.0

21.5

3.86

 

BV_AL

911

14.0

16.99

3.50

 

713

6.3

12.61

3.71

Trimmed to AL > 15%

REF_SI

SGS_SI

958

24.0

26

0.58

 

BV_SI

972

11.9

14.4

0.44

 

824

12.2

14.7

0.16

Trimmed to SI > 0.05 and < 10%

REF_FE

SGS_FE

937

21.9

24.3

1.05

 

BV_FE

972

13.3

11.8

0.32

 

REF_OX

SGS_OX

934

32.6

38.65

0.04

 

BV_OX

972

18.7

17.6

0.04

 

Notes:

 

1.

Precision is based on the CV of the HARD statistic at a confidence interval of 68%

 

2.

90th percentile is based on the ranked HARD statistic

 

3.

Bias is the difference in the Means of Original and Duplicate sets, negative if REF is lower.

9.5.3.3

Twinned hole studies

Considering the long period of resource drilling since the 1970s, Alcoa has only relatively recently started the routine collection of QC data for drilling, sampling, and assaying.

The drillers carry out the logging and sampling of the resource estimation drill holes. In the past they have produced Field Duplicate samples, but these have now been replaced by STE samples (Section 8.5.3.4).

Various studies (Barnes, 2015, 2016, 2018a, 2018b; Crockford, 2011, 2012; Grigg, 2016; Hodgson, 2015) have been carried out and reported to determine the repeatability of the drill sampling and to compare the Alcoa vacuum drilling to the Wallis aircore and JSW reverse circulation drilling. These studies are of limited use in interpreting the quality of the different drilling methods and in comparing them. In these studies, the original vacuum hole (the parent) is twinned by a second hole (the twin) collared within approximately 30 cm. They may be summarized as follows:

 

Barnes (2015) produced 841 pairs of samples, with the parent sampled at 0.5 m and the twin at 1 m.

 

Grigg (2016) twinned 127 aircore holes (Huntly region, 862 paired samples), 34 vacuum holes (Huntly region, 185 paired samples), and 693 vacuum holes twinned with aircore holes (Huntly and Willowdale regions, 5,947 paired samples). As re-assessed by SLR, poor repeatability was demonstrated for all datasets, with 90% of the samples having a HARD measure of less than approximately 30% (good repeatability would have 90% less than 15%). Given the poor


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repeatability, it is not possible to determine any bias between the methods, or whether the sampling is better for any analyte.

 

SRK (2021a) presented results from 2018 for 21 pairs of vacuum holes and 6 pairs of aircore (Huntly region, 238 paired samples). The results show similar levels of poor precision for AL, SI, FE and TS (the ranked Absolute Mean Percentage Difference (AMPD) plots provide values twice those used in this report).

Figure 8‑10: Twinned hole comparison for 238 data points from 2018 (after SRK 2021a)

Scatter plots with overlayed Q-Q plot (in red), and ranked AMPD (HARD*2) plots

 


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The poor repeatability of the twinned hole programs, shown by the scatter plots and precision results, is not surprising and may be ascribed to:

 

Short-range geological variability in the laterite profile

 

Sample quality and recovery affected by splitting, moisture, seasonal effects, vertical control, and operator error at that time.

The SLR QP considers that twinned hole studies are of limited value and should only be implemented once the sample splitting and preparation demonstrates good repeatability, using Field Duplicates (or the equivalent STE samples). They may be of value to investigate specific issues under closely supervised conditions.

9.5.3.4

Field Duplicates

It is generally considered best practice to collect Field Duplicates in resource drill sampling programs. They should be a second split collected with the first split in exactly the same way (i.e. from the same drilled interval, using the same splitter, generally from the reject side of the splitter, sometimes by resplitting all of the reject a second time).

The routine collection of Field Duplicates by Alcoa has been intermittent and last commenced in February 2015, with duplicates collected at a nominal frequency of 1 in 200, with no more than one duplicate per hole. SRK (2021a) examined 5,885 sample pairs, from a mix of material types, locations and drilling types. They concluded that the Field Duplicates showed no evidence of significant grade bias but that the precision was lower than expected for this style of mineralization. From graphs they presented, the 90% threshold for the HARD statistic as a measure of precision (defined in Section 8.5.3.1) was between 12 and 20%. Precision was poorer for boehmite and oxalate. No significant precision differences were evident between the vacuum and aircore Field Duplicates, nor by year, nor between the Huntly and Willowdale Field Duplicates.

Alcoa and various independent reviewers (Holmes, 2018; SRK2021a) considered that there were some limitations to the benefit of collecting Field Duplicates because the sample splitting procedure was problematic (the small sample volume of 150 mL, and some poor splitting equipment and procedures). Work on implementing recommendations has resulted in procedures which were adequate during the site inspection by SLR (Figure 7‑5). There are still some limitations:

 

Field Duplicates are not routinely taken and have been replaced by a single Sample To Extinction sample per rig per shift (see Section 8.5.3.5).

 

The resulting sampling frequency may be lower than the usual industry practice of between 1 in 20 (5%) and 1 in 50 (2%).

 

The data is not regularly reviewed, documented, or systematically reported as a KPI.

 

The data does not cover the full resource estimation dataset.

 

Reverse circulation sampling of bauxite remains a significant risk in wet conditions (whether due to groundwater, or rain).

Alcoa discontinued the routine collection of Field Duplicates in January 2018.


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9.5.3.5

Sample To Extinction (STE) samples

In September 2018 an alternative procedure, termed Sample To Extinction (STE), was introduced. This involves taking the normal 0.5 m drill sample (referred to as the Parent) and collecting all the residue from that drilled interval (i. e. the riffle split reject, and previously any material left in the sampling cup). This residue is collected once per shift from each rig under supervision by the geologist. The residue is pulverized and homogenized, then two equal splits (referred to as the Daughters) are assayed.

Studies in 2016 (112 Parent-Daughter sets, reported by SRK 2021a) and 2018 (63 Parent-Daughters, reported by Barnes 2018b) showed good repeatability for the residue pulp repeats (i.e. between the Daughters) indicating acceptable pulverizing and correct splitting of the residue offsite. However generally poor repeatability was reported between the residue results (the average of the Daughters) and the normal drill sample (the Parent), with a suggestion of bias for some analytes.

This demonstrated that perhaps the splitting at the drill rig was incorrect, and also illustrated the sampling principle that pulverizing (reducing the particle size) before splitting will always reduce the error. On the basis of these studies and external review, modifications to the splitting procedure at the rig were carried out.

In 2020, Alcoa refined the STE sampling procedure to now collect one sample per shift from each drill rig and assay three Daughters after pulverizing and splitting. The 2020 STE dataset examined by SLR contained results for 745 intervals tested between February 2019 and June 2020. After eliminating some blank values for some analytes, a total of 678 intervals remained which all had valid values for the Parent and three Daughters. SLR has used this data set to prepare bivariate statistics, scatter plots and precision plots.

Comparisons were carried out for the analytes AL, SI, FE and ST between:

 

The average of the Daughters vs the Parent

 

Daughter 1 vs the Parent

 

Daughter 2 vs Daughter 1

Examples are provided in Figure 8‑11 for AL and Figure 8‑12 for SI. Precisions and means are summarized in Table 8‑5 for all analytes.

 



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Figure 8‑11: Precision of STE Parent AL to Average of Daughters (top) and to Daughter 1 (bottom) (SLR, 2021)


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Figure 8‑12: Precision of STE Parent SI to Average of Daughters (top) and to Daughter 1 (bottom) (SLR, 2021)

 


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Table 8‑5: Summary of precisions and means for 678 STE tests (November 2020)

Analyte

Original

Duplicate

Precision

(± %)

90th Percentile

(HARD %)

Mean

(% grade)

Bias

(% grade)

AL

Parent

Daughter Ave

14.6

7.2

26.9

-0.31

Parent

Daughter 1

17.2

7.9

26.9

-0.35

Daughter 1

Daughter 2

16.8

7.2

27.0

0.14

SI

Parent

Daughter Average

13.7

14.7

3.0

0.04

Parent

Daughter 1

15.1

16.0

3.0

0.05

Daughter 1

Daughter 2

14.6

13.5

3.0

-0.02

FE

Parent

Daughter Average

17.6

13.2

20.7

0.06

Parent

Daughter 1

20.1

15.8

20.7

0.06

Daughter 1

Daughter 2

19.1

16.5

20.7

-0.03

ST

Parent

Daughter Average

14.4

12.6

23.7

0.23

Parent

Daughter 1

17.5

15.9

23.6

0.33

Daughter 2

Daughter 1

18.3

16.9

23.6

-0.22

Notes:

 

1.

Precision is based on the CV of the HARD statistic at a confidence interval of 68%

 

2.

90th percentile is based on the ranked HARD statistic

 

3.

Mean is the mean of all pairs

 

4.

Bias is difference in the Means of Original and Duplicate sets, negative if Original is lower.

There is a lot of information that can be drawn from the analysis presented in Table 8‑5:

 

The Precision between Daughter 1 and Daughter 2 defines the repeatability that can be expected after pulverizing the whole of the retained residue from the drill rig and splitting it under controlled laboratory conditions. For all 4 analytes the results are consistent, and the repeatability is only moderate (Precisions between 15 and 25%). This indicates that the particle size generated during drill sampling (refer to Figure 7‑4), and the mass of sample collected, are not limiting factors on the sampling quality.

 

The Precision between the Average Of Daughters and the Parent is only marginally better in all cases than that between the Parent and Daughter 1.

 

The split taken at the drill rig (Parent, taken by splitting down to 150 g) is as good a representation of the drill interval grade as collecting the whole of the residue and carrying out pulverizing, homogenization and splitting.

 

Improvement on the Field Duplicate practice has resulted from improved splitting at the drill rig and collection of the Duplicate (in this case the STE residue) under observed conditions by the geologist.

While the STE procedure could be retained for specific studies, in the SLR QP’s opinion, the reintroduction of Field Duplicates using appropriate riffle splitters under supervision should be considered.


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9.5.3.6

Pulp Repeats

The frequency of Pulp Repeats generated by the Bella LIMS system for FTIR is 1%. These pulp repeats are actually the REF samples used for monitoring the quality of the FTIR assays. As the FTIR assays are adjusted to match the REF assays (using a ‘broken stick’ curve adjustment to remove bias and maintain precision, see Figure 8‑13) it is expected that there should be minimal bias between REF and FTIR corrected results (FTIR_corr). However, the repeatability between the two methods is an important attribute of the quality of the assay results used for Mineral Resource estimation, Mineral Reserves for mine planning, and mining grade control.

The REF samples are considered to serve the same purpose as pulp repeats in defining the repeatability of the assays.



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Figure 8‑13: Example of the methodology used for broken stick correction of the FTIR results (from Franklin, 2019)


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Figure 8‑14: Precision of REF vs Corrected FTIR for AL and SI (SLR, 2021)

Table 8‑6: Summary of precisions and means for REF vs FTIR (final corrected result)

Analyte

Pairs

Precision
(± %)

90th Percentile
(HARD %)

Mean

Bias

Min

Max

AL
(REF vs FTIR corr.)

4376

12.5

7.8

25.2

0.06

0.0

61.2

3473

4.0

4.8

29.4

0.04

15.0

61.2

SI
(REF vs FTIR corr.)

4616

10.2

10.7

4.7

-0.08

0.0

41.0

2520

7.8

9.0

1.8

0.05

0.1

5.0

FE
(REF vs FTIR corr.)

4574

15.8

16.2

17.9

0.03

0.0

67.0

2555

8.7

10.2

14.5

-0.03

5.0

30.0

ST
(REF vs FTIR corr.)

4453

12.6

11.0

30.0

-0.12

0.0

92.4

2865

13.4

13.5

17.2

0.00

0.5

40.0

AT
(REF vs FTIR corr.)

4755

4.9

5.0

32.3

0.01

0.0

62.5

2675

2.8

3.2

37.7

0.13

30.0

50.0

OX
(REF vs FTIR corr.)

4441

21.9

22.1

1.1

0.00

0.0

9.0

2324

10.5

12.5

1.5

0.00

0.5

5.0

BO
(REF vs FTIR corr.)

411

50.3

86.4

0.6

0.20

0.01

6.0

344

45.0

78.9

0.39

0.23

0.02

2.0

Notes:

 

1.

Datasets trimmed to within Min and Max values are in blue font

 

2.

Precision is based on the CV of the HARD statistic at a confidence interval of 68%

 

3.

90th percentile is based on the ranked HARD statistic

 

4.

Mean is the mean of all pairs (as % grade)

 

5.

Bias is difference in the Means of Original and Duplicate sets, negative if Original is lower (as % grade)

 

6.

Min and Max (as % grade) indicate the range of the data used and is relevant to the trimmed statistics in blue font.

The repeatability (precision) and accuracy (bias) bivariate statistics summarized in Table 8‑6 for this data set show:

 

There is no evidence of bias, except possibly for BO (boehmite) which is masked by very poor repeatability (see scatter plot) in Figure 8‑15. Note that the BO FTIR assays are Raw rather than corrected by the Method Set algorithm, evidently because the FTIR data provides only an indication of the boehmite mineralogy when calibrated to the XRD results. This is expected.

 

Precision is excellent (less than 5%) for AT (Total Al2O3)

 

Precision is good (between 5 and 15%) for AL, SI and moderate (15 to 25%) for FE and OX

 

Precision improves significantly in the range of grades around the bauxite ore grade (bounded by the trimming limits in blue font in Table 8‑6) except for SI.


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Based on the datasets selected for examination randomly (i.e. without prior knowledge of the sampled areas, Method Sets, Priority Codes, or other differences), it is apparent that correcting the FTIR results using the REF assays obtained by microwave digestion (with XRF or ICP finish) produces results that are sufficiently unbiased and repeatable for the purpose of Mineral Resource estimation, except for BO (which is not reported in the Mineral Resource).

Figure 8‑15: Poor precision of REF vs RAW FTIR for BO (SLR, 2021)

9.5.3.7

Pulp Re-Assay Programs

In 2018, Alcoa commenced using FTIR to re-assay batches of approximately 70,000 results that had been previously assayed using the MD – ICP REF method for AL, SI and FE. A number of packages and their interpretations were provided and SLR evaluated the data for P159 (Myara North, March 2019) as shown in Table 8‑7 and Figure 8‑16, and for P163 (Larego, June 2019) as shown in Table 8‑8, with results for trimmed data in Table 8‑9 and Figure 8‑17.

Table 8‑7: Summary of pulp repeats for Myara North (P159): MD-ICP (Original) vs New FTIR

Analyte

Pairs

Precision
(± %)

90th Percentile
(HARD %)

Mean

Bias

Min

Max

AL

68,295

19.0

13.66

26.7

1.02

0.10

65.0

SI

68,295

24.0

29.3

2.6

-0.04

0.10

35.5


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FE

68,295

37.3

44.7

15.3

0.33

0.25

67.5

Table 8‑8: Summary of pulp repeats for Larego (P163): MD-ICP (Original) vs New FTIR

Analyte

Pairs

Precision
(± %)

90th Percentile
(HARD %)

Mean

Bias

Min

Max

AL

40,238

26.9

23.2

26.7

-0.75

0.10

65.8

SI

26,493

21.7

23.6

3.3

-0.36

0.3

33.2

FE

40,233

30.1

32.38

17.2

1.32

0.25

98.1

 

Table 8‑9: Summary of pulp repeats for Larego (P163) – trimmed: MD-ICP (Original) vs New FTIR

Analyte

Pairs

Precision
(± %)

90th Percentile
(HARD %)

Mean

Bias

Min

Max

AL

13,071

7.1

8.2

32.4

-0.12

26.0

39.0

SI

20,783

20.9

24.2

1.35

-0.04

0.3

5.0

FE

29,309

18.3

20.0

19.6

1.10

5.0

50.0

Notes for Table 8‑7, Table 8‑8 and Table 8‑9:

 

1.

Precision is based on the CV of the HARD statistic at a confidence interval of 68%

 

2.

90th percentile is based on the ranked HARD statistic

 

3.

Mean is the mean of all pairs (as % grade)

 

4.

Bias is difference in the Means of the paired data, negative if the FTIR assay is lower (as % grade)

 

5.

Min and Max (as % grade) indicate the range of the data used, with trimmed limits in blue font.

 

Results are consistent with previous evaluations by SRK (2021a) and indicate that overall repeatability of the re-assaying is only moderate for AL and SI and poor for FE, for both very large data sets. However, it is apparent that there are artefacts and errors in the original MD-ICP data.

The large data sets obscure the scatter and outliers. Some systematic errors are also apparent on the plots. For SI assays, at the limit of detection of 0.1 for FTIR and 0.2 for MD this results in many pairs with a HARD statistic of 33.33% (see SI percentile graph for P159 Myara North, Figure 8‑16). Similarly, for SI the MD data has an upper limit of 22% and the FE data has an upper limit of 95% whereas the FTIR assays can be much higher. Such data errors seem to have slipped through Alcoa’s data cleansing procedures for these repeat batches and can impact on the mean and bias estimates.

Trimming the P163 data set to limits approximating ore feed grades (with the trimmed limits shown in blue font in Table 8‑9) significantly improves the precision and reduces the bias for AL. There is less improvement for SI and FE.


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Figure 8‑16: P159 Myara North pulp re-assaying of old MD vs new FTIR for AL and SI. Note artefacts in SI plots, which can be removed by trimming (SLR, 2021)


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Figure 8‑17: P163 Larego pulp re-assaying of old MD vs new FTIR for AL and SI (trimmed) (SLR, 2021)


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9.5.3.8

Stockpile Feed and Sampling

Refinery feed grade is monitored at Huntly and Willowdale using material collected at the Pinjarra and Wagerup sample plants. At each operation, the sample plants are located at the refinery end of the overland conveyors, just prior to the stockpile stackers.

The stockpile area at the Pinjarra refinery is fed by two conveyor belts (SP-171 and SP-271) that derive their ore from the same crusher (currently at Myara). Prior to the ore being combined from the belts and fed to the stockpile area, it passes through a sampling tower that alternatively takes a primary cut from each belt, dries, crushes, subsamples and combines them into two parallel samples for 12 hour shifts.

The repeatability of the ore grades can be determined by comparing these paired samples (Figure 8‑18 for AL and SI, Table 8‑10 summarising results for all analytes).


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Figure 8‑18: Precision of paired Stockpile Belt samples for AL and SI (SLR, 2021)

Table 8‑10: Summary of Stockpile Belt paired samples for Myara North in 2018: 292 pairs for SP-271 vs SP-171

Analyte

Precision

90th Percentile

Mean

Bias

Min

Max

AL

2.0

2.3

32.95

-0.13

28.16

37.42

SI

9.3

10.2

1.19

0.03

0.54

4.09

FE

6.3

7.0

17.15

-0.06

9.90

27.69

AT

1.6

1.8

38.72

-0.08

34.28

43.48

ST

5.6

6.5

21.10

0.24

13.25

34.60

SO

4.3

4.9

2.88

-0.03

1.83

4.14

OX

7.2

7.9

1.96

0.00

1.09

3.37

BO

37.2

43.5

0.22

0.00

0.01

1.47

Notes:

 

1.

Precision is based on the CV of the HARD statistic at a confidence interval of 68%

 

2.

90th percentile is based on the ranked HARD statistic


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3.

Mean is the mean of all pairs (as % grade)

 

4.

Bias is difference in the Means of Original and Duplicate sets, negative if Original (SP-171) is lower (as % grade)

 

5.

Min and Max (as % grade) indicate the range of the data, in this case the range of ore grades going to the stockpiles.

 

Precision demonstrated in Table 8‑10 is excellent for AL, AT, ST and SO. Precision is good for SI, FE and OX but poor for BO. The high quality of the repeatability results is surprising and attests to:

 

The quality of the REF assays performed

 

The sample preparation in the Pinjarra Laboratory of the 12 hourly shift samples

 

The homogenization and blending performance of the mining operation, despite the large particle size of material on the twin belts.

The lack of any significant bias attests to the performance and reliability of the sampling tower in taking a primary cut and reducing it correctly, despite various design flaws noted for some of the sampling towers during independent reviews since the late 1980s (Gy, 1984; Rennick et al, 1992; Knight, 2016; Lyman, 2017; Holmes, 2018).

The good performance for all analytes except BO indicates that the low grades of BO may be near detection limits (defined as where the precision approaches 100%).

Table 8‑10 also provides a good indication of the average grades of ore and the expected range (minimum to maximum) for the ore fed during the period covered by the data set. Arguably, all precision data previously presented could be trimmed to such ranges and would demonstrate improved precision (e.g. as shown by the results in blue font in Table 8‑6).

9.5.4

QP Opinion

It is the SLR QPs opinion that the large data sets collected over a long timeframe, the satisfactory mine production shown by reconciliation results (see 11.12), and the QC data sets examined, all provide sufficient confidence in the available data for resource estimation.

Specifically:

 

Appropriate internal reference material (standards), wet chemical certified reference materials, and blanks are monitored.

 

The paired data from stockpile belts SP-171 and SP-271 indicates that the REF assaying method, and the sampling tower, have excellent repeatability and the ore grades delivered to the Pinjarra stockpiles from Myara North show good homogeneity after crushing and prior to stockpile blending.

 

The programs of extensive re-assaying of pulps provide evidence that the procedures have been maintained and are sound over a long period.

 

The REF- FTIR data provides confidence that the FTIR assaying technique, a rapid spectral method, is sound when calibrated and validated with the REF data.

 

The comprehensive monitoring of REF data both internally and through umpire assays is appropriate and results are reasonable.


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The STE method is a reasonable alternative to Field Duplicates and indicates to SLR that the drill rig splitting is appropriate (unbiased, and producing moderate precisions of less than 20%).

 

The available twinned hole data indicated poor repeatability (as expected, due to geological variability and perhaps sample splitting) which obscures any analysis of possible bias.

In the opinion of the SLR QP, the QA/QC of sample preparation and assaying is adequate and the assay results are suitable for use in Mineral Resource estimation.

It is the opinion of the SLR QP that the analytical procedures used for the Alcoa Mineral Resource comprises part of conventional industry practice. FTIR is not widely used yet in the bauxite industry but is becoming more widely accepted and applied to more operations. At Alcoa the method has been consistently applied successfully for a decade and is routinely validated by industry standard XRF and wet chemical procedures as discussed in Section 8.3 and 8.4.

It is the opinion of the SLR QP from the studies on FTIR repeatability discussed above that the overall precision and accuracy of the FTIR assaying is acceptable.

 


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10.0

Data Verification

10.1

Data structures

Wherever possible the transfer of geological, sampling and assaying data is now carried out digitally.

The use of rugged field tablets was introduced after an external review (Snowden, 2015). The data recorded at the drill rig is uploaded daily via WiFi for validation prior to importing into the acQuire database. This allows the data to be captured, checked, approved, and then loaded without any further manual keystroke entry.

The sample preparation and assaying data are all recorded at the Bella facility (see Figure 8‑3) allowing all aspects of the sample preparation to be tracked and transferred to KWI through direct connection to their Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS). After calibration, validation and checking of the FTIR and REF assays they are transferred digitally to the acQuire database.

Within the database, scripts are run to prioritise the results and to define the BEST value for each analyte (e.g. AL_BEST, SI_BEST, etc). The downhole accumulations of all grades are calculated, and the base of mineralization is determined. Other values are also calculated such as the Density using a regression equation (see Section 11.8.5).

An events table is used to change the status of each hole at all stages as it progresses through the validation process from designed, to drilled, to despatched, to lab pending, to validated.

The various downhole geological features (LithCode, Seam, Geol Floor, etc) are all verified spatially, validated by geologists using the vertical position and assays (e.g. Figure 7‑7), and where appropriate metadata (e.g. Status Flag) is added to record the basis of the interpretation.

The required modelling files are exported from the acQuire database by the geostatisticians using queries. The final Mineral Resource models are then imported into the over-arching ArcMap environment for mine planning, and integration with the environmental and other planning protocols.

Figure 9‑1: Visual display of hole status (logged and assayed) for hole G39150224 in Serpentine (Alcoa, 2021)


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10.2

Data verification measures

The SLR QP interrogated the data extracted from the acQuire database for two areas (Serpentine and Millars). For these two areas the count of records in each Table is summarized in Table 11‑2.

Table 9‑1: Count of records by database Table for two database extracts

Data type

Table

Serpentine

Millars

Collars

tblass

6,362

8,298

Surveys

tblsur

6,362

8,298

Assays

tblass

59,622

70,905

REF Assays

tblassrefs

611

711

Lithology

tblgeoLithology

69,564

82,762

Geology Floor

tblgeoGeolFloor

69,561

82,761

Seam

tblgeoSeam

69,564

82,762

 

Extensive checks were run to validate the integrity. These included searching for duplicate records, downhole gaps¸ interval overlaps, missing collar or survey records, etc.

The following observations were made:

 

As expected the Validation Tables ensure that there are no anomalous codes.

 

Checks for assay closure (adding all assays to 100%) are done by Alcoa when the assay data is prepared for resource estimation. The availability of total oxide assays (e.g. AT and ST) has progressively increased over time.

 

In a few cases (156 for Serpentine, drilled from October 2019 to December 2019, and 114 for Millars) there were blank values for LithCode in the table geoLithology at the top of the hole, followed by a zero-length interval (e.g. From 1.2 m and To 1.2 m) with a valid LithCode. This is due to the practice of not sampling the overburden but instead discarding it, creating in some cases a short interval with no assay or LithCode. This type of database error is usually picked up by a validation check looking for zero length drill segments. In this deposit, because the geological logging is expected to follow a vertical sequence (which is used for some of the interpretation scripts), such zero length intervals are not uncommon to allow for pinching and swelling of some horizons.

Some calculation and range checks were run that highlighted gaps or anomalies in the scripts used to validate that data before resource estimation:

 

There are 19 records with ST_BEST values greater than 100% in Serpentine and 2 in Millars. Such values should be investigated, trimmed and flagged.

 

There are a number of records (107 for Serpentine and 165 for Millars) where AL (available alumina) is greater than AT (total alumina). There are also records (1,273 for Serpentine and 2,029 for Millars) where SI (reactive silica) is greater than ST (total silica). These should be further investigated, flagged in the database, and future instances flagged during data loading so that


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when such results (infrequently) occur there is recognition during the data loading that this is due to FTIR assays outside the normal calibration range, rather than due to sample mix-up or contamination.

 

Checks on the regression calculation for density were run on the Serpentine database. There were 1,187 records not flagged as Seam=CAP, that had density values ranging from 2.04 to 2.28. These were either 20% or 40% CAP and had a density value reflecting the length weighted average of the two domains assigned. Of the total 6,399 records with valid seam and iron data, SLR found that 5,566 (87%) were within ±0.1 of the database density value. The remaining 833 records with Seam=CAP and an FE_BEST assay, were either 60% or 80% CAP and had a density value reflecting the length weighted average of the two domains assigned.

10.3

QP Opinion

The database extracts that were provided proved very robust to scrutiny, save for a small number of anomalies noted, none of which are considered material in view of the vast number of drill holes, assays and other records.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the database is adequate and the data is appropriate for the purpose of Mineral Resource estimation.

 


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11.0

Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing

Mineral processing and metallurgical test work samples representing the Darling Range operations are not available; however, this is an operating mine and consistent operating data demonstrates that the ore is directly transported to the refineries following size reduction. SLR understands that these operating data represent all material mined for ten years and sourced from four mining regions and as such represent the various types and styles of mineralization within the Darling Range operations.

It is important to note that there is no upgrading involved in the processing and therefore the processing recovery can be considered above 99% allowing for any losses in production.

The operating data between 2010 to 2020 indicates that the product from the Darling Range operations consisted of an average Al2O3 grade of 33% and average SiO2 grade of 20%. It is important to note that higher grades of reactive SiO2 is potentially deleterious but that remained below 1.2% throughout the 10 years of operation. SLR understands that according to the mine plan the Total SiO2 content on an annual average basis remains below 20%, and that reactive SiO2, on the same basis, remains at or below 1.25% for the next 10 years. This means there is no evidence of any deleterious elements present in the Darling Range ore within the next 10 years of production.

A summary of the product grades from the Darling Range operations are shown in Table 10‑1, Table 10‑2 and Table 10‑3.

Table 10‑1: Product grades of Darling Range Operation (Willowdale – Wagerup refinery feed)

Year

Moisture (%)

LOI (%)

Total Al2O3 (%)

Total SiO2 (%)

Fe2O3 (%)

TiO2 (%)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

2010

7.959

22.34

38.10

21.76

17.49

1.431

32.81

1.134

2011

7.930

20.89

40.57

22.28

17.64

1.466

32.75

1.141

2012

7.990

21.02

38.13

21.12

18.06

1.577

32.96

1.164

2013

7.745

21.15

36.80

18.57

19.48

1.607

32.72

1.209

2014

7.853

21.24

37.21

18.09

19.34

1.624

33.10

1.170

2015

7.484

21.48

37.01

18.01

19.03

1.719

33.16

1.112

2016

7.816

21.63

37.56

16.73

20.63

1.746

33.06

1.139

2017

7.817

21.75

37.93

16.01

21.37

1.825

33.03

1.103

2018

7.952

21.64

38.29

15.89

21.34

1.880

33.02

1.131

2019

7.611

21.28

37.33

16.76

21.34

1.851

32.29

1.153

2020

7.835

21.50

37.40

14.12

23.25

2.098

32.45

1.074

 


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Table 10‑2: Product grades of Darling Range operations (Huntly–Pinjarra refinery feed)

Year

Moisture (%)

LOI (%)

Total Al2O3 (%)

Total SiO2 (%)

Fe2O3 (%)

TiO2 (%)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

2010

7.4

20.8

38.6

20.8

17.4

1.34

33.1

1.05

2011

7.8

21.0

38.8

20.0

18.0

1.41

33.0

1.04

2012

8.2

21.4

39.4

20.2

17.1

1.37

33.6

1.13

2013

8.1

21.5

39.8

19.5

17.1

1.35

33.9

1.12

2014

8.2

21.5

39.6

18.6

17.7

1.45

33.8

1.16

2015

8.0

21.6

39.3

19.5

17.3

1.41

33.8

1.08

2016

8.2

21.4

39.2

20.3

17.0

1.38

33.8

1.13

2017

8.3

21.3

39.3

19.6

17.5

1.42

33.9

1.11

2018

8.3

21.4

39.1

19.5

17.6

1.42

33.7

1.07

2019

8.1

21.3

38.9

20.1

17.2

1.38

33.5

1.12

2020

8.4

21.4

39.1

18.4

18.6

1.52

33.5

1.20

 

Table 10‑3: Product grades of Darling Range operations (Huntly– Kwinana refinery feed)

Year

Moisture (%)

LOI (%)

Total Al2O3 (%)

Total SiO2 (%)

Fe2O3 (%)

TiO2 (%)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

2006

7.8

21.7

39.3

18.7

18.0

1.37

33.9

1.10

2007

8.0

21.6

39.2

19.5

17.6

1.33

33.7

1.11

2008

7.9

21.3

39.1

20.1

17.3

1.34

33.8

1.09

2009

7.8

21.3

39.0

20.7

17.3

1.29

33.5

1.02

2010

7.5

21.4

38.6

20.8

17.4

1.26

33.1

1.04

2011

7.6

21.3

38.7

20.1

18.2

1.30

32.8

1.03

2012

8.2

21.5

39.4

20.3

17.0

1.25

33.5

1.13

2013

8.1

21.8

39.8

19.5

17.1

1.26

33.9

1.11

2014

8.2

22.0

39.6

18.8

17.7

1.37

33.7

1.17

2015

8.0

22.0

39.4

19.7

17.2

1.31

33.8

1.08

2016

8.2

21.7

39.1

21.3

16.1

1.32

33.8

1.03

2017

8.3

22.2

38.9

20.6

16.5

1.34

33.8

1.03

2018

8.3

22.1

38.6

20.8

16.7

1.33

33.9

1.05


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Year

Moisture (%)

LOI (%)

Total Al2O3 (%)

Total SiO2 (%)

Fe2O3 (%)

TiO2 (%)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

2019

8.0

21.8

38.9

21.2

16.4

1.32

33.5

1.12

2020

8.4

21.7

39.1

19.8

17.6

1.44

33.5

1.16

 

11.1

QP opinion

SLR is of the opinion that the Darling Range operation demonstrated that ore can be effectively crushed and supplied to a refinery for further upgrading to produce Alumina. The historical operational data confirmed that the ore consistently met refinery specifications without any deleterious elements. Based on this, and the additional information about the mine plan provided by Alcoa, it is reasonable to assume that the ore from Darling Range can be economically processed for the next 10 years.

 


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12.0

Mineral Resource Estimates

12.1

Summary

The Darling Range resource inventory comprises over 13,000 resource blocks with a combined area of approximately 10,870 ha averaging 50 kt. The lateritic bauxites occur as surficial coverings of limited thickness, typically between 4 m to 8 m, but with significant lateral extent. Historically, resource estimation was by 2D plan-polygonal methods (Polygonal) referred to by Alcoa informally as the ResTag procedure. More recently, resource estimation by Alcoa has evolved to include gridded seam (GSM) and 3D block (3DBM) models using geostatistical techniques. Mineral Resource estimates based on GSM and 3DBM models (and some Polygonal models) consider practical mining constraints.

The delineation of Mineral Resources using 3D methods has focused on well drilled areas that fall within the 10-year mine plan and comprise approximately 30% of the Mineral Resources in 37 3DBM models. GSM models were typically constructed in areas with 15 m spaced drilling. Approximately half of the Mineral Resources are based on Polygonal (ResTag) estimates which are mostly located in areas of wider-spaced (30 m and 60 m) drilling and are of lower confidence. All new resource updates employ the 3DBM methods irrespective of drill hole spacing.

Mineral Resource estimation was carried out by Alcoa and resources are defined for 92 sheets in 70 mining regions. There are 13,467 discrete zones of mineralization that comprise the resource, each split vertically into 4 domains for which 11 elements were estimated. SLR carried out audits on representative models selected in conjunction with Alcoa and comprising:

 

Models to be mined in the short to medium term (less than 5 years)

 

Models with significant amounts of resource material

 

Models representing the three estimation methods used by Alcoa.

The models audited were:

 

ResTag estimation method: Teesdale

 

GSM estimation method: Larego (F54 and F55)

 

3DBM estimation method: Serpentine (R25) and Millars (R22).

The audit process by SLR comprised examination of the procedures used by Alcoa, independent review and discussion with staff, normal validation checks (e.g. statistics, swath plots, visual examination, change of support analysis and generation of grade-tonnage curves). The two 3DBM models were examined in detail. The other models were examined and interrogated to ensure that the documented procedures were followed and that results were consistent with SLR expectations based on the data inputs.

The process used by Alcoa involves an integrated approach to data collection, bauxite delineation, and production planning aimed at the provision of feedstock that meets the requirements of the local alumina refineries.

For all 3 estimation methods drill holes were flagged with geological units using multi-pass geochemical scripts that included thickness constraints. The GSM flagging process incorporated some additional mining constraints. Geological interpretations in both 2D and 3D were constructed with the flagged drill hole composite data, which constrain the spatial estimation of bauxite mineralization. Subsequent to block


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grade estimation, mining constraints are applied to the 3DBM models to restrict Mineral Resources to areas of potentially economic bauxite mineralization.

AL, SI, FE, ST, PT, OX, EO, CO, and SU are estimated for all models, but only AL and SI are reported for the Mineral Resource. GSM uses inverse distance weighting methods to assign grades to the bauxite profile, and 3DBMs rely on ordinary kriging block grade estimates. Validation methods differ slightly for the different model types, but all models are reported by Alcoa to validate well against the input drill hole data.

Mineral Resources have been classified in accordance with the definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 1300, which are consistent with Australasian JORC Code (2012) and Canadian NI 43-101 (2014) definitions, and are determined primarily on drill hole spacing. Models constructed primarily with pre-2010 drill holes are downgraded as this information is considered to be of lower confidence.

Mineral Resource estimates exclusive of Mineral Reserves are shown in Table 11‑1, and include a 5% reduction factor in tonnage, based on the results of annual reconciliations (see discussion on density in Section 11.13).

Table 11‑1: Summary of Mineral Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves – 31st December 2021

Category

Tonnage
(M dmt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Measured

48.0

32.9

1.11

Indicated

34.8

31.9

1.12

Total Measured + Indicated

82.8

32.5

1.11

Inferred

320

33

1.2

Notes:

 

1.

The definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 1300 were followed, which are consistent with JORC (2012) definitions

 

2.

Mineral Resources are 100% attributable to AWAC

 

3.

Mineral Resources are estimated at a geological cut-off grade, which generally approximates to nominal cut-off grades of 27.5% A.Al2O3 with less than 3.5% R.SiO2. Locally the cut-off grade may vary, dependent on operating costs and ore quality for blending. The target grade for mine planning is 32.7% available aluminum oxide (A.Al2O3) and 1.0% reactive silica (R.SiO2)

 

4.

Mineral Resources have been estimated using a three-year trailing average of arms-length sales of bauxite from Darling Range. The price that constrains the estimate for optimisation was discounted to exclude export logistics costs, i.e. the base price was USD24/t, and the discounted price was USD16/t.

 

5.

A minimum total mining thickness of 1.5 m was used

 

6.

In situ dry bulk density is variable and is defined for each block in the Mineral Resource model

 

7.

A global downwards adjustment of tonnes by 5% is made to account for density differences based on historic mining performance

 

8.

Mineral Resources are reported exclusive of Mineral Reserves

 

9.

The reference point for the Mineral Resource is the in situ predicted dry tonnage and grade of material to be delivered to the refinery stockpile following the application of mining design parameters

 

10.

Metallurgical recovery has not been directly considered in the estimation of Mineral Resources as the Darling Range operations do not include a conventional processing plant, only crushing as described in Section 14.0. The metallurgical recovery of the three refineries (Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup) are beyond the boundaries of the mining operations being the subject of the TRS.

 

11.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

 


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12.2

Resource Database

12.2.1

Drill Hole Data

Drill hole collar, survey, and assay data are exported from the acQuire database for resource estimation.

Data exports from acQuire currently utilize Python scripts and the Spyder open-source plugin for validation and initial processing, including:

 

Assigning 999 as the Domain code where drill hole intervals lack AL, SI and Fe assays

 

Removing holes from the database if located greater than 7 m horizontally from the planned location

 

Identifying and removing duplicate or repeat holes based on a set of criteria

 

Resetting AL to AT where AL exceeds AT

 

Resetting SI to ST where SI exceeds ST

 

Calculating Assay Total = AT (AL if AT absent) + ST + BO + FE + SU + CO

 

Deleting assays for samples where the Assay Total is below 70% or greater than 100%.

The output is a set of CSV files for collar, survey, assay, and geology.

The validation checks have been implemented progressively over time as drill hole data for some project areas includes some samples where AL exceeds AT and SI exceeds ST.

Other than collar elevation adjustments, no further data transformations are applied prior to resource estimation.

12.2.2

Topographic data

Digital elevations models (DEMs) were generated from (in order of priority) drill collar survey data, LiDAR survey data, and Landgate satellite data. A 7.5 m by 7.5 m mesh is used for the DEMs. Drill hole collar elevations were registered to the DEM for resource estimation.

12.3

Geological Interpretation

12.3.1

Polygonal Models

For Polygonal resource estimates, grade-based ‘geological’ codes are assigned to drill hole intervals. These codes are used to define the top and bottom of the ‘bauxite’ horizon in each hole, which is then used to estimate the bauxite volumes and average grades within polygons.

The top of the bauxite usually coincides with the base of the overburden, as defined in the drillers’ logs. The base of the Bauxite Zone (termed the geological floor) is defined within the acQuire database using a multi-pass script that applies the following hierarchical set of rules to the sample grades:

Pass 1

 

Uphole search for two consecutive samples with individual AL values ≥27.0%

 

Record depth of the lower of the two samples


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Check that the cumulative AL at that depth is ≥27.5%

 

Check that the individual SI at that depth is ≤3.5%

 

Check that the cumulative SI at that depth is ≤3.0%

 

Check that the cumulative OX at that depth is ≤4 kg/t

 

Check that the sampled depth is ≥2.0 m, but less than hole depth (if equal, see pass 3)

 

If all criteria are met, set flag to “pass”, set geological floor depth to lower sample depth

 

Proceed to pass 2.

Pass 2

 

Uphole search for two consecutive samples with individual AL values ≥25.5%

 

Record depth of the lower of the two samples

 

Check that the cumulative AL at that depth is ≥27.5%

 

Check that the individual SI at that depth is ≤3.5%

 

Check that the cumulative SI at that depth is ≤3.0%

 

Check that the cumulative OX at that depth is ≤4 kg/t

 

Check that the sampled depth is ≥2.0 m, but less than hole depth (if equal, see Pass 3)

 

If all criteria are met, set flag to “pass”, set geological floor depth to lower sample depth

 

If any criteria fail, geological floor defined in Pass 1 is retained.

Pass 3

 

Uphole search for two consecutive samples with individual AL values ≥27.0%

 

Record depth of the lower of the two samples

 

Check that the cumulative AL at that depth is ≥27.5%

 

Check that the individual SI at that depth is ≤3.5%

 

Check that the cumulative SI at that depth is ≤3.0%

 

Check that the cumulative OX at that depth is ≤4 kg/t

 

Check that sampled depth = hole depth

 

If all criteria are met, set flag to “pass – open”, set geological floor depth to lower sample depth.

Pass 4

 

Uphole search for two consecutive samples with individual AL values ≥24.5%

 

Record depth of the lower of the two samples

 

Check that the cumulative AL at that depth is ≥25.0%

 

Check that the individual SI at that depth is ≤3.5%


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Check that the cumulative SI at that depth is ≤3.0%

 

Check that the cumulative OX at that depth is ≤4 kg/t

 

Check that the sampled depth is ≥2.0 m, but less than hole depth (if equal, see pass 3)

 

If all criteria are met, set flag to “marginal”, set geological floor depth to lower sample depth.

The application of these rules assigns a geological floor depth to each hole, along with a Pass, Pass-Open, Marginal, or Fail flag. Holes flagged as Marginal or Fail are inspected by Alcoa staff members, with manual adjustments applied if warranted. For areas infilled to 15 m spaced holes, the geological floor model is replaced by a mining floor model, which is discussed in the following section.

Results of geological floor flagging are used to subjectively define the lateral extents of the Mineral Resource. Outlines are manually interpreted by Alcoa geologists in ArcGIS or MineSight, and are guided by consistency in thickness, depth, and grade, minimum limits on the number of enclosed samples and the enclosed area, and local geomorphology. The polygons delineate separate areas that typically range in size from 10 ha to 100 ha, with most being around 30 ha. An example plan view is shown in Figure 11‑1.

Figure 11‑1: Plan View of Polygonal Approach (Pass = red, pass open = green, marginal = yellow, fail = blue) (Alcoa, 2022)


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12.3.2

Gridded Seam Models

GSM models are located in areas of 15 m spaced infill drilling and include practical mining constraints as part of the ‘geological’ interpretation used for resource models.

The base of overburden and the base of caprock is identified in each drill hole as 3D points and wireframed as surfaces. The geological bauxite zone floor, which is defined for the wider drill spacings used for Polygonal estimates, is replaced by a mining floor for GSMs. The mining floor is interpreted directly from the drill hole data presented on the 15 m spaced east-west cross sections, digitized in MineSight as strings, then linked to form wireframe surfaces.

The interpretation of the mining floor is a manual process performed by the site geologist, with the objective of achieving acceptable grades and practical mining outlines. The mining floors are defined using a set of guidelines instead of prescribed rules, including:

 

Nominal cut-off grades of ≥27.5% AL and ≤3.5% SI are used for mining floor definition;

 

If the SI grade in the sample immediately below the floor exceeds 5.0%, the floor is raized 0.5 m;

 

A minimum face height (distance from mining floor to the base of overburden) is targeted;

 

Face heights exceeding 4 m will require multiple cuts or bench mining;

 

The overburden to face height ratio should not exceed 1;

 

A maximum floor gradient of 1 in 7 is required between 15 m spaced holes (the gradient can be increased to 1 in 5 for second and third cuts);

 

Benching should be invoked where the gradient constraints cannot be maintained; and

 

The floor interpretations should be extended laterally into at least one of the surrounding waste holes.

The base of overburden and mining floor surfaces are used to flag the drill hole samples. For each drill hole, the samples located below the base of the overburden and above the mining floor are composited into a single interval, with composite grades length- and density-weighted. Additional drill hole composites are generated for second and third pass mining floors.

The composite data are examined in plan view, and polygons are digitized around the interpreted lateral extents of the mining zones using the following guidelines:

 

Nominal cut-off grades of ≥27.5% AL and ≤3.5% SI for lateral boundary definition

 

The boundary is positioned at least 15 m away from holes with SI grades exceeding 5%

 

Buffer zones are placed around environmental constraints, and around bedrock outcrop

 

Internal waste zones should contain at least three drill holes

 

Individual polygons should have an area of at least 1 ha

 

A width of at least 45 m should be retained for mining equipment movement.

The resulting polygons are divided into ‘mining’ blocks that each contain approximately 20 kt to 40 kt.


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12.3.3

3D Block Models

Similar to the Polygon and GSM interpretation approaches, a set of rules are used to assign initial domain codes to individual samples. These Domain codes are then modified in several subsequent passes that take into account the grades and coding of other intervals in the hole.

The initial script is used to assign a Domain code to each interval based on various combinations of major analyte threshold grades. A total of 6 main material type Domains (DOMAF) are defined, namely overburden (DOMAF=99), caprock waste (10), caprock bauxite (20), bauxite (30), low-grade bauxite (40), and clay (50). Each of these material types (apart from overburden) is divided into up to five grade-based sub-domains. Three subsequent coding passes are conducted that iteratively adjust the codes to combine the sub-domain into the 6 main Domains whilst ensuring that strict stratigraphic ordering is maintained. A further two passes are coded to assign Domain codes that denote whether the material is derived from granite or dolerite.

The base of each Domain is generated on a 7.5 m by 7.5 m grid using an automated modelling process. Where drill holes do not penetrate the full bauxite profile or where the Domain contact is not defined exactly due to missing assays a conditional simulation algorithm is used to estimate the Domain thickness from adjacent drill holes. The simulation algorithm employs a Matern variogram and selects the average of 10 simulations for the missing data point. The grid mesh is then wireframed in MineSight to provide 3D surfaces. The base of Domain 50 (Clay) is set at 10 m below the top of that Domain.

Figure 11‑2: Example Section showing Domain (DOMAF) and Wireframed Surfaces (SLR, 2022)

3:1 vertical to horizontal exaggeration

Potential dolerite dyke intervals are flagged for samples where FE exceeds 25% and ST is below 10%, and the entire hole is flagged as potential dolerite dyke if 3 or more samples are flagged in this manner. The interpretation of dolerite dykes is carried out manually using local orientation trends and may be based on one or more holes (see Figure 11‑3). Dolerite dykes are assumed to be vertical and are extended laterally half-way between drill holes. Dolerite dykes can represent up to 15% of material in some areas but unweathered material can generally be screened out in the pit or prior to crushing as oversize boulders. Dolerite dykes tend to be well defined only when drill hole spacings are reduced to 15 m by 15 m.

A lateral boundary is interpreted to constrain the resource model (see Figure 11‑3) and the 3D surfaces are extended where required. The lateral boundary, domain surfaces, and dolerite dyke interpretations are converted to wireframe solids.


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Figure 11‑3: Plan View of Bauxite Zone and Interpreted Dykes at Serpentine (SLR, 2022)

12.4

Statistical Checks

Statistical checks by Alcoa and independent reviewers are typically carried out by univariate statistical comparisons and histogram, grade trend, scatter, and cumulative log probability plots.

Univariate statistics by Domain are calculated pre- and post-compositing for validation, and for checks against the resulting resource models. For areas with multiple drilling campaigns carried out at significant time lags, SRK (2021a) previously noted that there were no material or unexpected differences between subsets of the dataset grouped by drilling period or drilling grid.

Histograms show that most analytes have distributions that are close to normal, as shown in Figure 11‑4 for AL. The exception being SI, which is moderately to strongly positively skewed, as shown in Figure 11‑5.

Marked grade trends with depth exist for most analytes but are consistent with the mineralization style and have been adequately accounted for by the geological interpretation and the use of unfolding methods during block grade estimation.


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Figure 11‑4: Histograms of AL by DOMAF at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)


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Figure 11‑5: Histograms of SI by DOMAF at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)

 

Figure 11‑6 plots SI versus ST for the clay zone at Serpentine. Note that reactive silica (SI) was greater than total silica (ST) for some composites (left-hand plot), and these relationships were carried through to the block model (right-hand plot). In the datasets reviewed, this issue was most common for SI in the clay zone, but there were also small numbers of bauxite zone samples with available alumina (AL) greater than total alumina (AT). This issue is not considered to be material for the Mineral Resource estimate, and adequate checks are now in place for future resource models.

Figure 11‑7 shows the relationship between AL and SI for the bauxite and clay zones at Serpentine. Note the progressive increase in SI as the bauxite profile changes with depth from Hardcap (20), through friable bauxite, and to Clay (50), which was supported by grade trend plots.

 


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Figure 11‑6: Scatterplots of SI versus ST for DOMAF 50 at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)

 

Figure 11‑7: Scatterplots of AL versus SI by Domain at Serpentine (SRK, 2021)


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12.5

Treatment of High-Grade Assays

High-grade caps for all analytes were applied to individual composites by Alcoa on a domain-by-domain basis following inspection of the data distribution. The SLR QP confirmed that high-grade caps were typically greater than the 99th cumulative sample percentile, as shown by horizontal lines in the plots in Figure 11‑8.

No high-grade spatial restrictions were used by Alcoa in the resource estimation process.

 


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Figure 11‑8: Cumulative Log Probability Plots for Serpentine Composites


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12.6

Compositing

Drill holes were sampled at 0.5 m intervals in the bauxite zone below the base of the overburden, with a residual sometimes present at Domain contacts. The Polygon and GSM estimation approaches used the original drill hole data intervals. Prior to the interpretation of geological surfaces, holes used in the 3DBM resource estimates were composted to 0.5 m with residuals calculated to ensure their length was 0.25 m to 0.75 m.

Following the interpretation of geological surfaces, drill holes used for Polygonal and GSM resource models were composited to:

 

Polygonal – a single interval for samples located below the base of the overburden and above the geological floor.

 

GSM - a single interval for samples located below the base of the overburden and above the mining floor. Additional composites were generated in areas where second and third pass mining floors were identified.

All grade compositing for drill holes employs length-weighted linear averages.

12.7

Trend Analysis - Variography

Only some variogram analysis was carried out for Polygonal and GSM models as variogram parameters were not required to generate the resource models. Variogram analysis is routine for 3DBMs. Experimental variograms are calculated in unfolded space, with bauxite Domains 20, 30 and 40 unfolded to the 10/20 Domain contact and the clay Domain (50) unfolded to the 40/50 Domain contact.

Experimental variograms are calculated for AL, SI, ST, and FE for the bauxite zone, standardized to a sill of one, and modelled with 3-structure spherical models, as shown in Figure 11‑9. A single variogram model is selected that provides a best fit to these four variables. Variogram models tend to display nugget values of less than 20% and total ranges of several hundred meters, but 80% of the sill is generally reached within 100 m laterally. As expected, horizontal to vertical anisotropy ratios are high (typically exceeding 50:1), but there is little lateral anisotropy. Only minor differences in Huntly and Willowdale variogram models were noted by SRK (2021a). This good definition of continuity compared to the 15 m drill spacing is considered by SLR to be a benefit of the unfolding approach.

Independent variogram models for each bauxite domain and analyte are not used for grade estimation to enable correlations between analytes to be maintained during the change in support from drill hole samples to blocks, which is important for mine planning considerations.

 


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Figure 11‑9: AL, SI, FE, and ST Directional Variogram Models at Serpentine

12.8

Bulk Density

For Mineral Resource estimation purposes, density can be regarded as another analyte, and tests can be evaluated for repeatability (precision) and accuracy (bias). The determination of the metal content of a specified volume of ore is as sensitive to density as it is to grade, and this is certainly the case for gold mining with high value, low concentration assays. For bulk commodities there is usually much more emphasis on grade since product tonnages are measured by weightometer.

Alcoa does not routinely collect density data but relies on production records to define averages. This is due to the broad geological consistency of the ore zones and the local chemical and physical nature of the lateritized ore. Porosity and permeability in particular show high lateral and vertical variability, rendering repeatability of density test work meaningless. Even were large numbers of data points available (for example by developing a density algorithm from the FTIR assaying of every drill sample, and then modelling it) the resulting model would still need to be factored by the actual mining results for local porosity.

For 3DBM resource estimation, each drill hole bauxite composite is assigned a dry in situ bulk density (DIBD) value based on the logged material type and the FTIR iron grade using the regression equation defined below in Section 11.8.5.

The available density test work data is summarized as follows.


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12.8.1

1980 to 1992

Senini (1993) collated and reviewed all previous bauxite density data, including that by Sadleir done in 1986, and modified Sadleir’s algorithm used for computation of density from individual 0.5 m sample assays of Fe2O3. Results are summarized in Table 11‑2.

Table 11‑2: Summary of density test data (t/m3) from 1980 to 1992 (Senini, 1993)

Year

Source

Material

Count

Mean

Min

Max

Fe Mean

Regression On Fe2O3

Slope

Intercept

1980

DOSCO

Hardcap

18

2.200

1.98

2.52

19.35

0.0089

2.032

1986

Sadleir
(in Senini)

Hardcap

14

2.364

2.08

2.75

20.88

0.0092

2.172

1992

Senini

Hardcap

67

2.409

1.81

3.10

21.00

0.0103

2.192

1986

Sadleir
(in Senini)

Friable

11

1.846

1.64

2.12

8.80

0.0015

1.830

1992

Senini

Friable

27

2.225

1.88

2.79

14.30

0.0045

2.289

1980 - 1992

reported above

Granitic

67

2.327

1.81

3.10

16.71

 

 

1980 - 1992

reported above

Doleritic

32

2.444

2.07

2.96

28.96

 

 

 

While the approach used has merit, there are some obvious challenges:

 

There are very few data points, unevenly distributed by material type and mining area

 

Methodologies for collecting and testing the samples varied (sand replacement method for Hardcap, driven cylinder for Friable, water displacement are all noted)

 

There is some lack of clarity on moisture, but it is assumed that the values are all in situ dry bulk density reported as t/m3.

The differences between Hardcap (caprock) and Friable (other material) and between granitic or doleritic derivation are however clear.

Senini (1993) concluded that the dry in situ bulk density (DIBD) should be estimated using a regression equation which is still used.

12.8.2

2013 to 2018 drill samples

Various further test programs have been attempted including collection of all material from drill samples (assuming the drill hole volume is constant) and then taking wet and dry weights and assaying for iron. There were 51 samples from 8 holes at Huntly and 93 samples from 24 holes at Willowdale. Scatter plots produced by SRK 2021a showed significant scatter of all available data for both Hardcap and Friable (other) material.


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12.8.3

2016 to 2017 pit samples

Alcoa collected 2 kg to 5 kg grab samples from 16 Huntly pits (76 samples) and 10 Willowdale pits (41 samples). Water immersion density testing was done by Bureau Veritas. The average of 2.01 t/m3 is significantly lower than that from the 2015 study of 2.23 t/m3. The drill samples did not account for porosity and voids, and were not adequately sealed.

FTIR assays for Fe2O3 were compared to sealed and unsealed density estimates and it was found that Senini’s regression equation better predicted the unsealed densities. Thus it appears that the current regression equation based on Fe2O3 assays overestimates the in situ dry tonnage.

12.8.4

2018 downhole density estimates

In December 2018 Alcoa contracted downhole geophysical measurements in 54 aircore holes drilled in the Larego area. The data from this study is still being evaluated and is not used for Mineral Resource estimation.

12.8.5

Density estimation

Ore grades range from 28 to 38% A.Al2O3 for paired belt sample data (see Section 8.5.3.8) whereas test work densities range from 1.5 t/m3 to 3.2 t/m3 but the data is sparse and unreliable.

For resource estimation, each 0.5 m drill hole sample is assigned a dry in situ bulk density (DIBD) value based on the logged material type and the FTIR iron grade, using Senini’s 1993 regression equation:

Hardcap (caprock)= 2.19 + 0.0103*Fe

Friable (other)= 2.00 (used for all non-Hardcap material)

If the sample is logged as comprising a mix of Hardcap and Friable, the assigned value for that 0.5 m interval represents a volume-weighted average. There is no differentiation between granitic and dolerite derived bauxite, due to the relatively small proportion of the latter (less than 15%).

In resource estimates prior to 2017 a moisture content of 9% was assumed and used to estimate wet tonnes. Since the implementation of 3D block modelling in 2018, densities are assigned after grade estimation, based on the regression equation and Fe grade of Hardcap, and using 2.0 t/m3 for all other material, weighted by the proportion of Hardcap or other material.

12.8.6

Reconciliation of density

Alcoa uses comparisons between the As Mined tonnages and the sampling tower weightometers to apply adjustment factors to mine design estimates, scheduling and stockpile planning. Such adjustments are not applied directly to the Mineral Resource estimate as they vary locally.

Reconciliation of Huntly and Willowdale mined production (see discussion on density in Section 11.13) indicates that the density estimates are biased, with the long-term average As Mined tonnages being approximately 5% higher than the actual production measured on calibrated weightometers.

12.8.7

Density conclusions

The density data is limited in coverage and there is significant uncertainty regarding the methodology used for some sampling programs. A simple regression algorithm is used to estimate the DIBD for Hardcap


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from the FTIR assays of Fe2O3. This does not account for voids or porosity, nor does it differentiate between Hardcap derived from granitic or doleritic material. All other material is assigned a density of 2.0. A constant moisture content of 9% is assumed for wet tonnages.

12.8.8

QP Opinion

In SLR’s opinion the dry bulk density data is less well controlled than other analytes, but the long history of mining production and stockpile reconciliation means that the assumed values are adequate for resource estimation.

12.9

Resource Models

12.9.1

Polygonal

For each drill hole contained within a polygon, the samples located below the base of the overburden and above the geological floor are composited into a single interval. The following quantities are assigned to each polygon:

 

Thickness = average length of contained composites

 

Grade = length-weighted average grade of contained composites (density weighting is not applied)

 

Density = average density of contained composites

 

Volume = Polygon area by Thickness

 

Tonnage = Volume by Density.

12.9.2

Gridded Seam Modelling

GSM employs 15 m by 15 m cells centered on the nominal drill hole locations. Separate seams are created for overburden, and for the interpreted Bauxite Zone (BXZ) between the overburden and the mining floor. BXZ is subdivided into separate seams where second and third mining cuts have been interpreted. Interpreted wireframe surfaces are used to assign a seam thickness to each cell (effectively the seam thickness of drill hole at the cell centroid).

Cell grade estimation used inverse distance weighting (IDW) techniques as follows:

 

Hard boundaries, with each seam cell only estimated using nearby composite drill hole data within the corresponding seam

 

IDW weighting factor of 1.2 for SI and 2 for all other variables

 

1 by 1 by 1 cell discretization

 

Isotropic search distance of 180 m

 

Minimum of 2 and maximum of 8 composites with a maximum of 2 per quadrant

Where drill holes are located at the centroid of cells the resulting cell grade estimates are essentially nearest neighbor estimates. In other words, the GSM outcomes are equivalent to 2D polygon estimates, with the usual constraint of that method, i.e. that the block variances are not smaller than the composite variances.


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The GSM is constrained to the interpreted lateral extents of the mining zones. For each mining zone the following attributes are determined:

 

Seam Thickness = average seam thickness of the contained GSM cells

 

Grade – weighted average grade of contained cells (density weighting is not applied)

 

Density = average density of contained cells

 

Volume = mining zone area by Seam Thickness

 

Tonnage = Volume by Density

12.9.3

3D Block Modelling

In 2019, Alcoa commenced preparing Mineral Resource estimates using 3DBM techniques, with the aim to progressively replace all Polygonal and GSM models. To date, Alcoa has prepared a total of thirty-seven 3DBM representing around 30% of the Mineral Resource.

This section describes the current 3DBM procedures, which have evolved over time, with some parts now automated or semi-automated. Changes in the 3DBM procedures have generally been minor and are not considered material to the resulting resource models.

Block models are initially generated:

 

using the ML1SA lease area grid

 

with an origin that ensures that the majority of the drill holes are located nearer to the block corners rather than the centroids

 

with a parent block size of 15 m by 15 m by 0.5 m and a sub-block size of 3 m by 3 m by 0.25 m (XYZ)

 

flagged with a Domain (DOMAF) code based on the domain surface interpretations.

Block grade estimation:

 

includes estimation of AL, SI, ST, FE, EO, PT, CO, SU, OX, BO, and AT

 

is done by ordinary kriging (OK) for parent blocks, with parent grade estimates assigned to all sub-blocks within the parent block

 

uses the same unfolding surfaces as used for variogram analysis

 

sets soft boundaries for bauxite Domains (DOMAF 20, 30, 40)

 

uses a 3-pass search strategy for bauxite Domains and only one pass for the clay zone (parameters listed in Table 11‑3), with:

 

o

the major and semi-major orientations in the unfolded horizontal plane

 

o

a minimum of 4 or 12 samples and a maximum of 27, with a maximum of 3 from any one drill hole. Thus, a minimum of 4 holes is required for Pass 3 and 2 holes for Passes 2 and 1

 

uses the same variogram for all analytes


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DIBD (density) is not estimated into individual parent and sub blocks, but is a post-estimation calculation based on the block domain compositions (see 11.8.5).

The OK estimation approach is designed to maintain correlations between analytes and assist in ensuring that estimation totals are consistent with the input drill hole data.

Table 11‑3: Ordinary Kriging search parameters

Domain

Pass

Search Distance (m)

Number of Samples

Major

Semi-major

Minor

Min

Max

Max Per Hole

20, 30, 40

3

300

300

50

4

27

3

2

100

100

20

4

27

3

1

55

55

20

12

27

3

50

1

300

300

50

4

27

3

 

A set of wireframe solids representing the mining outlines are generated using a similar grade accumulation and threshold approach to those used for the GSM model, as shown in Figure 11‑10. The sub-block model is then regularized to 15 m by 15 m by 0.5 m (XYZ), with blocks located within the mining solids flagged for reporting Mineral Resources. Block tonnages are factored to reflect the proportion of the block contained below the topographic surface and within the mining solid.

Figure 11‑10: Example section showing Bauxite Zone and mining solid (SLR, 2021)

Notes:

 

1.

Vertical to horizontal exaggeration is 3:1

 

2.

Drill holes colored by DOMAF variable

12.10

Block Model Validation

12.10.1

Polygonal and Gridded Seam Modelling

Alcoa uses a similar general approach to validate both the Polygonal and GSM resource models which includes:

 

1.

Visual validation of cell estimated grades versus seam composited data

 

2.

Comparison between composite and block model global statistics

 

3.

Swath plots comparing cell grades against seam composite grades

 

4.

Comparison between models when upgraded with new information.


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Estimated cell grades were compared visually to the drill hole composite grades to ensure that the cell grade estimates appeared consistent with the drill hole seam composite data.

As GSMs were effectively nearest neighbor estimates, checks by SRK (2021a) on several GSM models indicated excellent global and local correlation between the estimated cell grades and the input seam composite grades.

SLR undertook some independent checks on datasets and GSMs for the F54 and F55 blocks to confirm that the modelling procedures had performed as intended. Results were consistent with those observed by SRK (2021a) and no material issues were noted.

Polygonal resource models were updated by Alcoa when drill hole data is infilled from 60 m and 30 m spacings, and then GSM models were previously produced by Alcoa after 15 m infill drilling (3DBM models are now produced routinely at this stage). Changes in tonnages and average grades (AL, SI, OX) are presented as scatterplots in Figure 11‑11 for map sheets at Huntly where such infill drilling has occurred. It is noted that:

 

material differences in tonnages are evident for individual map sheets, represented by the scatter around the 45o line in the top left-hand plot in Figure 11‑11

 

globally, there is only a 3% change in resource tonnage when infilling from 60 m to 30 m, but a 22% drop in tonnage when the deposit is further infilled to 15 m drill centers. The latter is mainly due to a change in the geological interpretation from a geological to a mining floor

 

decreasing the drill spacings from 60 m to 15m results in an average reduction in SI of 10%, an increase in OX of 5%, but little change to AL. These grade changes are likely due to the preferential loss of deeper DOMAF 40 material that is high-in SI and low in OX when mining constraints are considered (see Figure 11‑10)

 

similar grade-tonnage relationships related to infill drilling were noted at Willowdale by SLR.

Applying a global correction factor to Polygonal resource model tonnages generated from 30 m and 60 m spaced drill hole datasets is not considered appropriate as local differences are highly variable and not considered to be predictable, as shown by the red dots in the top left-hand plot in Figure 11‑11.

 


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Figure 11‑11: Resource comparison scatterplots for Huntly (Tonnage, AL, SI, OX) (SLR, 2021)

 

12.10.2

3D block modelling

Model validation checks by Alcoa include:

 

1.

Volume checks between the geological interpretation solids and sub-block model

 

2.

Visual validation of block model coding and estimated grades versus composite data

 

3.

Comparison between composite and block model global statistics

 

4.

Swath plots comparing block grades against composite grades.


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SLR undertook some independent checks on datasets and block models for Serpentine and Millars and obtained results that were consistent with those provided by Alcoa. Example screen captures of coded block models and AL and SI block estimates are shown in Figure 11‑12.

Figure 11‑12: Example sections showing DOMAF, AL, and SI block estimates (SLR, 2021)

3:1 vertical to horizontal exaggeration

 

Most global checks indicate generally good correlation between the estimated model grades and the input composite grades. However, Domain swath plots suggest that the use of a single unfolding surface and soft boundaries for the Bauxite Zone (DOMAF 20, 30, and 40) has led to grade smoothing. For example, Figure 11‑13 indicates overestimation of DOMAF 20 and 40 for AL, and underestimation for DOMAF 30. As Alcoa generally mines the majority of the bauxite profile this issue is not considered material and any estimated bauxite that is left behind would likely be DOMAF 40 (low-grade bauxite). Consequently, the impact of grade smoothing for AL would introduce some conservatism into the model. Bauxite Zone block estimates could be improved by unfolding each Domain independently and using semi-soft boundaries.


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Figure 11‑13: AL swath plots by DOMAF at Serpentine (SLR, 2021)

As discussed previously, the inequality constraint AL ≤ AT and SI ≤ ST was not met for all blocks due to:

 

the inequality constraints not being honored in the input data

 

incomplete assaying of AT and ST.

Scatterplots for some key analytes were spot checked by SLR to ensure that correlations identified for composite data were maintained during block grade estimation. In most instances there was good reproduction of the correlations during the change in support from 0.5 m composites to 15 m by 15 m by 0.5 m blocks (compare Figure 11‑7 and Figure 11‑14). However, there were commonly artefacts related to a small number of blocks that were generally located in the periphery of the deposit. These are shown as vertical lines in Figure 11‑14.

 


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Figure 11‑14: Scatterplots of AL versus SI by DOMAF at Serpentine (SLR, 2021)

 

A discrete Gaussian (DG) change-of-support check is appropriate to assess smoothing in resource estimation models. A range of variance reduction F factors from 0.20 through to 0.7 in 0.1 increments were also chosen to represent the results that may be achieved through various mining selectivities. Higher F values result in grade-tonnage distributions that could be achieved through more selective mining and high-quality grade control practices. Conversely, lower F values result in grade-tonnage distributions that would result from less selective mining and/or poorer-quality grade control practices.

The DG approach was used by SLR to determine the theoretical AL grade-tonnage curves for the Bauxite Zone at Serpentine by considering various F factors for the 0.5 m composite data (Figure 11‑15). This Figure also shows the actual grade-tonnage curve for the Serpentine 3DBM resource model. The resource model tonnage curves are consistent with the F=0.4 DG curves for all cut-offs likely to be considered at Serpentine for open pit mining. This provides further support that any grade smoothing present in the Serpentine model is unlikely to be material to the Mineral Resource estimate.

 


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Figure 11‑15: AL grade-tonnage DG curves versus Serpentine block model

 

12.11

Cut-off Grade and Mining Constraints

The generally accepted historical economic mining cut-off grade (Hickman et al, 1992) has not appreciably changed and is 27.5% A.Al2O3. Lowering this results in increases in R.SiO2, offsetting gains made by increased alumina tonnages. The typical average mined grade of 30-35% A.Al2O3 is low by world standards. For Alcoa’s three captive alumina refineries the R.SiO2 grade must be less than 5%, and preferably less than 2%. The minimum size for an orebody to be effectively mined is 70,000 t, and most orebodies are approximately 300,000 t.

The cut-off grade used for Mineral Resources is implicit in the delineation of the Bauxite Zone for the various resource model methods (see Section 11.9). In general, the cut-offs are AL ≥27.5%, SI ≤3.5%, with OX ≤4 kg/t, and a minimum 2 m thickness. However, bauxite resources can include material outside these specifications that may also be considered as mineable material, equivalent to dilution. The AL, SI, and OX grade constraints applied in the definition of the Bauxite Zone have demonstrated over many years to provide economic material to Alcoa’s alumina refineries.

Mining constraints applied to the GSM and 3DBM Mineral Resource include:

 

a minimum area of 1 ha

 

a minimum face height of 1.5 m (distance from mining floor to the base of overburden)


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face heights exceeding 4 m are treated as multiple benches

 

an overburden to face height ratio ≤1

 

a maximum floor gradient of 1 in 7 over a minimum of 15 m for the first cut, and 1 in 5 for second and third cuts

 

a minimum access corridor of 45 m for mining equipment.

Profitable mining since the 1960s has been based on the resource modelling outcomes described in this report, which demonstrates reasonable prospects of economic extraction for the Alcoa Mineral Resource.

Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term metal price of A$25 /t alumina, this being an Alcoa internal transfer price related to the export price received for alumina

12.12

Reconciliation

12.12.1

Sampling tower data

Refinery feed grade is monitored for the Huntly and Willowdale mining regions using material collected just prior to the stockpile stackers at the Pinjarra and Wagerup sampling towers respectively.

Alcoa mine planning personnel rely upon historical comparisons between the As Mined estimates and the sampling tower data to apply adjustment factors to mine design estimates, to assist with scheduling and stockpile planning activities. The adjustments are not applied to the reported global Mineral Resource estimates as they are considered to be local factors.

Sampling tower performance was discussed in Section 8.5.3.8.

12.12.2

Resource to sampling tower comparison

Alcoa reconciles the resource (mine design) estimates with the sampling tower estimates once mining is completed for each mining zone. It is important to note that the majority of the Mineral Resources are prepared using 30 m or 60 m spaced data, whereas As Mined to sampling tower reconciliation is based on mine planning models constructed from 15 m spaced data that include additional mining constraints.

Figure 11‑16 and Figure 11‑17 show the annual relative tonnage and grade differences for both Huntly and Willowdale respectively. These plots indicate:

 

the presence of grade and tonnage biases, which for some grades show long-term trends. For example, both SI and ST display differences of up to 30% in the mid-2000s, followed by gradual reductions to approximately 5–10% in the last few years

 

that As Mined tonnage estimates are, on average, biased high by approximately 5%

 

that most As Mined grades are currently within 10% of the sample plant grades.

The sources of the reconciliation differences shown in Figure 11‑16 and Figure 11‑17 are not known, but the following factors could contribute:

 

Resource models were prepared using FTIR assay data, whereas the sampling tower samples are assayed using the same techniques as the REF Method (see Table 8‑1 in 8.3.2.1) but with BD rather than MD. Alcoa assumes that this is more accurate, but that is difficult to confirm for partial digestion methods such as AL, SI, and OX.


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Changes in the resource modelling procedures from Polygonal, to GSM, to 3DBM. The latter method has only recently been introduced and represents limited material processed in recent years.

 

The As Mined grades and tonnages could include some additional dilution and ore loss relative to the planned mine design.

 

Differences between the Pinjarra (inspected and validated by SLR, see Section 8.5.3.8) and Wagerup sampling towers.

Incremental reconciliation improvements appear to have commenced around 2010, which may reflect an improvement in data quality (drilling and assaying procedures) around this time. Consequently, Mineral Resources using data collected prior to approximately 2010 are considered to be of lower confidence and the classification of resource models constructed from this data has been downgraded accordingly.

Reconciliation data in recent years falls within acceptable limits on an annual basis to support the classifications used for reporting of Alcoa’s Darling Range Mineral Resource.

 

Figure 11‑16: Resource versus Sample Plant Reconciliation – Huntly (Alcoa, 2021)

 


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Figure 11‑17: Resource versus Sample Plant Reconciliation – Willowdale (Alcoa, 2021)

 

12.13

Mineral Resource estimation risk

The estimation of Mineral Resources for any commodity, including bauxite, is subject to significant risks, including those described below and elsewhere in the discussion of risks associated with mining and processing of bauxite to produce alumina (see Section 12.8). An investor should carefully consider these risks. If any of the described risks occur, the Darling Range bauxite mining and processing business, financial position and operational results could be materially affected adversely.

The purpose of Public Reports issued under S-K 1300 and other similarly purposed International Codes (JORC, 2012; NI 43-101, 2014) is to ensure that known risks are disclosed by the QP subject to expectations of Transparency, Materiality and Competency. This report addresses the technical risks associated with the Geology, Sampling, Assaying, Data Management in Sections 6.0 to 9.0 and Mineral Resource Estimation in Section 11.0. The Qualified Person considers that no material technical risks are identified in those Sections.

The risks described below are not comprehensive and there may be additional risks and uncertainties not presently known, for example due to market or technology changes, that are currently deemed immaterial but may also affect the business. SLR considers that the following risks specifically pertain to the Mineral Resources declared for Alcoa’s Darling Rang operations.


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12.13.1.1

Specific identified risks

 

Continuous improvement of all aspects of Alcoa’s resource delineation programs means that, changes have been incremental as refinement to previous procedures. Thus estimates for the majority of the Mineral Resource inventory are essentially variants of those devised in the late 1980s and early 1990s and are not consistent with current conventional practices. This is reflected in the large tonnage of Inferred Resources declared. The demonstrated successful operation of the Alcoa operations over an extended period indicates that it is unlikely that any aspects of the data collection and resource delineation process are significantly flawed, although there are recognized shortcomings.

 

Drill sampling is essentially the extraction of small volumes of material taken to be representative of the large tonnages being estimated. There are always local errors of precision and may be bias that is not recognized. Robust sample preparation and geostatistical estimation are used to identify and overcome these errors, backed up by closed-loop reconciliation with the stockpile tower samplers. These systems may not identify changes in the underlying geology or other data as the area to be delineated expands over time.

 

The Mineral Resource estimates may not contain adequate or relevant data if the bauxite is supplied to other refineries, or if processing methods change, or some new analyte is required.

 

The older ResTag and GSM estimation procedures, which represent the bulk of the Inferred Mineral Resource inventory, are relatively inflexible, and may not contain the level of detail necessary to adequately support mining optimization studies. This has been largely addressed by the recent move to 3DBM resource estimation techniques, which more easily enable the preparation of models that contain sufficient resolution and detail to support conventional mining optimization studies. These models will allow incremental improvements to address any challenges in meeting target grade specification, resolving reconciliation issues, or tailoring the estimation parameters and procedures to prepare models that better reflect local changes in mineralization characteristics. The 3DBM modelling procedures offer more flexibility in moderating any adverse effects of sampling imprecision compared to the older procedures and in producing grade tonnage curves to meet various impurity constraints (when modelled).

 

Further advances in geostatistical estimation may be expected including more use of directional anisotropy (through variograms), and conditional simulation to quantify estimation risk and optimize drill sampling grids.

 

A comprehensive program is required to resolve the issue of density estimation. Estimates in the resource models use a simplistic linear regression algorithm for iron rich material based on very few data, and otherwise assumed values. This deficiency is overcome by reconciliation of tonnages of material fed to stockpiles and the subsequent adoption of a downgrading factor (currently 5%) to account for differences to the model estimated density. Technology now becoming available, including volume surveys using drones and truck gantry scanning, wet mass measurement using weightometers on conveyors and LoadRite sensors on mining equipment, and infra-red moisture determination, mean that better in situ dry density estimation may become possible if the operation requires it for better refinery feedstock control.

 

The grade characteristics of the bauxite profile could be reproduced in the model, enabling optimization techniques to be used for the definition of mining floors and boundaries, better support for ore loss and dilution studies, and more accurate reconciliation studies.


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There is currently significant reliance upon the sample plant results for production scheduling and blending, as well as for assessing the reliability of the Mineral Resource estimates.

The current drill sampling methods have been improved over time, based on independent review, and the requirements for minimum impact on the Darling Range. The assaying methods, including the use of FTIR, have been comprehensively reviewed and validated. The geostatistical estimates of in situ dry tonnages and grades are reasonable and validated by comprehensive reconciliation. The SLR Qualified Person considers that these methods are appropriate to produce the declared Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves.

12.13.1.2

Generic Mineral Resource uncertainty

 

Estimates of Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are uncertain. The volume and grade of ore actually defined from these as Mineral Reserves is not predictable until mine planning is done to account for all the identified Modifying Factors. Forecasts based on the current transfer price of bauxite, current interpretations of geological data obtained from drill holes, and other information regarding the Modifying Factors, may not necessarily be indicative of future results. A significantly lower bauxite transfer price as a result of a decrease in aluminum prices, increases in operating costs, reductions in metallurgical recovery, or other changes to the Modifying Factors, could result in material write-downs of the value of the Darling Range mines.

 

Should changes be required due to exigent circumstances, it may take some years from exploration until commencement of production, during which time the economic feasibility of production may change.

 

Alcoa cannot be certain that any part or parts of a deposit or Mineral Resource estimate will ever be confirmed or converted into Regulation S-K Subpart 1300 compliant Mineral Reserves or that mineralization can in the future be economically or legally extracted.

To ameliorate such risks the Mineral Reserves declaration is limited to material for which extraction is currently planned within the next ten-year planning cycle. The Mineral Resources excluding Mineral Reserves indicate the likely potential beyond that time frame, given all the limitations on future knowledge outlined above.

12.14

Classification

12.14.1

Consideration of classification by the QP

Definitions for resource categories used in this report are those defined by the SEC in S-K 1300. Mineral Resources are classified into Measured, Indicated, and Inferred categories.

Mineral Resource classifications have been applied to the various resource models based on consideration of the quality and quantity of the input data, confidence in the geological interpretation, and confidence in the outcomes from the various estimation methods. Factors that impact the Mineral Resource classifications are summarized below.

 

Sampling: Alcoa has introduced incremental improvements to their drilling, sampling, sample preparation and assaying procedures since 2015. The sample collection procedures are efficient and optimized to routinely produce large numbers of drill samples and assays consistently that are considered to be fit for purpose.


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Sample preparation: routine sample preparation using a robotic facility which routinely provides an appropriate grind size for samples.

 

Assays: the FTIR spectral method is routinely used for all analytes, calibrated and validated with wet chemical Reference Method samples at a frequency of 1:100. The SLR QP has investigated this procedure and considers that appropriate assays and controls are used for the purpose of Public Reporting of a Mineral Resource estimate.

 

QA/QC: Quality assurance and quality control procedures have been incrementally improved since 2015. Further systematic refinements of these are expected to enable more data to be routinely collected, but the accuracy and precision demonstrated in Sections 8.5.2 and 8.5.3 respectively are not expected to change.

 

Density data: The dry in situ bulk density test work data is sparse and not appropriate for the reliable estimation of tonnages. Based on test work from 1992 a simple algorithm using the Fe2O3 grade for Caprock and an assumed value of 2.0 t/m3 for all other ore fed to the refineries has been used. Reconciliations have determined a consistent overestimation of 5%, and a moisture content of 9% provide reliable predicted tonnage estimates over an extended period of operation. In the opinion of the SLR QP the variable nature of the bauxite, especially the porosity, means that any alternative sampling method is unlikely to produce better estimates. Accordingly, the density values applied are not considered a limiting factor for resource classification.

 

Drill spacing: Drill hole spacings in the Darling Range vary from 15 m by 15 m up to 120 m by 120 m, with Mineral Resources only declared where drill hole spacings are ≤60 m by 60 m.

 

Geological interpretation: The regional geology of the Darling Range project is well understood with bauxite mineralization supporting mining and processing operations since the 1960s. Controls on the mineralization and the mineralogical and physical properties of the Bauxite Zone are well understood and have been adequately incorporated into the Mineral Resource modelling procedures.

 

Grade continuity: Grade and lithological continuity studies are routinely conducted by Alcoa for the 3D block models. Variography studies conducted by Alcoa were supported by independent review (Xstract, 2016; SRK 2021a) and indicate that grade and lithological continuity can be demonstrated at the drill spacings supporting the Mineral Resource classification.

 

Grade estimation: The majority (80% exclusive of Resources) of the current Mineral Resource inventory has been defined using polygonal techniques that are not industry best practice and can be prone to estimation bias. Consequently, irrespective of the drill hole spacing all estimates based on the Polygonal Method are considered to be of low confidence for local estimates and have been downgraded relative to 3DBM estimates. GSMs are only constructed using 15 m by 15 m spaced drill hole data, and although previously used to support Measured Mineral Resources, has been replaced by the 3DBM method, which as implemented by Alcoa aligns with industry best practice.

 

Reconciliation data: Annual reconciliation between mined ore based on the Mineral Resource estimates and received material on the refinery stockpiles (sampled by the sampling towers) show relative differences for both Huntly and Willowdale of within ± 15% for tonnes and all analytes (except SI) since 2010. Reconciliation performance prior to 2010 for some analytes exceeded ±


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15%, casting doubt on the reliability of some data and models prior to that date. It is not possible to reconcile blended production data to individual resource models.

 

Production history: The integrated bauxite mining and alumina refining is based on appropriate data to ensure long-term supply and short-term management of the ore feed to the mine mouth refineries. The long production history demonstrates effective prediction and control of refinery performance.

SLR considers the primary controlling factors for the classification of the Mineral Resource estimates for the Darling Range Bauxite to be drill hole sample spacing, the quality of data collected, and the resource modelling technique. A 5% tonnage reduction factor is used in the reporting of Mineral Resource tonnages to account for the consistent annual reconciliation outcomes.

12.14.2

Methodology

The primary consideration for classification is confidence in the resource estimate. The Mineral Resource estimate for Darling Range is produced by aggregating many different models, produced using data of different qualities at different drilling densities, modelled using different estimation procedures.

A drill hole spacing study aimed at quantifying the differences in the reliability of local estimates with different drill spacings was undertaken by SRK (2019a) using a similar approach to Alcoa’s 3DBM procedures. The SRK study concluded that drill spacings of 30 m by 30 m and 60 m by 60 m were adequate to support the delineation of Measured and Indicated Resources respectively, provided that none of the other limiting factors discussed above were applicable.

The SLR QP considers, on the basis of the previously discussed acceptable sampling and assaying quality, that this drill hole spacing study and other knowledge justifies:

 

The classification of Measured where such data is on a 30 by 30 m grid. However where the estimation method is gridded seam modelling (GSM) rather than current industry standard 3D block modelling (3DBM) the Measured material is downgraded to Indicated, unless it is on a tighter drilling grid of 15 by 15 m. The additional data density overcomes any deficiency of the GSM method. Some of the defined Measured material estimated using a significant amount of older (pre-2010) drill sampling was also down-graded to Inferred, reflecting the lower confidence in that older drilling data, since data quality (due to drilling, sampling and assaying procedures) has been upgraded since then.

 

Furthermore, based on the same principles (data quality, drilling study, estimation procedures), 60 by 60 m drilling and 3DBM estimation is the basis for classification as Indicated. Estimation using the GSM or Polygonal method was allowed as Indicated where the drill spacing was on a tighter grid of at most 30 by 30 m. The additional data density is considered to overcome the similar deficiency of both these estimation methods, which because of the data configuration are similar to a nearest neighbor estimate.

 

All Measured and Indicated material already has mining constraints applied, effectively ensuring that reasonable prospects for economic extraction are assure should other required economic viability constraints obtain.

 

Where the data spacing is 60 by 60 m and the estimation method is Polygonal the resource estimate is classed as Inferred.


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There is a large tonnage estimated of Inferred Resources, partly due to the sufficiency of the current Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves for the ten year mine planning horizon and the immediate availability of additional Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources (reported exclusive of Reserves) to replace them. Further Measured and Indicated Resources may be defined when required from the established Inferred Resource in time, given more closely spaced drilling, estimation using 3DBM techniques, and the further application of cut-off grade and mining criteria.

Resource classification criteria are applied in the horizontal plane and so are consistent for the entire Bauxite Zone vertical profile. Thus, interpretation of the roof and floor of the Bauxite Zone are implicitly assumed to be of similar confidence. In some areas the geological floor may be erratic for Polygonal models and of lower confidence than the roof, but these areas are typically excluded when mining constraints are applied to the GSM and 3DBM resource models.

An example of the resource classification approach is shown in Figure 11‑18. Resource classification polygons are created for areas of 15 m, 30 m, 60 m and >60 m parts of the deposit. Note that these polygons can include small areas where the gaps between drill holes are at the next spacing increment. These polygons are then used to assign resource classifications for the full vertical profile of the Bauxite Zone.

Classification Polygons

block classifications

Figure 11‑18: Plan view of Resource Classification (SLR, 2021)

 

12.14.3

Application of classification criteria by the QP

The following classification criteria have been applied to the Mineral Resource estimates:

 

Measured Resources - areas estimated using:

 

o

15 m by 15 m drill data and GSM or 3DBM estimation procedures; and

 

o

30 m by 30 m drill data and 3DBM estimation procedures.


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Indicated Resources - areas estimated using

 

o

30 m by 30 m drill data and estimated using GSM, or Polygonal procedures;

 

o

60 m by 60 m drill data and estimated using 3DBM procedures; or

 

o

meeting the Measured criteria but estimated using a significant amount of pre-2010 drilling data.

 

Inferred Resources - areas estimated using:

 

o

60 m by 60 m drill data and estimated using Polygonal procedures.

12.15

Mineral Resource Reporting

Key refinery target grade requirements for AL, SI, and OX along with practical mining considerations have been taken into account when defining resource blocks using GSM and 3DBM modelling methods. Polygonal resource models do not account for mining constraints other than a 1.5 m minimum thickness.

ML1SA contains some sub-regions for which mining permission has not been granted, due to forestry, environmental, social or other constraints, and Mineral Resources have not been defined in these areas by constraining the Mineral Resource model using the ArcGIS system.

For Mineral Resource reporting, the block tonnage estimates have all been reduced by 5% on the basis that:

 

the reconciliation data at both Huntly and Willowdale indicate that the As Mined tonnage estimates over the past 20 years have been consistently higher than the stockpile received tonnages after the sampling tower by approximately 5%; and

 

the stockpile estimates are derived from weightometer readings, and the weightometers are regularly checked and calibrated.

12.15.1

Mineral Resource Estimation

A summary of the Mineral Resource estimates (exclusive of Mineral Reserves) for the three ML1SA mining regions is shown in Table 11‑4.

Table 11‑4: Summary of Mineral Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves by Mining Region – 31st December 2021

Category

Tonnage
(Mt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

HUNTLY

Measured

20.9

32.7

1.20

Indicated

10.2

32.6

1.25

Inferred

126

34

1.3

NORTH

Measured

-

-

-

Indicated

0.8

32.3

1.38


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Inferred

15

32

1.0

WILLOWDALE

Measured

27.1

33.0

1.05

Indicated

23.8

31.6

1.05

Inferred

179

32

1.2

Notes:

 

1.

The definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 1300 were followed, which are consistent with JORC (2012) definitions

 

2.

Mineral Resources are 100% attributable to AWAC

 

3.

Mineral Resources are estimated at a geological cut-off grade, which generally approximates to nominal cut-off grades of 27.5% A.Al2O3 with less than 3.5% R.SiO2. Locally the cut-off grade may vary, dependent on operating costs and ore quality for blending. The target grade for mine planning is 32.7% available aluminum oxide (A.Al2O3) and 1.0% reactive silica (R.SiO2)

 

4.

Mineral Resources have been estimated using a three-year trailing average of arms-length sales of bauxite from Darling Range. The price that constrains the estimate for optimisation was discounted to exclude export logistics costs, i.e. the base price was USD24/t, and the discounted price was USD16/t.

 

5.

A minimum total mining thickness of 1.5 m was used

 

6.

In situ dry bulk density is variable and is defined for each block in the Mineral Resource model

 

7.

A global downwards adjustment of tonnes by 5% is made to account for density differences based on historic mining performance

 

8.

Mineral Resources are reported exclusive of Mineral Reserves

 

9.

The reference point for the Mineral Resource is the in situ predicted dry tonnage and grade of material to be delivered to the refinery stockpile following the application of mining design parameters

 

10.

Metallurgical recovery has not been directly considered in the estimation of Mineral Resources as the Darling Range operations do not include a conventional processing plant, only crushing as described in Section 14.0. The metallurgical recovery of the three refineries (Kwinana, Pinjarra and Wagerup) are beyond the boundaries of the mining operations being the subject of the TRS.

 

11.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

12.16

QP Opinion

In the opinion of the SLR QP the Mineral Resource classification scheme adopted by Alcoa and accepted by SLR is appropriate in defining expected relative confidence of the Mineral Resource in compliance with the S-K 1300 definitions as follows:

 

All sampling, sampling preparation, assaying and database management practices are compliant with current industry good practice and no fatal flaws were identified for all material classed as Mineral Resource

 

Appropriate industry good practice geological modelling techniques and variography are used to establish geological and grade continuity from appropriately spaced drill holes

 

Industry standard estimation techniques (3D block modelling or seam block modelling) are used for all Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources using appropriate drill spacings

 

Appropriate drill spacings, grade continuity and geological continuity are used to define higher confidence material as Measured Mineral Resource.

In the SLR QP’s opinion, the condition of Reasonable Prospects For Economic Extraction is met by constraining the Mineral Resource model using the ArcGIS system, by ensuring that the model defines key parameters for the refinery, and by sound reconciliation practices providing feedback at the modelling is appropriate for the purpose.

 


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13.0

Mineral Reserve Estimates

13.1

Summary

A Mineral Reserve has been estimated for Alcoa’s Darling Range bauxite mining operations in accordance SEC S–K 1300 which are consistent with the guidelines of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (The JORC 2012 Code).

The SLR QP inspected the Alcoa Huntly and Willowdale operations on October 14, 2021, and Alcoa’s Mine Planning department on October 27, 2021, interviewing relevant personnel on these dates and on other occasions. The QP has had prior exposure to Alcoa’s Darling Range operations earlier in his career.

The Mineral Reserve is classified with reference to the classification of the underlying Mineral Resource and with reference to confidence in the informing Modifying Factors. The QP considers the Proven and Probable classification to be appropriate to the deposit and associated mining operations.

The reference point for the Mineral Reserve is prior to the processing plant at the refinery.

The Proven Mineral Reserve is a subset of Measured Resources only. The Proven Mineral Reserve is legally permitted for mining and is included in the Ten-Year Mine Plan.

The Probable Mineral Reserve is estimated from that part of the Mineral Resource that has been classified as Indicated.

Variable cut-off grades are applied in estimation of the Mineral Reserves and these are related to operating cost and the nature of the Mineral Resource in relation to blending requirements. The Mineral Reserve estimate is expressed in relation to available aluminum oxide (A.Al2O3) and reactive silica (R.SiO2), this being the critical contaminant in relation to the Refinery.

Table 12‑1: Summary of Mineral Reserves – Effective 31st December 2021

Region

Class

Tonnage (Mt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Huntly

Proven

45.8

32.5

1.05

Probable

121.1

32.2

1.41

Total

166.9

32.3

1.31

Willowdale

Proven

62.8

32.4

0.99

Probable

11.5

31.8

1.09

Total

74.3

32.3

1.01

Total

Proven

108.6

32.4

1.01

Probable

132.7

32.2

1.38

Total

241.3

32.3

1.22

Notes:

 

1.

The definitions for Mineral Reserves in S-K 1300 were followed, which are consistent with JORC definitions.

 

2.

Mineral Reserves are stated on a 100% ownership basis for AWAC although Alcoa’s share is 60%.


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3.

Mineral Reserves are estimated at variable cut-off grades, dependent on operating costs and ore quality for blending. The target grade for mine planning is 32.7% available aluminum oxide (A.Al2O3) and around 1.0% reactive silica (R.SiO2)

 

4.

Mineral Reserves have been estimated using a three-year trailing average of arms-length sales of bauxite from Darling Range. The price that constrains the estimate for optimisation was discounted to exclude export logistics costs, i.e. the base price was USD24/t, and the discounted price was USD16/t.

 

5.

Minimum mining widths are not used due to the surficial nature of the Mineral Resource, rather a minimum mining block size of 15m by 15m by 1m deep is applied.

 

6.

The reference point for the Mineral Reserve is the refinery processing plant gate, with crushing, washing (as applicable), and transportation being the only process employed. As much metallurgical recovery factors are not applicable to the Mineral Reserve estimate.

 

7.

Bulk density is variable, dependent on the nature of the Mineral Resource and is separately estimated in the Mineral Resource model.

 

8.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

The QP is not aware of any risk factors associated with, or changes to, any aspects of the Modifying Factors such as mining, metallurgical, infrastructure, permitting, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate.

The QP considers that the accuracy and confidence in the Mineral Reserve estimate to be appropriate for the classification applied, which is supported by both the conservative operational processes and the long operational history.

The Modifying Factors are summarized as follows:

 

Only Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are considered.

 

Only mineralization defined in mine planning work has been considered. This includes Measured and Indicated material, subject to the application of mining Modifying Factors.

 

Mineral Resources not scheduled for mining in the current Ten-Year Mine Plan are not considered.

 

Indicated Mineral Resources are classified as Probable Mineral Reserves, subject to the Modifying Factors and mine scheduling constraints.

 

Measured Mineral Resources are classified as Proven Mineral Reserves, subject to the Modifying Factors and mine scheduling constraints.

13.2

Modifying Factors

A Mineral Reserve is the economically mineable part of a Measured and/or Indicated Mineral Resource. It includes diluting materials and allowances for losses, which may occur when the material is mined or extracted and is defined by application of Modifying Factors that demonstrate that, at the time of reporting, extraction could reasonably be justified.

 

Mining – Alcoa’s Darling Range mining operations are conventional open pit mines and have been operating for a long time. The practicalities of mining and associated sustaining capital and operating costs are well understood and have been incorporated in Alcoa’s technical assessments to the satisfaction of the QP. For a more substantive description of Alcoa’s Darling Range mining operations, refer to Section 13.0. The mining schedule is discussed further in Section 12.5.

 

Processing – This Mineral Reserve is stated with reference to the refinery processing plant gate, with crushing and conveying being the sole processes employed. Bauxite is refined to alumina in the refinery using the Bayer process, which has been employed at the Darling Range operations for many years and a transfer price is used by Alcoa in its assessment of its mining operations. The


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QP is satisfied that the transfer price reasonably incorporates the costs associated with processing of the bauxite ore. For a more substantive description of Alcoa’s Darling Range processing operations, refer to Section 14.0.

 

Metallurgy – The mining operations are given an ore specification by the sole customers, the refineries. Blending is undertaken at the pit, before the crusher, to ensure that these specifications are met. The QP is satisfied that the procedures employed by mining technical staff have been developed over a lengthy period and are appropriate for the suppression of metallurgically deleterious material in ore sent to the refineries. For a more substantive description of Alcoa’s Darling Range metallurgy, refer to Section 10.0.

 

Infrastructure – The QP has observed the Darling Range infrastructure to be well established, maintained and complete. The operations are located near a major city, with excellent transportation, facilities, and workforce. Provision is made in Alcoa’s Life of Mine (LOM) plans for sustaining capital for infrastructure replacement. For a more substantive description of Alcoa’s Darling Range infrastructure, refer to Section 15.0.

 

Economic – Revenue for the mines is premised on a transfer price for bauxite ore at the refinery gate. Mining costs are well understood, as the mines have been operated for a long time. The QP is satisfied that the pit optimization, scheduling, and analysis undertaken by mine technical staff is appropriate to the operation and that the costs are well understood. For a more substantive description of Alcoa’s Darling Range economics, refer to Section 19.0.

 

Marketing – All bauxite is sold to Alcoa’s Darling Range refineries, the sole customer for the mines. The refineries produce alumina, which is variously further refined into aluminum metal at Alcoa’s aluminum plants or exported. Alumina and aluminum are internationally traded commodities and subject to normal market forces and cycles. For a more substantive description of Darling Range’s market aspects, refer to Section 16.0.

 

Legal – The QP observes that the Darling Range operations have been in operation for a long time and are licensed in relation to obligations under Western Australian legislation. Mining approval for the Darling Range operations is given by the statutory Mining and Management Program Liaison Group (MMPLG). The MMPLG consists of representatives from across government and is responsible for reviewing mine plans and associated activities and making recommendations to the Western Australian Minister for State Development.

 

Environmental - The QP observes that the Darling Range operations have a long history of progressive rehabilitation of mined-out areas. There are restrictions placed on some mining areas that are related to proximity to water catchments, places of social importance and fauna habitat. Operation under these conditions is by approval of the MMPLG. For a more substantive description of Alcoa’s Darling Range environmental obligations, refer to Section 17.0.

 

Social – The QP observes that the Darling Range operations have long been a major employer and economic contributor to the region and that the operations have numerous well-established community and social initiatives. A skilled workforce resides in the area, as do many service industries. The QP does not consider social risk to be material to the Darling Range operations.

 

Governmental – Western Australia and Australia in general are stable, developed democracies with an advanced economy. Governmental relations with the Darling Range operations are


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managed by the MMPLG, which has representation from the relevant government departments. The QP does not consider governmental risk to be material to the Darling Range operations.

13.3

Basis of Estimate

Historically, Alcoa did not report material in the Measured Mineral Resource category, reporting mineralization in areas of 15 m by 15 m spaced drilling as Mineral Reserves reported to the prior SEC standard. Alcoa has subsequently incorporated S-K 1300 and JORC Modifying Factor considerations into its mine planning processes and this was observed and confirmed on site.

SLR has used the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate as the basis for its Mineral Reserve estimate. The bauxite operations are operating mining projects with a long history of production for which establishment capital has been repaid and for which sustaining capital and supported operating costs have been observed to be applied in economic analysis. Consequently, the QP considers that support by a Feasibility Study is demonstrated by the demonstrable history of profitable operation and the level of technical support for the Modifying Factors. The QP has reviewed the operating and planning procedures and parameters for the operations.

Proven Mineral Reserves are derived from scheduled Measured Mineral Resources which are not located within Myara North. Probable Mineral Reserves are derived from scheduled Measured Mineral Resources which are located in Myara North, or from scheduled Indicated Mineral Resources. The Mineral Resource estimate reported in this document (Section 11.0) is exclusive of the Mineral Reserve.

Consequently, Modifying Factors that relate to community and environmental considerations are formally assessed. The QP considers that there is low risk to derive Proven Reserves relating to the project. Alcoa has stated to SLR during the site visit that in recent years there has been no instance of a requirement for Proven mining blocks to be downgraded or abandoned.

The Probable Mineral Reserve has also been defined by 15 m by 15 m drilling but has not yet been presented to the MMPLG for approval. Application of the Modifying Factors is otherwise identical.

The QP has formed an independent view of the Modifying Factors applied in the estimation of the Mineral Reserve. This view is supported by examination and verification of mine planning data and procedures and historic reconciliation information. The QP has interviewed technical staff responsible for Alcoa’s operations and reviewed the operating, planning and forecast reports for the operations supplied by Alcoa.

The mine planning process excludes mineralization that is not considered recoverable due to various constraints, defining no Mineral Resource or Mineral Reserve within these zones. Such constrained zones include Aboriginal heritage sites and old-growth forest, however are proactively and dynamically updated by Alcoa through engagement with stakeholders, such as the community, and in response to government requests.

13.4

Dilution and Ore Loss

Dilution and ore loss are not reported separately to the Mineral Reserve. Internal and edge dilution is modelled at the mine planning stage through the application of 15 m by 15 m mining blocks to the Mineral Resource model. These regularized blocks contain proportional estimates of ore and contaminants and are optimized through the application of a Lerchs-Grossman algorithm developed specifically for the operation. This variation of the conventional Lerchs-Grossman algorithm is applied vertically, given that


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the shallow nature of the mineralization precludes geotechnical considerations. Blocks that do not satisfy grade and contaminant parameters against revenue are thus excluded from the mine plan.

Mining dilution is controlled by excavation of dilution at the top of the mineralization (a source of oxalate or organic contamination) and the pit floor (R.SiO2 contamination). The upper contact is a sharp geological contact on an undulating surface. GPS-controlled machinery is used to locate these intersections.

Figure 12‑1: Undulating Hanging wall hardcap surface; and footwall (white clay, lower right in the floor) (Left: Pearman, 2015 & Right: SLR, 2021)

Organic material reacts with sodium hydroxide in the refinery to form oxalate, which is considered to be a contaminant. Alcoa has developed a process known as Secondary Overburden Removal (SOBR) whereby the soil and clay on top of the hardcap that covers the mineralization and contains this organic material is removed by either scraper, surface miner or small excavator. This removes as much carbonaceous material overlying the undulating hardcap layer as possible. Further description of SOBR is given in Section 13.1.

A surface miner is employed as required at the Huntly mine to cut highly contaminated overburden to the hardcap contact, which results in a 2.9% ore loss, which is considered in the Mineral Reserve estimation.

The lower mineralization contact is gradational and dilution is minimal on contaminants other than R.SiO2. This contact is defined through drilling and chemical analysis and excavation is controlled by GPS to modelled surfaces.

The Grade Control process checks the accuracy of excavation and assesses adherence to excavation of the target floor.


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13.5

Extraction and Mine Planning

13.5.1

Ten-Year Mine Plan

Alcoa prepares a Ten-Year Mine plan annually. The first five years of this plan is submitted to the statutory MMPLG for approval of mining areas. The Ten-Year Mine Plan includes a mine production schedule that demonstrates scheduling of mineralization classified as Mineral Resources for estimation as Mineral Reserves. This schedule contemplates higher confidence Mineral Resources during the early production periods, with lower confidence mineralization planned in subsequent periods (Figure 12‑2 and Figure 12‑3). Note that the Willowdale unclassified material in 2030 and 2031 includes resTAG Inferred material drilled at 60 m spacing.

The schedule has several operational parameters in addition to statutory limitations (refer Section 12.2 above):

 

The mineralization lies under haul roads and extraction is delayed until the road is no longer required.

 

Mineralization is near a planned crusher location and mining has been delayed until the crusher is installed.

 

Contaminants exclude a parcel from blending in the schedule.

 

The mining areas are small and demonstrate low mining efficiency and mining has been delayed.

Confidence in the Mineral Reserves is predicated on confidence in the underlying Mineral Resources in the mining schedule. Continuous Mineral Resource definition drilling maintains an inventory of sufficient confidence to maintain Mineral Reserves.

Figure 12‑2: Willowdale Ten-Year Mine Plan Resource confidence (drill hole spacing in meters shown in brackets) (SRK, 2021)

 


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Figure 12‑3: Huntly Ten-Year Mine Plan Resource confidence (drill hole spacing in meters shown in brackets) (Alcoa, 2022)

13.5.2

Mine Planning

Alcoa is actively refining the mine planning process in such a way that the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve Models are updated continuously using various scripts and a rationalizing of computer software. This process is currently incomplete, but the QP observed its progress both on the mine sites and at the Booragoon mine planning office.

The mine planning process commences with receipt by the mine planning department of the regularized and classified electronic Mineral Resource model from the geologists. The regularization process sees the Mineral Resource blocks agglomerated into blocks of 15 m by 15 m by 0.5 m vertically. Grade, bulk density and contaminant parameters are estimated into the model, which is expressed as a percentage model. This model is then manually checked and validated.

Electronic files are centrally stored, and the master versions are copied by relevant personnel for manipulation.

Optimization of the pits is undertaken using a bespoke variant of the Lerchs-Grossman algorithm designed to operate vertically. The algorithm accumulates blocks vertically on 0.5 m increments to find the pit floor.

The optimization is driven by Net Present Cost (NPC), rather than the conventional Net Present Value (NPV) due to the presence of a flat transfer price for product at the refinery gate.

Geotechnical constraints are not relevant, given that the pits are generally around 4 m in depth and placed on gently undulating country (Section 7.9). Contour mining is applied in areas of topographic relief, whereby mining progresses across the contour, maintaining a level pit floor as much as possible.

Optimization parameters are calculated for each block, including costs associated with drilling, blasting and ripping and haulage cost, which is estimated from major haulage roads and minor pit access roads against gradient. Electronic surface models are prepared to constrain the optimization; these are informed by LiDAR radar surveys and model the topography, the base of overburden and the base of


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mineralization, derived from chemical analysis of resource definition drilling samples. Caprock requires drilling and blasting, and modelled surfaces are contoured for thickness, which is derived from examination of drill logs and high-Fe assays.

Pit shells are visually assessed for practicality and minimum mining widths and any impractical pit shells removed. Minimum mining widths vary according to topography and material type.

Individual areas are optimized separately, and the resultant pit shells are combined to provide grade and contaminant specifications for Life of Mine (LOM) scheduling. Haul roads are divided into 50 m segments with appropriate cost increments applied to each segment using commercial haul road optimization software. This process electronically tags each block with haulage cost information as a function of distance of the relevant node (haul road) from the nearest crusher. The software then normalizes the data by calculating the equivalent flat haul distance, maintaining a gradient of less than 8% for all nodes.

The model is then depleted for mined material and blocks that have been otherwise committed for development or have been mined out and also for environmental constraints.

Environmental constraints include proximity to streams, designated heritage areas (both Aboriginal and European) and the water catchment offset. GIS software is used to continuously generate electronic shape files that are converted daily to string files for import into the mine design software. These are then used to deplete the model in relation to environmental constraints.

Mineralization that has been identified as being under infrastructure is scheduled for mining only after that infrastructure has been removed in the LOM plan.

Noise zones are those where noise from the mining operations will potentially exceed allowable levels and the operation actively seeks to maintain lower noise levels than those mandated. Mining in these areas is undertaken by contract miners using smaller equipment on day shift only and attracts higher costs than conventional owner-operator mining, which is applied to most of the operation.

The regularized model is then coded for the above parameters and checked. All the above processes are logged, checked and validated both electronically and visually. Electronic scripts are then run in the mine planning software, resulting in the reporting of Mineral Reserves.

Revenue for the Lerchs-Grossman optimization is applied as a transfer price obtained from Alcoa’s Financial Department. This revenue is related to the export price gained for refined alumina and is related to penalties for reactive silica content. Current revenue is around US$24/t. The optimization uses US$0.48 per unit alumina based on the average grades that are agreed with the refineries. A discount rate of 12.4% is mandated by the Finance Department and applied to the NPV scheduler during the mine planning process. Alcoa uses a three-year trailing average of arms-length sales of bauxite from Darling Range. The price that constrains the estimate for optimisation was discounted to exclude export logistics costs, i.e. the base price was USD24/t, and the discounted price was USD16/t.

The QP notes that costs and revenues used in this process demonstrate a slow movement over time and that revenue has remained constant over the past year.

In practice, the Grade Control Model is used to direct mining at the bench scale, because it has more up-to-date drilling data than the Mineral Resource Model. Reconciliation is undertaken between the Mineral Resource, Mineral Reserve and Grade Control Models, with the QP observing the reconciliations between Mineral Resource and Grade Control Models to be within acceptable parameters. Reconciliation of the Mineral Reserve model has not been regularly undertaken in the past and this process was observed to be in development.


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Figure 124 shows an example of the reconciliation between Resource and Grade Control models undertaken regularly by Alcoa.


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Figure 12‑4: Example of reconciliation between Mineral Resource and Grade Control models for tonnage, Al, Si, and OX (Alcoa, 2022)

The resultant pit shells are scheduled using specialist automated mine scheduling software. A text file containing the model and its parameters is exported to the scheduling software, which is programmed with current wait times and the current mining capacity of 26.5 Mtpa. The software calculates and defers, as much as possible, capital haul road development costs for each block and identifies an optimal schedule.

Sustaining capital is calculated and added for haul road maintenance and equipment replacement. Not all machinery is capitalized, some being leased, and this is included the operating cost. Review of ownership costs against leasing is constant and appropriate factors applied to the model.

The resultant model is coded for grade and contaminants and blocks are flagged with the appropriate mining sequence. Mineral Reserve blocks are contained within the ten-year schedule. The model is then re-exported as a text file to the mine planning software and distributed to the relevant mine planning departments and mine closure engineers for detailed planning.

13.5.3

Abandoned Resources

Some planned mining areas that are included in the schedule are unable to be totally mined for a variety of operational reasons. These reasons usually relate to issues with rock outcrops, hard ground, contamination and access difficulties that are encountered when developing a new mining area. This process drives the continuous development of new mining areas to maintain production capacity.

Alcoa’s recorded average abandoned mineralization between 2016 to 2019 (inclusive) is estimated at an average of 1.5% of Huntly and 2.0% of Willowdale planned production but can vary materially. These factors are applied to forecast production in the Mineral Reserve estimation process.

13.6

Cut-off Grade

The cut-off grade used for mine production planning is a floating cut-off grade, dependent on capital and operating costs against a fixed product revenue at the refinery gate. These revenues are updated at least


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annually by Alcoa’s Finance Department and are observed by the QP to remain relatively constant, which is a three-year trailing average of the contractually received export product price.

The cut-off grade is thus cost-driven rather than revenue driven. Operating costs are observed to be driven by haulage distance and the use of contract mining in areas where mining is undertaken on day shift only due to environmental restrictions. Haulage distance is related to the presence or absence of capital haul roads and their maintenance costs.

The current nominal cut-off grades for Alcoa’s Darling Range operations are 27.5% for A.Al2O3 and 3.5% for R.SiO2.

13.7

Metallurgical Factors

The Huntly and Willowdale Darling Range mining operations feed three refineries:  Kwinana, Wagerup and Pinjarra. The Huntly mine provides feed for the Kwinana and Pinjarra refineries and the Willowdale mine provides feed for the Wagerup refinery. Ore is transported via conveyor belt from the relevant crushers, and mine the battery limit for the mining process is the refinery gate. All three refineries are established, mature and use the conventional low-temperature Bayer refining processes.

The refineries are designed to accommodate long-term average bauxite and impurity grades from the mines. Internal Alcoa specification contracts are established between the refineries and each of the mining operations and these contracts are updated annually and contemplate a five-year mine plan. These contracts set impurity targets, the key impurities being R.SiO2, oxalate and iron. Mineral processing testing is discussed in Section 10.0, and processing and recovery in Section 14.0.

The internal LOM (nominally 2045) specification for bauxite is based on a 27.5% A.Al2O3 cut-off grade, which has not been optimized but is supported by the extensive operating history at the three refineries.

Deleterious elements are managed within contracted limits by blending at each mine, with the aim of minimizing variation. The refineries conduct metallurgical test work to ensure that any potential effects of variance caused by new mining areas are understood.

Geometallurgical analysis is conducted on drill hole samples using FTIR analysis as a primary method. A subset of the samples is assayed using conventional analytical procedures, with the results used for FTIR batch calibration and quality assurance purposes. The Mineral Resource model is coded for geometallurgical grades for available alumina and reactive silica. This information is reported in the Mineral Resource estimate as well as the Mineral Reserve estimate.

The Mineral Reserve is based on geometallurgical criteria that have been set by the refineries as suitable for producing alumina to agreed product marketing specifications.

13.8

QP Opinion

The SLR QP considers that, because of the integrated process by which Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources translate to Mineral Reserves for Alcoa’s Darling Range operation, there are no foreseeable risks associated with Modifying Factors (mining, processing, metallurgical, infrastructure, economic, marketing, legal, environment, social, or government) that materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate at 31 December 2021.


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Operational risk associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, this may include labour shortages, disrupted supply chains affecting equipment and parts ordering. This could significantly disrupt operations and may materially and adversely affect Alcoa’s business and financial conditions.

Changes in the actual mined grade, lower alumina or higher reactive silica grades are a risk to the overall economics. Grade control is an important process for this type of deposit and effective control on minimising the dilution particularly along ore-waste boundaries is crucial to maintaining expected mined grades.

Haul distance is considered a risk factor due to the hauling cost making up a significant portion of the mining cost. Hauling is also directly linked to fuel cost and maintenance, the combination of an increased hauling distance as well as an increase in fuel cost and maintenance would result in a significant impact on the operational costs. Haul distances to Reserve blocks typical increase over time until such time there is a plant relocation and so there is an expected increase in hauling distance in the medium term.

Alcoa may be unable to obtain or retain necessary permits, which could adversely affect its operations. The Darling Range operation is subject to extensive permitting requirements. The requirements to obtain and/or achieve or maintain full compliance with such permits can be costly and involve extended timelines and possible delays. Alcoa strives to obtain and comply with all required permits but there can be no assurance that all such permits can be obtained and/or always achieve or maintain full compliance with such permits.

 


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14.0

Mining Methods

14.1

General Description of Operations

The Huntly and Willowdale mines employ conventional open pit mining practices and equipment. The fleet is mixed between contract and owner-operator, depending on the nature of the task at hand. Owner operator equipment is used for mining the bulk of the Mineral Reserve, operating in areas away from those subject to environmental restrictions. Contract mining operates smaller equipment, day shift only, in environmentally (noise) sensitive areas and at the perimeter of the mining area.

The Huntly mine currently operates at a nominal mining capacity up to 27 Mtpa. In recent years, licenses were gained for the export of a proportion of the bauxite produced. The Willowdale mine operates at a nominal production rate of 10 Mtpa.

The Darling Range operations currently have a nominal expected mine life until 2045 (when ML1SA expires), although provision exists for Alcoa to apply for a further mineral lease (Section 3.2). Mine Plans for 10 years of scheduling of mineralization classified as Mineral Resources for estimation as Mineral Reserves (Section 12.5.1). Mining units of 15 m by 15 m by 0.5 m vertically are in use at the operations (Section 12.5.2).

Dilution and ore loss are not reported separately to the Mineral Reserve (Section 12.4). Internal and edge dilution is modelled at the mine planning stage through the application of 15 m by 15 m mining blocks to the Mineral Resource model. These regularized blocks contain proportional estimates of ore and contaminants and are optimized through the application of a Lerchs-Grossman algorithm developed specifically for the operation. This variation of the conventional Lerchs-Grossman algorithm is applied vertically, given that the shallow nature of the mineralization precludes geotechnical considerations. Blocks that do not satisfy grade and contaminant parameters against revenue are thus excluded from the mine plan.

Mining recovery from Huntly and Willowdale are estimated to be 96% and 98%, respectively.

Figure 3‑3 shows the outlines of mined areas, Mineral Resources, and Mineral Reserves, which are collectively taken as representing the final pit outline, as currently understood. This does not account for any required extensions or additional licenses and assumes that all Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves are ultimately mined.

14.1.1

Clearing

Following definition of Mineral Reserve blocks, vegetation is cleared ahead of mining by the Western Australian State Forest Products Commission (FPC), saleable timber being harvested for use. Clearing approval is sought a minimum of three years ahead of mining allowing time for harvesting of saleable timber before vegetation clearing.

14.1.2

Stripping

On receipt of clearance to proceed from the FPC, Alcoa operations commence stripping topsoil and Secondary Overburden Removal (SOBR) using small excavators, scrapers, and trucks. Soil is stockpiled at the site, away from the proposed pit, for rehabilitation purposes. Soil is stockpiled in windrows in such a manner that it maintains its organic viability.


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The dieback fungus (Phytopthora spp.) is endemic in parts of the mining areas, which are flagged by Alcoa and precautions are taken to contain the fungus, which is lethal to the eucalyptus forest. The QP observed these precautions, which include separation of machinery fleets in areas where dieback is present and washing of machinery before entry into different areas. This represents a minor short-term scheduling challenge, though it is well managed.

14.1.3

SOBR

The SOBR process is specialized and aims to remove as much overburden and organic material from the top of the mineralization as possible. This organic material reacts with NaOH in the refinery to produce oxalates, which are deleterious to the process. After scrapers have removed the topsoil and overburden, two small (60t class) excavators equipped with swivel buckets are used to scrape clay containing organic material from the undulating surface of the hardcap that sits on top of the mineralization. This is later used to backfill mined out areas.

Figure 13‑1: SOBR (SLR, 2021)

The SOBR process is applied to those areas where hardcap has been identified by Resource definition drilling, using the drillers’ logs. The hardcap is drilled and blasted before mining with the rest of the bauxite sequence.


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In areas without hardcap, wheel tractor-scrapers of 24 m3 capacity remove soil overburden, scraping directly to the top of the mineralization model surface, being controlled by GPS. This material is similarly stockpiled for rehabilitation or used as backfill in exhausted mining areas.

Figure 13‑2: Topsoil removal (background), blasting of hardcap and marking of ore (foreground) (SLR, 2021)

A surface miner is employed in limited areas of hardcap in the vicinity of blasting-sensitive infrastructure such as power lines. The surface mining is also employed in lieu of SOBR where appropriate, for example, where there are high levels of contaminants in the hardcap.

14.1.4

Mining

Mining progresses on 4 m benches, utilizing a contour-mining sequence, cutting benches across the topography, working from top to bottom, maintaining the flattest floor obtainable to a maximum gradient of 1:7. Most of the mineralization lies beneath a gently undulating topography and contour mining is minimal.  

 


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Figure 13‑3: Contour mining (SLR, 2021)

On completion of overburden removal, the exposed surfaces are sheeted with 0.25 m of suitable mineralized material taken from the dozed second cut in adjacent pits. Where hardcap is present, a drill rig is mobilized, and the hardcap drilled and blasted on an appropriate pattern to fragment the hardcap.

Trucks haul the mined ore to fixed crushers, which crush the material to varying sizes (refer to Section 14.0) before conveying down the escarpment to the refinery where it is stockpiled to give surge capacity.

No visual grade control is applied, the ore contacts being gradational. Grade control is achieved by mining to electronic ore surfaces derived from drill assays, control being achieved using GPS equipped equipment, the GPS being regularly calibrated.

Blending takes place at the pit face, before which the crushed ore from different pits is assessed using specialist short-term mine planning software and pit production is scheduled to achieve the desired blend.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that considering the style of mineralization, the average depth of the deposit, and the material characteristics of the overburden material whereby it is amenable to ripping / excavation using conventional earth-moving equipment, the open pit mining method adopted at Darling Range is the most appropriate method for the Mineral Reserves.

14.2

Haul Roads and Infrastructure

14.2.1

Haul Roads

Haul roads are the limiting factor to the mining operations. Major haul roads are established to each mining area, honoring the topography at the least possible gradient. Roads are unsealed and formed by conventional bulldozer and grader and sheeted with appropriate material. Once established, haul road


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maintenance was observed to be continuous and forms part of the operating cost for each mining area. Haul roads are observed by the QP to be treated as sustaining capital in an appropriate manner.

Figure 13‑4: Truck on haul road (SLR, 2021)


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Figure 13‑5: Haul roads with berms (SLR, 2021)

Secondary haul roads to individual mining areas are formed in the same manner, with provision for rehabilitation once mining is complete.

The Darling Range climate is subject to wet winter months and trafficability of haul roads during these months is included in mine planning. Redundancy during wet months is planned for, allowing well drained areas to be mined in the wet.

There are some restrictions to the establishment and operation of haul roads, and these are incorporated into the road design and operation:

 

Water runoff from the roads is impounded in sumps and these were observed to be well formed and appropriate, being regularly dewatered, emptied of sediment and cleaned. This water is either re-used for dust suppression or road-forming purposes or is decanted for release in an approved manner.

 

Dieback control necessitates separation of machinery between that which operates in dieback-prone and dieback-free areas. This presents short-term scheduling challenges that were observed to be well controlled.

 

Proximity to a major water catchment restricts the volume of hydrocarbons that may be taken into particular areas around the catchment. This was observed to be adhered to, with particular road rules and scheduled delivery of approved volumes of hydrocarbons along haul roads that are specially formed with impoundments in the event of spillage.

The Qualified Person has observed that Alcoa’s Darling Range operations have a well-established system for haul road design, construction, maintenance and regulation and that this does not present a major impediment to mining efficiency.


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14.2.2

Infrastructure

The main elements of infrastructure at Alcoa’s Darling Range mining operations are the location of crushers and conveyors to the refineries. These crushers form hubs for the mining operations, connected by the primary haul roads and are scheduled to be moved every ten years or so, in accordance with the requirements of the mining schedule and the location of ore as the mines progress. This crusher movement is planned well in advance and is treated as sustaining capital expenditure.

The crushers see relatively light duty for a mining operation and are well maintained. Similarly, the conveyors, which operate all year round and are covered, negating any potential effect of weather.

Figure 13‑6: Covered conveyor (SLR, 2021)

Both the crushers and conveyors were observed to be in excellent condition and subject to scheduled maintenance, including replacement of conveyor belts.

Other ancillary equipment includes offices, ablutions, crib-rooms, and workshops, all of which were observed to be in excellent condition.

14.3

Geotechnical and Hydrogeology Considerations

Mining at Alcoa’s Darling Range operations is very shallow, pits being an average of 4 m deep. Consequently, geotechnical considerations are negligible other than immaterial localized batter failures. Similarly, the mining areas are elevated and well drained and groundwater and surface water hydrology is not material in these areas other than the catchment, impoundment, and decantation of runoff during the wet winter months. No drainage diversion occurs or is necessary because the mineralization sits between the stream beds and the bauxite occurs above the groundwater table. Deeper bauxite may be


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seasonally affected by the water table and is scheduled to be mined in summer. Backfilling of these places occurs before the rain raises the water table.

Contour mining (Figure 13‑7) is practiced in areas of relatively steep topography, maintaining access ramps at less than 1:8 gradient and mining across the contour and downwards, creating a flat working floor. Hydrological considerations in these areas include management of runoff during the wet winter months and trafficability.

Figure 13‑7: Contour Mining (SLR, 2021)

 

Mine overburden is progressively backfilled into adjacent exhausted pits (Figure 13‑8), topsoiled, landscaped (Figure 13‑9), and rehabilitated by re-establishment of native vegetation (Figure 13‑10), creating a stable post-mining landform that replicates the pre-existing environment.


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Figure 13‑8: Soil being returned for backfilling and landscaping the pit (Alcoa, 2018)


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Figure 13‑9: Landscaped mining area, prior to replanting of forest (SLR, 2021)


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Figure 13‑10: Rehabilitated pit through re-plantation of native vegetation (SLR, 2021)

14.4

Mine Equipment

Mining is undertaken by 300 t and 200 t-class excavators top-loading 190 t capacity rigid-bodied mining trucks (Figure 13‑11). This fleet was observed by the QP at Huntly to be aged. The equipment has undergone relatively light duties for a mining fleet, which prolongs its life. Sustaining capital is being invested in equipment replacement and modernization at Willowdale, progressively working toward Huntly. New equipment includes 250 t-class excavators and 190 t-class trucks.

A full list of equipment at Darling Range is provided in Table 13‑1.

Figure 13‑11: Ore mining at Darling Range (SLR, 2021)

 

Table 13‑1: Darling Range operations equipment list

Location

Classification

Type

No. Units

Huntly

Primary

Excavator

4x CAT 336D

3x Komatsu PC3000

1x Hitachi 2600-7

Haul truck 1

8x CAT 789C (190T)

9x CAT 789D (190T)

1x Komatsu 730E (190T)

Haul truck 2

1x HD1500 (150T)

Ancillary

Bulldozer / Loader

3x CAT D11R

1x D575

1x CAT 992K

2x CAT 993K

2x WD600

2x WA600

Grader

2x CAT 16M

1x CAT 24M

Scrapers

5x CAT 637G

Low Loaders

1x CAT 785C (250T)

1x CAT 777G (150T)

Water truck

3x CAT 785C

Drills

3x Atlas Copco L6 (Blast)

5x WB93 (Exploration)

Willowdale

Primary

Excavator

2x CAT 336D

2x Komatsu PC2000

Haul truck 1

14x Komatsu 730E (190T)

Haul truck 2

1x HD1500 (150T)

Ancillary

Bulldozer / Loader

2x CAT D11T

1x CAT 993K

1x CAT 992G

1x Volvo L90

Grader

1x CAT 16H

1x CAT 18M

Scrapers

3x CAT 637G

1x CAT 637E

Low Loaders

1x CAT 785D (220T)

Water truck

2x CAT 777F

1x Komatsu 730E

Drills

2x Epiroc D50 (Blast)

14.4.1

Contractors

Alcoa’s practice in noise sensitive areas such as the perimeter of the operation near residents is to engage contractors. These areas operate on day shift only and attract higher operating costs than the main production areas. The flexibility required in these areas precludes the use of the primary owner-operator


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fleet and equipment is dry or wet hired or mining takes place under conventional schedule of rates contracts.

Alcoa also engages contractors for aspects of haul road construction services, in select areas of pit development, and during landscaping activities for rehabilitation after mining.

This practice has led to the establishment of a secondary contracting industry around the Darling Range operations. Contractors are overseen by Alcoa personnel.

14.4.2

Ancillary Equipment

Ancillary equipment at Alcoa’s Darling Range operations includes a fleet of bulldozers, graders and loaders that are primarily used for haul road formation, pit development (for the removal of overburden and blasted caprock) and ground preparation for digging, landscaping, clean-up, and road maintenance.

The SOBR process requires small excavators, articulated trucks, scrapers, and specialist skills to grub organic-containing clay from the top of the mineralization.

Figure 13‑12: Blasthole drill working on hardcap (SLR, 2021)

All ancillary equipment was observed to be in good and well-maintained conditions, the conditions being relatively light duty in comparison to other Western Australian mining operations.


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14.5

Personnel

The main production mining operations are primarily Owner-operated using Alcoa equipment and employees. Contractors are also used for certain activities on site.

Three unions are recognized at the operations:

 

The Australian Workers Union (AWU), which covers most of the operations workers

 

Australian Metal Workers Union (AMWU), which covers the metal trades, being fitters, boilermakers and mechanics

 

Electrical Trades Union (ETU), which covers the electricians

Lost time during strikes is generally uncommon. An agreement with AWU that was made in late 2018 and ratified by Fair Work Australia in early 2019 is in place for a four-year period.

Alcoa’s Darling Range operations were observed to have a stable workforce, drawn from the surrounding areas. The location is highly desirable in the Western Australian mining context and skilled personnel are readily attracted to the operations. Primary haul roads are named after personnel with greater than forty years’ service and there are many of these.

As of Q4 2021, the Huntly and Willowdale operations together employ a total of 890 employees consisting of 92 Technical, 132 Management and 634 operations employees. Additionally, 32 employees are centrally employed on the combined operations.

A breakdown is shown in Table 13‑2 (current vacancies not accounted for).

Table 13‑2: Darling Range personnel

Location

Classification

No Personnel

Huntly

557

Technical

50

Management

66

Operations

441

Willowdale

301

Technical

42

Management

66

Operations

193

Central

32

Technical

21

Management

7

Operations

4

Total

890

 


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15.0

Processing and Recovery Methods

15.1

Process Description

The process plant for the Darling Range operations consists of two separate crushing facilities at the Huntly and Willowdale mines. Both facilities crush the ROM and convey the crushed ore to three separate refineries.

The Willowdale operation consists of a single stage crushing flowsheet and includes a series of conveyors to transport the crushed ore at an annual throughput of 10 Mtpa. The ROM is discharged from trucks on a dump hopper. An apron feeder transfers the ore from the dump hopper to a vibrating grizzly with an aperture of 180 mm. The grizzly oversize is discharged into a single toggle jaw crusher which crushes the ore to a top size of 180 mm. A hydraulic rock breaker is installed at the crusher to break the larger rocks that do not pass through the crusher opening. The crushed product and the grizzly undersize are discharged on to a discharge conveyor and subsequently discharged on to an overland conveyor. The discharge conveyor is fitted with a tramp magnet to remove any metal that is present along with the crushed ore product. The overland conveyor, which is 9.4 km long, transports the crushed ore to an intermediate transfer station. The ore is then transported by a second overland conveyor, 8.8 km long, to the transfer station located at Wagerup. An apron feeder is used to transfer the crushed ore from the Wagerup transfer station on to a stockpile conveyor and subsequently discharge on a stacker conveyor. The stacker conveyor discharges the ore into two separate stockpiles. The crushed ore is then reclaimed from there for processing in the Wagerup refinery. The total capacity of the stockpiles is approximately 0.7 Mt and sufficient for three weeks of feed to the refineries.

A simplified block flow diagram of the Willowdale operation is shown in Figure 14‑1.

 


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Figure 14‑1: Simplified block flow diagram of the Willowdale operation

The Huntly operation consists of multiple stages of crushing and includes a series of conveyors to transport the crushed ore to the refineries at an annual throughput of 25 Mtpa. The primary crushing is achieved by two similar crushing circuits operating in a parallel configuration.  The ROM is discharged from trucks on dump hoppers. Apron feeders transfer the ore from the dump hopper to vibrating grizzlies with an aperture of 180 mm. The grizzly oversize fractions are fed to jaw crushers which crush the ore to a top size of 200 mm. The crushed product and the grizzly undersize are discharged on to discharge conveyors and transferred to the secondary crushers (sizers). The discharge conveyors are each fitted with a tramp magnet to remove any metal that is present in the crushed ore. Secondary crushing is achieved in sizers with the objective of reducing the ore particle size to a top size of 100 mm. The secondary crusher product is transported by three overland conveyors (operating in series with two intermediate transfer stations in between) to a transfer station and randomly split into two by a splitter bin.

One fraction from the splitter bin is transferred by another overland conveyor and discharged into a stockpile conveyor via an apron feeder. The stockpile conveyor transfers the ore and subsequently discharges onto a stacker conveyor. The stacker conveyor discharges the ore into two separate stockpiles identified as Stockpile 1 and Stockpile 2. The crushed ore is then reclaimed from there for processing in the Pinjarra refinery. The second fraction of the ore is transported by an overland conveyor to an apron feeder, to a transfer conveyor and then split again to two fractions by a splitter chute located at a separate transfer station.  One of the splits from the splitter chute is destined for Kwinana refinery and the other split is destined for Pinjarry refinery.

The fraction for the Pinjarra refinery is transported by stockpile conveyor and subsequently discharged on to two sperate stockpiles (identified as Stockpile 3 and Stockpile 4) via a stacker conveyor. The ore is then


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reclaimed from the stockpiles for processing in Pinjarra refinery along with the ore from Stockpile 1 and Stockpile 2.  

The split for Kwinana refinery is transported by a conveyor and processed by a tertiary crushing circuit consisting of two roller crushers operating in parallel configuration. The tertiary crusher product with a top size of 25 mm is transferred by a stockpile conveyor and discharged into two separate stockpiles identified as Stockpile 5 and Stockpile 6 via a stacker conveyor. The crushed ore from Stockpiles 5 and Stockpile 6 is reclaimed and transferred by a reclaim conveyor to a surge bin for subsequent loading and transport to the refinery by train. A simplified block flow diagram of the Huntly operation is shown in Figure 14‑2.

Figure 14‑2: Simplified block flow diagram of the Huntly operation


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15.2

Primary Equipment List

The primary equipment lists of the Willowdale, and Huntly operations are shown in Table 14‑1 and Table 14‑2.

OhTable 14‑1: Primary equipment list (Willowdale)

Equipment

Quantity

Installed Power (kW)

Apron feeder

1

264

Vibrating grizzly

1

75

Primary Crusher

1

355

Discharge conveyor

1

132

Overland conveyor

1

2500

Overland conveyor

1

1800

Apron feeder

1

75

Stockpile conveyor

1

300

Stacker boom conveyor

1

110

Table 14‑2: Primary equipment list (Huntly)

Equipment

Quantity

Installed Power (kW)

Apron feeder

1

260

Vibrating grizzly

1

55

Primary Crusher

1

250

Discharge conveyor

1

140

Secondary crusher

1

1000

Apron feeder

1

260

Vibrating grizzly

1

75

Primary Crusher

1

250

Discharge conveyor

1

140

Secondary crusher

1

1000

Overland conveyor

1

7500

Overland conveyor

1

5000

Overland conveyor

1

6100

Apron feeder

1

75

Overland conveyor

1

1500

Apron feeder

1

55


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Equipment

Quantity

Installed Power (kW)

Apron feeder

1

75

Overland conveyor

1

1350

Apron feeder

1

110

Stockpile conveyor

1

225

Stacker boom conveyor

1

110

Yard conveyor

1

250

Stockpile conveyor

1

150

Stacker boom conveyor

1

110

Conveyor

1

250

Apron feeder

1

75

Tertiary crusher

1

370

Apron feeder

1

75

Tertiary crusher

1

370

Stockpile conveyor

1

300

Stockpile boom conveyor

1

110

Bucket wheel reclaimer

1

264

Reclaim bridge conveyor

1

110

Transfer conveyor

1

280

Reclaim conveyor

1

280

Reclaim conveyor

1

900

15.3

Consumables and Power

The power consumption of the Huntly operation is approximately 8,000 MWh to 9,000 MWh per month. The Willowdale power consumption is approximately 2,000 MWh per month.

The process plant is a dry crushing operation and therefore water is only required for dust suppression and is included as part of mine water consumption. Water is not required as a consumable for the plant.

Other consumables of the process plant include crusher liners, screen panels and spares for feeders and conveyors. These are kept on site and replaced as part of the routine maintenance schedule according to manufacturer’s guidelines.

Personnel requirements for the operation and maintenance of the plant as described are included in Table 13‑2.

15.4

QP Opinion

SLR has the opinion that selected processing method and the flowsheet is suitable for Darling Range operations. It is important to note that the ore head grades meet the refinery specifications for processing


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in terms of Al2O3 grades and SiO2 grades, this means the ore can be directly shipped to the refinery for further processing without any upgrading in the mineral processing plant. The crushing circuit reduces the particle size suitable for conveying as well as to meet particle size specified by the refinery.

 

 


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16.0

Infrastructure

The infrastructure for the mining operations is established and operational. In 2021, the infrastructure hub for Willowdale was relocated 16 km southwards from Orion (after having been based there for 21 years) to the Larego Hub which is located about 20 km north-east of the town of Harvey. The hub hosts administrative offices, as well as crushing facilities and maintenance facilities. The Orion Hub site is currently being rehabilitated.

The mining hubs are relocated periodically as production moves away from the hub and thus transportation costs increase. Alcoa plans for the Larego Hub to be in place for approximately 20 years, though this is the 4th relocation since the mines opened in the 1970s/80s (approximately 13 years on average). The mining hub relocations are well-understood with planning and associated budgeting occurring well in advance of relocations; production restarted seven days after the shutdown.

An extensive haul road network, rail, and overland conveyors transport crushed bauxite from the Hub to the refineries on the coast (namely Kwinana, Wagerup and Pinjarra). Bauxite is transferred from each mine to the refineries primarily via long distance conveyor belt, apart from the Kwinana refinery which receives bauxite via railway. The Alumina produced by the three refineries is then shipped to external and internal smelter customers through the Kwinana and Bunbury ports.

The infrastructure layout for the Darling Range operations is shown below (Figure 15‑1).


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Figure 15‑1: Infrastructure Layout (Alcoa, 2022)

16.1

Access Roads

The Darling Range is readily accessible via road from Perth and surrounding areas. The mines are near the towns of Pinjarra and Waroona. Both towns are easily accessible via the national South Western Highway, a sealed single carriageway road, which starts on the southern side of Perth and continues for almost 400 km to the southwest corner of Western Australia.  

The Huntly mining area is accessible from the South Western Highway via Del Park Road, a sealed single carriageway road which connects the town of North Dandalup in the north with Dwellingup in the south. From Del Park Road, a further sealed road which follows the route of the bauxite conveyor to the Pinjarra refinery provides access to the Huntly site.

The Willowdale mining area is similarly accessible from the South Western Highway via Nanga Brook Road, a sealed single carriageway road to the east of Waroona.

Major haul roads have been established to each mining area. Roads are unsealed and require continuous ongoing maintenance which was observed during the site visit. Secondary haul roads, also unsealed, cross-cut each individual mining plateau.

16.2

Power

The Darling Range’s Pinjarra refinery receives power from the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). The refinery also has internal generation capacity of 100 MW from 4 steam driven turbine alternators, with steam produced by gas fired boilers and a gas turbine Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG). The refinery supplies power to the Huntly Mine by three different power supply lines (a single 33 kV and two 13.8 kV).

Willowdale Mine has a single 22 kV power supply fed from the Wagerup refinery. The Wagerup refinery is a net exporter of power to the SWIS, with internal generation capacity of 108 MW from three steam driven turbine alternators and one gas turbine. The steam is produced by gas fired boilers.

The power consumption of the Huntly operation is approximately 8,000 MWh to 9,000 MWh per month. The Willowdale power consumption is approximately 2,000 MWh per month.  

16.3

Water

Water is used on the mines for dust suppression, dieback washdown, vehicle washdown, workshops, conveyor belt wash, construction, and domestic purposes. The water supplies for mining consist of licensed surface water sources supplemented with treated wastewater from vehicle washdowns, stormwater runoff and maintenance workshops.  

The WA mines are licensed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) to draw surface water from five locations to meet their water supply requirements. The Huntly mine draws water from Banksiadale Dam and Boronia Waterhole. Huntly mine also holds a license to draw water from Pig Swamp and Marrinup, however these resources are retained as a backup water supply and have not been utilized in recent years. Huntly mine is also permitted to draw water from South Dandalup Dam under an agreement with the Water Corporation.  A pumpback facility from South Dandalup Dam to Banksiadale Dam is used to raise levels in Banksiadale Dam during periods of low rainfall runoff. Willowdale Mine draws water from Samson Dam.


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Table 142 summarizes the license allocation for water usage. In 2020, water abstraction comprised approximately 15% of the total DWER license allocation (for those sites where abstraction occurred).  An additional 534,975 kL was also abstracted from South Dandalup Dam under the agreement with Water Corporation.  

Table 15‑1: Water Abstraction License Volumes

Site

Water source

Surface Water license

Annual Water Entitlement

Huntly

South Dandalup Dam

N/A

N/A

Huntly

Banksiadale Dam

SWL63409

500,000

Huntly

Pig Swamp Waterhole

SWL153635

30,000

Huntly

Boronia Waterholeon Marrinup Brook

SWL83356

70,000

Marrinup Nursery

Lot 908 on Marrinup Brook

SWL68893

45,000

Willowdale

Samson Dam

SWL61024

450,000

16.4

Accommodation Camp

There are no Alcoa accommodation facilities within the Darling Range. As described above, the Huntly and Willowdale mining areas are within proximity to established population centres including Pinjarra approximately 25 km to the West of Huntly and Waroona approximately 20 km West of Willowdale.

On site facilities includes offices, ablutions, crib-rooms, and workshops, all of which were observed to be in excellent condition.

16.5

Mine Waste Management

16.5.1

Tailings disposal

No tailings are generated within the boundaries of the mining operations. The management of tailings generated downstream at the refineries is beyond the boundaries of the Darling Range mining operations and are therefore not considered in this TRS.

16.5.2

Waste rock disposal

Alcoa’s Darling Range mining operations do not produce mine waste or “mullock” in the same manner as conventional mining operations and waste dumps are not constructed.

Overburden from Darling Range ore blocks is carefully segregated for later rehabilitation of adjacent, completed mining operations. Non-viable rock is used to backfill these shallow, completed pits and the viable topsoil spread on top and contoured. Jarrah forest is then re-established through seeding and the planting of nursery-raised seedlings. Water runoff from active and backfilled mining areas is contained and directed toward settlement ponds, which are later rehabilitated and seeded.

To date, some 20,000 ha of mined areas have been backfilled and reforested, which represents 77% of the area mined since 1966, including areas reserved for long-term infrastructure. Rehabilitation standards


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are described in Alcoa’s 2016 statutory Bauxite Mine Rehabilitation Completion Criteria. These completion criteria have been progressively revised since inception in the 1990s.


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17.0

Market Studies

17.1

Overview

Alcoa Corporation is a vertically integrated aluminum company comprising bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminum production (smelting and casting), and energy generation.

Through direct and indirect ownership, Alcoa Corporation has 28 operating locations in nine countries around the world, situated primarily in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Spain, and the United States. Governmental policies, laws and regulations, and other economic factors, including inflation and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, affect the results of operations in these countries.

There are three commodities in the vertically integrated system: bauxite, alumina, and aluminum, with each having their own market and related price and impacted by their own market fundamentals. Bauxite, which contains various aluminum hydroxide minerals, is the principal raw material used to produce alumina. Bauxite is refined using the Bayer process to produce alumina, a compound of aluminum and oxygen, which in turn is the raw material used by smelters to produce aluminum metal.

Alcoa obtains bauxite from its own resources and processes over 85% of its combined bauxite production into alumina. The remainder is sold to the third-party market. In 2021, total Alcoa production was 47.6 million dmt (dry metric tonne) of bauxite.

Aluminum is a commodity that is traded freely on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and priced daily. Pricing for primary aluminum products is typically composed of three components:

 

(i)

The published LME aluminum price for commodity grade P1020 aluminum;

 

(ii)

The published regional premium applicable to the delivery locale; and

 

(iii)

A negotiated product premium that accounts for factors such as shape and alloy.

Further, alumina is subject to market pricing through the Alumina Price Index (API), which is calculated by the Company based on the weighted average of a prior month’s daily spot prices published by the following three indices: CRU Metallurgical Grade Alumina Price; Platts Metals Daily Alumina PAX Price; and Metal Bulletin Non-Ferrous Metals Alumina Index. As a result, the price of both aluminum and alumina is subject to significant volatility and, therefore, influences the operating results of Alcoa Corporation.

Unlike alumina and aluminum, bauxite is not a standard commodity traded on an index. Bauxite’s grades and characteristics vary significantly by deposit location and the value of bauxite deposits for each downstream refinery could be different, based upon:

 

refinery technology;

 

the location of each refinery in relation to the ore deposit; and

 

the cost of related raw materials to each refinery.

As such, there is no widely accepted index for bauxite. Most bauxite traded on the third-party market is priced using a value-in-use methodology. The key assumption for the value-in-use methodology is that both the (1) offered bauxite and the (2) comparative bauxite being used in the target refinery will generate the same refining cost. As such, using the known price for the comparative bauxite used in the target


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refinery, the offered bauxite price will then be derived by considering the bauxite characteristics and quality differences between the offered and comparative bauxite.

17.1.1

Market Fundamentals

Bauxite is the principal ore of alumina (Al2O3), which is used to produce aluminum. Bauxite mining and alumina refining are the upstream operations of primary aluminum production. China is the largest third-party seaborne bauxite market and accounts for more than 90% of all bauxite traded. Bauxite is sourced primarily from Australia, Guinea, and Indonesia on the third-party market. In the long run, China is expected to continue to be the largest consumer of third-party bauxite with Guinea expected to be the majority supplier. Further, third-party traded bauxite is expected to be in surplus over the next decade, with most new mining projects announced recently being located in Guinea.

Bauxite characteristics and variations in quality heavily impact the selection of refining technology and refinery operating cost. A market bauxite with high impurities could limit the customer volume an existing refinery could use, resulting in a discount applied to the value-in-use price basis.

Besides quality and geography, market fundamentals, including macroeconomic trends – the prices of raw materials, like caustic soda and energy, the prices of Alumina and Aluminum, and the cost of freight – will also play a role in bauxite prices.

17.2

Market: Darling Range

17.2.1

Operation

The Darling Range mines are part of an integrated operation of two mines, three refineries and two ports. Prior to 2016, production from the Darling Range mines (Huntly and Willowdale) was used exclusively for consumption by the integrated refineries.

Bauxite is transferred from each mine to the refineries primarily via long distance conveyor belt, apart from the Kwinana refinery, which receives bauxite via railway. The Alumina produced by the three refineries is then shipped to external and internal smelter customers through two ports, based in Kwinana and Bunbury.

In 2016, Darling Range entered into a 5-year third-party sales contract with a major alumina producer in China. The volume exported was immaterial compared to the total production of the two mines and was immaterial to the overall operation. In 2021, less than 4% of the Darling Range bauxite was sold externally. Following the expiration of the third-party sales contract at the end of 2021, all bauxite production from Huntly and Willowdale will be consumed internally by the Darling Range refineries and there are no current plans for further bauxite export.

17.2.2

Pricing

The pricing mechanism of the third-party sales contract was based on a value-in-use methodology (as described in Section 16-1) that was anchored to the customer’s other bauxite sources at the time of execution, with a market adjustment factor linked to the Alumina price.

As discussed in Section 16.2.1 above, all Western Australia bauxite production will be sold internally to Western Australia refineries following the expiration of the third-party sales contract in 2021. In 2021, the Western Australia internal bauxite transfer price referenced this third-party sales contract as a three-year trailing average.


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17.3

Contracts

All Darling Range production is shipped via conveyor or train to one of the Alcoa’s three Western Australia refineries.

Major operational contracts that are in place include, but are not limited to the following:

 

Railway contract: Alcoa has a long-term contractual agreement with a third-party to deliver bauxite to one of its refineries. Pricing is based on a fixed rate schedule, payable on volume of bauxite delivered.

 

Mining contractor contract: Alcoa has a long-term contractual agreement with a third-party to operate a designated mine region. The contractor is responsible for development, mining, hauling and rehabilitation of the designated mine pits; the contract runs a day-only operation. Pricing is based on a fixed rate schedule, payable on production tonnes.

 

Rehabilitation contract: Alcoa has a long-term contractual agreement with a third-party to rehabilitate certain mined areas, ready for closure. Pricing is based on a fixed rate schedule, payable on equipment and labor hire rates.

 

Fuel contract: Alcoa has a mid-term contractual agreement with a third-party to supply diesel fuel for mining operations. Pricing is based on market pricing for diesel, payable on volume consumed.

These types of contracts are typical of other similar mining operations.

 

 


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18.0

Environmental Studies, Permitting, and Plans, Negotiations, or Agreements with Local Individuals or Groups

18.1

Environmental Studies

Alcoa has established practices and processes for ensuring conformance to environmental requirements. Sensitive areas are identified and managed ahead of disturbance. Environmental factors are taken into account prior to infill drilling; hence, mining blocks carrying environmental risks do not feature in the Mineral Reserves (for example, areas around granite outcrops and water courses have a buffer applied and essentially no-go areas from a mining perspective).

The environmental reviews and approvals form part of the MMPLG approvals process outlined in Section 3.6.

Additional baseline studies are understood to be in progress to support the Environmental Protection Act 1986 (WA) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth) approvals for future extensions to the mining footprint. Baseline studies are guided by the requirements of the Environmental Protection Authority (WA) and are well understood.

The threat of bushfires is the only significant naturally occurring risk identified. Bushfires have occurred in the past, but to date have not had a material impact on production.

The current plans are considered adequate and there are no other environmental, social, or permitting risks that affect mine operability or Reserve estimation. Risk of environmental approvals not being received are very low due to the nature of the state agreement and the environmental constraints on the resource itself being applied before deposit definition drilling (i.e. only includes material above the water table, that does not require redirection of surface water courses, impact heritage listed sites, etc).

18.2

Waste and Tailings Disposal, Site Monitoring, and Water Management

18.2.1

Waste and Tailings Disposal

No tailings are generated within the boundaries of the mining operations as bauxite processing residue is only generated at the refineries. Similarly, Alcoa’s Darling Range mining operations do not produce mine waste or “mullock” in the same manner as conventional mining operations and as such waste dumps are not constructed.

Overburden from Darling Range ore blocks is carefully segregated for later contouring and rehabilitation of adjacent, completed mining operations. Caprock and other non-viable rock is used to backfill these shallow, completed pits and the viable topsoil spread on top, contoured, and revegetated.

As such, there is no requirement for the monitoring of any tailings or mine waste dumps associated within the mining operations as all tailings are processed outside the mine lease boundary.

18.2.2

Site Monitoring

Alcoa’s mine sites are monitored in accordance with conditions of Government authorizations and its operational licenses at Huntly (L6210/1991/10) and Willowdale (L6465/1989/10). Environmental


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management and monitoring commitments exist for the following environmental aspects which have been assessed as being significant and therefore require operational controls as a minimum.  The significant environmental aspects for which monitoring and/or management undertaken are:

 

Chemical releases including loss of containment prevention and response and dangerous goods storage.  All underground storage tanks have been removed from Alcoa’s operations and are prohibited.

 

Waste management and minimization.

 

Catchment protection through the management of mining within the lower rainfall zone to minimize risks of salinization of land and water resources.

 

Water as detailed in Section 17.2.3

 

Air emissions including:

 

o

Smoke pollution associated with wood waste

 

o

An ambient dust monitoring program to identify and quantify fugitive dust emissions from operating areas

 

o

Ozone depleting substances

 

Hazardous materials management including asbestos, synthetic mineral fiber, polychlorinated biphenyls

 

Land including:

 

o

Recordkeeping and Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping of the location and timing of all soil removal, landscaping, soil return, ripping and seeding

 

o

Rehabilitation area monitoring to ensure the number of established plants meet the completion criteria targets associated with species enrichment, weed outbreaks and erosion

 

o

Dieback management, mapping and field identification

 

o

Forest and land clearing

 

Flora and fauna.

 

Aboriginal and European heritage.

 

Environmental value of national parks, nature reserves and native forests.

 

Visual amenity.

 

Noise.

Outcomes of and compliance with the management and monitoring programs are tracked within Alcoa’s Environmental Management System and reported within the Annual Environmental Review report.  Review of the most recent report, published as a triennial report for the period from 2018 to 2020 largely reported compliance with environmental commitments and success of operational controls to managed environmental objectives with only the following non-compliances noted:

 

Several dieback breaches were reported resulting in a downgrade to dieback status of vegetation, the majority of which were associated with drainage failures following significant rainfall events


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resulting in surface water flow from dieback areas into dieback free areas.  All incidences were investigated with corrective actions addressing the root causes actioned.

 

Several recordings of elevated turbidity were recorded for a period exceeding 1 hour above the reporting criteria (25 NTU), however only a small fraction of these events was confirmed to have a contribution from mining activities. All incidences were investigated with corrective actions addressing the root causes actioned where mining contributions were identified.

 

Alcoa reported one incident under Section 72 (s.72) of the Environmental Protection Act 1986 in 2019, and ten incidents in 2020. During the reporting period, Alcoa commenced voluntary reporting of the releases of C6 Aqueous Film Forming Foams (AFFF) to unsealed operational areas, due to low-level presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The Huntly mine reported two AFFF releases, one turbidity event and one release of hydrocarbon contaminated stormwater. Willowdale mine reported three releases of wastewater containing low concentrations of PFAS and four AFFF releases. Alcoa has since developed and implemented an Interim PFAS Water Management Strategy across its WA mining operations with the key commitment to manage PFAS affected water to minimise impact to the drinking water catchment and the environment.

Alcoa is proactively working with key regulatory agencies to address operational non-compliances and implement operational improvements to reduce releases to the environment. None of the reportable non-compliances represent a risk that could adversely affect its license to operate.

18.2.3

Water Management

Alcoa implements a comprehensive water management and monitoring program in accordance with the requirements of its abstraction and operational licenses.  Key components of Alcoa’s water management and monitoring program include:

 

Treatment of stormwater that may contain traces of hydrocarbons via a wastewater treatment system to concentrations that meet DWER license requirements prior to release

 

Turbidity monitoring along tributaries to key catchments to prevent contaminated or turbid runoff into the drinking water supply

 

Wastewater treatment and monitoring to meet DWER license requirements prior to release including treated water quality monitoring prior to release and continuous discharge volumes

 

Surface water drainage management to prevent uncontrolled surface water runoff from operations to the surrounding forest and/or surface water bodies

 

Implementation of the Interim PFAS Water Management Strategy

 

Drainage protection management through the implementation of a Water Resource Sensitive Zone Management Plan

 

Sewage management though a biological aeration treatment unit (BioMAX)

 

Monitoring of cumulative water abstraction volumes at licensed and unlicensed surface water abstraction points in accordance with the Surface Water License Operating Strategies for Huntly and Samson Dam

 

Potable water monitoring for identification of possible biological or chemical contamination


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Ecological water requirements (EWRs) have not been defined for the site however, Alcoa undertakes monitoring of the downstream environments to ensure no unacceptable impact.  This is completed via photographic monitoring for Banksiadale Dam, Pig Swamp Waterhole, Boronia Dam and Marrinup Nursery

 

Water use efficiency programs are implemented pertaining to wastewater recycling, efficient watering of haul roads, pumping and reusing water from roadside sumps, and effective mining planning to reduce dust suppression requirements

Alcoa’s WA Mining operations have no groundwater monitoring programs associated with legislation, licenses, or approvals. Additional groundwater monitoring may be required if:

 

Groundwater quality or quantity has been identified as potentially at risk due to mining activities, or

 

Potential exists for mining to impact offsite/private groundwater supply quantity or quality.

Alcoa has a long-term groundwater research project within the Intermediate Rainfall Zone to evaluate potential impacts of clearing on groundwater salinization.

18.3

Project Permitting

The environmental reviews and approvals form part of the MMPLG approvals process outlined in Section 3.6. Compliance with the MMPLG is demonstrated through an annual report submitted to the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

Operational matters at the Willowdale and Huntly mines are licensed by the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation via instruments L6465/1989/10 and L6210/1991/10, respectively. These licenses condition the processing of ore and reporting is required annually to DWER describing the total volume of bauxite crushed and any non-compliance. The latest available reporting at the time of writing is for calendar year 2020.

Compliance with the Alcoa ISO14001 accredited EMS was audited in December 2021, with recertification expected in April 2022.

There are no known requirements to post performance or reclamation bonds.

18.4

Social or Community Requirements

Alcoa has established systems and processes for maintaining its social license to operate and was admitted to ICMM in 2019, aligning to its social performance requirements. Related to the requirements of the MMPLG, Alcoa’s actions in relation to social performance include an annual 5-year consultation process aligned with the 5 Year Mine Plan. The consultation process involves engaging with affected landowners. Alcoa’s consultation extends to shires, as well as state and local government members.

Where appropriate, the mine plan accommodates community requirements, in particular, concerns related to noise, dust, etc., and allows for buffer zones and modified working hours.

Community consultation results (both in-bound [e.g. noise complaints] and out-bound [e.g. Alcoa-initiated engagement with stakeholder groups]) are recorded in the Community Consultation System (CCS). Annual targets for consultation are set based on current and proposed mine plans. CCS allocates and tracks follow-up actions.


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A stakeholder perception survey was undertaken in 2021; results were not available for consideration at the time of writing. The move towards formal, publicly scrutinized environmental impact assessment and approval under the State and Federal acts (section 3.6) is considered likely to expand the focus of consultation beyond the previous “neighbor” approach to a broader approach, more consistent with that expected from other major mining operators in the State of WA.

As described in 17.1, the threat of bushfires is a risk to operation and the local communities. Bushfire mitigation and firefighting activities within state forest are managed by the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions (DBCA).  Alcoa maintains fire access tracks as required by the working arrangement with DBCA and complies with requirements of the Bushfires Act including seeking exemptions for certain activities during Total Fire Bans.  Asset protection zones are not mandated although Alcoa do maintain them around infrastructure as per internal standards to mitigate risk.

Alcoa owned private property is maintained to local government requirements as per the requirements of the Bushfire Act.

Alcoa operations look to add value to the communities where it operates and beyond. Through a drive for sustainable development and desire to support reputable non-profit and community based organizations, community investment supports partnerships and initiatives that look to long-term community benefits.

Each year the community partnership program invests in a wide variety of community programs at the local, state and national level. Some of these partnerships, including the acclaimed Three Rivers, One Estuary initiative are supported by Alcoa’s global Alcoa Foundation.

The strategic focus is on partnerships targeting one or more of the following categories:

 

Sustainable environment

 

Community health and safety

 

Community capacity and resilience

 

Tomorrow’s workforce and leaders

In addition to community partnerships, employees are encouraged to participate each year in Alcoa Volunteers (volunteering as teams during work time) and employee giving programs.

18.5

Mine Closure Requirements

Alcoa’s Closure Planning group for Darling Range (located within the Global Planning Team) is responsible for developing the closure planning process as well as the subsequent Long-Term Mine Closure Plans (LTMCPs) of Alcoa’s WA Mining Operations (Huntly and Willowdale). Closure Strategies, Schedules and Cost Estimates are being developed across organizational divisions and includes multidisciplinary inputs from Operations, Mid- and Short-term Planning, Finance, Centre for Excellence, Environment and Asset Management (both Fixed and Mobile Plant).

The agreed closure requirements for Darling Range centres around the return of Jarrah Forest across the site. End land uses are required to comply with the State’s Forest Management Plan and include water catchment protection, timber production and biodiversity conservation. Closure criteria were revised in 2015 by the MMPLG for rehabilitation works commencing in and after 2016. These criteria do not apply to areas which commenced rehabilitation prior to 2015, and represent a ‘step forward’ in rehabilitation practices at Darling Rage. The criteria are structured into the following broad steps, with documented guidelines for acceptance, standards and corrective active actions:


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Planning

 

Rehabilitation Earth Works

 

Early Establishment – first 5 years

 

Vegetation 12 years and Over.

As described in Section 15.5.2, overburden is used to backfill adjacent, completed mining operations and the topsoil spread on top and contoured. Maximum slopes (angle and length) are defined in the 2015 Criteria. If topsoil has been harvested and stored for up to three months prior to use as a rehabilitation input is it considered ‘direct-return’ and seeding may not be undertaken. If it is older than 3 months it is considered ‘fallow’ and requires seeding. Nursery-raised seedlings are also used in rehabilitated areas.

Current rehabilitation practices and closure planning have evolved positively since the 1990s.

Mine closure costs are described in Section 18.0.

18.6

Local Procurement and Hiring

The Alcoa procurement system defines “local” as the localities of Dwellingup, Harvey, Pinjarra, Waroona, Coolup, North Dandalup, and Yarloop. Within Alcoa’s guidelines of safe, ethical, and competitive business practices, they state they will:

 

Invite capable local business to bid on locally supplied or manufactured goods or services.

 

Give preference to local business in a competitive situation.

 

Work with local business interest groups to identify and utilize local suppliers.

 

Where possible, structure bids to enable local supplier participation.

 


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19.0

Capital and Operating Costs

Alcoa forecasts its capital and operating costs estimates based on annual budgets and historical actuals over the long life of the current operation. All values are presented in United States Dollars ($) unless otherwise stated.

19.1

Capital Costs

The operation is well-established, and the LOM plan does not envisage any significant change of the production rate. Anticipated future major capital expenditure is related to major mine moves and sustaining the on-going operations.

Projected capital expenditure over the next seven years of mine life is estimated to total $349.3 million. Of this total, $160 million is associated with the completion of the mine move to the Myara North site. Capital for the Holyoake move will be incurred from 2027 to 2030 and is not include in this TRS cashflow.

A breakdown of the major expenditure areas and other sustaining capital expenditure over the next seven years of mine life is shown in Table 18‑1.

Table 18‑1: LOM Sustaining Capital Costs by Area

Project

Cost

$ Million

Percentage of Total

Myara North Mine Moves

160

62%

Conveyor Belt Replacements

25

7%

Haul Road Improvements

51

15%

Other Sustaining capital

113

32%

Total

349

100%

Other capital costs are for replacement of conveyors, haul road improvements and other sustaining capital needed to continue the operations.

Alcoa’s sustaining capital estimates for Darling Range are derived from annual budgets and historical actuals over the long life of the current operation.  According to the American Association of Cost Engineers (AACE) International, these estimates would be classified as Class 1 with an accuracy range of ‑3% to -10% to +3% to +15%.

19.2

Operating Costs

The main production mining operations are primarily Owner-operated using Alcoa equipment and employees. Contractors are also used for certain activities on site.

Operating costs for the current LOM of seven years are based on the 2022 budget.

No items have been identified that would significantly impact operating costs either positively or negatively over the life of mine. Minor year-to-year variations should be expected based upon maintenance outages and production schedules.  Forecast costs for 2022 and average mine operating costs the seven-year LOM are shown below in Table 18‑2.


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Table 18‑2: LOM Mine Operating Costs by Category

Cost Centre

2022

($/wmt)

Average LOM

($/wmt)

Percentage of Operating Cost

Direct Labor

$3.44

$4.26

31%

Services

$1.56

$3.80

27%

Other

$1.73

$2.37

17%

Corporate Chargebacks for support services

$0.53

$0.61

4%

Energy

$0.30

$0.36

3%

Fuel

$0.35

$0.53

4%

Operating Supplies and Spare Parts

$0.61

$0.72

5%

Maintenance (fixed plant and mobile fleet

$1.08

$1.26

9%

Mine Operating Cash Cost ($/wmt)

$9.63

$13.90

100%

 

 

 

 

Off-site Costs

 

 

 

G & A, selling and other expenses

$0.20

0.18

 

R & D Corporate Chargebacks

$0.22

0.22

 

Other Costs of Goods Sold

0.03

0.03

 

Total Cash Operating Costs

$10.07

$14.33

 

Services costs includes contractor costs for certain mining activities such as in noise sensitive areas and for haul road construction services, in select areas of pit development, and during landscaping activities for rehabilitation after mining.

As of Q4 2021, the Huntly and Willowdale operations together employ a total of 890 employees consisting of 92 Technical, 132 Management and 634 operations employees. Additionally, 32 employees are centrally employed on the combined operations.

Table 18‑3 summarizes the current workforce for the operations.

Table 18‑3: Workforce Summary

Category

Technical

Management

Operations

Total

Huntly

50

66

441

557

Willowdale

42

66

193

301

Central

21

7

4

32

Total

113

139

634

890

As regards mine closure, compensation for vegetation clearing is paid in advance and rehabilitation is an ongoing process that is incorporated into the mining cost (as part of Asset Retirement Obligations (ARO)).

 


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20.0

Economic Analysis

20.1

Economic Criteria

Alcoa prepares a rolling operational Ten-Year Mine plan for the purposes of long-term mine and business planning. The LOM plan is based on mining first the estimated Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves followed by lower confidence Mineral Resources that are expected to be annually converted to Mineral Reserves following further definition drilling, and before the current Mineral Reserves are fully depleted.

In accordance with the requirements of SK-1300, the economic analysis presented in this section of the TRS is based solely on mining the estimated Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves, which generate a current mine life of seven years (2022 to 2028 inclusive) at an average production rate of 34.5 Mtpa.

SLR recognizes that Alcoa undertakes on-going infill drilling to annually convert Mineral Resources to Reserves and based on Alcoa’s long operating history at the mine, the scale of the deposits available and the historic success of resource to reserve conversion, SLR sees no reason why the life of the operation will not be extended well beyond 2027.

The assumptions used in the analysis are current at the end of December 2021.

An un-escalated technical-economic model was prepared on an after-tax DCF basis, the results of which are presented in this section.

The cashflow is presented on a 100% attributable basis. Alcoa uses a 9% discount rate for DCF analysis. SLR is of the opinion that a 9% discount/hurdle rate for after-tax cash flow discounting of such large-scale bauxite operations in Western Australia is reasonable and appropriate.

Key criteria used in the analysis are discussed elsewhere throughout this TRS.  General assumptions used are summarized in Table 19‑1.

Table 19‑1: Technical-Economic Assumptions

Description

Value

Start Date

January 1, 2022

Mine Life based on Mineral Reserves

7 years

Average LOM Price Assumption

$25.49

Total Operating Costs

$3,259.8 million

Sustaining Capital over seven years

$349.3 million

Income tax

$867.4 million

Discount Rate

9%

Discounting Basis

End of Period

Inflation

0%

Corporate Income Tax Rate

30%

 

Table 19‑2 provides a summary of the estimated mine production over the seven-year mine life.


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Table 19‑2: LOM Production Summary

Description

Units

Value

Total ROM Ore

Mt

241.3

Waste Mined

Mt

6.8

Total Material Moved

Mt

248.1

Annual Average Ore Mining Rate

Mtpa

34.5

 

20.2

Cash Flow Analysis

The indicative economic analysis results, presented in Table 19‑3, indicate an after-tax NPV of $1,315.2 million at a 9% discount rate and an average bauxite price of $25.49/t.

The cashflow is presented on a 100% attributable basis.

Capital identified in the economics is for sustaining operations and plant rebuilds as necessary.

Project economic results and estimated cash costs are summarized in Table 19‑3.  Annual estimates of mine production with associated cash flows are provided for years 2022 to 2028, based on Proven and Probable Reserves only.

The economic analysis was performed using the estimates presented in this TRS and confirms that the outcome is a positive cash flow that supports the statement of Mineral Reserves.


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Table 193: LOM Indicative Economic Results

20.3

Sensitivity Analysis

Project risks can be identified in both economic and non-economic terms.  Key economic risks were examined by running cash flow sensitivities.  The operation is nominally most sensitive to operating costs followed by market prices (revenues).

 

 


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21.0

Adjacent Properties

The Darling Range has no material adjacent properties.

22.0

Other Relevant Data and Information

No additional information or explanation is necessary to make this Technical Report Summary understandable and not misleading.

 

 

 


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23.0

Interpretation and Conclusions

23.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

 

SLR is independently declaring the 31 December 2021 Mineral Resources for the defined bauxites located within Alcoa’s Darling Range deposits. The Mineral Resource models were prepared by Alcoa using their in-house estimation procedures and reviewed extensively by SLR.

 

As of December 31, 2021, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, as summarized in Table 11‑4 at an appropriate level of precision reflecting confidence, the Measured Mineral Resources are estimated to be 48.0 Mt at a grade of 32.9% available alumina (A.Al2O3) and 1.11% reactive silica (R.SiO2). Similarly the Indicated Mineral Resources are estimated to be 34.8 Mt at 31.9% A.Al2O3 and 1.12% R.SiO2, and the Inferred Mineral Resources are estimated to be 320 Mt at 33.0% A.Al2O3 and 1.2% R.SiO2.

 

The large Inferred Resource is sampled at a broad drill spacing. The lower confidence in the estimation of this material means that it is not used in any mine planning or reflected in the Mineral Reserves declared by SLR. However, all this material is considered to be defined by appropriate sampling and constrained so that the QP considers it meets the criteria of having reasonable prospects for economic exploitation. Alcoa has a well-established record of transforming Inferred to Indicated and Indicated to Measured Resources, where appropriate, in a timely manner through further drill sampling. Due to the inherent risks in resource estimation discussed subsequently (see Section 11.13), there can be no expectation that Inferred Resources will ultimately become Measured Resources (or Proven Reserves).

 

Compared to conventional Mineral Resource delineation and reporting practices, the Mineral Resource estimates prepared using the 3DBM and GSM procedures are constrained to material within a notional mine design, using mining criteria (minimum mining height, maximum slope, as discussed in Section 13.0). This may impose a degree of conservatism on the estimates, but this is appropriate because all mine production is tied to local Alcoa alumina refineries. The cut-off grades used to define in situ dry tonnages and report average grades of alumina and silica use procedures designed to reflect the performance of the Kwinana, Pinjarra, and Wagerup refineries. Alcoa has conducted bauxite mining in the region since the mid-1960s and has developed an integrated approach to data acquisition, ore delineation, and mining procedures, which is appropriate for the mineralization characteristics of the ore and the requirements of the local refineries.

 

Alcoa has consistently used drilling, sampling and estimation procedures that are appropriate to the requirement of identifying, delineating, and producing Darling Range ore for their adjacent refineries. The procedures have been progressively improved and modernized over time as industry practices have evolved. While not all data and estimates are at the same standard, the resource classification system indicate the level of confidence of the estimates. All material declared as Mineral Reserves meets the requirements for mine planning to define consistent, appropriate refinery feedstock within the next ten-year planning cycle. All material declared as Measured or Indicated Mineral Reserves is additional material for which there is a reasonable expectation that Mineral Reserves can be defined, contingent on meeting all required Modifying Factors (in short, that it will be economically viable and socially acceptable to mine them at that time).


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SLR considers that, because of the integrated process by which Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources translate to Mineral Reserves for Alcoa’s Darling Range operation, there are no foreseeable risks associated with Modifying Factors (mining, processing, metallurgical, infrastructure, economic, marketing, legal, environment, social, or government) that materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate at 31 December 2021.

Specific conclusions reached by the SLR QP and provided in the body of this report in Sections 6, 7, 8. 9, and 11 are aggregated here as follows:

 

In the SLR QP’s opinion, the drill sampling and sample control procedures at Alcoa’s Darling Range Bauxite Operations are adequate and appropriate for use in the estimation of Mineral Resources. The defined volumes and grades of mineralization are not expected to be systematically impacted (biased) by errors in either the collar location or the 3D sample location.

 

In the opinion of the SLR QP, the QA/QC of sample preparation and assaying is adequate and the assay results are suitable for use in Mineral Resource estimation.

 

It is the opinion of the SLR QP that the analytical procedures used for the Alcoa Mineral Resource comprises part of conventional industry practice. FTIR is not widely used yet in the bauxite industry but is becoming more widely accepted and applied to more operations. At Alcoa the method has been consistently applied successfully for a decade and is routinely validated by industry standard XRF and wet chemical procedures as discussed in Section 8.3 and 8.4.

 

It is the opinion of the SLR QP from the studies on FTIR repeatability discussed above that the overall precision and accuracy of the FTIR assaying is acceptable.

 

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the database is adequate and the data is appropriate for the purpose of Mineral Resource estimation.

 

In SLR’s opinion the dry bulk density data is less well controlled than other analytes, but the long history of mining production and stockpile reconciliation means that the assumed values are adequate for resource estimation.

 

In the SLR QP’s opinion, the condition of Reasonable Prospects For Economic Extraction is met by constraining the Mineral Resource model using the ArcGIS system, by ensuring that the model defines key parameters for the refinery, and by sound reconciliation practices providing feedback at the modelling is appropriate for the purpose.

23.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

As of December 31, 2021, Proven Mineral Reserves are estimated to total 108.6 Mt at 32.4% A.Al2O3 and 1.01% R.SiO2 and Probable Mineral Reserves are estimated to total 132.7 Mt at 32.2% A.Al2O3 and 1.38% R.SiO2.

 

SLR has used the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate as the basis for its Mineral Reserve estimate. The bauxite operations are operating mining projects with a long history of production for which establishment capital has been repaid and for which sustaining capital and supported operating costs have been observed to be applied in economic analysis. Consequently, the QP considers that support by a Feasibility Study is demonstrated by the demonstrable history of profitable operation and the level of technical support for the Modifying Factors. The QP has reviewed the operating and planning procedures and parameters for the operations.


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The QP considers that the accuracy and confidence in the Mineral Reserve estimate to be appropriate for the classification applied, which is supported by both the conservative operational processes and the long operational history.

 

The QP is not aware of any risk factors associated with, or changes to, any aspects of the Modifying Factors such as mining, metallurgical, infrastructure, permitting, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate.

23.3

Mineral Processing

 

The operating data between 2010 to 2020 indicates that the product from the Darling Range operations consisted of an average A.Al2O3 grade of 33%, with R.SiO2 below the target for refinery feed.

 

SLR is of the opinion that the Darling range operation demonstrated that ore can be effectively crushed and supplied to a refinery for further upgrading to produce Alumina. The historical operational data confirmed that the ore consistently met refinery specifications without any deleterious elements.

 

o

Based on this, and additional information provided by Alcoa regarding the mine plan, it is reasonable to assume that the ore from Darling range can be economically processed for the next 10 years.

23.4

Infrastructure

 

The Darling Range mining operations have established and operational infrastructure, with mining hubs that host administrative offices, as well as crushing facilities and maintenance facilities.

 

o

Hubs are relocated periodically as production moves away from the hub and transportation costs increase. These relocations are well-understood with planning and associated budgeting occurring well in advance of relocations; production restarted seven days after the shutdown.

 

An extensive haul road network, rail, and overland conveyors transport crushed bauxite from the Hub to the refineries.

 

o

Bauxite is transferred from each mine to the refineries primarily via long distance conveyor belt, apart from the Kwinana refinery which receives bauxite via railway. The

 

o

Alumina produced by the three refineries is then shipped to external and internal smelter customers through the Kwinana and Bunbury ports.

 

The Huntly and Willowdale mines are located near the towns of Pinjarra and Waroona respectively. These are easily accessible via the national South Western Highway, a sealed single carriageway road, spanning almost 400 km from the southern side of Perth to the southwest corner of Western Australia.

 

Major haul roads have been established to each mining area, while secondary haul roads, cross-cut each individual mining plateau. Roads are unsealed and require continuous maintenance.

 

The Darling Range’s Pinjarra refinery receives power from the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), but also has internal generation capacity of 100 MW from four steam driven turbine


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alternators, with steam produced by gas fired boilers and a gas turbine Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG).

 

o

The refinery supplies power to the Huntly Mine by a 33,000 volt power supply line and two 13,800 volt lines.

 

The Wagerup refinery is a net exporter of power to the SWIS, with internal generation capacity of 108 MW from three steam driven turbine alternators and one gas turbine; steam being generated by gas fired boilers.

 

o

The refinery supplies power to the Willowdale Mine by a single 22,000 volt power supply.

 

Water is used on the mines for dust suppression, dieback washdown, vehicle washdown, workshops, conveyor belt wash, construction, and domestic purposes.

 

o

The water supplies for mining consist of licensed surface water sources supplemented with treated wastewater from vehicle washdowns, stormwater runoff and maintenance workshops.

 

o

In 2020, water abstraction comprised approximately 15% of the total Department of Water and Environmental Regulation license allocation (for those sites where abstraction occurred).  An additional 534,975 kL was also abstracted from South Dandalup Dam under the agreement with Water Corporation.  

 

On site facilities include offices, ablutions, crib-rooms, and workshops, however there are no Alcoa accommodation facilities, as the Huntly and Willowdale mining areas are close to established population centers.

 

No tailings are generated within the boundaries of the mining operations. The management of tailings generated downstream at the refineries is beyond the boundaries of the Darling Range mining operations and are therefore not considered in this TRS. Waste rock is used to backfill shallow completed before covering with topsoil and reforesting.

23.5

Environment

 

Alcoa has established processes to facilitate conformance with environmental requirements, while identifying sensitive areas ahead of time enables them to be managed ahead of disturbance.

 

Overburden is carefully segregated for later contouring and rehabilitation of adjacent, completed mining operations. Caprock and other non-viable rock is used to backfill these shallow, completed pits and the viable topsoil spread on top, contoured, and revegetated.

 

Bauxite processing residue is only generated at the Refineries, with no tailings generated within the boundaries of the mining operations. Absence of mine waste prevents the need for waste dump construction and monitoring.

 

Site monitoring is completed in accordance with conditions of government authorizations and operational licenses at Huntly and Willowdale.

 

Alcoa implements a comprehensive water management and monitoring program in accordance with the requirements of its abstraction and operational licenses.  

 

The Darling Range operations have no groundwater monitoring programs associated with legislation, licenses or approvals.


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o

Additional groundwater monitoring may be required if groundwater quality or quantity has been identified as potentially at risk due to mining activities, or potential exists for mining to impact offsite/private groundwater supply quantity or quality.

 

o

Alcoa has a long-term groundwater research project within the Intermediate Rainfall Zone to evaluate potential impacts of clearing on groundwater salinization.

 

Outcomes of and compliance with the management and monitoring programs are tracked and reported within a Triennial Environmental Review report.

 

o

Review of the most recent report, published for the period from 2018 to 2020 largely reported compliance with environmental commitments and success of operational controls to managed environmental objectives.

 

Only a small number of non-compliances were noted; none of which represent a risk that could adversely affect its license to operate.  

 


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24.0

Recommendations

24.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

It is apparent to the SLR QP that the long history of exploration, development and mining of Alcoa’s Darling Range bauxite tenements have established sound knowledge and understanding of the geology and mineral endowment. The QP has not identified any fatal flaws in the current practices of mapping (based on the ArcGIS system), drill sampling (based on progressive continuous improvement), assaying (based on calibrated and validated FTIR, with reasonable Quality Control), estimation (3DBM), database management (using acQuire), the application of mining criteria that assure Reasonable Prospects for Economic Extraction (RPEE), and the application of Modifying Factors (again using the ArcGIS system to establish forestry, heritage and noise constraints). The following recommendations are offered as suggestions for further improvement, aligned with Alcoa’s comprehensive approach to research and development (seen for example in the evolution of their drilling, sampling and assaying technologies). These recommendations are prioritized in terms of their perceived value to the overall operation:

 

More effort on the 3D block modelling methodology, leading to a script-based semi-automated approach will enable more robust rapid model building over the Indicated and Inferred Resources. The validation of interpolation parameters using risk-based (conditional simulation) techniques to quantify confidence should be considered.

 

More rapid infill drilling of the 60 by 60 m and 30 by 30 m drill grids.

 

Further redrilling or where viable re-assaying of pulps

 

Moving away from the having drill holes notionally at the centroids of the 15 by 15 m grid map sheet system would mean that the use of offset grids and more flexible grid spacings would be viable.

 

Implementation of a mine wide reconciliation system should be considered as a way to overcome the issue of density estimation. This could be integrated with the extensive production tracking data already available from the current fleet management system and operational control system (covering the mining equipment, crushers, conveyors, sampling towers, stockpile stackers and reclaimers).

 

Technology now becoming available, including volume surveys using drones and truck gantry scanning, wet mass measurement using weightometers on conveyors and LoadRite sensors on mining equipment, and infra-red moisture determination, mean that better in situ dry density estimation may become possible if the operation requires it for better refinery feedstock control.

Specific recommendations noted in previous Sections are reiterated here:

 

The SLR QP considers that twinned hole studies are of limited value and should only be implemented once the sample splitting and preparation demonstrates good repeatability, using Field Duplicates (or the equivalent STE samples). They may be of value to investigate specific issues under closely supervised conditions.

 

While the STE procedure could be retained for specific studies, in the SLR QP’s opinion, the reintroduction of Field Duplicates using appropriate riffle splitters under supervision should be considered.


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The grade characteristics of the bauxite profile could be reproduced in the model, enabling optimization techniques to be used for the definition of mining floors and boundaries, better support for ore loss and dilution studies, and more accurate reconciliation studies.

24.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

Currently a dilution and mining recovery factor is applied to the final Reserves to reconcile the tonnes and grade. The SLR QP recommends applying dilution and ore loss at the re-blocked model level before performing the optimization and reporting these values independently.

 

The life-of-mine scheduling requires further refinement with regards to sequencing of the different mining areas and assigning the scheduled years back to the orebest model.

 

The SLR QP recommends detailed haulage analysis focusing on haulage profiles and cycle times to provide more accurate operating costs.

 

The SLR QP noted the mining models were in both a 2D grid and 3D model system. Aligning all the mining models within the same 3D mining model system will provide clarity and consistency across Darling Range project with regards to evaluation and reporting processes.

24.3

Mineral Processing

As mentioned in Section 22.3, the historical operational data for the Darling Range demonstrate that ore consistently met refinery specifications. SLR make the following recommendations regarding processing:

 

SLR recommends independent verification of the sample analysis by a certified laboratory, on a structured program to ensure the QA/QC aspects of the internal analysis.  

 

It is recommended that a proportion of samples from each batch could be sent to the independent laboratory for analysis and the results can be compared with the internal analysis.  

24.4

Infrastructure

As mentioned in Section 22.4, the Darling Range mining operations have well established infrastructure, with mining hubs that are periodically moved to reduce transportation distances between mining operations and the hubs. SLR make no recommendations regarding infrastructure.

24.5

Environment

As mentioned in Section 22.5, Alcoa has established systems to facilitate adherence to environmental commitments. SLR recommend that the following actions are taken to monitor previously enacted corrective actions, made in response to minor environmental incidents:

 

Monitor efficacy of corrective actions made following drainage failures related to significant rainfall events, which resulted in surface water flow from dieback areas into dieback free areas.

 

Monitor efficacy of corrective actions made following recordings of elevated turbidity for a period exceeding the compliance criteria (25 NTU).

 

Monitor efficacy of Interim PFAS Water Management Strategy implemented in response to incidents involving PFAS and AFFF contamination.

 


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25.0

References

Abzalov, 2016. Applied Mining Geology. Springer International, 448 pp.

Alcoa of Australia Limited, 1993. Bauxite Density. Internal memorandum prepared by Alcoa, dated 10 August 1993.

Barnes, L., 2015. 1m composite twin hole report. 1m sample intervals at the primary exploration stage (60x60m). Internal report by Alcoa Australia Limited, March.

Barnes, L., 2016. Procedure for sampling till extinction. Trial for 0.5m sample homogeneity, testing the representation of a ½ cup measure of 0.5m sample intervals. Internal draft report by Alcoa Australia Limited, March.

Barnes, L., 2018a. Segregation study. Internal draft report by Alcoa Australia Limited, February.

Barnes, L., 2018b. Sample To Extinction (STE) programme report 2017-2018. Internal draft report by Alcoa Australia Limited, July.

Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), 2014, CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on May 10, 2014.

CIM, 2014. Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. Prepared by the CIM Standing Committee on Reserve Definitions. Adopted by CIM Council on May 10, 2014

Crockford, L., 2011. 2nd split drill sample testwork in the Larego area. Internal memorandum by Alcoa Australia Limited, 26 October.

Crockford, L., 2012. 1st and 2nd split drill sample testwork in the Myara area. Internal memorandum by Alcoa Australia Limited, 10 April.

Firman, J. B., 2006, Ancient weathering zones, pedocretes and palaeosols on the Australian Precambian shield and in adjoining sedimentary basins: a review, Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 89 (2), 57 – 82, 2006

Franklin, S., 2019. Mining Laboratory FTIR Process Description (KWI). Internal Alcoa of Australia Limited document AUACDS-2047-781, reviewed 15 February.

Grigg, C., 2016. Summer vacation programme report 2015/2016. Internal report by Alcoa Australia Limited, February

Gy, P. M., 1984. Comments on bauxite sampling, Report to Alcoa No PG/3276, 27 July.


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Hickman, A. H., Smurthwaite, A. J., Brown, I. M., and Davy, R., 1992, Bauxite Mineralization in the Darling Range, Western Australia, Geological Survey of Western Australia, Report 33

Hodgson, S., 2015. Ore development QAQC Processes. Vacation student – summer work program 2014/15. Internal report by Alcoa Australia Limited, February.

Holmes, R. J., 2018. Assessment of Alcoa’s sampling and sample preparation equipment and procedures. Report EP182329 prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by CSIRO Mineral Resources, March.

JORC Code, 2012. Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (The JORC Code 2012 Edition). Prepared by the Joint Ore Reserves Committee of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Australian Institute of Geoscientists and Minerals Council of Australia (JORC), effective 20 December 2012.

Knight., S., Tuckwell, L. and O’Brien, S., 2016. Huntly 2016 sample plant monitoring. Report by Alcoa Australia Limited (Powerpoint file).

Lyman, G. J., 2017. Investigation into Pinjarra and Wagerup sample plants. Report by Downer no 15382‐19‐02‐04‐001, 18 May.

NI 43-101, 2014. Canadian National Instrument 43-101, ‘Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects’, Form 43-101F1 and Companion Policy 43-101CP, May.

Rennick, W., Riley, G. and Baker, G., 1992. The constitution heterogeneity of Huntly ore and the resulting fundamental sampling errors using the Pinjarra sample station. Internal Alcoa Report, July.

Senini, P., 1993. Bauxite density. Internal report and memorandum by Alcoa Australia Limited, August 10.

Shaw, W. 1997. Validation of Sampling and Assaying Quality for Bankable Feasibility Studies. The Resource Database Towards 2000. Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. 16 May. AusIMM, Melbourne. 41-49.

S-K 1300, 2018. US Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation S-K, Subpart 229.1300, Item 1300 Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations and Item 601 (b)(96) Technical Report Summary.

Snowden, 2015. Willowdale and Huntly Bauxite Operations Resource Estimation. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by Snowden Mining Industry Consultants Pty Ltd, project number AAU5035 Resource Estimation Review, August.

SRK, 2017. Mineral Resource Estimates for the Alcoa Darling Range Bauxite Operations – December 2016. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd, project number AOA002, May.


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SRK, 2018. Mineral Resource Estimates for the Alcoa Darling Range Bauxite Operations – December 2017. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd, project number AOA004, March.

SRK, 2019a. Drillhole spacing study for the Alcoa Darling Range Bauxite Operations. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd, project number AOA005, April.

SRK, 2019b. Mineral Resource Estimates for the Alcoa Darling Range Bauxite Operations – December 2018. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd, project number AOA006, October.

SRK, 2021a. Mineral Resource Estimates for the Alcoa Darling Range Bauxite Operations – December 2020. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd, project number AOA007, April.

SRK, 2021b. Ore Reserve estimates for the Alcoa Darling Range bauxite operations – December 2020. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by SRK Consulting (Australasia) Pty Ltd, project number AOA007, April.

US Securities and Exchange Commission, 2018: Regulation S-K, Subpart 229.1300, Item 1300 Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations and Item 601 (b)(96) Technical Report Summary.

Xstract, 2016. Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve audit, Huntly and Willowdale Operations. Report prepared for Alcoa of Australia Limited by Xstract Mining Consultants Pty Ltd, project number P2173, May.

 


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26.0

Reliance on Information Provided by the Registrant

This report has been prepared by SLR for Alcoa.  The information, conclusions, opinions, and estimates contained herein are based on:

 

Information available to SLR at the time of preparation of this report,

 

Assumptions, conditions, and qualifications as set forth in this report, and

 

Data, reports, and other information supplied by Alcoa and other third party sources.

For the purpose of this report, SLR has relied on ownership information provided by Alcoa in a legal opinion by Paul Volich, Managing Counsel – Australia, dated February 10, 2022, entitled Alcoa of Australia to SLR Corporation - ML1SA in good standing.  SLR has not researched property title or mineral rights for the Darling Range as we consider it reasonable to rely on Alcoa’s legal counsel who is responsible for maintaining this information.  

SLR has relied on Alcoa for guidance on applicable taxes, royalties, and other government levies or interests, applicable to revenue or income from Darling Range in the Executive Summary and Section 19.  As Darling Range has been in operation for over ten years, Alcoa has considerable experience in this area.

The Qualified Persons have taken all appropriate steps, in their professional opinion, to ensure that the above information from Alcoa is sound.

Except for the purposes legislated under provincial securities laws, any use of this report by any third party is at that party’s sole risk.

 


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27.0

Date and Signature Page

This report titled “Technical Report Summary on the Darling Range, Western Australia, S-K 1300 Report” with an effective date of December 31, 2021 was prepared and signed by:

 

SLR International Corporation

 

(Signed) SLR International Corporation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dated in WA, USA

 

 

February 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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aa-ex962_519.htm

Exhibit 96.2


 

Technical Report Summary on the Juruti Bauxite Mine, Brazil S-K 1300 Report Alcoa Corporation SLR Project No:  425.01184.00071 February 24, 2022

 

 


 

Technical Report Summary on the Juruti Bauxite Mine, Brazil

SLR Project No:  425.01184.00071

 

Prepared by

SLR International Corporation

22118 20th Ave SE, Suite G202

Bothell, WA 98021 USA

for

 

Alcoa Corporation

201 Isabella St Suite 500

Pittsburgh, PA 15212

 

 

Effective Date – December 31, 2021

Signature Date – February 24, 2022

 

 

 

 

Distribution:1 copy – Alcoa Corporation

1 copy –  SLR Consulting Ltd

1 copy –  SLR International Corporation

 



 

 

CONTENTS

 

1.0

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1-9

1.1

Summary

1-10

1.2

Economic Analysis

1-17

1.3

Technical Summary

1-21

2.0

INTRODUCTION

2-1

2.1

Site Visits

2-1

2.2

Sources of Information

2-2

2.3

List of Abbreviations

2-3

3.0

PROPERTY DESCRIPTION

3-1

3.1

Location

3-1

3.2

Land Tenure

3-3

3.3

Encumbrances

3-8

3.4

Royalties

3-8

3.5

Other Significant Factors and Risks

3-8

4.0

ACCESSIBILITY, CLIMATE, LOCAL RESOURCES, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PHYSIOGRAPHY

4-1

4.1

Accessibility

4-1

4.2

Climate

4-1

4.3

Local Resources

4-2

4.4

Infrastructure

4-2

4.5

Physiography

4-3

5.0

HISTORY

5-1

5.1

Prior Ownership

5-1

5.2

Exploration and Development History

5-1

5.3

Past Production

5-1

6.0

GEOLOGICAL SETTING, MINERALIZATION, AND DEPOSIT

6-1

6.1

Regional Geology

6-1

6.2

Local Geology

6-1

6.3

Property Geology

6-3

6.4

Mineralization

6-4

6.5

Deposit Types

6-5

7.0

EXPLORATION

7-1

7.1

Exploration

7-1

7.2

Drilling

7-2

7.3

Topography

7-10


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7.4

Hydrogeology Data

7-10

7.5

Geotechnical Data

7-10

7.6

Planned Exploration

7-10

8.0

SAMPLE PREPARATION, ANALYSES, AND SECURITY

8-1

8.1

Sample Preparation and Analysis

8-1

8.2

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

8-5

8.3

Sample Security

8-10

8.4

Conclusions

8-11

8.5

Recommendations

8-12

9.0

DATA VERIFICATION

9-1

9.1

Alcoa Verification Work

9-1

9.2

SLR Site Verification Procedures

9-2

9.3

SLR Audit of the Drill Hole Database

9-2

10.0

MINERAL PROCESSING AND METALLURGICAL TESTING

10-1

10.1

Metallurgical test work

10-1

10.2

Test work samples

10-1

10.3

Comminution test work

10-1

11.0

MINERAL RESOURCE ESTIMATES

11-1

11.1

Summary

11-1

11.2

Resource Database

11-4

11.3

Geological Interpretation

11-7

11.4

Resource Assays and Compositing

11-10

11.5

Treatment of High-Grade Assays

11-14

11.6

Trend Analysis

11-17

11.7

Search Strategy and Grade Interpolation Parameters

11-20

11.8

Block Models

11-22

11.9

Cut-off Grade

11-22

11.10

Classification

11-23

11.11

Block Model Validation

11-26

11.12

Mineral Resource Reporting

11-33

12.0

MINERAL RESERVE ESTIMATES

12-1

12.1

Summary

12-1

12.2

Dilution

12-2

12.3

Extraction

12-3

12.4

Cut-off Grade

12-3

13.0

MINING METHODS

13-11

13.1

Geotechnical Considerations

13-12

13.2

Geotechnical and hydrogeological models

13-12


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13.3

Geomechanics, Ground Support

13-12

13.4

Hydrogeology

13-13

13.5

Mine Design

13-13

13.6

Life of Mine Plan

13-13

13.7

Infrastructure

13-16

13.8

Mine Equipment

13-16

13.9

Manpower

13-16

14.0

PROCESSING AND RECOVERY METHODS

14-1

14.1

Process Description

14-1

14.2

Primary equipment list

14-2

14.3

Process plant requirements

14-4

14.4

Summary and QP opinion

14-4

15.0

INFRASTRUCTURE

15-1

15.1

Mine Waste Management

15-4

15.2

Access Roads

15-11

15.3

Power

15-13

15.4

Water

15-13

15.5

Site Buildings

15-14

16.0

MARKET STUDIES

16-1

16.1

Overview

16-1

16.2

Market: Juruti

16-2

16.3

Contracts

16-3

17.0

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, PERMITTING, AND PLANS, NEGOTIATIONS, OR AGREEMENTS WITH LOCAL INDIVIDUALS OR GROUPS

17-1

17.1

Environmental Studies

17-1

17.2

Environmental Monitoring

17-2

17.3

Waste and Tailings Disposal, and Site Monitoring

17-4

17.4

Water Management

17-4

17.5

Waste (Non-Mineralized) Management

17-5

17.6

Project Permitting

17-5

17.7

Social or Community Requirements

17-10

17.8

Mine Closure Requirements

17-13

18.0

CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS

18-1

18.1

Capital Costs

18-1

18.2

Operating Costs

18-1

19.0

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

19-1

19.1

Economic Criteria

19-1

19.2

Cash Flow Analysis

19-2


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19.3

Sensitivity Analysis

19-2

20.0

ADJACENT PROPERTIES

20-1

21.0

OTHER RELEVANT DATA AND INFORMATION

21-1

22.0

INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS

22-1

22.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

22-1

22.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

22-2

22.3

Mineral Processing

22-2

22.4

Infrastructure and Tailings

22-3

22.5

Environment

22-4

23.0

RECOMMENDATIONS

23-1

23.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

23-1

23.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

23-1

23.3

Mineral Processing

23-2

23.4

Infrastructure and Tailings

23-2

23.5

Environment

23-2

24.0

REFERENCES

24-1

25.0

RELIANCE ON INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE REGISTRANT

25-1

26.0

DATE AND SIGNATURE PAGE

26-1

 



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TABLEs

 

Table 1‑1: LOM Technical-Economic Assumptions

1-18

Table 1‑2: LOM Production Summary

1-19

Table 1‑3: LOM Indicative Economic Results

1-19

Table 1‑4: Summary of Juruti Bauxite Mine Mineral Resources – December 31, 2021

1-25

Table 1‑5: Summary of Mineral Reserves – December 31, 2021

1-25

Table 1‑6: LOM Operating Costs

1-31

Table 3‑1: Juruti Mineral Rights

3-5

Figure 3‑4: Juruti Bauxite Mine boundaries versus mining permits (Alcoa, 2022)

3-7

Table 5‑1: Past Production from Juruti Bauxite Mine 2014 – 20211 (Alcoa, 2021)

5-1

Table 6‑1: Juruti deposit stratigraphy

6-3

Table 6‑2: Chemical limits used to define each horizon

6-5

Table 6‑3: Summary of stratigraphic horizons within bauxite plateaus

6-5

Table 7‑1: Juruti drilling programs

7-2

Table 8‑1: Analytical methods used

8-3

Table 8‑2: Summary of density data statistics by plateau

8-4

Table 8‑3: Expected Values and Ranges of Reference Material (Standards)

8-7

Table 9‑1: Results from ordinary kriging for AC and auger samples (SLR, 2021).

9-2

Table 10‑1: JKTech comminution results (JKTech, 2002)

10-2

Table 10‑2: HDA Servicos comminution results (HDA Servicos, 2007)

10-2

Table 11‑1: Summary of Juruti Bauxite Mine Mineral Resources – December 31, 2021

11-3

Table 11‑2: Summary of the database for Juruti plateaus

11-4

Table 11‑3: Summary of the columns in the assay file

11-5

Table 11‑4: Chemical limits used to define LITOQ for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus

11-7

Table 11‑5: Bauxite sample classifications according to LITO, LITOQ and LITOM.

11-8

Table 11‑6: Statistics for non-composited and composited samples of the bauxite layer (all plateaus).

11-12

Table 11‑7: Top and low cuts used for the Juruti plateaus.

11-15

Table 11‑8: Variogram parameters for the Capiranga Central Plateau.

11-18

Table 11‑9: Variogram parameters for the Mauari Plateau.

11-19

Table 11‑10: Summary of estimated variables at Capiranga Central and Mauari

11-20

Table 11‑11: Estimation parameters for the Capiranga Central and Mauari Plateaus

11-21

Table 11‑12: Block model specifications.

11-22

Table 11‑13: MEE and RI Classification Limits

11-24

Table 11‑14: Composites and block model statistics.

11-29

Table 11‑15: Summary of the blocks out of the low and top cuts – Capiranga Central plateau.

11-31

Table 11‑16: Parallel statistics for the main variables for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus.

11-32

Table 11‑17: Summary of Mineral Resources by plateau and bauxite type – December 31, 2021

11-34

Table 12‑1: Summary of Mineral Reserves – December 31, 2021

12-1

Table 12‑2: Dilution Factors

12-2

Table 12‑3: Extraction Factors

12-3

Table 12‑4: Parameters Description

12-3


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Table 12‑5: Parameter Values

12-5

Table 13‑1: Juruti Life of Mine plan

13-14

Table 13‑2: Mining Equipment

13-16

Table 13‑3: Alcoa personnel

13-16

Table 13‑4: Contractors at Juruti

13-17

Table 14‑1: Primary equipment list

14-2

Table 15‑1: List of Existing Tailings Storage Facilities at the Juruti Bauxite Mine

15-5

Table 15‑2: Planned Tailings Storage Facilities

15-8

Table 17‑1: Environmental Approvals

17-6

Table 18‑1: LOM Operating Costs

18-1

Table 19‑1: LOM Technical-Economic Assumptions

19-1

Table 19‑2: LOM Production Summary

19-2

Table 19‑3: Life of Mine Indicative Economic Results

19-3

 

FIGURES

 

Figure 3‑1: Juruti Location and Access (SLR, 2021)

3-1

Figure 3‑2: Juruti Bauxite Mine Permits (Alcoa, 2021, adapted by SLR)

3-2

Figure 3‑3: Juruti Block Permit Status (Alcoa, 2021)

3-7

Figure 3‑5: Nhamundá Block Permit Status (Alcoa, 2021)

3-8

Figure 4‑1: Historical rainfall recorded by the Juruti meteorological station (Alcoa, 2021)

4-2

Figure 6‑1: Simplified Regional Geology of Eastern Amazon (adapted from Negrao, 2018)

6-1

Figure 6‑2: Simple stratigraphic column of the Juruti bauxite plateau (SLR, 2022)

6-2

Figure 6‑3: Capiranga Central geological section. Vertical exageration: 10x (SLR, 2022)

6-4

Figure 6‑4: Mauari geological section. Vertical exageration: 10x (SLR, 2022).

6-4

Figure 7‑1: Plateaus limits of the Juruti operation (Alcoa, 2022).

7-1

Figure 7‑2: Capiranga Central plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

7-3

Figure 7‑3: Mauari plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

7-4

Figure 7‑4: Mutum plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

7-4

Figure 7‑5: Nhamundá plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

7-5

Figure 7‑6: Santarém plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

7-5

Figure 7‑7: São Francisco plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

7-6

Figure 7‑8: Drilling by type - Nhamundá plateau

7-6

Figure 7‑9: Photo of exploration drilling (SLR, 2021)

7-8

Figure 7‑10: Photo of sample logging and preparation facilities (SLR, 2021)

7-9

Figure 7‑11: Alcoa exploration plan from 2022 until 2029 (Alcoa, 2021).

7-11

Figure 7‑12: Alcoa exploration plan from 2029 to 2032 (Alcoa, 2021).

7-12

Table 7‑2: Number of holes, total meters and costs associated with the exploration plan (Alcoa, 2021).

7-13

Figure 8‑1: AC sample preparation flowsheet (SRK, 2019).

8-2

Figure 8‑2: Capiranga Central Duplicate Pairs Plots of HARD vs Accumulated Frequency (modified from VCE, 2019)

8-7

Figure 8‑3: Control charts of available alumina and reactive silica standards at Capiranga Central (2017 and 2018) (modified from VCE, 2019)

8-9


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Figure 8‑4:  Comparison of original and check assay results available alumina and reactive silica at Capiranga Central (modified from VCE, 2019).

8-10

Figure 8‑5:Bar codes and digital scale used in the sampling procedure.

8-11

Figure 9‑1: Mauari plateau with AC drill holes and historical data - well and auger (SLR, 2022).

9-1

Figure 11‑1: Drill hole Type by Plateau at Juruti mine (SLR, 2021)

11-4

Figure 11‑2: Capiranga Central drill hole collar locations (SLR, 2021)

11-6

Figure 11‑3: Mauari drill hole collar locations (SLR, 2021)

11-7

Figure 11‑4: Ternary charts of lithologies for Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus (SLR, 2021).

11-8

Figure 11‑5: Plateaus limits of the Juruti operation (Alcoa, 2022).

11-9

Figure 11‑6: Capiranga Central geological section. Vertical exaggeration: 10x (SLR, 2021)

11-9

Figure 11‑7: Mauari geological section. Vertical exaggeration: 10x (SLR, 2021)

11-10

Figure 11‑8: Histogram of raw sample lengths for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus (SLR, 2021).

11-11

Figure 11‑9: Histograms of composited KEVs for Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus (SLR, 2021)

11-14

Figure 11‑10: Probability plot with the delimitation of P1 and P99, (Alcoa, 2021)

11-15

Figure 11‑11: KEV probability plots of original (orange) and capped (blue) composited values for Capiranga Central (top) and Mauari (bottom) plateaus, (SLR, 2021)

11-17

Figure 11‑12: AAG, SRG and RCG variograms for Capiranga Central (top) and Mauari (bottom), (Alcoa, 2021)

11-18

Figure 11‑13: Mineral Resources classification for the Capiranga Central (top) and Mauari (bottom) plateaus (SLR, 2021)

11-25

Figure 11‑14: Swath plots in X, Y and Z for AAG - Capiranga Central plateau.

11-28

Figure 11‑15: Swath plots in X, Y and Z for SRG - Mauari plateau.

11-29

Figure 11‑16: Vertical N-S section in the Capiranga Central plateau showing the blocks estimated in the bauxite layer (SLR, 2021)

11-31

Figure 11‑17: Vertical W-E section in the Mauari plateau showing the blocks estimated in the bauxite layer (SLR, 2021)

11-32

Figure 12‑1: Formula used to calculate diesel cost (Alcoa, 2021)

12-8

Figure 12‑2: Formula used to calculate haulage distance (Alcoa, 2021)

12-9

Figure 13‑1: Mines at Juruti (Alcoa, 2021)

13-11

Figure 13‑2: Schematic diagram of strip mining at Juruti (Alcoa, 2021)

13-12

Figure 13‑3: Mine design panels for Mauari (left) and Capiranga Central (right) plateaus by scheduled year (Alcoa, 2021)

13-13

Figure 14‑1: Block flow diagram of process (Alcoa, 2021)

14-1

Figure 15‑1: Aerial photograph of the crusher, stockpiles, washing plant and office facilities at the mine (Alcoa, 2021)

15-2

Figure 15‑2: Aerial photograph of the railroad and bauxite product stockpiles (Alcoa, 2021)

15-2

Figure 15‑3: Aerial photograph of the ship loader and port at Juruti town (Alcoa, 2021)

15-3

Figure 15‑4: Juruti Infrastructure Layout (Alcoa, 2021)

15-4

Figure 15‑5: Juruti Tailings Process (Alcoa, 2021)

15-5

Figure 15‑6: Aerial photograph of the Tailings Lagoon (LE) and Tailings Disposal Ponds (TP1 to TP7), (Alcoa 2021)

15-7

Figure 15‑7: Planned Tailings Storage Facilities construction sequence (Alcoa, 2021)

15-9

Figure 15‑8: Alternative dry disposal technology (Alcoa, 2021)

15-10


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Figure 15‑9: Mauari Waste Dump (Alcoa, 2021)

15-11

Figure 15‑10: Juruti Bauxite Mine Access (SLR, 2021)

15-12

Figure 15‑11: Juruti Bauxite Mine internal site road layout (Alcoa, 2022)

15-12

Figure 15‑12: Aerial photograph of the Juruti Grande water intake, looking southeast (Alcoa, 2021)

15-13

 

 


 


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2.0

Executive Summary

2.1

Summary

SLR International Corporation (SLR) was retained by Alcoa Corporation (Alcoa) to prepare an independent Technical Report Summary (TRS) on the Juruti Bauxite Mine (the Mine or Juruti), located in Brazil.  The purpose is to report on the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves of the Project as of December 31, 2021. This Technical Report Summary conforms to United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Modernized Property Disclosure Requirements for Mining Registrants as described in Subpart 229.1300 of Regulation S-K, Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations (S-K 1300) and Item 601 (b)(96) Technical Report Summary of Regulation S-K.  SLR visited the property from October 18 to 21, 2021. SLR notes that the effective date of the technical information contained herein is December 31, 2021.

Alcoa is one of the world’s largest aluminum producers and a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Alcoa owns and operates integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminum smelting operations at numerous assets globally including in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Alcoa is also a joint venture partner for several other integrated operations in Brazil, Canada, Guinea, and Saudi Arabia.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine, located in the west of Pará State near the Amazon River, is owned and operated by Alcoa through a 100% ownership of Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda. (AWA Brasil). AWA Brasil is a subsidiary of Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC). AWAC is an unincorporated global joint venture between Alcoa Corporation and Alumina Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Australia and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange. AWAC comprises several affiliated entities that own, operate, or have an interest in bauxite mines and alumina refineries, as well as an aluminum smelter, in seven countries. Alcoa Corporation owns 60% and Alumina Limited owns 40% of these entities, directly or indirectly, with such entities being consolidated by Alcoa Corporation for financial reporting purposes. The same approach has been taken by SLR when reporting Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine represents an established mining operation which commenced commercial production of bauxite in 2009. In Brazil, Alcoa also owns bauxite mining operations at Poços de Caldas (located in Minas Gerais State in southwest Brazil) and holds an interest in Trombetas (located on the northern shore of the Amazon, 70 kilometers (km) northwest of Juruti).

The bauxite deposit of the Juruti Bauxite Mine consist of several lateritic bauxite plateaus which exist across areas of higher elevations (70 meters to 190 meters), capped by iron-rich laterite deposits, which formed through in-situ weathering of sediment deposits of the Amazon basin. There are a total of six bauxite plateaus, namely the Capiranga Central, Mauari, Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém, and São Francisco which are the subject of this report. Two other plateaus, Capiranga and Guaraná, are being mined but are not included in the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves estimates on the basis that the remaining production is not deemed material to Alcoa’s business.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine produced approximately 7.2 million tonnes (Mt) of bauxite in 2020 with ore being shipped for aluminum production at the Alumar Refinery in the city of São Luis, located in the north of Maranhão State, approximately 1,900 km by road and boat due east of Juruti along Brazil’s northern coastline.


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2.1.1

Conclusions

The SLR QP has the following conclusions by area.

2.1.1.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

 

As of December 31, 2021, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, Measured Mineral Resources are estimated to total 5.66 Mt at 44.53% available alumina (A.Al2O3) and 5.28% of reactive silica (R.SiO2) for washed and unwashed material, and Indicated Mineral Resources are estimated to total 58.59 Mt at 45.34% A.Al2O3and 4.42% R.SiO2 for washed and unwashed material. In addition, Inferred Mineral Resources are estimated to total 563.79 Mt at 45.69% A.Al2O3and 4.72% R.SiO2. Mineral Resources are reported on a 100% Alcoa attributable ownership basis for consolidated reporting purposes.

 

Juruti is a lateritic bauxite deposit formed through a combination of intense weathering and geochemical alteration, leaching by meteoric waters, and accumulation of alumina and iron-rich horizons. Periodic erosion and redeposition is also known to have occurred.

 

The lateritic deposits have originated from the Alter-do-Chao Formation; Cretaceous fluvial-lacustrine deposits of sandstone, siltstones, mudstones, and quartz breccia. Weathering and alteration of these parent rocks is estimated to have taken place during the Eocene.

 

Bauxitization has occurred through the formation of gibbsite crystals which form massive bauxite horizons which exist as plateaus across the Juruti region. In comparison to their lateral extent over tens of kilometers, the overall thickness of the bauxite deposits are relatively thin being only several metres thick.

 

Geological interpretation of the Juruti deposit has been possible through extensive exploration drilling, detailed geological logging, sampling, and the results of chemical analysis.

 

Mutum, Santarém, São Francisco and Nhamundá are plateaus drilled by auger, and to a less extent wells which support the estimation of Mineral Resources. SLR has reviewed this information and it is reasonable, however there is not a complete statistical study comparing these methodologies with more accurate air core (AC) drilling procedures. The R.SiO2 negative bias for auger holes identified in a preliminary block modelling comparison is a known risk. Consequently, no reserves are estimated for plateaus with auger data.

 

Protocols for drilling, sampling preparation and analysis, verification, and security meet industry standard practices and are appropriate for the purposes of Mineral Resource estimation.

 

Juruti technical staff do not use the short-term drilling information for the long term models due to different QA/QC and sampling methodologies used. Therefore the long term models do not have any detailed information that can confirm the continuity of the bauxite layer or change the Key Economic Variable (KEV) grades.

 

In the SLR QPs’ opinion, the QA/QC program as designed and implemented at Juruti is being improved continuously, and the assay results within the database are suitable for use in a Mineral Resource estimate.

 

The drill hole database used for geological modelling has been reviewed by the SLR QP and is deemed suitable for Mineral Resource estimation.


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The impact of the current low and top cutting approach may be that areas reflecting either low or high values of economic and deleterious elements, as well as wash recovery values are underrepresented in some block models locally.

 

For the Mineral Resources classification indicator kriging (IK) and conditional simulations are used to quantify the uncertainty related with geological modelling and grade estimation.

 

The final Mineral Resource estimate is obtained through a benefit calculation that considers a future bauxite price, exchange rate, the three KEV grades, 100% of the metal recovery, and maximum mining selectivity, without consideration of a minimum thickness.

 

The SLR QP reviewed the Mineral Resources assumptions, geological modelling and estimation workflows, data consistency and reporting procedures, and is of the opinion that the Mineral Resource estimate is appropriate for the style of the mineralization, and that the block model is reasonable and acceptable to support the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate.

2.1.1.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

As of December 31, 2021, Proven Reserves are estimated to total 50.94 dry Mt at 47.68% A.Al2O3 and 3.52% of R.SiO2 for washed and unwashed material and Probable Reserves are estimated to total 37.94 dry Mt at 46.32% A.Al2O3and 3.41% R.SiO2 for washed and unwashed material.

 

A cut-off value is determined using the Mineral Reserve bauxite price, recovery, transport, treatment and mine operating costs. The bauxite price used for the Mineral Reserves is based on a contract established with Alumar Refinery (Alcoa), as 90% of the production is shipped to this refinery. This price is updated annually, based on the clients’ offtake requirements, the proportion of internal demand to exported bauxite, and bonus, and penalties applied according to the quality of the product.

 

The Juruti Mine operations are based on the use of conventional strip mining. Each plateau is divided into panels and regular strips of 20 m width x 200 m length within which a number of sequential mining activities including land clearance, topsoil removal, overburden stripping and waste backfill, and bauxite mining take place.

 

The life of mine (LOM) plan has the production from 2022 through 2035 totalling approximately 127.6 wet Mt of ROM ore producing 100.9 wet Mt of washed and unwashed bauxite with average grades of 47.10 % A.Al2O3, 3.48% R.SiO2, and 16.47% Fe.

 

Strip ratio for the LOM is 4.2 m3/t.

 

Dilution and extraction factors follow the historical trend and are considered appropriate for the type of mining methods employed at Juruti.

 

The amount of dilution will likely increase if the methodology is changed to incorporate surveyed floor pickups as opposed to using lithological wireframes as a constraint as the pit floor, incorporates a small proportion of waste along the ore waste contact. This does not represent a significant risk to the Mineral Reserve estimate, as the dilution is considered minimal. Focus should be placed on the mining operations to reduce this dilution by mining only to the ore waste contact.


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2.1.1.3

Mineral Processing

 

The Juruti Bauxite Mine’s processing plant has been in operation since 2009 and uses a simple comminution (crushing), washing, and wet screening circuit to produce washed bauxite for shipping, in addition to an unwashed bauxite product (direct shipping ore, or DSO). The plant flowsheet is designed for the removal of silt and clay (fine particles) using a scrubber and hydrocyclone which are subsequently deposited into tailings storage facilities.

 

The production capacity of the process plant is 6.2 Mtpa of washed and 1.3 Mtpa of unwashed bauxite. The current global mass recovery of the plant is approximately 75% and the final product specification has 47.5 ± 1% of available alumina content (A.Al2O3) and 4.1 ± 0.5% of reactive silica (R.SiO2) content.

 

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the process flowsheet is straightforward as it comprises only comminution and washing and that it is appropriately aligned to the ore feed material.

 

The SLR QP is also of the opinion that the samples previously used for comminution test work were representative of the Juruti project ore at the time, and that test work results indicated that the ore is moderately hard and can be ground to the required product sizes without any challenges. More complex or extensive test work is deemed not to be required given the simple process flowsheet. The comminution results are sufficient for the initial mill sizing and ongoing benchmarking exercises.

 

On the basis that the process plant at the Juruti Bauxite Mine has been in operation since 2009, the SLR QP is satisfied that the existing flowsheet is appropriate for the continued processing of Juruti ore.

 

The SLR QP is satisfied that according to Alcoa, plant consumables are kept on site and replaced as part of the routine maintenance schedule.

2.1.1.4

Infrastructure and Tailings

Infrastructure

 

The infrastructure required to support the ongoing mining operations at the Juruti Bauxite Mine is well established. Most is located within the surface infrastructure area at the mine site itself, including the bauxite processing / beneficiation plant, bulk power generation and water supply, mine waste facilities, railroad siding and materials handling/loading equipment, in addition to ancillary buildings.

 

Power is supplied by Thermoelectric Units (UTE)at the mine site and port under a supply contract. Water for the mine site, principally used in the processing plant, is supplied from water collection pumps installed in the Juruti Grande stream to the north then via an approximately 9 km overland pipeline. Water is also recovered from the tailings ponds where possible and recirculated for use in the plant. SLR is satisfied that the power and water supplies to the Juruti Bauxite Mine are in place and have been demonstrated through past production to be sufficiently reliable to support ongoing operations.

 

Off-site infrastructure is similarly well established and comprises the materials handling and ship loading equipment at Juruti port used for bauxite product export along the Amazon River. The


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mine site is connected to the port by a dedicated railroad approximately 55 km in length, serviced by two locomotives.

 

The Juruti Bauxite Mine is accessible via a public road from Juruti town which connects to a dedicated mine access road. This road provides the primary means of access to the site for personnel living in Juruti town. Given the remote location of Juruti within Pará State, access to other regions by road is limited. Juruti port therefore, in addition to Juruti Airport, serves as the primary transportation route for equipment, materials and supplies from other regions of Brazil, or internationally.

 

The SLR QPs were able to confirm the suitability of infrastructure during a site visit and are satisfied that the equipment and facilities required to sustain the proposed bauxite mining activities are available.

Tailings

 

Based on an annual washed bauxite production of 6 Mtpa, the tailings generated annually are in the order of 1.93 Mtpa (dry tonnage). The Juruti Bauxite Mine currently has eight tailings storage facilities (TSFs) which comprise thickening ponds and tailings disposal ponds (TP).

 

No design or construction documentation was made available for the review, however, it is understood that relevant engineering records are available. It has not been possible to verify the extent to which Alcoa’s corporate policy requirements have been implemented for the management of the Juruti TSF.

 

The TSFs are classified and audited in accordance with Brazilian regulation and the Brazilian National Mining Agency standards are being used. The SLR QP relies on the conclusions provided in the published database and correspondence with Alcoa’s team, and therefore provides no conclusions or opinions regarding the stability of the listed dams and impoundments.

 

To support ongoing operations, one new tailings pond is planned every two years based on current disposal technology i.e., the use of thickening and disposal ponds. The total planned disposal capacity is 51 Mm3. Alcoa is assessing other technologies to dewater and disposal Juruti bauxite tailings. Preliminary studies show that the “dry backfill” alternative has technical and financial potential to be competitive.

 

Closure concepts and cost estimates based on preliminary assessment have been developed for TP1 and TP2 which will be closed first. The rest of the facilities will be closed progressively throughout the mine life.

 

Overall, the SLR QP is of the opinion that the current method of tailings disposal is conventional and that alternative technologies for future disposal are being considered by Alcoa. The SLR QP is also satisfied that Alcoa has established or plans to establish sufficient tailings disposal capacity requirements for the next 15 years of operation and is actively addressing the closure of existing facilities at full capacity.

2.1.1.5

Environment

 

Juruti has several permit renewals that are outstanding, however Alcoa has confirmed that applications for renewal were lodged 120 days prior to expiry as required by law. Alcoa follows up on these overdue permits with the regulators, but the renewal processes are hampered by


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capacity limits of the authorities. Evidently this is a widespread problem affecting many other companies in Pará state.

 

Alcoa reports annually to the regulators in compliance with operating licence requirements and no compliance issues were identified with regards to compliance with licence conditions.  

 

The SLR QP has made recommendations regarding continuing to follow up with the regulators on permit renewals that are long overdue, updating environmental and social management plans, improving the water balance accuracy, and adding information in the closure plan on the management of mine tailings and waste rock facilities and to state the closure objectives.  

 

The SLR QP notes that Alcoa is experiencing issues with the community despite having signed an agreement with community representatives and regulators in February 2018, however Alcoa continues efforts to negotiate with community representatives to honour the agreement.  

 

The community disrupted environmental monitoring in 2019 but Alcoa was able to resolve the issue and environmental monitoring was resumed.

In the SLR QP’s opinion Alcoa manages permitting adequately within the context of the regulator’s capacity limitations by applying for renewals according to legal requirements and following up on overdue renewals. Provided that Juruti personnel maintain auditable records of written and verbal communication with authorities regarding the overdue renewals and respond promptly to any requests for additional information, this risk should be appropriately managed. Alcoa continues to negotiate on the key issue of setting up a foundation to manage royalty payments to the communities.

2.1.2

Recommendations

SLR QPs have the following recommendations by area.

2.1.2.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

 

1.

SLR’s QP has reviewed and agrees with Alcoa’s proposed plan to confirm the historical exploration drilling data from auger and wells in Mutum, Santarém, São Francisco, and Nhamundá plateaus with AC drill hole data. Phase I of the recommended work program will include a significant amount of exploration and infill AC drilling and Phase II a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) also known as an Initial Assessment (currently in progress).

 

2.

Review the low and top cut values and grade restriction approach for all variables.

 

3.

Implement a procedure to avoid the estimation of values outside the low and top cut range.

 

4.

Review wireframe parameters to improve the modelled bauxite layer continuity and address gaps in the mineralization layer where there are no drill holes. In some areas the drill hole spacing is not regular resulting in incorrect geological interpretation of the continuity of the bauxite layer.

 

5.

For the future works, revise Mineral Resource classification criteria to correlate with drill hole spacing as it relates to geological and mineralization continuity.  

 

6.

Use the short-term drill hole information to update the long-term models, with consideration of the quality and confidence of the database.

 

7.

Investigate the discrepancies between the samples and block model results for reactive silica, as well as the high dispersion in the standards Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) charts for


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this variable. As mining commences at Capiranga Central and Maurari, work should be carried out to improve the accuracy and precision of the reactive silica testwork in both the analytical results and in the short-term model, and carefully monitor performance.

 

8.

Develop a robust monthly QA/QC report, which includes a summary of performance and related actions to improve results as needed.  

 

9.

Work towards Brazilian and/or international accreditation for quality management (such as ISO 9001) and analytical techniques (such as ISO 17025 or ISO 14000) at the onsite Juruti laboratory.  

 

10.

Continue to work with an inter-disciplinary team to develop and improve the reconciliation process and establish reconciliation factors to consider for future long and short-term block model calibration.

 

11.

Continue to explore prospective plateaus with mineralization indicated through well or auger drill hole results (historical information) and to replace them with AC drill holes.

2.1.2.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

1.

Convert the sub-cell Resource block model to a Selective Mining Unit (SMU) regularised block model with the ore lithology. This will account for the operating dilution prior to calculating the Net Smelter Return (NSR) value. Currently the NSR calculation for each sub-cell block does not account for operating dilution.

 

2.

Apply dilution and mining recovery factors prior to pit optimization and mining scheduling.

 

3.

Implement a proper reconciliation process, taking into consideration the creation of 3D solids of each type of material being mined, and increasing the accuracy of dilution and mining recovery factors. Those modifying factors should be calculated for each panel and a weighted average should be calculated for each plateau and applied respectively on the block with the plateau.

 

4.

Haulage distance is calculated based on regressions. In the future, SLR recommends using the entrance haul road design for the plateau and use the entry point as the reference point to be used for each block, increasing the level of accuracy.

 

5.

Prepare a trade-off study to determine the most economical ratio of washed to unwashed product.

2.1.2.3

Mineral Processing

 

1.

Reduce the R.SiO2 grades by potential process improvements such as reverse flotation to increase the quality of the product.

 

2.

SLR understands that all the analysis for the Juruti operation is conducted internally by Alcoa and recommends that independent verification of the sample analysis by a certified laboratory. This program can be conducted on a structured basis to ensure the QA/QC aspects of the internal analysis.

2.1.2.4

Infrastructure

 

1.

Updated dam breach assessments for the TSFs were previously recommended during independent reviews in 2021. These were ongoing at the time of reporting and therefore SLR


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recommends that the outcomes of these assessments are evaluated for adherence to existing designs and ongoing monitoring/maintenance requirements.

 

2.

Continue with the implementation of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM) requirements, the assessment of alternative dry tailings disposal technologies, as well as the closure plan of the facilities that reach their full capacity.

 

3.

SLR is satisfied that the infrastructure required to support ongoing mining and processing operations are established and have demonstrated suitability. As such, SLR has no specific recommendations with regards to surface or mining infrastructure.

2.1.2.5

Environment

 

1.

Regularly update the Social and Environmental Management Plan in response to monitoring information to ensure that environmental and social impacts are managed as effectively as possible.

 

2.

Ensure that renewal applications are lodged for all approvals that are due to expire soon and continue to follow up on renewals that are long overdue with the regulator.  

 

3.

Develop an integrated water balance and management plan that includes all Project facilities.  This is necessary because the current water balance does not include all Project facilities and has various uncertainties.  Maintaining an accurate water balance is imperative to understand how water is stored in the various facilities and identify when there is risk of overflows or unplanned discharge.

 

4.

It is recommended as per industry good practice that the mine develop and maintain a list of external stakeholders and their interests, and setup and maintain a system to receive, document and address community complaints or grievances.  

 

5.

Continue negotiations with Acorjuve to set up the foundation to manage royalties paid to the communities.    

 

6.

Develop an integrated Mine Closure Plan (MCP) and associated cost estimate for closure, covering all mine facilities including mining areas, tailings and waste rock facilities, process plant and other infrastructure. The integrated MCP should include land use objectives for closure and should address social aspects of closure.

2.2

Economic Analysis

The economic analysis contained in this Technical Report Summary is based on Alcoa’s Mineral Reserves reported on a 100% basis (Alcoa Corporation owns 60%), economic assumptions provided by Alcoa, and the capital and operating costs as presented in Section 18.0 of this Technical Report Summary.

Alcoa is a vertically integrated aluminum company comprised of bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminum production (smelting and casting), and energy generation. In Brazil, Alcoa primarily operates the Alumar Refinery, located in São Luis, as a joint venture between Alcoa, South32 and Rio Tinto.

Alcoa obtains bauxite from its own resources and in 2021, around 89% of Juruti bauxite was shipped to the Alumar Refinery, with the remaining supplying third-party customers in the Atlantic region.


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The transfer price mechanism from Juruti to Alumar is determined by a weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales. The remaining Juruti bauxite sold externally to the third-party market is based on both near-term (1 year) and long-term (exceeding 1 year) contract terms, or spot prices.

2.2.1

Economic Criteria

An un-escalated technical-economic model was prepared on an after-tax discounted cash flow (DCF) basis, the results of which are presented in the following sections.

Alcoa uses a 9% discount rate for DCF analysis.  SLR is of the opinion that a 9% discount/hurdle rate for after-tax cash flow discounting for the well-established, large-scale bauxite operations at Juruti is reasonable and appropriate.

The cashflow is presented on a 100% attributable basis.

Key criteria used in the analysis are discussed elsewhere throughout this TRS.  General assumptions used are summarized in Table 1‑1.

Table 1‑1: LOM Technical-Economic Assumptions

Description

Value

Start Date

January 1, 2022

Mine Life based on Mineral Reserves

11 years

Average Price Assumption

$31.66/t

Total Operating Costs

$14.90/t

Sustaining Capital

$330.1 million

Production Box Cuts

$114.6 million

Mine Closure/Reclamation Costs

$62.0 million

Discount Rate

9%

Discounting Basis

Beginning of Period

Inflation

0%

Royalty + CFEM

4.5%

Table 1‑2 provides a summary of the LOM Production.


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Table 1‑2: LOM Production Summary

Description

Units

Total LOM

LOM

Years

11

Total Mined

Mt

113.3

Waste Mined

Mm3

472.1

Average Strip Ratio

m3/t

3.61

Average LOM Annual Mining Rate

Mtpa

9.4

Average LOM Annual Product Tonnage

Mtpa

7.4

LOM Washed Product

Mt

72.4

LOM Unwashed Product (DSO) Product

Mt

16.0

Total Product (washed + unwashed) sold

Mt

88.5

Average Product Available Al2O3 Grade

%

47.12

Average Product Reactive SiO2 Grade

%

3.45

 

2.2.2

Cash Flow Analysis

The indicative economic analysis results, presented in Table 1‑3, indicate an after-tax free cash flow of $343.2 million and an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV), using a 9% discount rate of $224.0 million at an average selling price of $31.66/tonne.

Annual estimates of mine production for years 2022 to 2035, and the current LOM, are based on Proven and Probable Reserves only.

Capital identified in the economics is for sustaining the operations over the mine life and covers construction costs for new tailings storage facilities (TSF), capitalised costs for excavation of future box cuts, and haul roads and the set up and start of mining operations on the Capiranga Central plateau.

The economic analysis was performed using the estimates presented in this TRS and confirms that the operation has a positive cash flow that supports the statement of Mineral Reserves.

Table 1‑3: LOM Indicative Economic Results

Description

Units

Total LOM

Average LOM Price

$/t

31.66

Total Product sold

Mt

88.5

Gross Revenue

$ Millions

2,800.7

Mining

$ Millions

(853.2)

Processing

$ Millions

(190.4)

General & Administration

$ Millions

(346.5)


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Description

Units

Total LOM

Rail Freight Cost

$ Millions

(68.1)

Transportation Costs

$ Millions

(233.6)

Royalty + CFEM

$ Millions

(126.0)

Total Operating Costs

$ Millions

(1,817.8)

Corporate Income Tax

$ Millions

(132.9)

Net Income after Taxes

$ Millions

347.3

Sustaining Capital

$ Millions

330.1

Closure Costs & box cuts

$ Millions

176.7

Free Cash Flow

$ Millions

343.2

NPV @ 9%

$ Millions

224.0

2.2.3

Sensitivity Analysis

Project risks can be identified in both economic and non-economic terms.  Key economic risks were examined by preparing cash flow sensitivities.  The operation is nominally most sensitive to market prices (revenues) followed by operating cost.



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2.3

Technical Summary

2.3.1

Property Description

The Juruti Bauxite Mine has been in commercial production since 2009 and in 2020 produced approximately 7.2 Mt of bauxite with ore being shipped for aluminum production at the Alumar Refinery, operated by Consorcia de Aluminio do Maranhão S.A., in the city of São Luis, located in the north of Maranhão State, approximately 1,900 km due east by road and boat of Juruti along Brazil’s northern coastline.

The bauxite deposit of the Juruti Bauxite Mine consist of several lateritic bauxite plateaus which exist across areas of higher elevations, capped by iron-rich laterite deposits, which formed through in-situ weathering of sediment deposits of the Amazon basin. There are a total of six bauxite plateaus, namely the Capiranga Central, Mauari, Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém, and São Francisco which are the subject of this report. The approximate coordinates of the mining area for the Capiranga Central, Mauari, São Francisco, Mutum and Santarém plateaus are 618,879 m East and 9,721,768 m North, and for the Nhamundá plateau are 521,657 m East and 9,773,299 m North.

The mine is in the west of Pará State in northern Brazil. It is located approximately 55 km south from the town of Juruti on the southern shore of the Amazon River connected by a road (PA-257) and railway via which ore is transported for ship loading and export along the Amazon River from Juruti port.

The nearest major city to the town of Juruti is Santarém, approximately 160 km to the east which is only accessible by either boat or by air from Juruti Airport (JRT). National roads connect Santarém to wider Pará State including the port city of Belém on Brazil’s northern coast, approximately 1,400 km by road.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine is in the northern region of Brazil in the Amazon River Sedimentary Basin and catchment area which experiences one of the highest rainfall rates in the country. Annual rainfall is typically highest in the months of February to April and lowest in the months of August to October. Vegetation across the mining area is characterized as being within the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest area of tropical rainforest with high floral and faunal diversity.

Mining at Juruti operates 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. Therefore, its operating hours are not considered to be influenced or dictated by seasonality.

2.3.2

Land Tenure

The Juruti Bauxite Mine is owned and operated by Alcoa through Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda. (AWA Brasil). AWA Brasil is itself a subsidiary of Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) which is a global joint venture between Alcoa Corporation (60%), and Alumina Limited (40%). The Juruti Bauxite Mine represents an established mining operation which commenced commercial production of bauxite in 2009.

At Juruti, there are three continuous mining rights with an aggregated 29,426 hectares (ha), where current Mineral Reserves are determined from the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus. It is however recognized that a small area of overlap exists between concessions 808.954/1975 and 850.010/1991 which reduces the total mining concession area to 29,410 ha.

In addition to the mining rights, there are thirteen requests for mining concessions, fourteen exploration permits, and two requests for exploration permits. The aggregated area for these permits is 197,866 ha. SLR is not aware of any other overlapping permits areas which may affect the total area of these permits. Two additional claim areas are reported by Alcoa to have been dropped (a total area of 15,344 ha).


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Alcoa has stated that all necessary mineral rights, licenses, and permits for Juruti are valid in accordance with the ANM’s requirements, including for the Capiranga Central, Mauari, São Francisco, Mutum, Nhamundá, and Santarém plateaus. The licenses and permits are currently being renewed with the Pará State environmental authority (Secretario de Estado de Meio Ambiente do Pará, or SEMAS/PA). According to the resolution of the Brazilian National Environment Council (CONAMA) 237/97, the environmental license is still valid (even when expired) since the renewal applications were lodged 120 days before the expiration date.

The process is now being reviewed by the competent environmental agency. Permitting aspects of the Juruti Bauxite Mine are discussed in more detail in Section 17.6 of this Technical Report Summary.

The mining operations at Juruti take place on third-party land, and in accordance with the Mining Concession requirements Alcoa has agreements in place with the respective landowners meaning there is no current need to purchase third-party land. This agreement forms a “mining easement”, which grants Alcoa access to the mining areas in exchange for compensation payments and as a result there are no other titles, claims, leases, or options applicable to the exploration or mining permit areas which may limit Alcoa’s rights.

2.3.3

History

Prior to acquisition by Alcoa in 2000, the Juruti mining area was previously under ownership of Pechiney S.A., a French exploration and development company, now known as Rio Tinto Alcan.

Initial prospecting and exploration across the Juruti deposits were originally undertaken in 1972 and 1973 by previous owners. The first drilling of the deposit is known to have been completed by Reynolds Group Holdings. The Juruti project was later acquired by Alcoa in 2000 and following further exploration and technical evaluation, production first commenced in 2009.

2.3.4

Geological Setting, Mineralization, and Deposit

The Juruti area is located in the lower part of the Amazonian basin, south of the Amazon River, between the Guyana and Brazilian Shields. Parent deposits which form the base of the bauxite sequence belong to the Alter-do-Chao Formation comprising continental sedimentary deposits that accumulated in a fluvial-lacustrine environment and consist of sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, and quartz breccias. Bauxites are known to have formed during intense lateritic alteration of the Cretaceous (145 to 66 million years ago, Ma) siliciclastic parent deposits which is estimated to have occurred during the Eocene (56 to 34 Ma). Cretaceous deposits were later covered by tropical soils as a product of root activity resulting in a kaolinitic and alumina-goethite deposited during flooding events in the Miocene (23 to 5 Ma).

The evolution of bauxite in this region is generally accepted to have occurred through a combination of intense weathering and geochemical alteration, leaching by meteoric waters, and accumulation of alumina and iron-rich horizons, in addition to periodic erosion and redeposition of upper horizons. These horizons form gently undulating plateaus ranging from 100 m to 170 m above the level of the Amazon, surrounded by drainage erosion channels. While these plateaus cover extensive areas both north and south of the Amazon, not all are bauxitic, despite being within the same geomorphological and climatic area on top of the same sedimentary formation.

Bauxite mineralization principally occurs as microcrystalline gibbsite (Al(OH)3), along with accessory minerals of hematite (Fe2O3), goethite (FeO(OH)), kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4), and anatase (TiO2). The mineralization of each of the stratigraphic horizons observed across the Juruti deposits are classified


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based on a combination of visual inspection during drilling and sampling, and the results of chemical analysis.

The stratigraphy is comprised of, with increasing depth, a mottled clay horizon at the base topped with a massive bauxite layer, overlain by a ferricrete crust with hematite and gibbsite nodules, and an overlying yellow clay at surface. In comparison to their lateral extent over tens of kilometers, the overall thickness of the bauxite deposits is relatively thin with the depth of drilling typically in order of 20 m.

2.3.5

Exploration

Limited details on regional and exploration drilling procedures conducted by previous operators are available.  SLR understands that the Nhamundá plateau is characterized by a combination of historical well and auger type drill holes and some recent air-core holes completed by Alcoa. Plateaus Mutum, Santarém, and São Francisco are characterized using historical auger type drill holes. Since acquisition in 2000, exploration drilling by Alcoa has focused on Capiranga, Capiranga Central, Mauari, and Guaraná, and results have superseded the historical data.

Alcoa exploration is focussed on initial mapping to define the extents of each plateau and follow up drilling at wide spacing to confirm mineralization. Prospective areas defined from this drilling are infilled in line with company objectives.

The primary means of exploration by Alcoa has been through AC type drilling, in which drill cuttings are recovered as a sample through the injection of compressed air into the drill hole. This method is a common technique in unconsolidated ground, and the SLR QP is of the opinion that it is appropriate for use in the exploration of bauxite.  

Drilling across the numerous plateaus that comprise the Juruti mining area have been predominantly undertaken from 2007 to 2021. A total of 3,146 drill holes for 50,628 m of drilling has been undertaken across the plateaus that are the subject of this report.

Initial exploration drilling campaigns are performed on an 800 m grid over the plateaus.  Prospective results are followed up with infill drilling campaigns of 400 m and finally 200 m grid spacing. In the months ahead of scheduled mining, Alcoa consolidates the drilling results on a 50 m by 100 m grid.  This drilling, called short-term drilling, is used to create a short-term model for mine planning and is not integrated into the long-term model.

Current drill spacings across each plateau is variable, however, the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus are the most advanced with drill spacing is mainly defined on a regular grid pattern of 200 m by 200 m. In the other plateaus where spacings are more commonly 400 m or 800 m spacings, Alcoa plans to reduce this spacing to the targeted 200 m using air core drilling within the next decade. The plan covers the all the plateaus where Alcoa has mining permits and will replace the historical drilling information (auger and well) with more accurate drilling and sampling methodologies. Alcoa plans to complete over 6,500 holes for around 110,000 m of drilling at an anticipated cost of US$27.7 M between 2022 and 2032.

All holes completed by Alcoa across the plateaus have been drilled vertically and given the shallow nature of the deposit, no downhole surveys have been undertaken on any of the holes. Samples are collected from the coring barrel into plastic PVC tubes, sealed and labelled at both ends. Geological logging is undertaken by Alcoa’s on-site geologists. Samples are logged, weighed, and stored in sealed plastic bags each of which is clearly labelled and barcoded before being sent for assaying. All drill cores are photographed on completion.


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It is the QP’s opinion that there are no known drilling, sampling or recovery factors that could materially affect the accuracy and reliability of the results and that the results are suitable for use in the Mineral Resource estimation.

2.3.6

Mineral Resource Estimates

The Mineral Resource estimate for the Juruti Bauxite Mine, as of December 31, 2021, using all data available was completed by Alcoa staff and reviewed and accepted by the SLR QP.

The geological models were built in Leapfrog Geo™ software using wireframes from the top of each lithology, interpolated through implicit modelling, and honoring the stratigraphy. In this way the top of one lithology is the basis of the above lithology. The assays intervals used to define each lithology were classified in a geological and geochemical approach. The snap tool and a 20 m wireframe resolution, with adaptative mode, was used to get an adequate level of detail for the block models.

Each plateau has a single block model, except for Nhamundá that has five block models in order to use the best information available in each region (auger, wells or AC drill holes). Just Mauari has a rotated block model, and the block dimensions are the same for all the plateaus, 50 m x 50 m x 0.5 m.

For the grade estimation the ordinary kriging (OK) algorithm was used, and the estimated grade validation was done using Q-Q plots (between OK and nearest neighbor grades), cross sections comparing the grades in the blocks and the samples, cross validation, swath plots, and histograms and statistical data from samples and block models.

The Mineral Resource classification workflow comprises two approaches, indicator kriging (IK) and Turning Bands conditional simulation to calculate the uncertainties related with geological interpretation and grade estimation in each block. Regarding the IK, the kriging result indicates the most likely lithology (ore or waste) and the kriging variance indicates the level of confidence of this assumption, so both parameters were used through the risk index (RI) methodology. For the conditional simulations the accumulated variables are simulated, and the maximum estimation error (MEE) is calculated for each variable and an average of each MEE is used for the result. The final classification represents the most conservative result between RI and that based on the MEE.

The SLR QP reviewed the Mineral Resource assumptions, input parameters, geological interpretation, block modelling and reporting procedures, and is of the opinion that the Mineral Resource estimate is appropriate for the style of mineralization and that the block models are reasonable and acceptable to support the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate.

The Mineral Resource estimate for Juruti, as of December 31, 2021, is summarized in Table 1‑4. Mineral Resource estimates for each individual plateau are included in Section 11.12.

Mineral Resources have been classified in accordance with the definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 1300, which are consistent with Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM) Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves dated May 10, 2014 (CIM (2014) definitions). The estimate is presented on a 100% ownership basis to AWAC for consolidated reporting purposes.

The Mineral Resources bauxite price is defined as 30% higher than the Mineral Reserves bauxite price. The Mineral Reserves bauxite price is based on contracts between Juruti Mine and Alumar Refinery (Alcoa), since 90% of the bauxite production is shipped to this refinery. The contract is reviewed annually and is based on factors relating to internal and external demand for bauxite, as well as bonus and penalties depending on the product quality. The transfer price mechanism from Juruti to Alumar is determined by


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a weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales. For example, the 2021 internal transfer price from Juruti to Alumar will be the weighted-average price of 2020 third-party sales.

Table 1‑4: Summary of Juruti Bauxite Mine Mineral Resources – December 31, 2021

Bauxite Product

Washed Bauxite

Unwashed Bauxite

Washed + Unwashed Bauxite

Classification

Tonnage (M dmt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Tonnage (M dmt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Tonnage (M dmt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Measured

5.27

44.66

5.45

0.38

42.83

3.02

5.66

44.53

5.28

Indicated

56.97

45.39

4.47

1.62

43.53

2.82

58.59

45.34

4.42

Measured + Indicated

62.24

45.33

4.55

2.00

43.40

2.86

64.24

45.27

4.50

Inferred

562.75

45.70

4.72

1.04

43.42

2.71

563.79

45.69

4.72

Notes:

 

1.

The definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 13000 were followed.

 

2.

Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term bauxite price of US$35.33 per tonne (wet base), and a R$:US$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00, considering 100% of metal recovery for the washed and unwashed material.

 

3.

Mineral Resources are estimated at a pit discard cut-off value based on a benefit calculation that determines whether a block is economically viable.

 

4.

The washed bauxite tonnage has been derived by SLR from an in-situ tonnage multiplied by the wash recovery.

 

5.

There is no minimum mining width for Mineral Resources.

 

6.

Bulk density is interpolated or assigned and averages 1.30 t/m3.

 

7.

Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves.

 

8.

Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

 

9.

Mineral Resources are stated on a 100% ownership basis for AWAC. Alcoa’s share is 60%

 

10.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that, with consideration of the recommendations summarized in this section, any issues relating to all relevant technical and economic factors likely to influence the prospect of economic extraction can be resolved with further work.

2.3.7

Mineral Reserve Estimates

Mineral Reserves to be mined from 2022 onwards to 2035 were estimated at 88.5 Mt at 47.10% A.Al2O3 and 3.47% R.SiO2. The estimate is presented on a 100% ownership basis to AWAC for consolidated reporting purposes.

The Mineral Reserve estimate, as of December 31, 2021, is summarised in Table 1‑5.

Table 1‑5: Summary of Mineral Reserves – December 31, 2021

Category

(Washed + Unwashed Bauxite)

Tonnage
(Mt)

A.Al2O3
(%)

R. SiO2
(%)

Proven

50.9

47.68

3.52

Probable

37.7

46.32

3.39

Total Proven + Probable

88.5

47.10

3.47

Notes:


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1.

The definitions for Mineral Reserves in S-K 1300 were followed for Mineral Reserves which are consistent with CIM (2014) definitions.

 

2.

Mineral Reserves are estimated at a pit discard cut-off value of the mining related costs. A Benefit calculation is applied to determine whether a block is economically viable whereby Benefit is the revenue less the mining related costs.

 

3.

Mineral Reserves are estimated using an average long-term bauxite price of US$27.18 per tonne (based on a contractual price given 90% of bauxite is supplied directly to Alcoa’s refinery) and a US$/R$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00.

 

4.

Bulk density is 1.30 t/m3.

 

5.

Mineral Resources are stated on a 100% ownership basis for AWAC. Alcoa’s share is 60%

 

6.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

The SLR QP is not aware of any risk factors associated with, or changes to, any aspect of the modifying factors such as mining, processing, infrastructure, permitting, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate.

2.3.8

Mining Methods

The Juruti Mine operations are based on the use of conventional strip mining. Each plateau is divided into panels and regular strips of 20 m width x 200 m long within which a number of sequential mining activities including land clearance, topsoil removal, overburden stripping and waste backfill, and bauxite mining take place.

The majority of the waste is backfilled by pushing the overburden back into the previously excavated cut with dozers. A suitable period of drying and consolidation of the fines is allowed before overburden is replaced. The returned overburden surface will be contoured with dozers to create an acceptable final topography. Shortly thereafter, topsoil stocks will be distributed over the overburden in preparation for landform rehabilitation.

No geotechnical and hydrogeological models are used for Juruti. The depth of excavation at Juruti is shallow (20 m or less) and the method of overburden removal by bulldozers results in shallow slope angles. The geotechnical aspect of mine design is therefore not a major consideration for the deposit and a formal geotechnical investigation has not been completed for the open pits.

SLR is satisfied that this does not preclude the estimation of Mineral Reserves. The safe operation of the pits can be properly managed through the application of appropriate work procedures and training.

As the mine is very shallow, no dewatering of the pits is required. Drainage systems are placed around the plateaus to avoid rainwater flowing into the pit. The water inside the mining areas is pumped to sumps nearby and after some time of settling the water flows to natural drainage.

2.3.9

Processing and Recovery Methods

The Juruti Bauxite Mine’s processing plant has been in operation since 2009 and uses a simple comminution and washing circuit to produce washed bauxite for shipping along with the unwashed bauxite (direct shipping ore or DSO) that is suitable for refining at an Al2O3 grade of 47.5%.

The primary processing involved in this plant is removal of silt and clay (fine particles) from the ore and includes crushing, washing and wet screening. The removed fines are initially deposited in a thickening pond for settling and water recovery (for reuse in the washing plant) then discarded in tailings ponds.

The current production capacity of the process plant is 6.2 million tonnes a year (Mtpa) of washed bauxite and 1.3 Mtpa of unwashed bauxite as a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO).


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The current global mass recovery of the plant is 75% ± 1%. The final product specification has 47.5 ± 1% A.Al2O3 and 4.1 ± 0.5% R.SiO2. The residual moisture content of the final product is 13% ± 1%.

The average annual power and water consumptions of the process plant are approximately 47,000 MWh and 18 million cubic meters (Mm3).

2.3.10

Project Infrastructure

The in-situ and operating infrastructure at the Juruti Bauxite Mine includes the following:

Rail siding and rail loading facilities for the transportation of ore and product

Bauxite beneficiation plant comprising ore crushing and washing equipment

Mine waste facilities including tailings thickening lagoons and tailings disposal ponds

Stockpiles and material handling equipment including conveyors

Ancillary buildings including administrative and mine site offices, warehouses, laboratory, and workshops

Fuel station

Site access road

Water supply system comprising water collection pumps installed on a raft in the Juruti Grande stream north on the mining infrastructure and plant area, and a water pipeline corridor of approximately 9 km.

Power generation through Thermoelectric Units (UTE) located at the mine site and port.

Surface water management and pumping systems, including a wastewater (effluent) treatment plant.

Off-site rail corridor connecting the mine to Juruti port and access road

Port facilities including rail siding, materials handling equipment/conveyors, and ship loader

There is no on-site accommodation due to the proximity to town of Juruti.

Tailings at the Juruti Bauxite Mine are generated from beneficiation of the bauxite ore at the processing plant which involves removing silt and clay (fine particles) by a simple washing process. Based on an annual washed bauxite production of 6 Mtpa, the tailings generated annually are in the order of 1.93 Mtpa (dry tonnage).

The tailings disposal system relies on the use of thickening ponds and tailings disposal ponds. The tailings produced in the processing of bauxite in the washing plant are fed into the thickening pond as a pulp with 6% to 8% of solid content on average. After a period of solid sedimentation, the water is pumped and reclaimed for reuse in the system. Settled solids are dredged and deposited into the tailings disposal ponds. The Juruti Bauxite Mine currently has eight tailings storage facilities which comprise one thickening pond and seven tailings disposal ponds in operation. The ninth tailings disposal pond is under construction and will be in operation in 2022.

SLR relies on the conclusions provided in the published database and email correspondence with Alcoa’s team and therefore provides no conclusions or opinions regarding the stability of the listed dams and impoundments.

Alcoa’s Tailings Master Plan for tailings management provides a 15-year plan for sustaining production with the current wet tailings disposal method. One new tailings pond is planned every two years from 2021 until 2036. Alternative technology involving dry tailings disposal is being investigated. The base-case


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considers sustaining the production for at least 5 years with current technology. The potential technology switch to dry disposal is envisaged starting year 2026.

2.3.11

Market Studies

Alcoa Corporation is a vertically integrated aluminum company comprised of bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminum production (smelting and casting), and energy generation. Bauxite mining and alumina refining are the upstream operations of primary aluminum production. Alcoa obtains bauxite from its own resources and processes over 85% of its combined bauxite production into alumina. The remainder is sold to the third-party market.

Unlike alumina and aluminum, bauxite is not a standard commodity traded on an index or metal exchange. Bauxite’s grades and characteristics vary significantly by deposit location and the value of bauxite deposits for each downstream refinery could be different. Most bauxite traded on the third-party market is priced using a value-in-use methodology.

Besides quality and geography, market fundamentals, including macroeconomic trends; the prices of raw materials, like caustic soda and energy; the prices of alumina and aluminum; and, the cost of freight, will also play a role in bauxite prices.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine, which produces both a washed and unwashed (DSO) product, serves primarily to supply bauxite to the integrated Alumar refinery, a joint venture between Alcoa, South32 and Rio Tinto, as well as to supply third-party customers in the Atlantic region. The Alumar refinery has been designed to consume Amazon bauxite for its unique quality, composition, and other characteristics. In 2021, approximately 89% of Juruti bauxite was shipped to the Alumar refinery.

The transfer price mechanism from Juruti to Alumar is determined by a weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales. The remaining Juruti bauxite was sold externally to the third-party market. The sales contracts for these third-party sales include both near-term (1 year) and long-term (exceeding 1 year) contract terms, or spot prices.

Market information is based on industry analysis and historical pricing information of bauxite sold by Juruti to the Alumar refinery prepared by Alcoa.

SLR is satisfied that the pricing mechanism is appropriate for the estimation of Mineral Reserves.

2.3.12

Environmental Studies, Permitting and Plans, Negotiations, or Agreements with Local Individuals or Groups

Environmental studies: The Juruti Bauxite Mine EIA Report was compiled in 2004 by CNEC Engenharia SA (CNEC) in order to obtain a Preliminary Environmental License (LP).  Impacts assessed as having a high significance include vegetation clearing, vegetation degradation by increased human activity and a decrease in local fauna populations due to habitat destruction.

Managing environmental and social impacts: Alcoa prepared a Social and Environmental Management Plan (PGSA) based on the requirements of its operations license. SLR was not provided with this PGSA, however the Alcoa annual reports submitted to the regulator include some environmental control plans.  Juruti has detailed management processes for vegetation removal and rescue of fauna as well as rehabilitation and recovery of degraded areas and monitoring thereof.  These management processes therefore focus on the impacts that were identified as having a high significance in the EIA.


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Environmental monitoring is conducted and includes climatological monitoring, air quality, noise, surface water quality, effluent quality, groundwater quality and ecological monitoring.

Mineralized waste: The mine has tailings storage facilities and a waste rock dump.  The tailings storage facilities are covered by the National Dam Safety Policy (PNSB) and routine inspections are conducted. Alcoa samples the tailings in the thickening pond to characterize this waste material on an annual basis. The latest results comply with the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards 10004 (November 2004) and the tailings material was determined to be inert. The mine has a small waste rock dump from the first boxcut.  This facility does not have stability concerns due to its limited size.

Water management: Water is reused at the mine site and only treated sewage effluent is discharged at the mine to land and at the port to the Amazon River.  Alcoa reports on the quality of the effluent and no significant compliance issues have been identified. It is noted that there are various uncertainties in the water balance model and SLR cannot verify the information provided.  

Incident reporting: Alcoa conducted an environmental assessment and reported on the impacts of two environmental incidents that occurred in December 2020 and March 2021.  These incidents occurred during heavy rainfall over 24 hours which led to siltation of downstream watercourses.  The assessment was comprehensive and addressed ecology, water and social impacts.  Alcoa has therefore demonstrated that the mine reports and addresses non-compliance issues and incidents.          

Permitting and approvals: Alcoa has indicated that all the required permits are in place.  It should be noted that 14 approvals have exceeded the stated expiry dates, and some renewals are very long overdue.  Alcoa has confirmed that renewal applications were lodged 120 days prior to expiry as required by law for all approvals, except the vegetation suppression or removal and fauna activities permits which have to be applied for every year. Alcoa does follow up on these overdue renewals regularly by engaging with the regulator, however the lack of capacity at the regulator is a significant issue hampering the issuing of renewals in a timely manner.  

Social and community requirements: Alcoa has defined its area of influence, and this includes the municipality of Juruti and communities surrounding the Grande River.  Alcoa has not provided information on stakeholders identified other than Alcoa technical teams.  Alcoa reports that it works with the consent of the surface owners and there is no current need to purchase third-party land. Alcoa does not seem to have a community complaint or grievance system in place.

There are no Indigenous Communities or escaped slave (Quilombola) communities directly affected by the Juruti Mine.  However, there are agro-extractive traditional communities that are affected and are included in the list of groups covered by the concept of “Indigenous people” in terms of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO Convention) 169 of 1989, to which Brazil is a signatory. Alcoa therefore consulted with and established agreements with the traditional communities in Juruti Velho.  These communities are represented by the Association of Communities of the Juruti Velho Region (ACORJUVE) and this representation includes landownership rights.  In February 2018, ACORJUVE, the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), federal and state prosecutors and Alcoa signed a social, environmental and economic agreement on common land use, shared value and sustainable mining in the Amazon region. Alcoa reports that in the third quarter of 2019, the representatives of ACORJUVE decided not to follow the agreed-upon path to transition royalties to a foundation to be set up to ensure good governance.  Alcoa states that it continues to urge the association to engage in dialogue with the expectation of completing the foundation’s by-laws as soon as possible.  


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Thirty-two families were relocated for the mine development, specifically in the port area. Alcoa continues to monitor families who remain vulnerable and makes some effort to obtain employment for some family members in contracted companies.  

There were some disruptions to environmental monitoring when the local community objected to the social programs and dissemination of information from Alcoa in September 2019. Alcoa reportedly came to an agreement with the parties and environmental monitoring and dissemination of information resumed in April 2021.

Alcoa implements local hiring and procurement policies and implements a labor training program in partnership with SENAI. Alcoa also implements social uplift programs and has completed 50 initiates, with four still in progress. These initiates aim to improve the quality of life of the local population by supporting and encouraging the carrying out of rural and urban infrastructure building works and other actions for strengthening health, education, culture, the environment, public security and justice and social assistance.  

Mine closure planning: Alcoa has compiled an updated closure plan which addresses closure and post-closure. This plan also discusses the management measures being implemented during operations to manage impacts with a view towards closure.  Closure objectives are not clearly stated in the plan. The plan also does not describe how the tailings facilities, or the waste rock dump will be decommissioned and closed. A mine closure plan has been prepared by Alcoa and total LOM costs are estimated to be $62.0 million.

 

In SLR’s opinion Alcoa manages permitting adequately within the context of the regulator’s capacity limitations by applying for renewals according to legal requirements and following up on overdue renewals. Provided that Juruti personnel maintain auditable records of written and verbal communication with authorities regarding the overdue renewals and respond promptly to any requests for additional information, this risk should be appropriately managed. Alcoa continues to negotiate on the key issue of setting up a foundation to manage royalty payments to the communities.      

2.3.13

Capital and Operating Cost Estimates

The operation is well-established and since the LOM plan does not envisage any significant change of the mining and production rate, capital expenditures anticipated by Alcoa are related to sustaining and continuing the current operations.

An estimated $183.5 million is required for the construction of new tailings storage facilities, of which one new facility is needed every two years of future mine life. Other sustaining capital over the remaining LOM is estimated to be $135.4 million

Allowances are included for the construction of new haul roads and the costs of establishing future mining operations on the Capiranga Central Plateau.

The operational costs for opening up new box cuts to sustain production amount to $114.6 million.

The mining area is progressively rehabilitated during mining with on-going rehabilitation of mined-out areas. A mine closure plan has been prepared by Alcoa and total LOM costs are estimated to be $62.0 million.

Alcoa’s sustaining capital estimates for Juruti are derived from annual budgets and historical actuals over the long life of the current operation.  According to the American Association of Cost Engineers (AACE)


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International, these estimates would be classified as Class 1 with an accuracy range of ‑3% to -10% to +3% to +15%.

The mining area is progressively rehabilitated during mining with on-going rehabilitation of mined-out areas. A mine closure plan has been prepared by Alcoa and total LOM costs are estimated to be $62.0 million.

Mine production is carried out by contractors. Company personnel carry out the geology, planning and grade control activities. Administrative and technical support personnel work on a five by two, 8-hour shift roster while mine production staff work 12-hour shifts.

Operating expenditures include labour, fuel, energy, contracted services, mining contracts, maintenance, processing, transportation, and offsite services.

The operating costs estimates are derived from annual budgets and historical actual costs over the long life of the current operation and are shown in Table 1‑6.

Table 1‑6: LOM Operating Costs

Cost Centre

2022

($/t product)

LOM Average

($/t product)

Mining

5.56

5.91

Processing

1.78

2.11

General & Administration

2.97

3.54

Concentrate Rail Freight Cost

0.61

0.75

Transportation Cost

2.17

2.59

Total Cost

13.09

14.90

 


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3.0

Introduction

SLR International Corporation (SLR) was appointed by Alcoa Corporation (Alcoa) to prepare an independent Technical Report Summary on the Juruti Bauxite Mine located in the west of Pará State, northern Brazil. The purpose of this report is to support the disclosure of Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimates for the mine as of December 31, 2021. This Technical Report Summary conforms to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Modernized Property Disclosure Requirements for Mining Registrants as described in Subpart 1300 of Regulation S-K, Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations (S-K 1300) and Item 601 (b)(96) of Regulation S-K.  

Alcoa is one of the world’s largest aluminum producers and a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Alcoa owns and operates integrated bauxite mining, alumina refining and aluminum smelting operations at numerous assets globally including in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and the United States. Alcoa is also a joint venture partner for several other integrated operations in Brazil, Canada, Guinea, and Saudi Arabia.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine, located in the west of Pará State near the Amazon River, is owned and operated by Alcoa through Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda. (AWA Brasil). AWA Brasil is itself a subsidiary of Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (AWAC) which is a global joint venture between Alcoa Corporation (60%), and Alumina Limited (40%). The Juruti Bauxite Mine represents an established mining operation which commenced commercial production of bauxite in 2009. In Brazil, Alcoa also owns the bauxite mining operations at Poços de Caldas (located in Minas Gerais State in southwest Brazil) and holds an interest in Trombetas (located on the northern shore of the Amazon, 70 kilometers (km) northwest of Juruti). The same approach has been taken by SLR when reporting Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves

The bauxite deposit of the Juruti Bauxite Mine consists of several lateritic bauxite plateaus which exist across areas of higher elevations (70 meters (m) to 190 m), capped by iron-rich laterite deposits, which formed through in-situ weathering of sediment deposits of the Amazon basin. There are a total of six bauxite plateaus, namely the Capiranga Central, Mauari, Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém, and São Francisco which are the subject of this report. Two other plateaus, Capiranga and Guaraná, are being mined but are not included in the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserves estimates on the basis that the remaining production is not deemed material to Alcoa’s business.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine produced approximately 7.2 million tonnes (Mt) of bauxite in 2020 with ore being shipped for aluminum production at the Alumar Refinery in the city of São Luis, located in the north of Maranhão State, approximately 1,900 km due east by road and boat of Juruti along Brazil’s northern coastline.

3.1

Site Visits

SLR Qualified Persons (QPs) visited the site on October 18 to 21, 2021. During the site visit, SLR QPs reviewed the procedures related to geology and mining, visited the core shed, tailings facilities, mine operation, processing plant, internal laboratory, exploration areas, examined drill holes and ore faces in the mine and had meetings with the key persons for the main areas to discuss the workflow and methodology adopted for the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves in Juruti.

During the site visit the most relevant information was collected and discussed with the Alcoa’s technical staff, and it was used as the basis for this report.

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3.2

Sources of Information

During the preparation of this Technical Report, discussions were held with personnel from Alcoa:

 

Octávio Guimarães, Mine Planning Manager, Global Planning – Brazil region

 

Carlos Filho, Geologist, Global Planning – Brazil region

 

Flávio Silva, Mine Planning Engineer; Geostatistician, Global Planning – Brazil region

 

Saulo da Silva Nunes, Exploration Geologist, Juruti

 

Otávio Yokoyama, Exploration Supervisor, Juruti

 

Carolina Polastro, Geologist, Juruti

 

Henrique Santos, Mine Operation Manager, Juruti

 

Gustavo Correia, Tailings Engineer, Juruti

 

Rafaela Oliveira, Mineral Processing Engineer, Juruti

This Technical Report Summary was prepared by SLR QPs. The documentation reviewed, and other sources of information, are listed at the end of this report in Section 24.0 References.

 


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3.3

List of Abbreviations

Units of measurement used in this report conform to the metric system.  All currency in this report is US dollars (US$) unless otherwise noted.

Abbreviation

Description

°C

degree Celsius

°F

degree Fahrenheit

a

annum

A

ampere

A.Al2O3

Available Alumina

ABNT

Brazilian Association of Technical Standards

AC

Air Core (drilling method)

Acorjuve

Association of Communities of the Juruti Velho Region

Alcoa

Alcoa Corporation

ANA

Federal Water Agency

ANM

Agência Nacional de Mineração (National Mining Agency)

API

Alumina Price Index

APRAS

Association of Rural Producers of the Socó I settlement

ASI

Aluminum Stewardship Initiative

AWA Brasil Ltda.

Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda

AWAC

Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals

bbl

barrels

Btu

British thermal units

BWI

Bond ball mill work index

C$

Canadian dollars

cal

calorie

CF

Cumulative Frequency

CFEM

Compensacao Financeira pela Exploracao de Recursos Minerais

cfm

cubic feet per minute

CIM

Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum

cm

centimeter

cm2

square centimeter

CNEC

CNEC Engenharia SA

CONAMA

Conselho Nacional de Meio Ambiente (National Environmental Council, Brazil)

d

day

DCF

Discounted Cashflow

dia

diameter

DL

Detection Limit

dmt

dry metric tonne

dmt

Dry metric tonnes

DNPM

National Department of Mineral Production

DSO

Direct Shipping Ore

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Abbreviation

Description

DTM

Digital Terrain Model

dwt

dead-weight ton

EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment

EoR

Engineer of Record

ERP

Emergency Response Plan

FEL2

Front End Loading

FOB

Free On Board

ft

foot

ft/s

foot per second

ft2

square foot

ft3

cubic foot

FTIR

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

g

gram

G

Giga (billion)

G&A

General and Administrative

g/L

gram per liter

g/t

gram per tonne

gal

Imperial gallon

GISTM

Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management

gpm

Imperial gallons per minute

GPS

Global Positional System

gr/ft3

grain per cubic foot

gr/m3

grain per cubic meter

ha

hectare

HARD

Half Average Relative Difference

HDA Servicos

HDA Servicos S/C Ltda

hp

horsepower

hr

hour

Hz

hertz

IBAMA

Agência Ambiental Federal (Federal Environmental Agency)

ICMM

International Mining and Metals Council

ID3

Inverse Distance (to third power)

IJUS

Sustainable Juruti Institute ()

IK

Indicator Kriging

ILO Convention

Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention ()

in.

inch

in2

square inch

INCRA

National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform

INMETRO

National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality

IRR

Internal Rate of Return

ISO

International Organization for Standardization

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Abbreviation

Description

ITAK

Brazilian chemical laboratory

J

joule

JRT

Juruti Airport

k

kilo (thousand)

kcal

kilocalorie

KEV

Key Economic Variables

kg

kilogram

km

kilometer

km/h

kilometer per hour

km2

square kilometer

kPa

kilopascal

kVA

kilovolt-amperes

kW

kilowatt

kWh

kilowatt-hour

L

liter

L/s

liters per second

lb

pound

LI

Licença de Instalação (Installation Permit)

LiDAR

Light Detecting and Ranging

LIMS

Laboratory Information Management System

LME

London Metal Exchange

LO

Licença de Operação (Operating Permit)

LOI

Loss on Ignition

LOM

Life of Mine

LP

Preliminary Environmental License

m

micron

m

meter

M

mega (million); molar

m2

square meter

m3

cubic meter

m3/h

cubic meters per hour

Ma

Million years ago

MASL

Meters above sea level

mg

microgram

mi

mile

min

minute

mm

micrometer

mm

millimeter

Mm3

Million cubic meters

MME

Maximum Estimation Error

mph

miles per hour

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Abbreviation

Description

MRN

Mineração Rio Do Norte

Mt

Million tonnes

Mtpa

Million tonnes per annum

MVA

megavolt-amperes

MW

megawatt

MWh

megawatt-hour

NBR

Brazilian National Standard

NN

Nearest Neighbor

NOx

Nitrogen Oxides

NPV

Net Present Value

NSR

Net Smelter Return

NYSE

New York Stock Exchange

OK

Ordinary Kriging

OMS

Operations, Maintenance and Surveillance

oz

Troy ounce (31.1035g)

oz/st, opt

ounce per short ton

PEA

Preliminary Economic Assessment

PFM or MCP

Plano de Fechamento de Mina (Mining Closure Plan)

PGSA

Social and Environmental Management Plan

PNSB

National Dam Safety Policy

ppb

part per billion

ppm

part per million

PSI

Pollutant Standards Index ()

psia

pound per square inch absolute

psig

pound per square inch gauge

PVC

Polyvinyl chloride

QA/QC

Quality Assurance / Quality Control

QP

Qualified Person

R$

Reais

R.SiO2

Reactive Silica

RAL

Annual Mining Report

RCG

Global Mass Recovery

RI

Risk Index

RIMA

Relatório de Impacto Ambiental (Environmental Impact Report)

RL

relative elevation

RMSEC

Root Mean Square Error of Calibration

RMSEV

Root Mean Square Error of Validation

RoM

Run of Mine

RTFE

Resonsible Tailings Facility Engineer

RWI

Bond rod mill work index

s

second

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Abbreviation

Description

SEC

Securities and Exchange Commission

SEMAS/PA

Secretario de Estado de Meio Ambiente do Pará (Secretary of State for Environment and Sustainability, Pará)

SENAI

National Industrial Apprenticeship Service of Pará

SGS

SGS Laboratories

SGS Geosol

SGS Geosol Laboratorios Ltda

SIGBM

Integrated Mining Dam Safety Management System

SIRGAS

Geocentric Reference System for South America

SLR

SLR International Corporation

SMU

Selective Mining Units

SO2

Sulphur dioxide

SR

Strip Ratio

SRTM

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

st

short ton

STM

Santarém-Maestro Wilson Fonseca Airport

stpa

short ton per year

stpd

short ton per day

t

metric tonne

TARP

Triggers Action Response Plans

TCFA

Taxa de Controle e Fiscalização Ambiental (Environmental Control and Inspection Fee)

TP

Tailings Pond

tpa

metric tonne per year

tpd

metric tonne per day

tph

tonnes per hour

TRS

Technical Report Summary

TSF

Tailings Storage Facility 

US EPA

United States Environmental Protection Agency

US$

United States Dollar

USg

United States gallon

USgpm

United States gallon per minute

UTE

Thermoelectric unit

UTM

Universal Transverse Mercator

V

volt

VCE

VCE Consultoria Mineral

W

watt

wmt

wet metric tonne

wt%

weight percent

yd3

cubic yard

yr

Year

 

 

 

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4.0

Property Description

4.1

Location

The Juruti Bauxite Mine is located in the west of Pará State in northern Brazil. The mine is approximately 55 km south from the town of Juruti on the southern shore of the Amazon River connected by a road and railway for the transport of personnel, equipment, and mined bauxite ore (Figure 3‑1). A rail siding, material handling, and ship loading facilities are all located at Juruti port, immediately adjacent to the south of the town.

Juruti has only very limited connections by road to other nearby settlements, predominantly with the village of Socorro approximately 140 km to the east via a mainly unpaved road. Juruti is otherwise more widely connected by boat along the Amazon River or via short internal flights. The nearest city to Juruti is Santarém, approximately 160 km due east, accessible by boat (approximately 260 km taking 6 hours) or by air (under 1 hour).

The Alumar Refinery, operated by Consortium de Aluminio do Maranhão S.A., is approximately 30 km south of the city of São Luis in Maranhão State, northeast Brazil.

All spatial data used for the Mineral Resource and Mineral Reserve estimation are reported using a local grid based on SIRGAS (Geocentric Reference System for South America) 2000 (21S). The approximate coordinates of the mining area for the Capiranga Central, Mauari, São Francisco, Mutum and Santarém plateaus are 618,879mE and 9,721,768mN, and for the Nhamundá plateau are 521,657mE and 9,773,299mN. The relative location of the permits associated with the Juruti Bauxite Mine plateaus are illustrated below, highlighting the location of Nhamundá on the northern shore of the Amazon River.

Figure 3‑1: Juruti Location and Access (SLR, 2021)

 

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Figure 3‑2: Juruti Bauxite Mine Permits (Alcoa, 2021, adapted by SLR)

 


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4.2

Land Tenure

Mining and mineral rights in Brazil are regulated by the Mining Code, Decree 227, February 27, 1967 and further managed by the National Mining Agency, Agência Nacional de Mineração (ANM), established in place of the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM). All exploration and mining activity are managed by the ANM under the Mining Code, and subject to the permits.

Permits granted by the ANM principally fall into two categories:

 

Exploration Permit: available for application by individuals or companies established in Brazil, exploration permits are initially granted for three years, with the potential to apply for a second three-year term. On submittal of an approved Exploration Report, the holder is then granted one year to present a Mining Plan as a precursor to obtaining a Mining Concession. To be approved, the Exploration Report must sufficiently detail the data collected during exploration and include the results of a technical and economic study.

The application for exploration permit requires an application fee, and the submission by a registered geology or mining engineer professional. For retention of the Permit, the holder is required to pay an annual fee to the ANM, present / declare exploration expenditures on an annual basis, and pay a survey visit fee to ANM. During the period of tenue, the holder will also typically advise the ANM regarding ongoing exploration activities and commence landowner agreements and start environmental licensing.

 

Mining Concession: following submittal of a Mining Plan and a request for use of the proposed mining areas, a Mining Concession enables exploitation once the associated Environmental Permits / Licenses have been granted. Mining Concessions are not time bound but require mining activities to commence within 6 months from being granted.

Concession holders are required to submit annual mining reports (RAL) to ANM, pay compensation to landowners, in addition to Brazilian Mineral Royalty payments (Compensacao Financeira pela Exploracao de Recursos Minerais, or CFEM).

At Juruti, there are three continuous mining concessions with an aggregated 29,426 ha, where current Mineral Reserves are determined from the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus. It is however recognized that a small area of overlap exists between concessions 808.954/1975 and 850.010/1991 (visible in Figure 3‑ below) which reduces the total mining concession area to 29,410 ha.

In addition to the mining rights, there are thirteen requests for mining concessions, fourteen exploration permits, and two requests for exploration permits. The aggregated area for these permits is 197,866 ha. SLR is not aware of any other overlapping permits areas which may affect the total area of these permits. Two additional claim areas are reported by Alcoa to have been dropped (a total area of 15,344 ha).

 

Alcoa Corporation | SLR Project No:  425.01184.00071

Technical Report Summary - February 24, 20223-35


 

Table 3‑1 below provides a list of the currently held Mining Concessions and Exploration Permits held by Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda. (AWA), Alcoa’s entity in Brazil, or Matapu Sociedade de Mineraçao Ltda., a wholly owned subsidiary of AWA.

The operation licenses are divided into four areas and the latest versions are listed below:

 

Mining: operation license # 9638/2015; expired in December 2017 (renewal required in August 2017);

 

Beneficiation: operation license # 9636/2015; expired in December 2017 (renewal required in August 2017);

 

Railroad: operation license # 8995/2015; expired in January 2018 (renewal required in August 2017);

 

Port: operation license # 9273/2015; expired in May 2018 (renewal required in August 2017).

Alcoa has stated that all necessary mineral rights, licenses, and permits for Juruti are valid in accordance with the ANM’s requirements, including for the Capiranga Central, Mauari, São Francisco, Mutum, Nhamundá, and Santarém plateaus. The licenses and permits are currently being renewed with SEMAS/PA. According to the resolution CONAMA 237/97, the environmental license is still valid (even when expired) since the renewal applications were lodged 120 days before the expiration date.

The process is now being reviewed by the competent environmental agency, however, a lack of capacity at the national regulator is a significant issue hampering the issuing of renewals in a timely manner and as such SLR is not able to confirm the expected date of issue. Permitting aspects of the Juruti Bauxite Mine are discussed in more detail in Section 17.6 of this Technical Report Summary.

The mining operations at Juruti take place on third-party land, and in accordance with the Mining Concession requirements Alcoa has agreements in place with the respective landowners meaning there is no current need to purchase third-party land. This agreement forms a “mining easement”, which grants Alcoa access to the mining areas in exchange for compensation payments and as a result there are no other titles, claims, leases, or options applicable to the exploration or mining permit areas which may limit Alcoa’s rights.

 

 

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Table 3‑1: Juruti Mineral Rights

Mining Permits

Ownership

Area (ha)1

Protocol Date

Expiration Date (if applicable)

Current Phase

808.954/1975

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

9,945

01/10/1975

N/A

Mining Concession

850.010/1991

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

10,000

18/01/1991

N/A

Mining Concession

850.011/1991

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

9,481

18/01/1991

N/A

Mining Concession

Total Mining Concessions (ha)

29,4263

 

 

 

751.777/1996

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

2,792

29/10/1996

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.026/2001

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

10,000

16/02/2001

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.056/2003

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

2,232

17/02/2003

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.133/2006

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

884

17/03/2006

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.243/2002

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

8,122

29/10/2002

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.357/2001

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

9,102

21/09/2001

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.376/2003

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

5,583

18/08/2003

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.504/2000

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

9,597

17/10/2000

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.505/2000

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

8,175

17/10/2000

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.506/2000

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

10,000

17/10/2000

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.580/2003

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

3,996

10/11/2003

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.355/2001

Matapu Sociedade de Mineraçao Ltda.

9,739

21/09/2001

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

808.953/1975

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

3,824

01/10/1975

N/A

Economic Feasibility Submitted (Mining Requirement)

850.350/2010

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

8,750

07/05/2010

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.351/2010

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

211

07/05/2010

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)


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Mining Permits

Ownership

Area (ha)1

Protocol Date

Expiration Date (if applicable)

Current Phase

850.352/2010

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

382

07/05/2010

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.576/2017

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

8,661

13/07/2017

N/A

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.577/2017

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

5,394

13/07/2017

N/A

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.091/2020

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

8,997

31/01/2020

26/05/2023

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.968/2010

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

612

14/12/2010

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

880.112/2002

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

6,070

30/10/2002

N/A

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

880.113/2002

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

9,506

30/10/2002

N/A

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

880.116/2002

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

9,700

30/10/2002

N/A

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.335/2001

Matapu Sociedade de Mineraçao Ltda.

9,466

21/08/2001

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.336/2001

Matapu Sociedade de Mineraçao Ltda.

9,712

21/08/2001

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.337/2001

Matapu Sociedade de Mineraçao Ltda.

9,660

21/08/2001

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

850.338/2001

Matapu Sociedade de Mineraçao Ltda.

9,378

21/08/2001

19/12/2022

Claim area (Drilling program for final report)

880.114/2002

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

8,800

30/10/2002

N/A

Claim area not gazetted

880.115/2002

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

8,521

30/10/2002

N/A

Claim area not gazetted

Total Other (ha)

197,866

 

 

 

880.078/2003

Omnia Minérios S.A.

7,422

12/11/2003

N/A

Claim area dropped

880.017/2003

ALCOA World Alumina Brasil Ltda.

7,922

08/04/2003

N/A

Claim area dropped

Notes:

 

1.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

 

2.

Matapu Sociedade de Mineraçao Ltda is a wholly owned subsidiary of Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda

 

3.

Overlapping Mining Concessions 808.954/1975 and 850.010/1991 result in a true total Mining Concession area of 29,410 ha

 

 


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Figure 3‑3 illustrates the various concessions held by Alcoa in association with the Juruti Bauxite Mine. Figure 3‑4 also illustrates the Mining Concessions relative to the current boundaries of the Juruti Bauxite Mine.

Figure 3‑3: Juruti Block Permit Status (Alcoa, 2021)

 

Figure 3‑4: Juruti Bauxite Mine boundaries versus mining permits (Alcoa, 2022)

Figure 3‑5 below similarly illustrates the permit status in relation to the Nhamundá Block which is north of the Juruti Block on the opposite side of the Amazon River and adjacent to the Nhamundá River.

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Figure 3‑5: Nhamundá Block Permit Status (Alcoa, 2021)

4.3

Encumbrances

Pursuant to information obtained, Alcoa reports that there are no liens and encumbrances. Alcoa submits an Annual Environmental Report in compliance with the Juruti operating licenses and approvals. No significant compliance issues were identified in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 Annual Environmental Reports.

Despite previous issues reported with the local communities, these have since been resolved through Alcoa’s engagement. SLR was made aware of two environmental incidents which led to siltation of downstream watercourses in December 2020 and March 2021. A full environmental assessment was conducted in each case and the incidents were reported to the regulators. Alcoa has therefore demonstrated that the mine reports and addresses any non-compliance issues and incidents. SLR is not aware of any other violations and any fines incurred by Alcoa with respect to the Juruti Mine.

4.4

Royalties

Royalties paid by Alcoa with respect to the Juruti bauxite mine total 4.5% and include the Brazilian Mining Royalty (CFEM) payments of 3%, and landowner royalty payment of 1.5%.

4.5

Other Significant Factors and Risks

SLR is not aware of any environmental liabilities on the property. Alcoa has indicated that they hold all required permits to conduct the proposed work on the property, having lodged permit renewals 120 days prior to expiry as required by law for all approvals. Lack of capacity at the regulator is a significant issue hampering the formal issuance of renewals in a timely manner. SLR is not aware of any other significant

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factors and risks that may affect access, title, or the right or ability to perform the proposed work program on the property.

 

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5.0

Accessibility, Climate, Local Resources, Infrastructure and Physiography

5.1

Accessibility

As described in previous sections, the Juruti Bauxite Mine is located the west of Pará State approximately 55 km from the town of Juruti on the southern shore of the Amazon River and near the border with Amazonas State to the west. The Juruti mining area is connected to Juruti town and port facilities by a dedicated site road that joins to the PA-257 road near Juruti town, and a dedicated, private railway between the mining area and port.

There are very few major roads across the region and Juruti itself is generally only accessible by road from nearby villages on the same section of Amazon River before its junction with the Tapajós River from the south. The only major road in this area is the PA-257.

The nearest major city to Juruti is Santarém, approximately 160 km to the east which is only accessible by either boat (approximately 6 hours) or by air (approximately 1 hour) from Juruti Airport (JRT) to Santarém-Maestro Wilson Fonseca Airport (STM). National roads connect Santarém to the rest of Pará State including the port city of Belém on Brazil’s northern coast, approximately 1,400 km by road via the 230 and PA-151 roads.

5.2

Climate

The Juruti Bauxite Mine is located in the northern region of Brazil in the Amazon River catchment area which experiences one of the highest rainfall rates in the country. Rainfall and climate data is collected via a meteorological / weather station in Juruti (Figure 4‑1). Annual rainfall is typically highest in the months of February to April, averaging around 300 mm per month but ranging from 100 – 500 mm. The lowest rainfall is generally observed in the months of August to October averaging 50 – 100 mm but can be up to 200 mm per month.

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Figure 4‑1: Historical rainfall recorded by the Juruti meteorological station (Alcoa, 2021)

In line with annual variations in temperatures, evaporation rates also vary throughout the year which can influence the behavior of tailings disposal facilities and the quantity of water than can typically be recovered. Evaporation rates are generally highest in September to November and lowest in April and May.

Mining at Juruti operates 24 hours per day and 7 days per week. Therefore, mine operations take place year round.

5.3

Local Resources

While the Juruti Bauxite Mine is in a relatively remote location and largely inaccessible by road, the mine itself is well established having been in commercial operation since 2009. During this time, the resources, services, and facilities available in the town of Juruti have expanded significantly. The town is a short flight from Santarém which offers a greater range of local resources as required and is located on the Amazon River providing transport and logistics route to the wider Pará State.

5.4

Infrastructure

Infrastructure required for bauxite mining operations is well-established and available, the majority of which is located within the area of the Juruti Bauxite Mine, around 55 km south of the town of Juruti. The required infrastructure includes the following, with additional information provided in Section 15.0:

Rail siding and rail loading facilities for the transportation of ore and product

Bauxite beneficiation plant comprising ore crushing (primary and secondary) and washing (scrubbing, screening, cyclone separation, filtering) plants

Mine waste facilities including tailings thickening lagoons and tailings disposal ponds

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Stockpiles and material handling equipment including conveyors

Ancillary buildings including administrative and mine site offices, warehouses, laboratory, and workshops

Fuel station

Water supply system comprising water collection pumps installed on a raft in the Juruti Grande stream north on the mining infrastructure and plant area, and a water pipeline corridor of approximately 9 km. A portion of the water is also reclaimed from the tailings ponds and re-used by the beneficiation plant.

Power generation through Thermoelectric Units (UTE) under a power purchase agreement with Petrobras Distribuidora S.A. (Petrobras). Two units are located at the mine site and port, each supplying 13.8 kV into dedicated electrical substations. Power is distributed by overhead insulated transmission lines installed by Alcoa and downrated by secondary substations.

Surface water management and pumping systems, including a wastewater (effluent) treatment plant.

Off-site rail corridor connecting the mine to Juruti port and access road

Port facilities including rail siding, materials handling equipment/conveyors, and ship loader with capacity for 75,000-ton vessels.

There is a total of 485 Alcoa personnel employed at the Juruti Bauxite Mine. There is no on-site accommodation due to the proximity to Juruti town. The mine is also supported by additional Contractor personnel which are discussed in more detail in Section 13.9.

Juruti port and airport are considered critical for the transportation of materials, supplies, and personnel to the mine.

5.5

Physiography

The Juruti Bauxite Mine is located within the Amazon Sedimentary Basin and catchment area. The physiography of the project area is characterized by extensive plateaus which range from 70 to 190 m above sea level. Surface water within the mining area typically drains from these plateaus northwards towards the Juruti Grande stream.

Vegetation across the mining area is characterized as being within the Amazon rainforest, the world’s largest area of tropical rainforest with high floral and faunal diversity.

 

 

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6.0

History

6.1

Prior Ownership

Prior to acquisition by Alcoa in 2000, the Juruti mining area was previously under ownership of Pechiney S.A., a French exploration and development company, now known as Rio Tinto Alcan.

6.2

Exploration and Development History

Initial prospecting and exploration across the Juruti deposits were originally undertaken in 1972 and 1973 by previous owners. The first drilling of the deposit is known to have been completed by Reynolds Group Holdings.

Details of historical drilling procedures are limited to orientation (vertical) and drilling type (auger or well type).

The historical auger sampling method consisted of cutting through the lithologies with an auger-type shell, using a combination of rotational movements provided mechanically, and the downward vertical pressure/force exerted by the equipment. The overlying clays and the capping material were discarded next to the holes, after which sampling commenced.  Sampling was typically undertaken in small increments with the rate of penetration dependent on the competence / hardness of the underlying horizons. Each sample taken from the hole was placed on a plastic tarp and its length measured. Sampling was undertaken within each lithological horizon, with effort made to avoid sampling across horizon boundaries. As a result, sample sizes were known to be variable.

There is no information available for wells.

The Juruti project was later acquired by Alcoa in 2000 and following further exploration and technical evaluation, production commenced in 2009.

6.3

Past Production

The following Table 5‑1 provides a summary of the Run-of-Mine (RoM) production from the Juruti Bauxite Mine since 2014, in addition to a breakdown of the crushed, unwashed, and washed bauxite production. The washing plant mass recovery for each year is also included.

This past production data highlights the Juruti Bauxite Mine as a longstanding mining operation.

Table 5‑1: Past Production from Juruti Bauxite Mine 2014 – 20211 (Alcoa, 2021)

Year

RoM (t)

Crushed Bauxite (t)

Unwashed Bauxite (t)

Washed Bauxite Product (t)

Washing Plant Mass Recovery (%)

2014

6,412,807

6,412,807

-

4,773,862

74.00

2015

6,453,910

6,453,910

314,438

5,362,360

75.90

2016

7,363,186

6,146,474

1,216,712

4,670,847

76.10

2017

8,043,325

6,709,616

1,333,619

5,052,595

75.60

2018

8,451,754

7,500,427

951,328

5,678,137

75.64

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Year

RoM (t)

Crushed Bauxite (t)

Unwashed Bauxite (t)

Washed Bauxite Product (t)

Washing Plant Mass Recovery (%)

2019

8,726,203

7,557,043

1,078,118

5,850,453

75.28

2020

9,189,820

7,921,648

1,203,965

5,976,754

75.71

20211

9,032,457

8,029,004

956,705

6,044,409

74.88

Note:

 

1.

2021 production represents Actual and September forecasts

 

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7.0

Geological Setting, Mineralization, and Deposit

7.1

Regional Geology

The Juruti area is located in the lower part of the Amazonian basin, south of the Amazon River, between the Guyana and Brazilian Shields. Parent deposits which form the base of the bauxite sequence belong to the Alter-do-Chao Formation comprising continental sedimentary deposits that accumulated in a fluvial-lacustrine environment and consist of sandstones, siltstones, mudstones, and quartz breccias. Bauxites are known to have formed during intense lateritic alteration of the Cretaceous (145 to 66 Ma) siliciclastic parent deposits which is estimated to have occurred during the Eocene (56 to 34 Ma).

Cretaceous deposits were later covered by tropical soils as a product of root activity resulting in a kaolinitic and alumina-goethite deposited during flooding events in the Miocene (23 to 5 Ma). The regional geomorphology and geochemical composition of the bauxite deposits are also known to have been influenced by several secondary erosion and weathering events.

Figure 6‑1: Simplified Regional Geology of Eastern Amazon (adapted from Negrao, 2018)

7.2

Local Geology

The evolution of bauxite in this region is generally accepted to have occurred through a combination of intense weathering and geochemical alteration, leaching by meteoric waters, and accumulation of alumina and iron-rich horizons, in addition to periodic erosion and redeposition of upper horizons.

The lowermost horizon of the bauxitic deposits is comprised of clayey, silty, and sandy layers of a weathered clastic sediment which is related to the Cretaceous Alter-do-Chao Formation. These horizons form gently undulating plateaus ranging from 100 m to 170 m above the level of the Amazon, surrounded by drainage erosion channels. While these plateaus cover extensive areas both north and south of the Amazon, not all are bauxitic, despite being within the same geomorphological and climatic area on top of the same sedimentary formation, and many are characterized by thick accumulations of kaolinitic layers.

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The bauxitic plateaus can be characterized by five major horizons, often exhibiting gradational transitions through each, although sub-horizons are known to exist which have been historically classified through investigations of microfacies and microscopic textures.

Kaolinitic loose yellow clay, also referred to as Belterra Clay, typically seen as being homogenous with some small gibbsite and goethite and characterized as petrogenic from geochemical processes

Nodular horizon of gibbsitic and hematitic nodules, commonly embedded in yellow clay material, particularly near the base, with nodules gradually becoming smaller in size upwards in the horizon.

Indurated iron-rich horizon overlain by an indurated bauxite, typically grading from white and pink, to yellowish-red as gibbsite crystals gradually disappear with increasing hematite and kaolinite content, trending to yellow and pink near the top with increasing gibbsite

Kaolinitic mottled horizon, typically mottled white and pale red in color kaolinitic clays which commonly exhibits a gradational boundary with the underlying silty and sandy sediment horizon. The unit is generally between 5 m and 10 m thick, which towards the top has increasing gibbsite with common kaolinitic alternation and/or replacement.

Quartz-kaolinitic weathered clastic sediment horizon, composed of sandstones, siltstones, and mudstones originating from the regional Alter-do-Chao Formation.

These major horizons are illustrated in Figure 6‑2.

Figure 6‑2: Simple stratigraphic column of the Juruti bauxite plateau (SLR, 2022)

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The above horizons have been interpreted to have formed during three main episodes of weathering:

 

1.

Initial ferruginization of sediments creating a ferricrete which has been observed in soils across the Amazon basin area and formed from intense weathering of basal parent sediments

 

2.

Bauxitization by the formation of gibbsite crystals, forming massive bauxite horizons. The formation of bauxitic and non-bauxitic plateaus across the region has been attributed to the difference in kaolinite content of original parent material during this period of weathering.

 

3.

Intense silicification and geochemical processes resulting in the formation of kaolinitic clays on top of the original bauxite horizon

7.3

Property Geology

The detailed stratigraphy of the Juruti deposit based on extensive exploration drilling and detailed geological logging is comprised of, with increasing depth, a mottled clay horizon at the base topped with a massive bauxite layer, overlain by a ferricrete crust with hematite and gibbsite nodules, and an overlying yellow clay at surface (Table 6‑1). In comparison to their lateral extent over tens of kilometers, the overall thickness of the bauxite deposits is relatively thin.

Table 6‑1: Juruti deposit stratigraphy

Stratigraphic Horizon

Thickness range (m)

Description

Belterra (yellow) Clay

0 – 12

Homogenous and permeable kaolinite clay layer formed from chemical alteration

Nodular Bauxite

0 – 2

Discontinuous across the deposit, occurring as nodules of fine gibbsite crystals in a kaolinite matrix with increasing iron (hematite) content with depth. Horizon can be split into an upper, non-economic and lower, economic sub-horizon

Laterite

0 – 3

Low silica with varying color, hardness, texture, and iron (hematite) content

Massive Bauxite

0 – 6

Mainly gibbsite, hematite, and kaolinite, averaging 2 m thick, showing replacement of silica with hematite towards the top. Represents the primary mineralized horizon of economic interest.

Red Clay

-

Silty clay, rich in gibbsite, kaolinite, and hematite. Total depth not commonly proven in drilling across the deposit.

Alter-do-Chao Formation

-

Arkose sandstones, siltstones, and mudstones

 

Figure 6‑3 and Figure 6‑4 below illustrate cross sections through the geological models of the Capiranga Central and Maurai plateaus showing the major stratigraphic horizons described above.

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Figure 6‑3: Capiranga Central geological section. Vertical exageration: 10x (SLR, 2022)

 

 

Figure 6‑4: Mauari geological section. Vertical exageration: 10x (SLR, 2022).

7.4

Mineralization

Bauxite mineralization principally occurs as microcrystalline gibbsite (Al(OH)3), along with accessory minerals of hematite (Fe2O3), goethite (FeO(OH)), kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4), and anatase (TiO2). The mineralization of each of the stratigraphic horizons observed across the Juruti deposits are classified

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based on a combination of visual inspection during drilling and sampling, and the results of chemical analysis. The chemical compositions used to define each of the major horizons are shown in Table 62.

Table 6‑2: Chemical limits used to define each horizon

Lithological Domain

A.Al2O3

R.SiO2

Fe2O3

Yellow clay

-

-

-

Non-economic nodular bauxite

<45%

>8%

<20%

Economic nodular bauxite

≥45%

≤8%

≤20%

Laterite

<35%

-

>34%

Bauxite

≥35%

≤8%

≤34%

Red clay

-

>8%

-

Table 6‑3 below provides a summary of the stratigraphic horizons interpreted during exploration across each of the Juruti plateaus.

Table 6‑3: Summary of stratigraphic horizons within bauxite plateaus

Plateau

Description

Yellow clay

Non-economic nodular bauxite

Economic nodular bauxite

Laterite

Bauxite

Red clay1

Capiranga Central

Avg. Thickness (m)

10.32

0.98

1.56

1.80

2.23

2.17

Avg. Top Depth (m)

---

10.32

11.30

12.86

14.66

16.89

Mauari

Avg. Thickness (m)

11.61

0.96

0.95

1.48

2.39

1.27

Avg. Top Depth (m)

---

11.61

12.57

13.52

15

17.39

Mutum

Avg. Thickness (m)

8.57

1.51

---

1.63

2.90

1.15

Avg. Top Depth (m)

---

8.57

---

10.08

11.71

14.61

Nhamundá

Avg. Thickness (m)

5.53

1.55

---

1.50

3.98

0.84

Avg. Top Depth (m)

---

5.53

---

7.08

8.58

12.56

Santarém

Avg. Thickness (m)

11.84

1.04

---

1.81

2.53

1.43

Avg. Top Depth (m)

---

11.84

---

12.88

14.69

17.22

São Francisco

Avg. Thickness (m)

12.10

1.70

---

1.55

3.80

1.21

Avg. Top Depth (m)

---

12.1

---

13.8

15.35

19.15

 

Notes:

 

1.

The red clay thickness values are the length drilled in this lithotype, although given this unit it an indicator of the total depth of mineralization, drilling does not commonly define the total thickness of this lithotype.

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7.5

Deposit Types

Bauxite deposits, sedimentary deposits with economic concentrations of aluminum oxide, represent the world’s major source of aluminum and consist primarily as the minerals gibbsite (Al(OH3)), boehmite, and diaspore, and commonly found alongside iron oxide minerals including goethite and hematite, kaolinite clay minerals, and minor concentrations of titanium oxide minerals such as anatase and ilmenite.

Bauxite formation is widely known to occur through two main depositional mechanisms:

 

Lateritic bauxite: formed through intense chemical weathering and accumulation of residual and transported material on top of aluminosilicate-rich parent rocks. The Juruti deposit is classified as a lateritic bauxite deposit.

 

Karstic bauxite: formed on top of carbonate / paeleokarstic surfaces and karst depressions by the accumulation of aluminosilicate-rich clays at the time of chemical weathering and dissolution of carbonate rocks.

Lateritic bauxite deposits are generally associated with a tropical (hot and humid) environment which is a principal driver in the chemical weathering processes required. As a result, lateritic bauxite deposits are globally known to exist across Central and South America, West Africa, Central Asia, and Australia. Conversely, karstic bauxites more commonly occur at higher latitudes including Jamaica, Southern and Eastern Europe, Russia, and China.

 

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8.0

Exploration

8.1

Exploration

Limited details on regional and exploration drilling procedures conducted by previous operators are available.  SLR understands that the Nhamundá plateau is characterized by a combination of historical well and auger type drill holes and some recent AC holes completed by Alcoa. The Mutum, Santarém, and São Francisco plateaus are characterized using historical auger type drill holes.  

Alcoa exploration is focussed on initial mapping to define the extents of each plateau and follow up drilling at wide spacing to confirm mineralization. Prospective areas defined from this drilling are infilled in line with company objectives.

8.1.1

Alcoa Exploration

The primary means of exploration by Alcoa has been through AC drilling, in which drill cuttings are recovered as a sample through the injection of compressed air into the drill hole. This method is a common technique in unconsolidated ground, and the SLR QP is of the opinion that it is appropriate for use in the exploration of bauxite. Drilling is undertaken across several plateaus, the relative location of which are illustrated in Figure 7‑1. Since acquisition in 2000, exploration drilling by Alcoa has focused on Capiranga, Capiranga Central, Mauari, and Guaraná, and results have superseded the historical data.  

Figure 7‑1: Plateaus limits of the Juruti operation (Alcoa, 2022).

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8.2

Drilling

8.2.1

Drilling Summary

Drilling across the numerous plateaus that comprise the Juruti mining area was predominantly undertaken from 2007 to 2019; there has been no drilling in 2020 or 2021. A total of 3,146 drill holes for 50,628 m of drilling has been completed as shown in Table 7‑1.

Table 7‑1: Juruti drilling programs

Plateau

Year

No. of holes

Total Length (m)

Capiranga Central

2017

232

3,871.83

2018

509

8,429.91

2019

191

3,292.30

Total

932

15,594.04

Mauari

2014

114

1,826.15

2015

568

9,541.46

2016

174

2,656.13

Total

856

14,023.74

Mutum

2001

15

195.50

2002

165

1,934.90

2003

37

502.50

2007

77

1,202.50

2008

179

2,751.10

Total

473

6,586.50

Nhamundá

2004

4

        64.40

2005

31

     461.70

2006

16

     234.80

2008

14

     235.90

2009

161

  1,522.10

2010

58

     845.70

Total

284

  3,364.60

Santarém

2004

4

        64.40

2003

34

567.40

2005

30

521.80

2006

18

326.40

2007

86

1,535.10

Total

214

  3,689.10

São Francisco

2002

9

173.10

2003

39

733.70

2004

192

3,850.30

2006

126

2,281.60

2007

21

331.00

Total

387

7,369.70

Total

3,146

  50,627.68

 

Figure 7‑2 to Figure 7‑7 illustrate the distribution of drilling that has been undertaken across each of the Juruti bauxite plateaus included within the Mineral Resource estimate.

Figure 7‑2: Capiranga Central plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

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Figure 7‑3: Mauari plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

Figure 7‑4: Mutum plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

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Figure 7‑5: Nhamundá plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

 

Figure 7‑6: Santarém plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

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Figure 7‑7: São Francisco plateau drill hole distribution (SLR, 2022)

The data from the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus are from AC drilling. For Mutum, Santarém and São Francisco plateaus, the information used for the Mineral Resources are from auger drill holes. The Nhamundá plateau is supported by well, AC and auger information (Figure 7‑8).

Figure 7‑8: Drilling by type - Nhamundá plateau

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8.2.2

Drill Spacing

Initial exploration drilling campaigns are performed on an 800 m grid over the plateaus.  Prospective results are followed up with infill drilling campaigns of 400 m and finally 200 m grid spacing.  Plateaus are drilled to within 50 m of the plateau limits to be able to confirm mapped mineralization extents using drilling.  Alcoa plans to confirm mineralization in all plateaus using AC drilling over the next decade.  SLR supports this initiative.

In the months ahead of scheduled mining, Alcoa consolidates the drilling results on a 50 m by 100 m grid.  This drilling, called short-term drilling, is used to create a short-term model for mine planning and is not integrated into the long-term model.

For the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus, drill spacing has been mainly carried out on a regular grid pattern of 200 m by 200 m. In some specific locations, such as at the plateau limits or in the north part of the Capiranga Central plateau, the drill spacing increases to approximately 400 m by 400 m. The exploration plan is to have these plateaus completely drilled on 200 m by 200 m spacings during 2022.

For the Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém, and São Francisco plateaus, drill holes were completed by previous operators using auger type drilling and the drill hole spacing is variable. On the Mutum and São Francisco plateaus, which are the closest plateaus to the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus, areas may be characterized by drill hole spacings of 200 m by 200 m, 400 m by 400 m or 800 m by 800 m.  Alcoa plans to have these plateaus defined using AC drilling at a spacing of 200 m by 200 m by 2027.

Most drilling in the Santarém plateau is defined by an irregular drill hole grid ranging from closely spaced to 700 m up to 1,500 m. In the northwest region there is a small area with regular drill spacing of 400 m by 400 m. Alcoa plans to have this plateau defined using AC drilling at a spacing of 200 m by 200 m by 2029.

The Nhamundá plateau is located on the north side of Amazon River, 70 km in the northwest direction in a straight line from Juruti site, and is the furthest plateau from the Juruti site. The drilling in this plateau was carried out using a combination of wells, auger and AC holes, and the exploration plan is to have the entire plateau drilled using AC. The drill spacing is irregular however on average the drill hole spacing is 400 m by 400 m. In areas drilled by AC, the spacing is approximately 100 m by 100 m. The exploration plan is to have this area drilled to 200 m by 200 m spacing between 2030 and 2032.

8.2.3

Drilling Procedures

The following summary includes details of drilling procedures executed by Alcoa.  Details of historical drilling procedures is limited to orientation (vertical) and drilling type (auger or well type).

All holes completed by Alcoa across the plateaus have been drilled vertically and given the shallow nature of the deposit, no downhole surveys have been undertaken on any of the holes. Drilling is undertaken by external contractors and the drilling procedures are typically dictated by the material types being drilled; either unmineralized, superficial deposits or mineralized laterite deposits.

 

Unmineralized: overlying superficial clay deposits are commonly found to cap the underlying bauxite deposits. Drilling of this unconsolidated material is generally done using a large 8-inch diameter, high-pressure AC drill which can sufficiently recover material to the surface. No samples are taken from this horizon. The lower boundary of the horizon is typically identified by the presence of lateritic gravels comprising small rock fragments.

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Mineralized: following the removal of overlying clays and gravels, the drilling method is changed to coring with the use of an 8-inch outer and 6-inch inner diameter core barrel. Samples of the mineralized horizon are collected from the inner core barrel into PVC tubes. Each drill run is typically 1.15 m in length, with the material recovery recorded after each run. On completion of each run, individual sample intervals in PVC tubes are labelled with the drill hole number, sampled interval, top and bottom depth, and sealed with plastic caps to prevent the loss of sample material.

Figure 7‑9 shows an active exploration drill rig in the Juruti area during the SLR site visit.

Figure 7‑9: Photo of exploration drilling (SLR, 2021)

Samples are collected from the core barrel into plastic PVC tubes, sealed and labelled at both ends. Geological logging is undertaken by Alcoa’s on-site geologists and samples are prepared with the assistance of contracted technicians (Figure 7‑10). Samples are logged, weighed, and stored in sealed plastic bags each of which is clearly labelled and barcoded before being sent for assaying. All drill cores are photographed on completion.

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Figure 7‑10: Photo of sample logging and preparation facilities (SLR, 2021)

8.2.4

Drill Recovery

Each drill hole is evaluated for core / sample recovery after each run through the mineralized horizon. Sample recovery rates in excess of 95% through mineralized horizons are deemed to be acceptable, however, drill holes failing to meet this criterion are rejected. In these instances sample material is discarded, and the hole is re-drilled.

Drill runs typically range from 0.3 m to 1.15 m and are ultimately dictated by the core barrel capacity. After each run, the core barrel is checked to ensure no material / sample loss at the end of the run.

The SLR QP reviewed drill recovery data provided by Alcoa for 932 drill holes across the Capiranga Central plateau and 856 drill holes across the Mauri plateau and noted that recoveries were consistently above 95%. The SLR QP is of the opinion that this satisfies the acceptable limits required to demonstrate sample representativeness.

8.2.5

Lithological Logging

Sealed PVC tubes containing the unconsolidated material recovered during drilling are transported to the core logging facility where Alcoa geologists, engineers, technicians, and skilled assistants process the core.  The PVC tubes are arranged sequentially on purpose-built tables, and metal plates are placed between each tube to prevent physical contact of the samples upon tube opening.  In sequence, the PVC tubes are opened using two cuts of a circular saw with a dust collector, or a special knife, and the enclosed core lengths are measured, and any changes to the composition or volume of the clay material are noted.  

Once exposed, the samples are inspected by geologists, and a description is entered directly into a “Toughbook” within the acQuire™ workspace connected to the server.  Samples are logged with reference to a core library and secondary litho-types and relevant peculiarities are noted.  Color, structure, texture, interstices, and hardness are all recorded alongside the principal lithology.

All holes used for long term planning are photographed digitally and the hole name and interval recorded.

Core is broken along lithological boundaries using an electric hammer or chisel, and further separated into samples from 0.25 m to 0.50 m in length.  These samples are then bagged in plastic bags labelled with drill

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hole ID and interval and affixed with a barcode. Sample batches are driven to the onsite Juruti Mine laboratory for sample preparation and analysis and a requisition form is produced in acQuire.    

It is the QP’s opinion that there are no known drilling, sampling or recovery factors that could materially affect the accuracy and reliability of the results and that the results are suitable for use in the Mineral Resource estimation.

8.3

Topography

A Digital Terrain Model (DTM) for the Juruti mining area is based on survey / remote sensing data collected using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) by TecTerra Geotecnologias. This topography data is available in UTM coordinate system using the SIRGAS 2000 datum.

Drill hole collars have been surveyed by total station (within active mining areas) and Global Positioning System (GPS) (within exploration areas). For geological modelling, the LiDAR information was used in conjunction with the drill hole coordinates and elevations as follows:

 

LiDAR data (Capiranga Central and Mauari)

 

Total station, GPS, and SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission) elevation post processing (São Francisco, Mutum, and Santarém)

 

GPS and SRTM elevation post processing (Nhamundá)

8.4

Hydrogeology Data

No site-specific hydrogeological data is available; however, hydrogeological conditions do not influence the mining operations at Juruti.

8.5

Geotechnical Data

No site-specific geotechnical data is available however, as these deposits are shallow, the impact of geotechnical conditions on the mining operations at Juruti is considered minimal.

8.6

Planned Exploration

Alcoa has a robust exploration plan for the next ten years, aimed at improving the data quality and to support the mine operation, for the plateaus that have not yet been drilled by AC (Figure 7‑11 and Figure 7‑12). The plan covers the all the plateaus where Alcoa has mining permits and will replace the historical drilling information (auger and well) with more accurate drilling and sampling methodologies, including Mutum, Santarém, São Francisco and Nhamundá plateaus.

Table 7‑2 provides a summary of the number of holes, total meters and costs associated with the exploration plan between 2022 and 2032..

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the exploration plan is necessary and adequate to support the future mine operation, in addition to developing the mineral potential of the targets and increasing the predictability of the grades and tonnage.

 

 

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Figure 7‑11: Alcoa exploration plan from 2022 until 2029 (Alcoa, 2021).

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Figure 7‑12: Alcoa exploration plan from 2029 to 2032 (Alcoa, 2021).


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Table 7‑2: Number of holes, total meters and costs associated with the exploration plan (Alcoa, 2021).

Exploration plan - from 2022 to 2032

 

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

2027

2028

2029

2030

2031

2032

Total

No. holes

586

559

669

584

625

691

697

731

674

390

349

6,555

Meters

11,098

11,244

11,300

11,382

10,897

10,657

11,914

9,867

8,491

5,972

5,235

108,058

Costs (US$000)1

All costs

2,191

2,586

2,955

2,878

2,633

2,671

3,336

2,337

2,367

1,806

2,008

27,769

Notes:

 

1.

The values are in US$ considering the R$:US$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00

 

2.

The costs are approximate and include drilling, roads, fuel, and others.

 

 


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9.0

Sample Preparation, Analyses, and Security

9.1

Sample Preparation and Analysis

The following summary includes details of sample preparation and analytical procedures executed by Alcoa for the AC samples. For auger samples, a similar methodology was used, however the   technologies were simpler.   Details of historical procedures are unknown.

All sample preparation and chemical analysis are undertaken at Alcoa’s onsite laboratory, the “Juruti Mine Lab”. The Juruti Mine Lab is not independent of Alcoa and is not accredited with or certified by a national or international organization for quality management or relevant analytical procedures.

The acQuire™ system in place for drill hole database management is integrated with the Juruti Mine laboratories’ Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS).  While the system integration allows for seamless nomenclature and recording of analytical results, the identification of inserted quality management samples is blind to laboratory personnel.

9.1.1

Sample Preparation

Samples are initially crushed then homogenized then split into two equal samples. Each duplicate sample is sealed in a plastic bag and labelled before being transported to the on-site laboratory. At this stage, each sample is weighed to allow for future determination of density.

Samples are initially divided into three:

Used for a wet sieving process where it is separated into +20 and +400 mesh (#) particle sizes before being sent for chemical analysis. The mass recovery of each size fraction is calculated through comparison to the initial sample mass.

Chemical analysis of the raw / crude sample material.

Used for moisture calculation then stored.

The remaining duplicate sample, and the recovered material from wet sieving are retained on site and stored in sealed plastic bags for future use as required.

Figure 8‑1 below illustrates the complete sample preparation flowsheet including the several stages of sample weighing, crushing, homogenizing, and splitting.


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Figure 8‑1: AC sample preparation flowsheet (SRK, 2019).

Although a 20 mesh screen is being used for the sample preparation, the plant process uses a 14 mesh screen. The SLR QP is of the opinion that for the new plateaus to be drilled with AC, the internal laboratory should use a 14 mesh screen to align the process with the plant, and that the bias generated due the different screens is not material to the Mineral Resources, given that the smallest screen used is the same for both, and the A.Al2O3 and R.SiO2 is reported with all the material with a granulometry greater than 200 mesh.

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9.1.2

Chemical Analysis

The principal chemical analysis is made by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and approximately 10% of the samples are re-analyzed, as reference samples, by titration for available alumina and atomic absorption for reactive silica.

The chemical analysis undertaken on each sample are:

 

Aluminum oxide Al2O3 (total and available)

 

Silica SiO2 (total and reactive)

 

Titanium dioxide TiO2 (total)

 

Iron oxide (hematite) Fe2O3 (total)

 

Loss on Ignition (LOI)

The analytical methods are summarized in Table 8‑1.

Table 8‑1: Analytical methods used

Analytical Method

Analysis

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR)

Total Alumina: RMSEV = 0.891.37; RMSEC = 1.19; DL = 0.07

A.Al2O3: RMSEV = 0.901.63; RMSEC = 1.36; DL = 0.1

Total Silica: RMSEV = 0.690.81; RMSEC = 0.66; DL = 0.1

R.SiO2: RMSEV = 0.460.77; RMSEC = 0.54, DL = 0.04

Iron: RMSEV = 1.331.96; RMSEC = 1.75, DL = 0.13

Titania: RMSEV = 0.210.32, RMSEC = 0.15; DL = 0.01

LOI: RMSEV = 0.590.89; RMSEC = 0.64; DL = 0.05

Zinc Titration

A.Al2O3 (%error = 0.70; S = 0.45)

X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy

Total Alumina (%error = 1.14; S = 0.81)

Total Silica (%error = 2.35; S = 0.13)

Iron (%error = 0.94; S = 0.14)

Titania (%error = 3.05; S = 0.05)

Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP)

R.SiO2 (%error = 0.35; S = 0.04)

Atomic Absorption

R.SiO2 (%error = 0.29; S = 0.12)

Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA)

Loss Ignition (%error = 0.05; S = 0.05)

Notes:

 

1.

RMSEV: Root Mean Square Error of Validation

 

2.

RMSEC: Root Mean Square Error of Calibration

 

3.

DL: Detection Limit

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9.1.3

Density Determinations

Density is determined for each drill core sample and for each material type recovered, including Nodular Bauxite, Laterite, Bauxite, and Red Clay. The method for determining sample density is based on calculating the volume of each individually sealed PVC tube of known diameter (5.6-inch).

Samples are initially weighed prior to being sent to the laboratory, after which the moisture content of each sample is also calculated. The percentage recovery of each sample is measured in the field after each drilling run, that corresponds to approximately 1.15 m, through a visual inspection.  The volume of the samples are measured according to the run length and the PVC tube diameter, which is 5.6 inches.

Dry density is then calculated, expressed in g/cm3, using the following equation which is run as an internal script within the exploration acQuire™ database software:

The calculation is done through an automated process and stored in an acQuire™ database.

The density values are approximately 1.30 g/cm3 for all the layers, except for the laterite layer that shows higher values due the higher iron content. Table 8‑2 below provides summary statistics of the density data from the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus. A default / blanket density value of 1.30 g/cm3 is used for the other plateaus.

Table 8‑2: Summary of density data statistics by plateau

Plateau

Lithology1

No. Samples

Min

Max

Mean

Std. Dev.

CV.

Capiranga Central

Nodular Bauxite (waste)

656

0.800

1.860

1.297

0.162

0.125

Nodular Bauxite (ore)

591

0.870

1.690

1.303

0.133

0.102

Laterite

4,121

0.280

2.400

1.544

0.194

0.125

Bauxite

4,475

0.550

2.390

1.298

0.199

0.153

Red Clay

4,918

0.600

2.500

1.332

0.170

0.127

Mauari

Nodular Bauxite (waste)

326

0.770

2.020

1.241

0.149

0.120

Nodular Bauxite (ore)

25

1.090

1.610

1.271

0.130

0.102

Laterite

2,802

0.800

2.180

1.492

0.198

0.133

Bauxite

4,098

0.650

2.140

1.290

0.172

0.133

Red Clay

1,752

0.710

2.110

1.330

0.174

0.131

Notes:

 

1.

Nodular Bauxite (waste) = high clay content and Nodular Bauxite (ore) = low clay content

9.1.4

Sample Storage and Archiving

Following chemical analysis, all pulverized, and selected coarse fraction samples are stored onsite in sheds and their locations are recorded within the LIMS systems.  The disposal of long-term drilling samples

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representing exhausted, non-prospective, or non-Mineral Resource areas is performed following strict criteria and digital archive protocol.  Short-term drilling samples are discarded once the area they delineated is fully exhausted.

9.2

Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Quality Assurance (QA) consists of evidence that the assay data has been prepared to a degree of precision and accuracy within generally accepted limits for the sampling and analytical method(s) to support its use in a resource estimate.  Quality Control (QC) consists of procedures used to ensure that an adequate level of quality is maintained in the process of collecting, preparing, and assaying the exploration drilling samples.  In general, QA/QC programs are designed to prevent or detect contamination and allow assaying (analytical), precision (repeatability), and accuracy to be quantified.  In addition, a QA/QC program can disclose the overall sampling-assaying variability of the sampling method itself.

9.2.1

QA/QC Protocols

The following QA/QC protocols were initially implemented by Alcoa in 2013, and further developed and refined in subsequent years.  Drilling campaigns supported by QA/QC results include those conducted on the Capiranga, Capiranga Central, Guaraná, and Mauari plateaus. Currently, the inclusion of QA/QC samples are limited to exploration drilling campaigns.

Current procedures are documented in QAQC System Management - Rev 001.005 (Alcoa, 2018).  The QA/QC program is managed by the Alcoa geology department, is blind to the Juruti Mine Lab and for each batch of approximately 26 samples submitted to the laboratory currently includes:

 

Two duplicate samples (representing either coarse or pulp duplicates at the discretion of the geologist), with at least one sample of bauxite, and,

 

Three of a possible six custom reference material samples prepared using Juruti bauxite material, representing low, medium, and high-grade bauxite.

Sample batches of less than thirteen samples are to include one duplicate and two reference samples. In 2019, acceptance criteria for individual batches were developed by Alcoa and dictate that a batch will be rejected if two or more of the included QA/QC samples report outside acceptable limits for available alumina and reactive silica:

 

More than 10% difference when compared to the reference material expected value, or

 

More than 10% difference to the original sample value.

If a batch does not pass this acceptance criteria, it is repeated in full.  These criteria and protocol continue to be reviewed by Alcoa. Prior to 2019, results were monitored without specific short-term actions associated with performance.

In addition to samples submitted to the primary laboratory, selected pulp duplicate samples from the Central plateau are submitted to a secondary laboratory, SGS Geosol Laboratorios Ltda (SGS), to monitor bias at the Juruti Mine Lab at a rate of 1 in 20 samples (5%), with the reference material samples. SGS Geosol is an independent laboratory based in Brazil as a joint venture between SGS Brazil and Geosol Geologia e Sondagens. SGS Geosol is certified according to the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT) Brazilian National Standard (NBR) ISO 9001:2015 for chemical and geochemical analyses and by

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ABS Quality Evaluation INC (United States) which is accredited by the National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality (INMETRO) in Brazil.

The most recent analysis of laboratory performance was completed in partnership with VCE Consultoria Mineral (VCE), a Brazilian based mining consulting firm (VCE, 2019), and with focus on available alumina and reactive silica results from the Capiranga, Capiranga Central, Mauari, and Guaraná plateaus.  

SLR reviewed the QA/QC analysis completed by VCE and has summarized the results in the succeeding sections.  SLR focused their review on Capiranga Central (2017, 2018) and Mauari (2014 to 2016) sample results, as the almost exhausted plateaus Capiranga and Guaraná are not currently included as Mineral Resources or Mineral Reserves at the Juruti Mine.

9.2.2

Duplicate Samples

QA/QC protocols at the Juruti Mine stipulate the inclusion of pulp and coarse duplicate sample monitoring.  These duplicates help to monitor preparation, assay precision, and grade variability as a function of sample homogenization and laboratory error at different stages of the preparation process (crushing and pulverizing). Coarse and pulp duplicate samples were collated by plateau and graphed by VCE (2019) in the following ways:  

 

Half Average Relative Difference (HARD) versus cumulative frequency. This chart provides a good visual assessment of how many sample pairs have a HARD value above 10% (paired samples with HARD values above 10% may indicate lower precision of those pairs).

 

ABS (HARD) by batch. This is the absolute HARD value related to batches and is reviewed with a tolerance limit of 10%.

 

Mean versus ABS (HARD). This chart may indicate grade ranges in which there are more discrepant sample pairs.

 

Scatter plot of the original and duplicate samples.

SLR reviewed the graphs prepared by VCE and has replicated a selection of the graphs below to support SLR’s analysis of the results.

Figure 8‑2 compares HARD values for crushed and pulp duplicate pairs of available alumina and reactive silica results against cumulative frequency at the Capiranga Central plateau.  A total of approximately 80% and 90% of crushed and pulp duplicate pairs of available alumina results, respectively, report HARD values of 10% or less, representing good and very good repeatability for the crushed and pulp duplicate sample pairs.  Poorer repeatability is observed for reactive silica duplicate pair results where approximately 30% and 75% of crushed and pulp duplicate pairs, respectively, report HARD values of 10% or less.  

Similar findings are observed in scatter plots of the results (not shown) where pulp sample pairs have better precision than coarse sample pairs for both analytes, and available alumina results show better precision than reactive silica results.  Precision was sometimes observed to have worse performance at low reactive silica (below 5%) and available alumina (below 40%) grade ranges, did not appear to follow temporal trends, and no bias was observed.

Similar findings (not shown) were observed in the graphs prepared by VCE for the other plateaus, including Mauari.

The results point towards low precision in the reactive silica and SLR recommends the geology team works with the Juruti Mine laboratory to investigate and improve performance.  SLR notes that many of the

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QA/QC results are outside of the current accepted tolerance limits and recommends Alcoa first work towards improved precision at the laboratory, through a combination of umpire laboratory tests, and collaboration with the Juruti Mine laboratory team to review and improve the preparation and analytical procedures in place, and to then modify tolerance limits to reference achievable precision.  

 

 

A.Al2O3Crushed Duplicate Pairs

R.SiO2 Crushed Duplicate Pairs

A.Al2O3Pulp Duplicate Pairs

R.SiO2 Pulp Duplicate Pairs

Figure 8‑2: Capiranga Central Duplicate Pairs Plots of HARD vs Accumulated Frequency (modified from VCE, 2019)

9.2.3

Standard Samples

Results of the regular submission of reference material (standards) are used to identify issues with specific sample batches, and biases associated with the primary assay laboratory (Juruti Mine Laboratory).  Results of the standards were plotted in control charts, and failure rates, defined as a value reporting more than 10% from the expected value, were reviewed.

Expected values and accepted value ranges for reference material in place at Juruti Mine are listed in Table 8‑3 for available alumina (A.Al2O3) and reactive silica (R.SiO2).  

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Table 8‑3: Expected Values and Ranges of Reference Material (Standards)

Standard

Parameter

Value

Std. Deviation

Minimum acceptable

Maximum acceptable

ITAK-1015

A.Al2O3

42.210

0.370

41.100

43.320

ITAK-1015

R.SiO2

5.400

0.150

4.950

5.850

ITAK-1016

A.Al2O3

43.270

0.580

41.530

45.010

ITAK-1016

R.SiO2

4.574

0.112

4.238

4.910

ITAK-1017

A.Al2O3

49.960

0.960

47.080

52.840

ITAK-1017

R.SiO2

2.370

0.100

2.070

2.670

ITAK-1018

A.Al2O3

39.270

0.440

37.950

40.590

ITAK-1018

R.SiO2

5.080

0.130

4.690

5.470

ITAK-1019

A.Al2O3

45.650

0.410

44.420

46.880

ITAK-1019

R.SiO2

6.180

0.220

5.520

6.840

ITAK-1020

A.Al2O3

50.200

0.320

49.240

51.160

ITAK-1020

R.SiO2

4.390

0.110

4.060

4.720

 

Control charts of A.Al2O3 and R.SiO2 standards at Capiranga Central, representing drilling campaigns in 2017 and 2018 were prepared by VCE and are reproduced in Figure 8‑3.  Each chart has a small number of isolated values far outside of the accepted range and show a slight to strong positive bias for both available alumina and reactive silica.  SLR agrees with VCE’s assessment that out-of-range values most likely represent sample mix-ups.  

Reactive silica in standards ITAK (Brazilian chemical laboratory) 1016 and ITAK 1017 shows lower precision (more scatter) and a very high and consistent bias, more often than not above the accepted value range. Similar results were observed in control charts of Capiranga (2013-2017, 2019), and Mauari (2014-2016), which used standards ITAK-1018, ITAK-1019, and ITAK-1020 (results not shown).  In all cases, reactive silica results were more erratic and likely to be outside acceptable value ranges.  

VCE did not plot the results of reference material sent to SGS, and SLR recommends reviewing these results in the context of SGS performance.  If a similar bias were to be present at SGS, SLR recommends testing samples at a tertiary laboratory and explore adjusting the expected value and acceptable range based on those findings.  If no bias was observed in reference material at SGS or the tertiary laboratory, SLR recommends working with the primary laboratory to resolve the bias.  SLR also recommends following up possible sample mix-ups in a timely manner and working with the laboratory to identity and resolve the lower precision observed in the low reactive silica standard results.

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ITAK 1015 A.Al2O3 (low)

ITAK 1015 R.SiO2 (high)

ITAK 1016 A.Al2O3 (moderate)

ITAK 1016 R.SiO2 (moderate)

ITAK 1017 A.Al2O3 (high)

ITAK 1017 R.SiO2 (low)

Figure 8‑3: Control charts of available alumina and reactive silica standards at Capiranga Central (2017 and 2018) (modified from VCE, 2019)

9.2.4

External Lab Check Assays

Submitting assays to a secondary laboratory helps to monitor bias at the primary laboratory.  The primary laboratory is the internal Juruti Mine Laboratory, owned and operated by Alcoa, while the secondary laboratory is SGS Geosol Laboratório Ltda, located in Minas Gerais state in Brazil, which is a certified

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laboratory for quality management and analytical techniques (ISO 14001-2015, ISO 9001-2015, ISO 17025 and ISO17025), independent of Alcoa.  

Plots of HARD vs cumulative frequency (CF) and scatter plots of original and duplicate samples for both available alumina and reactive silica from the Capiranga Central plateau are shown in Figure 8‑4.

A.Al2O3 Check Assays HARD/CF Plot

R.SiO2 Check Assays HARD/CF Plot

A.Al2O3 Check Assay Scatter Plot

R.SiO2 Check Assay Scatter Plot

Figure 8‑4: Comparison of original and check assay results available alumina and reactive silica at Capiranga Central (modified from VCE, 2019).

In conflict with observations from the standard sample results, which show a high bias of available alumina and reactive silica, the check assay results point towards a slight low bias at the primary laboratory.  Results of submitted reference samples were not available to review, but SLR recommends reviewing reference sample performance of SGS submitted samples in this context. Results also show poor sample precision: approximately 30% of available alumina and 50% of reactive silica check assay pairs plot outside the acceptable tolerance limit of 10% HARD.

9.3

Sample Security

Alcoa uses acQuire™ software to manage all aspects of the drill hole database and acQuire™ is fully integrated between the Alcoa geology and laboratory departments. The information is entered into acQuire™ using direct entry by logging geologists and technical support team, through a combination of tables, bar codes, and digital scales.  These procedures limit the potential for manual interference or data entry errors. Figure 8‑5 shows the bar codes and digital scales in the core logging facility.

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Figure 8‑5:Bar codes and digital scale used in the sampling procedure.

9.4

Conclusions

The SLR QP makes the following conclusions with respect to the sample collection, preparation, analysis, and security, as well as the QA/QC measures in place at Juruti and supporting Alcoa’s drilling and sampling programs covering the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus:

 

Exploration sampling, preparation, and analyses are appropriate for the style of mineralization and are sufficient to support the estimation of Mineral Resources.

 

The analytical procedures used for the Alcoa Mineral Resource comprise part of conventional industry practice.  FTIR is not widely used yet in the bauxite industry but is becoming more widely accepted and applied to more operations. At Alcoa the method has been consistently applied successfully for a decade.

 

Sample and data security are consistent with industry best practice.

 

There is potentially a long-standing high bias in both reactive silica and available alumina analytical sample results at the primary laboratory, supported by the results of the reference sample analysis.  This observation is not consistent with observed results of the check assay program and additional analysis is required to confirm the bias.

 

Coarse and pulp duplicate pairs of reactive silica are currently not meeting the acceptance criteria designed by Alcoa.

 

Both available alumina and reactive silica check assay samples show poor precision between the Juruti Mine laboratory and secondary laboratory, SGS.

 

The QA/QC program as implemented by Alcoa has been helpful to identify problems with the primary analytical laboratory.  It is unclear whether the results of the QA/QC program are being used by Alcoa to support investigations and to improve procedures and results.

The SLR QP is not aware of what QA/QC work was completed by Alcoa to confirm the historical drilling results supporting the Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém, and São Francisco plateaus. A comparison between auger and AC drill holes was however completed by Alcoa, as discussed in Section 9.1.

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9.5

Recommendations

The QP makes the following recommendations with respect to the sample collection, preparation, analysis, and security, as well as the QA/QC measures in place at Juruti Mine:

 

Develop a robust monthly QA/QC report, which includes a summary of performance and related actions to improve results as needed.  Plot results in temporal context and cross compare results across different plateaus and QA/QC sample types to confirm findings.  Create and implement an action plan to improve laboratory performance.

 

Develop and implement a robust QA/QC program for short term drill holes.

 

Develop a check assay protocol in which identical analytical procedures are used across laboratories.

 

Re-evaluate the observed high bias of all standards in the context of reference material analyzed at secondary laboratory SGS.  If a similar bias is present in reference material samples submitted to SGS, test samples at a tertiary laboratory and explore adjusting the expected value and acceptable range based on all findings.  If no bias is observed in reference material at SGS or the tertiary laboratory, work with the primary laboratory to resolve the bias.  

 

Follow up possible sample mix-ups in a timely manner and monitor QA/QC results on a monthly basis.

 

Investigate and resolve the reason for the lower precision observed in the low reactive silica standard results.

 

Work with Juruti Mine laboratory and SGS to improve precision of coarse and pulp duplicate sample pairs.

 

Work towards Brazilian and/or international accreditation for quality management (such as ISO 9001) and analytical techniques (such as ISO 17025 or ISO 14000) at the onsite Juruti Mine laboratory.  

 

Adopt in the physical laboratory the #14 mesh screen, for the new plateaus chemical analysis, to reproduce the plant process.

 

In the opinion of the QP, the sample preparation, security, and analytical procedures are adequate for the purposes of Mineral Resource estimation.

 

 

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10.0

Data Verification

10.1

Alcoa Verification Work

10.1.1

Verification of Historical Data

The acQuire system management was initially implemented as the official database at Juruti in 2011, however the data began to be migrated in 2014 and 2015. Before the acQuire implementation the database was managed through MS Excel and MS Access and the drill log information was typed. The historical data from Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém and São Francisco plateaus are currently in the migration process, and the actual drilling data is being managed in acQuire system.

For the data that was already migrated to acQuire some check and validations were taken, such as a visual validation comparing logs and the database information, the sum of the oxides (ATG, STG, FEG, TIG and PPG) was calculated and validated, and other Excel tools were used for validation procedures.

Regarding with the accuracy and precision of the assays, the historical data do not have QA/QC, and the Alcoa staff conducted a study comparing AC and auger samples to identify and quantify the differences.

SLR received the chemical analysis certificates of the historical data for Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém and São Francisco plateaus, signed by the technical responsible person from the laboratory, and reviewed the comparison made by Alcoa staff. The results are summarized below.

10.1.2

Comparison of Auger and Air Core Drilling Results

To quantify the difference between AC and auger samples, Alcoa staff developed a study in the Mauari plateau and generate two scenarios, one using only AC samples and another one using only auger samples. As the Mauari plateau does not have twin holes (Figure 9‑1: Mauari plateau with AC drill holes and historical data - well and auger (SLR, 2022).), the study was based on ordinary kriging (OK) results.

Figure 9‑1: Mauari plateau with AC drill holes and historical data - well and auger (SLR, 2022).

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In the most part of the plateau the AC and auger distribution are almost in the same regions, with a few exceptions in the southeast. The results obtained by Alcoa are shown in Table 9‑1 and demonstrates that there is a material difference for R.SiO2 and Global Mass Recovery (RCG) of 17 and 21% respectively.

Table 9‑1: Results from ordinary kriging for AC and auger samples (SLR, 2021).

 

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

RCG (%)

AC

46.88

4.11

72.73

Auger

46.37

3.51

59.97

Difference

1%

17%

21%

Alcoa staff state that there is a tendency to generate fines in auger drilling, as the RCG is much smaller (59.97%) against AC drill holes (72.73%). Furthermore, the R.SiO2 grade is underestimated using auger samples, again due to the fines generation when compared with AC.

No more information was sent regarding this study.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that Alcoa must develop a statistic and geostatistical study with twin holes (not more than one meter from the original auger or well), to calculate the real bias between methodologies for all the plateaus where the samples are from auger or wells. After that the QP can define correction factors or penalties for the biased variables.  

10.2

SLR Site Verification Procedures

The SLR QP visited the Juruti Bauxite Mine from October 18 to October 21, 2021.  While on site, SLR held discussions with site personnel, visited an active mining area on the Capiranga Central plateau, an active exploration drill site at Mutum, and the drill core handling and storage facilities.  The SLR QP reviewed previously selected drill hole intercepts within several drill holes at each deposit and compared them against recorded lithology logging and assay results.  In addition, the SLR QP reviewed data collection, handling, storage, security, and QA/QC procedures. The SLR QP also visited the Juruti Mine Laboratory, including both the preparation and analysis locations, and reviewed sample processing and analytical procedures.

The SLR QP regards the geological and mineralization interpretations used to support Mineral Resource estimation consistent with the observed rock exposure and drill core, and the Alcoa geologists to have a good understanding of the geology and mineralization.

10.3

SLR Audit of the Drill Hole Database

Historical and Alcoa collected drill hole data was reviewed by SLR through several software-based validation routines to identify gaps, overlaps, anomalous or impossible values, duplicated information, and typos. The database showed good consistency and only eight missing intervals in Capiranga Central database and eleven missing intervals in Mauari were identified. These missing intervals have no material impact in the Mineral Resources estimate.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that database verification procedures for the Juruti site comply with industry standards and are adequate for the purposes of Mineral Resource estimation and for inclusion in the Technical Report Summary.

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11.0

Mineral Processing and Metallurgical Testing

The Juruti Bauxite Mine’s processing plant has been in operation since 2009 and uses a simple comminution and washing circuit to produce washed bauxite for shipping along with the unwashed bauxite (direct shipping or ore). The primary processing involved in this plant is removal of silt and clay (fine particles) from the ore and includes crushing, washing and wet screening.

11.1

Metallurgical test work

 

Metallurgical test work was completed on the samples collected from the Juruti project in two independent commercial laboratories in two separate programs:

 

2002 – JKTech, Australia

 

2007 - HDA Servicos S/C Ltda, Brazil

SLR understands that these laboratories have no association with Alcoa other than the commercial contract to complete the test work. SLR notes that these laboratories have good reputations in the mineral process industry and operate according to best practices, however, it is not known if they were certified by any standards association at the time of the test work.

The objective of the test work programs was to establish the comminution design parameters for use in the process plant design. Both test work programs have included the determination of the Bond ball mill work index (BWI) and Bond rod mill work index (RWI).

11.2

Test work samples

JKTech received nine samples representing three zones from three sample pits identified as Capiranga (Pit A), Guaraná (Pit B) and Mauari (Pit C). The three zones were identified as Massive bauxite, Transition bauxite and Ferruginous laterite. The samples were washed and screened in the lab to remove the -38µm fraction.

HDA Serviocs has received a single sample composed of three different size fractions (trommel oversize, +8 mm and +1.5 mm) in five separate bags. The contents of all five bags were homogenized in a single pile and then sub samples were obtained for test work.

SLR is unable to verify the source of these samples but is of the opinion that those samples were representative of the Juruti project mineralization at that time.

11.3

Comminution test work

JKTech completed the BWI and RWI determinations on washed +38 material. The closing screen sizes were 1.18 mm for the RWI and 300 µm for the BWI. The JKTech results are summarized in Table 10‑1.

HDA Serviocs completed the BWI determinations with three different closing screen sizes with the aim of generating a final product at P80=0.15 mm. The RWI determinations were conducted in two different closing screen sizes with the aim of generating a final product at P80= 0.70 mm. The HDA Servicos results are summarized in Table 10‑2 below.

 

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Table 10‑1: JKTech comminution results (JKTech, 2002)

Sample Pit

Sample zone

Bond work index (kWh/t)

RWI

BWI

Capiranga (Pit A)

Massive Bauxite

9.26

11

Transition Bauxite

10.2

10.5

Ferruginous Bauxite

10.2

10.6

Guaraná (Pit B)

Massive Bauxite

10.5

11

Transition Bauxite

10.1

10.1

Ferruginous Bauxite

10.1

10.1

Mauari (Pit C)

Massive Bauxite

10.3

8.69

Transition Bauxite

9.22

9.07

Ferruginous Bauxite

10.1

10.3

 

Table 10‑2: HDA Servicos comminution results (HDA Servicos, 2007)

Closing screen size (mm)

Bond work index (kWh/t)

RWI

BWI

1.190

9.78

-

1.190

9.68

-

0.840

9.12

-

0.425

-

9.5

0.300

-

10.1

0.212

-

9.1

 

The test work results shown in Table 10‑1 and

Table 10‑2 indicate that the ore is moderately hard and can be ground to the required product sizes without any challenges.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the data derived from testing activities described above is adequate for the purpose of this TRS because the mine has operated since 2009. Further, the process flowsheet is straightforward and includes comminution and washing circuits alone. It is important to note that such a simple flowsheet design does not need significant test work inputs other than the comminution results. The comminution results can be used for the initial mill sizing and ongoing benchmarking exercises.

The SLR QP notes that the test work included only the comminution test work and was not related to recovery predictions. However, the plant has been operating for more than 10 years and consistent

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operating data is available to support the plant recoveries and product grades. The operating data demonstrates that the recovery of 75% with a final product specification having 47.5% of available alumina content (A.Al2O3) and 4.1% of reactive silica (R.SiO2) content is achieved consistently in the plant. This means the product has consistently met refinery specifications without any deleterious elements. Based on this, and the additional information about the mine plan provided by Alcoa, it is reasonable to assume that the ore from Juruti operations can be economically processed for the next 10 years.

 

 

 

 

 

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12.0

Mineral Resource Estimates

12.1

Summary

The Mineral Resource estimate for the Juruti Bauxite Mine, as of December 31, 2021, was completed by the Alcoa’s Brazil staff and audited and adopted by SLR.  Mineral Resources estimated are based on the following drill hole information for each plateau:

932 AC drill holes totalling 15,594 m at Capiranga Central,

856 AC drill holes totalling 14,023 m at Mauari,

473, 214, and 387 auger drill holes at Mutum, Santarém, and São Francisco, respectively, for a total of 13,964 m, and

284 auger, well, and AC drill holes at Nhamundá for a total of 3,966 m.

Mineralization domains representing plateau stratigraphy are defined using interval lithology classifications based on chemical ranges were created using GeoLogic™ software. Block model estimates for six discrete areas were completed within Isatis™ software, using 0.5 m top and bottom cut composites and ordinary kriging (OK) in a four-pass approach which used increasingly larger search ellipses and relaxed composite criteria within regular block models of 50 m x 50 m x 0.5 m.  

Mineral Resources were classified in accordance with the definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 1300.  Class assignment was based on Risk Index (RI) criteria, which involved assigning blocks a RI based on uncertainty related to ore zone volume, grades, and metal content and estimated using indicator kriging and conditional simulation techniques.  Some post processing of classification assignment was performed to remove isolated and fringe blocks.  The Mutum, Santarém, and São Francisco plateaus were restricted to a classification of Indicated Resources and Inferred Resources to account for both the wider spacing of drill holes and lower quality sample information captured from well and auger drill holes. The Nhamundá plateau is limited to a classification of Inferred to account for both the wider spacing of drill holes and lower quality sample information captured from auger and well drill holes.

Wireframe and block model validation procedures including wireframe to block volume confirmation, statistical comparisons with composite and nearest neighbor (NN) estimates, swath plots, visual reviews in 3D, cross section, and plan views, as well as cross software reporting confirmation in Python were completed for all deposits by SLR.  SLR’s main validation work focused on the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus, which are the only plateaus at the Juruti Bauxite Mine with estimated Mineral Reserves in addition to Mineral Resources.

Mineral Resources are constrained to a 50 m offset distance from each plateau limit and to blocks meeting a pit discard cut-off value of the mining related costs. A benefit calculation is applied to determine whether a block is economically viable whereby benefit is the revenue less mining related costs.

The criteria for the benefit calculation were developed using a long-term bauxite price of US$35.33/t (wet base), a R$:US$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00, mining related costs, and considering 100% metal recovery for the washed and unwashed material. The Mineral Resources bauxite price is defined as 30% higher than the Mineral Reserves bauxite price. The Mineral Reserves bauxite price is based on contracts between Juruti Mine and Alumar Refinery (Alcoa), since 90% of the bauxite production is shipped to this

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refinery. The contract is reviewed annually and is based on factors relating to internal and external demand for bauxite, as well as bonus and penalties depending on the product quality.

The transfer price mechanism from Juruti to Alumar is determined by a weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales. For example, the 2021 internal transfer price from Juruti to Alumar will be the weighted-average price of 2020 third-party sales.

A summary of the Mineral Resources exclusive of Mineral Reserves for the Juruti Bauxite Mine is shown in Table 11‑1. The estimate is presented on a 100% ownership basis to AWAC for consolidated report purposes although Alcoa’s share is 60%.

 

 

 

 

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Table 11‑1: Summary of Juruti Bauxite Mine Mineral Resources – December 31, 2021

 

Bauxite Product

Washed Bauxite

Unwashed Bauxite

Washed + Unwashed Bauxite

Classification

Tonnage (M dmt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Tonnage (M dmt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Tonnage (M dmt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Measured

5.27

44.66

5.45

0.38

42.83

3.02

5.66

44.53

5.28

Indicated

56.97

45.39

4.47

1.62

43.53

2.82

58.59

45.34

4.42

Measured + Indicated

62.24

45.33

4.55

2.00

43.40

2.86

64.24

45.27

4.50

Inferred

562.75

45.70

4.72

1.04

43.42

2.71

563.79

45.69

4.72

 

Notes:

 

2.

The definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 13000 were followed.

 

1.

Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term bauxite price of US$35.33 per tonnes (wet base), and a R$:US$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00, considering 100% of metal recovery for the washed and unwashed material.

 

2.

Mineral Resources are estimated at a pit discard cut-off value based on a benefit calculation that determines whether a block is economically viable.

 

3.

There is no minimum mining width for Mineral Resources.

 

4.

Bulk density is interpolated or assigned and averages 1.30 t/m3.

 

5.

Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves.

 

6.

Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

 

7.

Mineral Resources are stated on a 100% ownership basis for AWAC for consolidated reporting purposes although Alcoa’s share is 60%.

 

8.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

 

 

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The SLR QP reviewed the Mineral Resources assumptions, geological modelling and estimation workflows, data consistency and reporting procedures, and is of the opinion that the Mineral Resource estimate is appropriate for the style of the mineralization, and that the block model is reasonable and acceptable to support the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that with consideration of the recommendations summarized in Sections 1.0 and 23.0 of this report, any issues relating to all relevant technical and economic factors likely to influence the prospect of economic extraction can be resolved with further work.

12.2

Resource Database

The Juruti Bauxite Mine database includes collar, lithology, stratigraphy, and assay information for exploration AC drill holes within the Mauari and Capiranga Central plateaus, historical auger drilling within the Mutum, Santarém, and São Francisco plateaus and AC drill holes, auger drill holes and wells for Nhamundá plateau (Figure 11‑1).  All drill holes are vertical and short, as is appropriate to capture the flat lying and relatively shallow mineralization defining the plateaus, and downhole surveys are not taken or needed.

Figure 11‑1: Drill hole Type by Plateau at Juruti mine (SLR, 2021)

The Table 11‑2 summarizes the database information related to the Juruti plateaus.

Table 11‑2: Summary of the database for Juruti plateaus

Plateau

Drill holes

Total depth (m)

Total number of samples

Capiranga Central

932

15,594.04

15,708

Mauari

856

14,023.74

9,859

Mutum

473

6,586.41

5,604

Nhamundá

284

3,364.33

3,966


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Plateau

Drill holes

Total depth (m)

Total number of samples

Santarém

214

3,681.10

2,555

São Francisco

387

7,369.65

5,805

Total

3,146

50,619.27

43,497

 

Grade control drill holes at Capiranga Central and Mauari are not included in the Mineral Resource database or workflow due to differing sampling and quality management protocols.  SLR recommends investigating whether and how these drill holes can be incorporated into future estimations at the Mine.  SLR supports Alcoa’s exploration plan to replace auger drill holes at Mutum, Nhamundá, Santarém, and São Francisco with AC drill holes.

Table 11‑3 summarizes the columns in the assay file.

Table 11‑3: Summary of the columns in the assay file

Variable

Description

Variable

Description

HOLEID

Drill hole name

FE3

Total Iron - washed - mesh +400# (%)

SAMPFROM

DH from (m)

TI3

Total Titanium  - washed - mesh +400# (%)

SAMPTO

DH to (m)

PP3

LOI - washed - mesh +400# (%)

LITO

Described lithotype (log)

ATB

Total Alumina - unwashed (%)

LITOQ

Chemical lithotype (calculated)

AAB

A.Al2O3 - unwashed (%)

LITOM

Interpreted lithotype (final)

STB

Total Silica - unwashed (%)

DENS

Dry density

SRB

R.SiO2 - unwashed (%)

UMID

Humidity (%)

FEB

Total Iron - unwashed (%)

RC1

Mass recovery - washed - mesh +20# (%)

TIB

Total Titanium  - unwashed (%)

AT1

Total Alumina - washed - mesh +20# (%)

PPB

LOI - unwashed (%)

AA1

A.Al2O3 - washed - mesh +20# (%)

CFP

Channel = 10; DH = 20; Pit = 30

ST1

Total Silica - washed - mesh +20# (%)

LPCP

Long Term = 1; Short Term = 2

SR1

R.SiO2 - washed - mesh +20# (%)

DATER

Analysis Date

FE1

Total Iron - washed - mesh +20# (%)

SEAM

Interpreted lithotype (final)

TI1

Total Titanium  - washed - mesh +20# (%)

ESTEQG-1

Sum of total oxides washed + 20#

PP1

LOI - washed - mesh +20# (%)

ESTEQG-3

Sum of total oxides washed -20# + 400#

RC3

Mass recovery - washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

ATG

Global Total Alumina - washed (%)

AT3

Total Alumina - washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

STG

Global Total Silica - washed (%)

AA3

A.Al2O3a- washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

FEG

Global Total Iron - washed (%)

ST3

Total Silica - washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

TIG

Global Total Titanium - washed (%)

SR3

R.SiO2 - washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

PPG

Global LOI - washed (%)

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For the estimation of Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, three calculated variables were created to represent the total washed material:

 

Global Available Alumina (A.Al2O3): AAG (%) = ((RC1*AA1) + (RC3*AA3)) / (RC1 + RC3)

 

Global Reactive Silica (R.SiO2): SRG (%) = ((RC1*SR1) + (RC3*SR3)) / (RC1 + RC3)

 

Global Mass Recovery: RCG (%) = RC1 + RC3

These calculated variables are referred to as Key Economic Variables (KEVs) throughout the report and represent the variables of focus during SLR’s audit work.

The location of the drill holes for Capiranga Central and Mauari deposits are shown in Figure 11‑2 and Figure 11‑3.

Figure 11‑2: Capiranga Central drill hole collar locations (SLR, 2021)

 

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Figure 11‑3: Mauari drill hole collar locations (SLR, 2021)

12.3

Geological Interpretation

The geological wireframes were generated using GeoLogic™ software. The methodology consists of creating contiguous contact surfaces for each lithology, using the variable LITOM, post-processed to consider the chemical ranges as defined in the LITOQ column and shown in Table 11‑4 below. This is subsequently visually re-classified to create a single interval of each geological layer in each drill hole, expressed in the LITOM column. Figure 11‑4 shows the LITOQ classification according to AAG, SRG and RCG.

Table 11‑4: Chemical limits used to define LITOQ for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus

Lithological Domain

Code

A.Al2O3

R.SiO2

Fe2O3

Yellow clay

20

-

-

-

Non-economic nodular bauxite

30

<45%

>8%

<20%

Economic nodular bauxite

35

≥45%

≤8%

≤20%

Laterite

40

<35%

-

>34%

Bauxite

50

≥35%

≤8%

≤34%

Red clay

60

-

>8%

-

 

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Figure 11‑4: Ternary charts of lithologies for Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus (SLR, 2021).

Table 11‑5 shows the differences between the number of LITO, LITOQ and LITOM sample classification in the bauxite layer for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus.

Table 11‑5: Bauxite sample classifications according to LITO, LITOQ and LITOM.

Plateau

LITO

LITOQ

LITOM

Capiranga Central

6,646

4,551

4,479

Mauari

4,363

3,462

4,098

To generate the geological surfaces, the interval’s contact between lithologies is used, stacked from the bottom-up. This way the stratigraphy is honored and if a lithology does not occur in the drill hole, curvature points are created, preferably along the pre-existent drill holes, to suppress this interval.

The top surface of the yellow clay and bottom surface of red clay have some differences in the interpolation. The top surface of yellow clay coincides with the topography, that was acquired from LiDAR campaigns, and to get a better detail, the LiDAR information was used in conjunction with the drill hole coordinates and elevations. The red clay layer is typically used as an indicator to inform the base of drilling and sampling, and the majority of drill holes do not cross this layer. To create the bottom surface of red clay, points are generated one meter below the end of the drill holes. The surface is interpolated using these points, which also represents the bottom limit of the block models. The lateral extent of the layers are the limits of the plateaus, as a 90° vertical limit, that are established in agreement with the Certification of Plateau Border (Figure 11‑5).

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Figure 11‑5: Plateaus limits of the Juruti operation (Alcoa, 2022).

Figure 11‑6 and Figure 11‑7 shows example geological sections of the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateau models.

 

Figure 11‑6: Capiranga Central geological section. Vertical exaggeration: 10x (SLR, 2021)

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Figure 11‑7: Mauari geological section. Vertical exaggeration: 10x (SLR, 2021)

The SLR QP reviewed the top and bottom bauxite wireframes and is of the opinion that the continuity of the mineralization wireframes could be improved in some areas. In localised areas of the deposit where the drill hole spacings is wider, apparent pinch-outs (thinning) of the bauxite layer are observed without support. The bauxite layer may in fact be laterally continuous across these areas, although in the SLR QPs’ opinion, without drilling in these areas, this approach to geological modelling is conservative. There are isolated instances across the deposit of individual drillholes indicating a lack of bauxite mineralization, which supports the conservative approach taken at this stage.

12.4

Resource Assays and Compositing

All statistical data analysis procedures, including compositing, were performed in Isatis™ software. Regular length composites of 0.5 m were created, broken by LITOM lithology, with the last sample discarded if less than 0.25 m.

Histograms of sample lengths for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus are shown in Figure 11‑8 and Table 11‑6 shows basic statistics for non-composited and composited intervals of KEVs within the bauxite layer of each plateau.

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Capiranga Central

Mauari

Sample Length (m)

Sample Length (m)

Figure 11‑8: Histogram of raw sample lengths for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus (SLR, 2021).

 

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Table 11‑6: Statistics for non-composited and composited samples of the bauxite layer (all plateaus).

 

Bauxite layer - Non-Composited1

 

Bauxite layer – Composited1

 

Variable

Count

Mean

STD

Min

25%

50%

75%

Max

 

Count

Mean

STD

Min

25%

50%

75%

Max

Cap. Central

AAG (%)

4479

47.41

5.02

15.39

44.23

47.87

51.03

58.48

 

3675

47.49

4.62

23.21

44.59

47.80

50.89

58.01

SRG (%)

4479

4.05

2.40

0.10

1.97

3.64

5.79

13.39

 

3675

4.01

2.32

0.20

2.01

3.65

5.72

13.16

RCG (%)

4479

77.14

11.36

20.65

69.00

79.47

86.56

99.97

 

3675

77.30

10.65

28.49

69.42

79.22

86.17

97.23

Length (m)

4479

0.41

0.07

0.25

0.37

0.40

0.50

0.70

 

3983

0.46

0.10

0.01

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

DENS (g/t)

4475

1.30

0.20

0.55

1.16

1.30

1.43

2.39

 

3671

1.30

0.18

0.71

1.17

1.30

1.42

2.11

Mauari

AAG (%)

4097

46.76

4.99

19.42

43.70

47.20

50.22

60.57

 

3851

46.78

4.83

19.42

43.72

47.16

50.15

60.57

SRG (%)

4097

4.39

2.19

0.03

2.44

4.49

6.23

14.30

 

3851

4.37

2.15

0.03

2.48

4.47

6.15

13.29

RCG (%)

4098

72.72

14.90

21.61

62.87

76.06

84.83

95.91

 

3851

73.10

14.33

21.61

63.52

76.19

84.77

95.91

Length (m)

4098

0.47

0.06

0.08

0.42

0.50

0.50

0.67

 

4173

0.46

0.10

0.01

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

DENS (g/t)

4098

1.29

0.17

0.65

1.18

1.29

1.40

2.14

 

3852

1.29

0.16

0.71

1.18

1.29

1.40

1.99

Mutum

AAG (%)

2303

42.73

6.93

15.30

38.59

43.79

47.72

57.50

 

2294

42.77

6.75

20.94

38.58

43.78

47.65

57.49

SRG (%)

2303

5.60

2.63

0.10

3.67

5.60

7.43

14.90

 

2294

5.63

2.60

0.10

3.72

5.61

7.42

14.90

RCG (%)

2305

52.89

12.61

21.09

43.44

53.93

61.83

97.56

 

2294

52.81

12.39

21.09

43.74

53.76

61.64

97.56

Length (m)

2305

0.49

0.04

0.20

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.80

 

2338

0.49

0.06

0.10

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

 

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Nhamundá

AAG (%)

1521

45.31

6.40

16.73

42.35

46.52

49.70

57.15

 

1513

45.34

6.15

16.73

42.35

46.46

49.66

57.15

SRG (%)

1521

5.80

2.71

0.49

3.70

5.62

7.75

13.35

 

1513

5.80

2.66

0.65

3.72

5.64

7.72

13.18

RCG (%)

1521

64.22

16.11

11.05

54.23

67.11

77.28

94.76

 

1513

64.25

15.71

11.72

54.03

66.83

77.18

94.76

Length (m)

1521

0.50

0.05

0.30

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.75

 

1571

0.48

0.07

0.05

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

 

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Santarém

AAG (%)

845

42.62

6.96

20.21

38.26

43.53

48.12

57.32

 

845

42.66

6.87

20.21

38.38

43.54

48.02

56.29

SRG (%)

845

5.96

2.39

0.41

4.33

5.92

7.60

13.95

 

845

5.96

2.37

0.41

4.38

5.92

7.58

13.95

RCG (%)

845

50.78

12.50

9.93

41.07

51.58

59.99

80.31

 

845

50.71

12.26

14.34

41.48

51.23

59.87

80.31

Length (m)

845

0.50

0.05

0.20

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.80

 

872

0.48

0.07

0.10

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

 

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

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Bauxite layer - Non-Composited1

 

Bauxite layer – Composited1

 

Variable

Count

Mean

STD

Min

25%

50%

75%

Max

 

Count

Mean

STD

Min

25%

50%

75%

Max

São Francisco

AAG (%)

2832

45.55

6.94

20.37

42.18

46.82

50.54

59.00

 

2818

45.57

6.63

20.37

42.32

46.77

50.33

58.97

SRG (%)

2832

4.32

2.54

0.10

1.99

4.34

6.18

16.61

 

2818

4.33

2.49

0.10

2.08

4.35

6.15

16.61

RCG (%)

2839

54.94

14.48

15.08

43.24

56.25

66.82

87.93

 

2818

54.82

14.07

15.08

43.16

56.40

66.21

87.04

Length (m)

2839

0.49

0.05

0.30

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.70

 

2914

0.48

0.07

0.10

0.50

0.50

0.50

0.50

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

 

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

---

Notes:

 

1.

For Capiranga Central and Mauari the statistics correspond to the AC drill holes. For Mutum, Santarém and São Francisco plateaus, the statistics correspond to auger samples. Statistics for the Nhamundá plateau included data from AC, wells, and auger holes to enable a comparison between non-composited and composited data for the entire plateau.

 

 

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The compositing routine executed by Alcoa resulted in a 2% or 2.7% decrease in sample length at Capiranga Central and Mauari, respectfully. SLR is of the opinion that this information loss does not affect the integrity of the Mineral Resource estimate.

Histograms of composited KEV at Capiranga Central and Mauari are shown in Figure 11‑9.

Capiranga Central

Mauari

Figure 11‑9: Histograms of composited KEVs for Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus (SLR, 2021)

12.5

Treatment of High-Grade Assays

12.5.1

Capping Levels

Alcoa performs a treatment for high and low grades based on the first and 99th percentile (P1-P99), (Figure 11‑10), or the fifth and 95th percentile (P5-P95), referred to a low cuts and top cuts. In most cases, P1-P99 is used but depending on the situation, P5-P95 is used. The values are defined for each variable directly in the neighborhood definition parameters in Isatis™ software.

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Figure 11‑10: Probability plot with the delimitation of P1 and P99, (Alcoa, 2021)

The top cuts and low cuts are calculated for all the main variables for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus, and limited to AA1, AA3, SR1, SR3, RC1, and RC3 variables for the other plateaus, as demonstrated in the Table 11‑7.  Top cut values are further restrained during interpolation through restricted search ellipse dimensions.

Table 11‑7: Top and low cuts used for the Juruti plateaus.

 

Variable

Top cut

Low cut

Distance

 

 

Top cut

Low cut

Distance

Capiranga Central

AA1 (%)

56.44

35.56

40

Nhamundá

AA1 (%)

54.32

26.37

100

AA3 (%)

56.02

32.95

40

AA3 (%)

53.25

22.01

100

AAG (%)

56.18

36.56

40

AAG (%)

---

---

---

SR1 (%)

8.88

0.58

40

SR1 (%)

12.45

0.89

100

SR3 (%)

10.29

0.54

40

SR3 (%)

10.83

0.58

100

SRG (%)

8.14

0.62

40

SRG (%)

---

---

---

RC1 (%)

82.66

24.49

40

RC1 (%)

82.61

13.8

100

RC3 (%)

37.67

6.13

40

RC3 (%)

21.51

0.54

100

RCG (%)

93.45

55.02

40

RCG (%)

---

---

---

DENS (g/t)

1.73

0.89

40

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

Mauari

AA1 (%)

57.41

27.31

100

Santarém

AA1 (%)

54.4

23.15

100

AA3 (%)

55.86

31.95

100

AA3 (%)

55.79

24.1

100

AAG (%)

56.74

34.5

100

AAG (%)

---

---

---

SR1 (%)

9.82

0.625

100

SR1 (%)

14.3

1.1

100

SR3 (%)

9.94

0.53

100

SR3 (%)

10.7

0.8

100

SRG (%)

8.31

0.6

100

SRG (%)

---

---

---

RC1 (%)

79.5

7.05

100

RC1 (%)

54.9

6

100

RC3 (%)

41.33

8.07

100

RC3 (%)

37.06

7.3

100

RCG (%)

99.33

34.72

100

RCG (%)

---

---

---

DENS (g/t)

1.7

0.93

100

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

Mutum

AA1 (%)

55.4

23.5

100

São Francisco

AA1 (%)

56.32

23.5

50

AA3 (%)

55.3

22

100

AA3 (%)

56.78

26.1

50

AAG (%)

---

---

---

AAG (%)

---

---

---

SR1 (%)

13.9

0.46

100

SR1 (%)

12.7

0.2

50

SR3 (%)

9.6

0.3

100

SR3 (%)

10.3

0.22

50

SRG (%)

---

---

---

SRG (%)

---

---

---

RC1 (%)

56.34

6.27

100

RC1 (%)

54.93

2.6

50

RC3 (%)

39.68

5.92

100

RC3 (%)

41.8

8.03

50

RCG (%)

---

---

---

RCG (%)

---

---

---

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

DENS (g/t)

---

---

---

 

The data present in table above correspond to the drilling methodology used in each plateau, that is AC drill holes in Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus, auger in Mutum, São Francisco and Santarém plateaus and AC, auger and well for Nhamundá plateau.

Figure 11‑11 shows probability plots comparing capped and uncapped KEV composites at Capiranga Central and Mauari and illustrates that the values defined for top and low cuts are not in a natural break within the distributions. In some cases, e.g., RCG for Mauari plateau (lower-right) and SRG for Capiranga Central plateau (upper-middle), more than 5% or 10% of the distribution is being re-classified to a small range. This is an important change in the distribution that directly impacts the variability and estimate.  

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Figure 11‑11: KEV probability plots of original (orange) and capped (blue) composited values for Capiranga Central (top) and Mauari (bottom) plateaus, (SLR, 2021)

 

SLR recommends reviewing whether grade restriction through low and top cutting is warranted, and refining the methodology to ensure that the delimiting values represent true outlier data.  The impact of the current approach may be that areas reflecting either low or high values of economic and deleterious elements, as well as wash recovery values are underrepresented in the block model.  

12.6

Trend Analysis

12.6.1

Variography

Variograms are calculated for all estimated variables. The variograms developed usually have two structures and are calculated using the composited samples. Figure 11‑12 shows KEV variograms for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus.

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Figure 11‑12: AAG, SRG and RCG variograms for Capiranga Central (top) and Mauari (bottom), (Alcoa, 2021)

Table 11‑8 and Table 11‑9 show the variogram fitting parameters for all the variables for the Capiranga central and Mauari plateaus.

Table 11‑8: Variogram parameters for the Capiranga Central Plateau.

Variable

Azimuth

Nugget

Sill 1

Sill 2

Structure 1 (m)

Structure 2 (m)

Horizontal

Vertical

Horizontal

Vertical

AA1

90

2

15.9

6.8

190

190

1.3

2400

1450

2.3

AA3

90

1.1

17.1

12.2

250

250

1.4

3600

2300

2.6

AAB

90

4.5

32.5

22.2

250

210

1.7

2700

1550

3.4

AAG

90

1.8

13.2

6.3

200

200

1.3

2200

1400

2

ATB

90

1.2

15.4

3.25

190

190

1.2

1300

900

2.8

ATG

90

1.3

12.1

3.2

240

260

1.6

2600

2000

2.1

DENS

90

0.005

0.014

0.014

220

200

2

3100

2100

2.9

FEB

90

5

29.5

13.2

190

180

2.5

2800

2300

2.2

FEG

90

3.09

28.79

7.61

240

260

1.6

2600

2000

2.1

PPB

90

0.6

4.6

1.9

160

160

1.4

1800

1200

3.2

PPG

90

0.32

2.95

0.78

240

260

1.6

2600

2000

2.1

RC1

90

1

96.5

77

230

210

2

8200

7200

0

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Variable

Azimuth

Nugget

Sill 1

Sill 2

Structure 1 (m)

Structure 2 (m)

Horizontal

Vertical

Horizontal

Vertical

RC3

90

0.01

28

22

250

250

3.5

6000

3900

2.9

RCG

90

5

54.4

38

210

210

2.3

3800

2900

2.6

SR1

90

0.01

2.5

3.55

200

200

3

3400

2600

3

SR3

90

0.01

2.4

3.5

230

210

4.5

3300

2200

5

SRB

90

0.01

11.4

15.4

220

220

3.2

3600

2300

3

SRG

90

0.01

2.1

3.25

230

200

3.5

3300

2450

3

STB

90

0.10

14.5

19.6

200

190

3.5

3800

2300

3

STG

90

0.49

4.53

1.20

240

260

1.6

2600

2000

2.1

TIB

90

0.005

0.017

0.006

150

150

1.1

2900

1900

4.3

TIG

90

0.002

0.017

0.005

240

260

1.6

2600

2000

2.1

UMID

90

0.8

5.2

2.45

200

200

2.2

2500

2200

2.4

Table 11‑9: Variogram parameters for the Mauari Plateau.

Variable

Azimuth

Nugget

Sill 1

Sill 2

Structure 1 (m)

Structure 2 (m)

Horizontal

Vertical

Horizontal

Vertical

AA1

50

1.5

26.3

7.3

350

350

1.45

5000

2500

3.5

AA3

50

1.5

18.9

6.7

250

200

1.2

2600

2300

2.7

AAB

50

1.5

47.5

22

300

150

2.3

4000

2900

4.5

AAG

50

1.5

17.4

4.4

200

210

1.4

2300

1700

2.15

ATB

50

1.5

17.4

4.2

220

220

1.2

1500

1000

2.1

ATG

50

1.5

14.6

3.8

220

220

1.4

5000

2900

2.8

DENS

50

0.007

0.014

0.006

250

230

0.9

4800

3000

2.7

FEB

50

5

30.6

12

400

220

1.3

6000

3000

4.2

FEG

50

5

27

14

300

280

1.7

5000

3800

2.5

PPB

50

0.6

5.35

2

270

250

1.8

1900

1250

2

PPG

50

0.3

3.29

0.72

280

250

1.5

2800

2100

3.8

RC1

50

0.01

145

195

270

270

2.8

8500

6400

2

RC3

50

0.01

29.2

30

350

330

3

4000

3500

0

RCG

50

0.01

100

105

152

165

2

5000

4200

2

SR1

50

0.1

2.8

2.8

270

280

1.9

4400

5700

2

SR3

50

0.1

2.7

2.05

280

310

4.85

4900

6500

0

SRB

50

0.1

15.5

14.5

300

250

2

5200

6200

2

SRG

50

0.1

2.25

2.25

250

250

2.1

4200

5200

2

STB

50

0.1

20.18

18

300

300

2

5500

7000

0

STG

50

0.1

3.45

3.85

280

300

2.2

5000

8000

0

TIB

50

0.03

0.225

0.035

140

190

0.5

1200

1800

1.6

TIG

50

0.02

0.1

0.11

250

250

2.5

3500

3200

3.2

UMID

50

0.1

6.8

4.05

280

280

2.1

6000

4800

0

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12.7

Search Strategy and Grade Interpolation Parameters

To define the search strategy for the plateaus, Alcoa performed an extensive study to define the best parameters related to the search ellipse size, octant search restriction, and the number of composites to be used in each interpolation pass in order to minimize smoothing and to improve validation results.

Table 11‑10 lists the estimated variables at Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus and details of the resultant four-pass interpolation approach, which used increasingly larger search ellipses and relaxed composite criteria in the fourth pass is shown in Table 11‑.

Table 11‑10: Summary of estimated variables at Capiranga Central and Mauari

Variable

Description

Variable

Description

AA1

A.Al2O3- washed - mesh +20# (%)

RC1

Mass recovery - washed - mesh +20# (%)

AA3

A.Al2O3a- washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

RC3

Mass recovery - washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

AAB

A.Al2O3- unwashed (%)

RCG

Global Mass Recovery (%) (calculated)

AAG

A.Al2O3- washed (%) (calculated)

SR1

R.SiO2 - washed - mesh +20# (%)

ATB

Total Alumina - unwashed (%)

SR3

R.SiO2 - washed - mesh - 20# +400# (%)

ATG

Global Total Alumina - washed (%)

SRB

R.SiO2 - unwashed (%)

DENS

Dry density

SRG

Global Reactive Silica (%) (calculated)

FEB

Total Iron - unwashed (%)

STB

Total Silica - unwashed (%)

FEG

Global Total Iron - washed (%)

STG

Global Total Silica - washed (%)

PPB

LOI - unwashed (%)

TIB

Total Titanium  - unwashed (%)

PPG

Global LOI - washed (%)

TIG

Global Total Titanium - washed (%)

 

 

UMID

Humidity (%)

 

All other plateaus were estimated using a similar approach, with flat, increasingly larger search ellipses and relaxed composite criteria in a multi-pass OK interpolation workflow. Density was assigned at 1.3 t/m3.

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Table 11‑11: Estimation parameters for the Capiranga Central and Mauari Plateaus

 

Pass 1

Pass 2

Pass 3

Passes 1, 2 and 3

Pass 4

Plateau

Major

Semi-major

Major

Semi-major

Major

Semi-major

Vertical1

Min Samples

No. Sectors

Opt per sector23

Major

Semi-major

Vertical

Min samples

No. sectors

Opt per sector

Capiranga Central

300

230

600

450

900

675

1 / 1.5

3

4

3 / 6

1500

1500

2

1

4

3 / 6

Mauari

585

450

1200

900

2500

1900

1 / 1.5

3

4

2 / 6

5200

5200

2

1

4

2 / 6

Notes:

 

1.

Vertical search is 1 m for pass 1 and 2, and 1.5 m for pass 3

 

2.

Opt per sector is 6 for all variables except ATG, FEG, PPG, STG, and TIG, which is 3.

 

3.

Opt per sector is 6 for all variables except ATG, FEG, PPG, STG, and TIG, which is 2.

 

 

 

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12.8

Block Models

Block model specifications by plateau is shown in Table 11‑12.  Individual block model dimensions cover each plateau without overlap.  The Nhamundá block model represents a combination of several models designed to best reflect available data locally.

Table 11‑12: Block model specifications.

Plateau

Axis

Origin

No. Blocks

Block Size

Rotation

Capiranga Central

X

599000

263

50

0

Y

9718300

150

50

0

Z

77

110

0.5

0

Mauari

X

573400

234

50

0

Y

9723900

206

50

0

Z

65

105

0.5

70°

Mutum

X

573050

727

50

0

Y

9703850

284

50

0

Z

75

150

0.5

0

Nhamundá1

X

506400

837

50

0

Y

9770800

116

50

0

Z

60

240

0.5

0

Santarém

X

623300

659

50

0

Y

9720350

373

50

0

Z

90

204

0.5

0

São Francisco

X

608000

410

50

0

Y

9714000

310

50

0

Z

70

190

0.5

0

Notes:

 

1.

This is the information of the combined block models

12.9

Cut-off Grade

Mineral Resources are constrained to a 50 m offset distance from each plateau limit and are estimated at a pit discard cut-off value. A benefit calculation is applied to determine whether a block is economically viable.

The criteria for the Mineral Resources were developed using:

 

A long-term bauxite price of US$35.33/t (wet base), representing a 30% increase over the Mineral Reserve bauxite price

 

A R$:US$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00

 

100% metal recovery for the washed and unwashed material

 

Maximum mining selectivity, without consideration of minimum thickness.

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The Mineral Resources bauxite price is defined as 30% higher than the Mineral Reserves bauxite price, which is defined as weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales (more details can be found in the Section 16.2.3 Pricing). The Mineral Reserves bauxite price is based on contracts between Juruti Mine and Alumar Refinery (Alcoa), once 90% of the bauxite production is shipped to this refinery. The contract is reviewed annually and is based on factor relating to internal and external demand for bauxite, as well as bonus and penalties depending on the product quality. The transfer price mechanism from Juruti to Alumar is determined by a weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales. For example, the 2021 internal transfer price from Juruti to Alumar will be the weighted-average price of 2020 third-party sales.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the Mineral Resource estimation approach is acceptable and the Mineral Resources represent a reasonable estimate of the economic potential of the mineral deposit.

12.10

Classification

The Mineral Resource classification uses indicator kriging and Turning Bands conditional simulation in the unfolded block model made by unfold tool in Isatis™. Indicator kriging is used to measure the uncertainty related to the ore zone volume and the conditional simulation is used to access the uncertainty related to the grades and metal content.

In this methodology, indicator kriging of lithology type (bauxite/non-bauxite) is performed to assign a probability to each block referencing accurate determination of bauxite. With the results of the indicator kriging Alcoa’s team uses the risk index (RI), that is based on the sample distribution and in the geometrical characteristics of the deposit, to make a first classification of the mineral resources, according to the ranges defined by Amorim and Ribeiro (1996), shown below.

 

Measured: RI ≤ 0.6

 

Indicated: 0.6 < RI ≤ 0.9

 

Inferred: RI > 0.9

The kriging variance is another variable generated from indicator kriging and it indicates the degree of confidence of this assumption. For the final Mineral Resource classification, both methodologies are used, RI and kriging variance.

Conditional simulation (turning bands algorithm) is performed on A.Al2O3, R.SiO2, wash recovery, and density accumulated on two-dimensional (2D) panels of 50 m x 50 m, and three dimensional (3D) panels representing quarterly (800 m x 800 m) and annual (1,600 m x 1,600 m) production periods.  Uncertainty limits are defined as shown below:

 

Measured: +/- 15% uncertainty in the quarterly panel

 

Indicated: +/- 15% uncertainty in the annual panel

The remaining unclassified blocks are classified as inferred.

The limits for the conditional simulation classification are defined through the maximum estimated error (MEE), according to the equation below.

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Where Q95(i) and Q5(i) are the 95th and 5th quantiles of the simulated block i and Etype(i) is the mean of the values simulated in each block.

For the final MEE value an average MEE was used, according to the expression below.

Where MEEacc Al2O3, MEEacc SiO2, MEEacc Rec, MEEacc Thickness and MEEacc Dens, are the MEE of each variable simulated.

The MEE and RI limits for classification are presented in the table below.

Table 11‑13: MEE and RI Classification Limits

Deposit

RI Intervals

MEE Intervals

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Measured

Indicated

Inferred

Capiranga Central

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.54

0.54 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.82

> 0.82

Mauari

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.30

0.30 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.51

> 0.51

São Francisco

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.30

0.30 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.45

> 0.45

Nhamundá 1 (AC)

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.25

0.25 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.35

> 0.35

Nhamundá 2 (AC)

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.25

0.25 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.35

> 0.35

Nhamundá 3 (auger)

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.10

0.10 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.30

> 0.30

Nhamundá 4 (wells/pits)

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.30

0.30 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.41

> 0.41

Nhamundá 5 (wells/pits)

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.15

0.15 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.35

> 0.35

Mutum

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.40

0.40 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.58

> 0.58

Santarém

RI < 0.6

0.6 ≤ RI ≤ 0.9

> 0.9

< 0.30

0.30 ≤ MEE ≤ 0.45

> 0.45

The final classification represents the most conservative result between RI and that based on the MEE. As both are a 3D classification, the final result also has a 3D pattern.

Post-processing of the classification is performed to avoid artefacts such as “spotted-dogs”, and to improve the continuity of the results. The post-processing is based on a grid smoothing procedure which assigns the class of a block according to the local majority.  Further post processing is performed to limit a classification of Indicated to areas supported by auger drill hole results, and to Inferred where supported by well type samples.

Figure 11‑13 shows a plan view of the Capiranga Central (top) and Mauari (bottom) model classifications.

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Capiranga Central

Mauari

Figure 11‑13: Mineral Resources classification for the Capiranga Central (top) and Mauari (bottom) plateaus (SLR, 2021)

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The Mineral Resource classification methodology described above is based on the geostatistical approach, and the uncertainties are quantified based on the quality of sampling, drill hole spacing, assays, top and low-cuts, variogram, and the expertise and experience of the Alcoa’s staff in the steps related with Mineral Resources. The source of uncertainties, depending on each Resource category mentioned here, are not all subject to quantification individually. Instead, a global perspective of all the categories together is given by the conditional simulation methodology, which stipulates the limits of ±15% of the production uncertainty on a quarterly basis for Measured Resources, ±15% of the production uncertainty on an annual basis for Indicated Resources, and Inferred Resources have the production uncertainty that are higher than ±15% on an annual basis.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the procedures adopted to generate the final Mineral Resources classification are in accordance with the industry best practices and are reasonable and acceptable.

12.11

Block Model Validation

SLR validated the block models through the following methods:

 

Swath plots of the ordinary kriging (OK), inverse distance cubed (ID3) and nearest neighbor (NN) estimations. The inverse distance and nearest neighbor estimates were parallel estimate made by SLR using the neighborhood parameters provided by Alcoa.

 

Statistical validation comparing samples composited with the top and low-cut values and the OK estimate.

 

Visual validation of the block models and samples through vertical and longitudinal sections.

 

Statistic of parallel estimation comparison between composites with top and low-cut values and interpolated values

Alcoa similarly employs its own internal validation workflow that includes cross validation, QQ-plots, swath plots and visual inspection of sections showing the composites versus the block estimates. This validation workflow is an automatic routine in Isatis™ and is generated for all the variables for each plateau.

12.11.1

Swath Plots

Figure 11‑14 and Figure 11‑15 show the swath plots for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus.

In general, the results in the swath plots are consistent, mainly for AAG in Capiranga Central. SRG does not show a homogeneous behavior compared to AAG but has a good consistency between the OK, ID3 and NN estimates. At the limit of the model extents, some plots show a more erratic behavior, but SLR considers this a normal effect in the regions with lower density of information and consequently no blocks classified as Measured Resources.

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Figure 11‑14: Swath plots in X, Y and Z for AAG - Capiranga Central plateau.

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Figure 11‑15: Swath plots in X, Y and Z for SRG - Mauari plateau.

12.11.2

Statistical Validation

Statistics of the block models and the samples composited and with top and low cuts were calculated by SLR and compared for this validation. Table 11‑14 shows the results.

Table 11‑14: Composites and block model statistics.

 

Variable

Capped Composites

Ordinary Kriging

Difference

 

Min (%)

Max (%)

Mean (%)

Std. Dev. (%)

CV

Min (%)

Max (%)

Mean (%)

Std. Dev. (%)

CV

Capiranga Central

AA1 (%)

35.56

56.44

47.71

4.74

0.10

29.95

56.94

47.85

3.22

0.07

0.29%

AA3 (%)

32.95

56.02

46.08

5.37

0.12

18.7

56.73

46.15

4.17

0.09

0.16%

AAG (%)

36.56

56.18

47.53

4.46

0.09

30.88

56.69

47.57

3.18

0.07

0.09%

SR1 (%)

0.58

8.88

4.06

2.33

0.57

0.15

11.73

3.67

1.91

0.52

-9.70%

SR3 (%)

0.54

10.29

3.90

2.35

0.60

0.35

13.18

3.54

1.91

0.54

-9.10%

SRG (%)

0.62

8.14

3.95

2.18

0.55

0.21

11.75

3.61

1.85

0.51

-8.65%

RC1 (%)

24.49

82.66

58.79

13.01

0.22

19.88

82.71

60.72

8.86

0.15

3.29%

RC3 (%)

6.13

37.67

18.52

6.83

0.37

4.75

52.46

18.07

5.35

0.30

-2.44%

RCG (%)

55.02

93.45

77.43

10.25

0.13

45.77

105.76

78.79

7.29

0.09

1.76%

DENS (g/t)

0.89

1.73

1.30

0.18

0.14

0.86

1.78

1.30

0.14

0.10

0.51%

Mauari

AA1 (%)

27.31

57.41

46.65

5.19

0.11

12.92

59.79

46.79

4.05

0.09

0.30%

AA3 (%)

31.95

55.86

45.70

5.03

0.11

24.07

58.77

45.59

3.37

0.07

-0.24%

AAG (%)

34.50

56.74

46.80

4.63

0.10

32.28

58.98

46.70

3.35

0.07

-0.20%

SR1 (%)

0.63

9.82

4.56

2.33

0.51

0.09

11.11

4.19

1.97

0.47

-8.10%

SR3 (%)

0.53

9.94

4.17

2.17

0.52

0.49

11.84

3.89

1.52

0.39

-6.72%

SRG (%)

0.60

8.31

4.36

2.12

0.49

0.32

9.73

4.04

1.72

0.43

-7.27%

RC1 (%)

7.05

87.03

51.25

16.48

0.32

2.76

86.21

54.35

14.51

0.27

6.04%

RC3 (%)

8.07

41.33

21.84

7.44

0.34

6.36

43.46

21.26

5.52

0.26

-2.67%

RCG (%)

34.72

95.91

73.13

12.12

0.17

32.19

100.69

75.60

11.25

0.15

3.39%

DENS (g/t)

0.93

1.70

1.29

0.16

0.13

0.92

1.78

1.29

0.09

0.07

-0.03%

Mutum

AA1 (%)

23.50

55.40

42.02

7.32

0.17

0

55.4

37.63

10.66

0.28

-10.45%

AA3 (%)

22.00

55.30

42.98

7.09

0.17

0

55.3

38.43

10.85

0.28

-10.58%

AAG (%)

20.94

57.49

42.77

6.75

0.16

0

55.36

38.12

10.60

0.28

-10.88%

SR1 (%)

0.46

13.90

6.41

3.23

0.50

0

15.08

6.65

2.93

0.44

3.79%

SR3 (%)

0.30

9.60

4.61

1.97

0.43

0

13.21

4.81

1.91

0.40

4.47%

SRG (%)

0.10

14.90

5.63

2.60

0.46

0

12.95

5.97

2.50

0.42

5.99%

RC1 (%)

0.96

67.35

33.29

12.08

0.36

0

60.41

31.86

11.12

0.35

-4.30%

RC3 (%)

2.86

52.93

19.51

7.25

0.37

0

41.85

16.76

6.88

0.41

-14.12%

RCG (%)

21.09

97.56

52.81

12.39

0.23

0

79.97

48.62

14.67

0.30

-7.92%

DENS (g/t)

-

-

-

-

-

1.3

1.3

1.30

-

-

-

Nhamundá

AA1 (%)

26.37

54.32

45.39

6.11

0.13

0

56.27

45.05

6.26

0.14

-0.75%

AA3 (%)

22.01

53.25

43.60

6.98

0.16

0

57.86

42.88

6.81

0.16

-1.65%

AAG (%)

16.73

57.15

45.34

6.15

0.14

0

56.82

44.84

6.26

0.14

-1.11%

SR1 (%)

0.89

12.45

5.98

2.86

0.48

0

13.75

5.81

2.18

0.38

-2.89%

SR3 (%)

0.58

10.83

5.17

2.25

0.43

0

13.95

5.11

1.62

0.32

-1.25%

SRG (%)

0.65

13.18

5.80

2.66

0.46

0

12.92

5.67

2.01

0.35

-2.21%

RC1 (%)

2.34

86.78

54.85

17.44

0.32

0

85.18

51.55

13.65

0.26

-6.01%

RC3 (%)

0.46

34.11

9.41

6.36

0.68

0

32.3

9.15

2.86

0.31

-2.70%

RCG (%)

11.72

94.76

64.25

15.71

0.24

0

92.25

60.70

12.88

0.21

-5.53%

DENS (g/t)

-

-

-

-

-

1.3

1.3

1.30

-

-

-

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Variable

Capped Composites

Ordinary Kriging

Difference

 

Min (%)

Max (%)

Mean (%)

Std. Dev. (%)

CV

Min (%)

Max (%)

Mean (%)

Std. Dev. (%)

CV

Santarém

AA1 (%)

23.15

54.40

41.44

7.24

0.17

0

55

40.10

5.21

0.13

-3.23%

AA3 (%)

24.10

55.79

43.79

7.29

0.17

0

55.55

42.17

5.52

0.13

-3.71%

AAG (%)

20.21

56.29

42.66

6.87

0.16

0

55.01

41.04

5.07

0.12

-3.79%

SR1 (%)

1.10

14.30

6.81

2.92

0.43

0

14.57

6.77

2.15

0.32

-0.57%

SR3 (%)

0.80

10.70

4.76

1.93

0.41

0

12.27

5.16

1.74

0.34

8.42%

SRG (%)

0.41

13.95

5.96

2.37

0.40

0

12.51

6.13

1.83

0.30

2.83%

RC1 (%)

3.16

63.95

32.64

11.85

0.36

0

55.91

32.19

8.00

0.25

-1.38%

RC3 (%)

2.32

44.68

18.07

6.31

0.35

0

43.27

18.01

4.30

0.24

-0.31%

RCG (%)

14.34

80.31

50.71

12.26

0.24

0

77.32

50.20

8.85

0.18

-1.00%

DENS (g/t)

-

-

-

-

-

1.3

1.3

1.30

-

-

-

São Francisco

AA1 (%)

23.50

56.32

43.48

7.60

0.17

16.09

57.94

43.34

5.31

0.12

-0.32%

AA3 (%)

26.10

56.78

46.79

6.62

0.14

24.69

57.76

45.95

5.01

0.11

-1.80%

AAG (%)

20.37

58.97

45.57

6.63

0.15

25.15

57.76

44.82

4.78

0.11

-1.64%

SR1 (%)

0.20

12.70

5.11

3.16

0.62

0.01

14.26

4.80

2.37

0.49

-6.02%

SR3 (%)

0.22

10.30

3.66

2.11

0.58

0.13

12.4

3.55

1.52

0.43

-2.89%

SRG (%)

0.10

16.61

4.33

2.49

0.58

0.12

11.76

4.18

1.86

0.44

-3.51%

RC1 (%)

0.90

60.77

30.22

13.47

0.45

3.37

55.34

31.85

9.45

0.30

5.40%

RC3 (%)

3.22

60.08

24.60

7.17

0.29

4.87

51.17

23.74

5.19

0.22

-3.49%

RCG (%)

15.08

87.04

54.82

14.07

0.26

24.25

83.23

55.59

9.69

0.17

1.41%

DENS (g/t)

-

-

-

-

-

1.3

1.3

1.30

-

-

-

 

Table 11‑14 shows that the maximum and minimum values of the block model grades are usually out of the range of the top and low cuts, including values of recovery above 100%. Alcoa provided information related to these occurrences and one of the reasons are kriging negative weights, which is a limitation of the estimation methodology already well known and described in public literature. As shown in the Table 11‑15, the blocks out of the top and low cuts are predominantly less than 1% of the estimated blocks.

Table 11‑15: Summary of the blocks out of the low and top cuts – Capiranga Central plateau.

Variable

Estimated blocks

Grade lower than low cut

Grade higher than top cut

Total

%

AA1

55083

64

3

67

0.12%

AA3

55083

77

5

82

0.15%

AAG

55083

185

2

187

0.34%

SR1

55083

42

663

705

1.28%

SR3

55083

35

129

164

0.30%

SRG

55083

181

42

223

0.40%

RC1

55083

26

1

27

0.05%

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Variable

Estimated blocks

Grade lower than low cut

Grade higher than top cut

Total

%

RC3

55083

61

61

122

0.22%

RCG

55083

392

79

471

0.86%

DENS

55083

6

7

13

0.02%

 

The SLR QP is of the opinion is that it does not have a significant impact on the global Mineral Resources results, and SLR QP recommends that the estimation workflow is refined to treat  and avoid the values above and below the top and low-cuts.

12.11.3

Visual Validation

For the visual validation, several horizontal and vertical sections in multiple orientations were created to observe if the grades in the samples were consistent with the grades in the block model. No anomalies were found, and Figure 11‑16 and Figure 11‑17 show a schematic vertical section comparing the blocks and samples in the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus.

Figure 11‑16: Vertical N-S section in the Capiranga Central plateau showing the blocks estimated in the bauxite layer (SLR, 2021)

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Figure 11‑17: Vertical W-E section in the Mauari plateau showing the blocks estimated in the bauxite layer (SLR, 2021)

12.11.4

Parallel Estimation Statistics

Table 11‑16 shows the comparison of the capped composites with the average grades of the block model using OK, and the ID3 and NN estimates. ID3 and NN were calculated by SLR using the same estimation strategy.

Table 11‑16: Parallel statistics for the main variables for the Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus.

Capiranga Central

Variable

Capped Composites

Block Model

Samples

Mean

n Blocks

OK

ID3

NN

AAG (%)

3675

47.53

55083

47.57

47.74

47.88

SRG (%)

3675

3.95

55083

3.61

3.77

3.78

RCG (%)

3675

77.43

55083

78.79

78.08

78.09

Mauari

Variable

Capped Composites

Block Model

Samples

Mean

n Blocks

OK

ID3

NN

AAG (%)

3851

46.80

62716

46.70

47.02

46.93

SRG (%)

3851

4.36

62716

4.04

4.30

4.30

RCG (%)

3851

73.13

62716

75.60

73.69

73.40

12.11.5

Comparison to Short Term Model

None of the six plateaus for which Mineral Resources are estimated, have been mined.

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To evaluate the discrepancy between the long term and short-term block models, SLR analyzed and reviewed the reconciliation practiced elsewhere at the Juruti site, and noticed that the most important deviation is related to R.SiO2 (+5.94% for washed ore and +15.57% for unwashed ore in 2021). The highest differences in the drill holes and block model comparison were also with the reactive silica. QA/QC standard results are showing a high dispersion in this element as well. All of this indicates that the estimate of R.SiO2 is very sensitive and needs to be more detailed, given it has a high impact in the acid consumption in the process.

12.11.6

Mineral Resource Estimation Workflow Conclusions and Recommendations

Regarding the Mineral Resource estimation workflow and results, the SLR QP makes the following conclusions:

 

the Mineral Resource estimation approach is acceptable and the Mineral Resources represent a reasonable estimate of the economic potential of the mineral deposit. The impact of the current grade restriction approach may be that areas reflecting either low or high values of economic and deleterious elements, as well as wash recovery values are underrepresented in the block model.  

 

Reconciliation prepared by Alcoa on actively mined plateaus indicates high dispersion and sensitivity of R.SiO2.

In consideration of the above conclusions, and to improve the estimation workflow and estimation results, the SLR QP makes the following recommendations:

 

1.

Reduce dependance on well and auger drill hole results supporting Mineral Resource estimation at Nhamundá, Mutum, Santarém and São Francisco.

 

2.

Improve the modelled bauxite layer continuity. There are some gaps in the mineralization layer locally where there are missing drill holes.

 

3.

Review whether grade restriction through low and top cutting is warranted, and refine the methodology to ensure that the delimiting values represent true outlier data.  As mining commences at Capiranga Central and Maurari, work to improve the accuracy and precision of the R.SiO2 results in both the analytical results and in the short term model, and carefully monitor performance.

 

4.

Investigate modifications to the interpolation workflow to eliminate the small number of block values that are above and below the top and low cut values.

12.12

Mineral Resource Reporting

Table 11‑17 below provides a full breakdown of the Mineral Resource estimate, arranged by plateau, product type, and classification. The effective date of this estimate is December 31, 2021. The estimate is presented on a 100% ownership basis to AWAC although Alcoa’s share is 60%.

The Mineral Resources bauxite price is defined as 30% higher than the Mineral Reserves bauxite price. The Mineral Reserves bauxite price is based on contracts between Juruti Mine and Alumar Refinery (Alcoa), since 90% of the bauxite production is shipped to this refinery. The contract is reviewed annually and is based on factors relating to internal and external demand for bauxite, as well as bonus and penalties depending on the product quality.

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The transfer price mechanism from Juruti to Alumar is determined by a weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales. For example, the 2021 internal transfer price from Juruti to Alumar will be the weighted-average price of 2020 third-party sales.

 

 

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Table 11‑17: Summary of Mineral Resources by plateau and bauxite type – December 31, 2021

Plateau

Measured

Indicated

Measured + Indicated

Inferred

Tonnage (Dry kt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Tonnage (Dry kt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Tonnage (Dry kt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Tonnage (Dry kt)

A.Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

 

Washed Bauxite

Capiranga Central

1,883

44.87

5.61

9,006

45.38

4.51

10,889

45.29

4.70

852

45.33

4.51

Mauari

3,390

44.54

5.35

9,509

45.24

4.65

12,899

45.06

4.84

7,299

45.98

3.96

Mutum

0

0.00

0.00

26,509

45.07

4.52

26,509

45.07

4.52

77,438

44.05

4.67

Nhamundá

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

284,017

46.27

5.26

Santarém

0

0.00

0.00

4,521

45.20

4.42

4,521

45.20

4.42

73,300

44.66

4.64

São Francisco

0

0.00

0.00

7,424

46.88

4.00

7,424

46.88

4.00

119,848

46.01

3.59

Total

5,273

44.66

5.45

56,969

45.39

4.47

62,242

45.33

4.55

562,752

45.70

4.72

 

Not Washed Bauxite

Capiranga Central

57

46.01

3.06

474

44.45

2.82

531

44.62

2.85

13

44.19

2.29

Mauari

327

42.28

3.01

1,144

43.15

2.82

1,471

42.96

2.86

1,026

43.41

2.72

Mutum

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

Nhamundá

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

Santarém

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

São Francisco

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

Total

384

42.83

3.02

1,618

43.53

2.82

2,002

43.40

2.86

1,038

43.42

2.71

 

Washed + Not washed Bauxite

Capiranga Central

1,940

44.90

5.54

9,480

45.33

4.43

11,420

45.26

4.61

864

45.31

4.48

Mauari

3,717

44.34

5.15

10,653

45.02

4.45

14,370

44.84

4.63

8,324

45.66

3.81

Mutum

0

0.00

0.00

26,509

45.07

4.52

26,509

45.07

4.52

77,438

44.05

4.67

Nhamundá

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

0

0.00

0.00

284,017

46.27

5.26

Santarém

0

0.00

0.00

4,521

45.20

4.42

4,521

45.20

4.42

73,300

44.66

4.64

São Francisco

0

0.00

0.00

7,424

46.88

4.00

7,424

46.88

4.00

119,848

46.01

3.59

Total

5,657

44.53

5.28

58,587

45.34

4.42

64,244

45.27

4.50

563,791

45.69

4.72

 

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Notes:

 

1.

The definitions for Mineral Resources in S-K 13000 were followed.

 

2.

Mineral Resources are estimated using a long-term bauxite price of US$35.33 per tonne (wet base), and a R$:US$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00, considering 100% of metal recovery for the washed and unwashed material.

 

3.

Mineral Resources are estimated at a pit discard cut-off value based on a benefit calculation whether a block is economically viable.

 

4.

There is no minimum mining width for Mineral Resources.

 

5.

Bulk density average is 1.30 t/m3.

 

6.

Mineral Resources are exclusive of Mineral Reserves.

 

7.

Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability.

 

8.

Mineral Resources are stated on a 100% ownership basis for AWAC for consolidated reporting purposes. Alcoa’s share is 60%

 

9.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

 

 

 

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The SLR QP reviewed the Mineral Resources assumptions, geological modelling and estimation workflows, data consistency and reporting procedures, and is of the opinion that the Mineral Resource estimate is appropriate for the style of the mineralization, and that the block model is reasonable and acceptable to support the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that with consideration of the recommendations summarized in Sections 1.0 and 23.0 of this report, any issues relating to all relevant technical and economic factors likely to influence the prospect of economic extraction can be resolved with further work.

The Mineral Resources for the Juruti Bauxite Mine as of December 31, 2021, are summarized in the Table 11‑1. The Mineral Resource estimate was reported using all the blocks that have bauxite as lithology, satisfying quality and technical parameters. The Juruti Bauxite Mineral Resources are in compliance with the S-K 1300 resource definition requirement of “reasonable prospects for economic extraction”.

Compared to the 2020 fiscal year end, Juruti has a positive total balance in the Mineral Resources of +48.17 Mt, being a 323.85 Mt reduction in Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, and a 372.02 Mt increase in Inferred Mineral Resources. The main changes for this are the total exhaustion and depletion of the Capiranga, Guaraná, and Juruti Sul, the update of the actual geological models, the 2021 production, and the Mineral Resource classification downgrade in the Mutum, Nhamundá, São Francisco and Santarém related to the lower confidence level in the auger drilling data.

 

 

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13.0

Mineral Reserve Estimates

13.1

Summary

Table 12‑1 summarizes the Mineral Reserve estimate effective as of December 31, 2021. The estimate is reported on a 100% ownership basis to AWAC for consolidated reporting purposes, although Alcoa only owns 60% of AWAC.

Table 12‑1: Summary of Mineral Reserves – December 31, 2021

Category

(Washed + Unwashed Bauxite)

Tonnage
(Mt)

Al2O3
(%)

Reactive SiO2
(%)

Mass Recovery (%)

Proven

50.9

47.68

3.52

80.24

Probable

37.7

46.32

3.39

81.76

Total Proven + Probable

88.5

47.10

3.47

80.89

Notes:

 

1.

The definitions for Mineral Reserves in S-K 1300 were followed for Mineral Reserves which are consistent with CIM (2014) definitions.

 

2.

There is no specific cut-off grade used for Mineral Reserves. Instead, Mineral Reserves are estimated at a pit discard cut-off value of the ore related costs. A Benefit calculation is applied to determine whether a block is economically viable whereby Benefit is the revenue less the ore related costs.

 

3.

Mineral Reserves are estimated using an average long-term bauxite price of US$27.18 per tonne and a US$/R$ exchange rate of R$5.34:US$1.00.

 

4.

Bulk density is 1.30 t/m3.

 

5.

Numbers may not add due to rounding.

 

6.

Mineral Reserves are stated on a 100% ownership basis for AWAC for consolidated reporting purposes although Alcoa’s share is 60%

The Mineral Reserves were estimated by Alcoa and audited by the SLR QP. SLR takes responsibility for the Mineral Reserve estimate presented in this report.

Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources, estimated as of December 31, 2021, were used as inputs for conversion into Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves respectively.

Reserve Modifying Factors were first added to the block model. No commercial optimizer software is used to generate a pit shell at Juruti, but instead a Python script. The sub-blocked resource model, with no block regularization for the best Selective Mining Unit (SMU) was used to estimate Mineral Reserves. The total revenue and selling costs are calculated for each block, either for washable ore or direct shipping ore (DSO).

Bonus and penalties are also calculated into the block model to adjust the bauxite price in accordance with the product grades. Economics estimated for each block determines the process destination (washed and DSO) of each ore block.

The initial surface wireframe for Mauari (July 2017) and Capiranga Central (November 2018) were used to deplete the respective resource block models. Environmental constraints and limits linked to mining concessions were used to specify which blocks can be mined.

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The economic value of each mining block is calculated by a script using mining costs, processing and General and Administrative (G&A) costs, process recovery factors, selling costs and a commodity selling price. The pit limits are generated, and the final pit limit is chosen based on the revenue factor equal to 1. Revenue factor 1 representing 100% of the commodity price.

From the ore contained within the final pit limit, a mine production schedule is generated. Mineral Reserves are reported as diluted tonnes and grade. The SLR QP confirmed that these were scheduled in an appropriate LOM plan and the physicals from the schedule were used in a discounted cash flow model to demonstrate that the estimated Mineral Reserves are viable for economic extraction.

The SLR QP is not aware of any risk factors associated with, or changes to, any aspects of the Modifying Factors such as mining, metallurgical, infrastructure, permitting, or other relevant factors that could materially affect the Mineral Reserve estimate.

13.2

Dilution

The dilution factors utilized for the Juruti Bauxite Mine are listed in Table 12‑2. These have been used for the purposes of Mineral Reserves estimation.

Table 12‑2: Dilution Factors

Planned Dilution

(Washed + Unwashed Bauxite)

LOM

Source

Al2O3 grade (washed)

0.9950

Historical

Al2O3 grade (unwashed)

0.9427

Historical

Reactive SiO2 grade (washed)

1.0482

Historical

Reactive SiO2 grade (unwashed)

1.2187

Historical

Plant recovery (washed)

0.9667

Historical

The LOM dilution figures are supported by the reconciled production numbers reviewed by SLR. While the current dilution numbers are supported by the tonnage and grade reconciliation, in the SLR QPs’ opinion, adjustments are required with respect to the procedures. Currently, for mining, polygons are used to define the lateral extents of the excavation whilst lithological surfaces are used to define the upper and lower boundaries for each lithology within the block model. Alcoa uses the sub-blocked resource model for pit optimization rather than determining the Selective Mining Unit (SMU) prior to the pit optimization.

SLR has reviewed dilution procedures and the current process and recommends that future adjustments should include dilution being accounted for during the block model regularization process rather than applying a global dilution figure to the scheduling results. Following the re-blocking process, the dilution should be quantified, reporting the average dilution incorporated into the new re-blocked model.

The tonnes and grade reconciliation should also take into consideration the final survey pickup after mining the waste and the ore, rather than evaluating using the panel edges alone. This would allow for a more accurate measurement of the actual mined tonnes and grade.

While increasing dilution could render some reserves below cut-off grade, SLR was not able to confirm the tonnage that might be removed from Mineral Reserves as a result. However, because a fixed dilution

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factor is applied to the scheduling results based on reconciliation data of tonnes and grade against actual measured data, SLR does not consider the dilution factor to be a risk for Mineral Reserves estimation.

Overall, SLR considers that the estimated Mineral Reserves are relatively insensitive to dilution.

13.3

Extraction

The extraction (recovery) factors for mining are shown in Table 12‑3.

Table 12‑3: Extraction Factors

Factors

LOM

Source

Ore mass

0.9661

Historical

Waste mass

1.0041

Historical

The calculation of mining recovery is obtained through the reconciliation between the actual tonnes that are fed into the plant and the estimated tonnes which lie inside the mined polygons from the block model. Contributing factors to ore loss include, ore loss along an ore waste boundary, any roads in ore that are not recovered and inter strip losses.

13.4

Cut-off Grade

A cut-off value is determined using the Mineral Reserve bauxite price, recovery, transport, treatment and mine operating costs. The bauxite price used for the Mineral Reserves is based on contracts established with Alumar Refinery (Alcoa), as 90% of the production is shipped to this refinery. The contract is reviewed annually and based on factors relating to internal and external demand for bauxite as well as bonus and penalties associated with the quality of the product.

The cut-off value used for the reserves is based on profit or positive revenue for a block within the block model. The economic formula refers to “Benefit” which is revenue generated from sales less the ore related costs. Where “Benefit” is positive, or profit is greater than zero the material is considered to be ore.

Costs and other parameters used to calculate the cut-off grade are shown in Table 12‑4 andTable 12‑5. The economic cut-off grade applied to the Mineral Reserve was estimated to be 37.62% Al2O3 for Capiranga Central and 36.71% Al2O3 for Mauari.

Table 12‑4: Parameters Description

Description

Variables

Percentage of unwashed material/total production

DIF

Equipment working with Waste

 

Percentage of bulldozer working on clay (%)

PercBuldClay

Percentage of bulldozer working on Laterite Type 1 (%)

PercBuldL1

Percentage of bulldozer working on Laterite Type 2a (%)

PercBuldL2a

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Description

Variables

Percentage of Hydraulic Excavator working on clay (%)

PercHEClay

Percentage of Laterite Type 1 (%)

PercLat1

Percentage of Laterite Type 2 (%)

PercLat2

Price of Bulldozer on clay (R$/m3)

PriceBuldClay

Price of Bulldozer on laterite type 1 (R$/m3)

PriceBuldL1

Price of Bulldozer on laterite type 2a (R$/m3)

PriceBuldL2a

Price of Hydraulic Excavator on Clay (R$/m3)

PriceHEClay

Bauxite prices, bonus and penalties

 

Al2O3 reference (contract) – not washed (%)

AAREFNW

Al2O3 reference (contract) (%)

AAREF

Average moisture – not washed (%)

AVGMONW

Average moisture (%)

AVGMO

Bauxite not washed Price (U$/tprod wet)

PriceBauxNW

Bauxite Price (U$/tprod wet)

PriceBaux

Bonus/Penalty Al2O3 – not washed (U$/tprod)

BPAANW

Bonus/Penalty Moisture – not washed (U$/tprod)

BPH2ONW

Bonus/Penalty Moisture (U$/tprod)

BPH2O

Bonus/Penalty SiO3 – not washed (U$/tprod)

BPRSNW

Fact Waste

FactWaste

Factor Al2O3

FactAA

Factor Al2O3 – not washed

FactAANW

Factor Bonus/Penalty Al2O3 (U$/tprod)

FBPAA

Factor Bonus/Penalty Moisture (U$/tprod)

FBPH2O

Factor Bonus/Penalty SiO3 (U$/tprod)

FBPRS

Factor Moisture

FactH2O

Factor Moisture – not washed

FactH2ONW

Factor Recovery

FactRecov

Factor recovery – not washed

FactRecovNW

Factor SiO3

FactRS

Factor SiO3 – not washed

FactRSNW

Mass Factor  

FactMass

Moisture reference (contract) – not washed (%)

MOREFNW

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Description

Variables

Moisture reference (contract) (%)

MOREF

Not washed ore Moisture (%)

MoistureONW

SiO3 reference (contract) – not washed (%)

SRREFNW

SiO3 reference (contract) (%)

SRREF

Washed ore Moisture (%)

MoistureO

Diesel and exchange rate

 

Conversion reais to Dolar

Real2Dolar

Diesel Consumption of Bulldozer working on Laterite (l/m3)

DCLatBuld

Diesel Consumption of Bulldozer working on Clay (l/m3)

DCClayBuld

Diesel Consumption of Hydraulic Excavator working on Clay (l/m3)

DCClayHE

Diesel Consumption of Hydraulic Excavator working on Laterite (l/m3)

DCLatHE

Diesel Consumption on bauxite and nodular as waste (l/m3)

DieselWaste

Price Diesel in Reais (R$)

DieselReais

Fixed costs in reais

 

Administrative Costs (R$/tprod)

PAE

Cost of Deforestation (R$/m350+35)

CoDefor

Crushing Costs (R$/tprod)

Crush

Engineering Services (R$/tprod)

Support

Fixed cost for mine (R$/tprod)

Cfixmine

Maintenance (R$/tprod)

RM

Ore density (t/m3 DRY)

DensOre

Other Fixed Costs (R$/tprod)

OtherC

Port Costs (R$/tprod)

Port

Rail Road Costs (R$/tprod)

RailRoad

Royalty (%REVENUE)

Royalt

Washing Plant Costs (R$/tprod washed)

Wash

Table 12‑5: Parameter Values

Parameter

Value

 

Parameter

Value

 

Parameter

Value

AAREF

47.5

 

FactAA

0.995

 

PercBuldL2a

1

AAREFNW

47.5

 

FactAANW

0.9427

 

PercHEClay

0.2

AVGMO

13.35

 

FactH2O

1

 

PercLat1

0.93

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Parameter

Value

 

Parameter

Value

 

Parameter

Value

AVGMONW

13.35

 

FactH2ONW

1

 

PercLat2

0.07

BPAANW

1.58

 

FactMass

0.9661

 

Port

2.88

BPH2O

0.58

 

FactRecov

0.9667

 

PriceBaux

27.18

BPH2ONW

0.61

 

FactRS

1.0482

 

PriceBauxNW

27.18

BPRSNW

2.49

 

FactRSNW

1.2187

 

PriceBuldClay

1.88

Cfixmine

3.99

 

FactWaste

1.0041

 

PriceBuldL1

1.88

CoDefor

2.41

 

FBPAA

1.58

 

PriceBuldL2a

9.38

Crush

2.4

 

FBPH2O

0.58

 

PriceHEClay

6.03

DCClayBuld

0.223

 

FBPRS

2.49

 

RailRoad

3.5

DCClayHE

0.48

 

MoistureO

0.87

 

Real2Dolar

5.34

DCLatBuld

0.65

 

MoistureONW

0.87

 

RM

3.33

DCLatHE

0.68

 

MOREF

13

 

Royalt

0.045

DensOre

1.29

 

MOREFNW

13

 

SRREF

4.1

DieselReais

3.4

 

OtherC

13.27

 

SRREFNW

4.5

DieselWaste

0.223

 

PAE

10.96

 

Support

1.53

DIF

17.7

 

PercBuldClay

0.92

 

Wash

7.26

 

 

 

PercBuldL1

1

 

 

 

 

Mining costs for all waste material are calculated within the block model. A mining cost is assigned to a waste block based on the material type and the mining equipment used to excavate the waste material. The formula for mining costs for each waste material combined with the selected mining equipment is described below.

C1BUW: Cost of bulldozer working on clay and yellow clay

���������� = (��_��_�������� × ������������ × ������������������������ × ��������������������������) ÷ ��������2����������

 

C2HEW: Cost of hydraulic excavator working on clay and yellow clay

���������� = (��_��_�������� × ������������ × �������������������� × ����������������������) ÷ ��������2����������

 

For laterite material costs, there are three main costs allocated by equipment type. There are different categories of laterite, based on hardness throughout the geological profile, which leads to different efficiencies and as such, to a different mining cost. The diesel consumption is not included into these cost and it is calculated separately.

C3BL1: Cost of bulldozer working on laterite

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���������� = (��_��_�������� × ������������ × ��������������1 × ��������������������1) ÷ ��������2����������

 

C4BL2: Cost of bulldozer working on laterite material category 2

���������� = (��_��_�������� × ������������ × ������������2 × ��������������������2 × ������������������2) ÷ ��������2����������

 

C5BL2: Cost of bulldozer working on laterite material category 2a

���������� = ( ��_��_�������� × ������������ × ������������2 × ��������������������2�� × ������������������2��) ÷ ��������2����������

 

In some instances, waste costs are attributed to bauxite and nodular bauxite blocks, in this case the calculation of the best value of the block indicates the block should be sent to the waste dump. As the block is waste the relevant mining equipment will be assigned to this block and described below.

CWA50: Cost of equipment working on bauxite as waste

���������� = (��_�������� × ��_50 × ������������ × ((������������1 × ��������������������1)+ (������������������2 × ��������������������2 × ��������������2)) ÷ ��������2����������

 

CWA35: Cost of equipment working on nodular bauxite as waste

���������� = (P_�������� × ��_35 × ������������ × ((���������������������� × ��������������������������) + (�������������������� × ����������������������)) ÷ ��������2����������

 

Regarding diesel costs, when working on waste, the financial model adopts a diesel cost when working on overburden and two others when working on bauxite and nodular bauxite, named CF3DW, CDW50 and CDW35 respectively.

There are two divisions to define the diesel consumption, one on clay and another on laterite. The total cost of diesel referring to overburden will be then the sum of them (CF3DW).

For bauxite and nodular bauxite blocks that may become waste, the cost is represented by CDW50 and CDW35 for each block based on the percentage contribution of each lithotype specified in the block.

The following formulas shows how diesel consumption are calculated in the block model.

CF3DW: Cost of diesel working on waste  

�������������������� = ((P_�������� × (��_20 + ��_30) × ������������ × ���������������������� × �������������������� × ������������������������) + ( P_�������� × (��_20 + ��_30) × ������������ × ���������������������� × ���������������� × ��������������������) ) ÷ ��������2����������

 

������������������ = (( P_�������� ×  ��_40 × ������������ × ���������������������� × ������������������ × ��������������1) + ( P_�������� × ��_40 × ������������ × ���������������������� × �������������� × ��������������2) ) ÷ ��������2����������

���������� = �������������������� + ������������������

 

CDW50: Cost of diesel working on bauxite as waste  

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���������� = (P_�������� × ��_50 × ������������ × ���������������������� × ����������������������) ÷ ��������2����������

 

CDW35: Cost of diesel working on nodular bauxite as waste  

���������� = (P_�������� × ��_35 × ������������ × ���������������������� × ����������������������) ÷ ��������2����������

 

Figure 12‑1: Formula used to calculate diesel cost (Alcoa, 2021)

Mining cost on waste (MCW_M) is one of main variables that impact the final pit boundaries, and it can be defined as the sum off all costs that will be mentioned below. The formula below defines the waste mining cost.

������__�� = (������������������ × (������35 + ������35 + ������50 + ������50 + ��5����1 + ��4����2 + ����3���� + ��3����1 + ��1������ + ��2������)) ÷ (������������ × ��������)

Ore mine costs for bauxite and nodular bauxite blocks are determined by the sum of equipment and diesel costs, and calculated based on its lithology and named MCO_P.  

������__�� = (������35 + ������35 + ������50 + ������50) ÷ (����35�� + ����50��)

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Each of the costs in the formula above are calculated as follows.

COR35: Haulage cost for nodular bauxite

COR35 = (P__35×volume × (CoDefor+PRDMT) × FactMass) ÷ Real2Dolar

 

COR50: Haulage cost for nodular bauxite

COR50 = (P__50×volume × (CoDefor+PRDMT) × FactMass) ÷ Real2Dolar

CDO35: Diesel cost for nodular bauxite

CDO35 = (P__35×volume × DieselReais × DCOre ) ÷ Real2Dolar

CDO50: Diesel cost for bauxite

CDO50 = (P__50×volume × DieselReais × DCOre) ÷ Real2Dolar

Diesel consumption for ore is calculated based on the haulage distance of the block to the crusher feeder. The calculation is done by way of a formula in Python language and shown in Figure 12‑2.

 

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Figure 12‑2: Formula used to calculate haulage distance (Alcoa, 2021)

Finally, the processing cost for washed and unwashed bauxite is assigned to each block. CF1 represents the cost of washed material and CF1NW for unwashed product:

������ = ���������������� + ��������ℎ + ������ℎ + ���������������� + �������� + ���� + �������������� + ������ + ����ℎ����

���������� = ���������������� + ��������ℎ + ���������������� + �������� + ���� + �������������� + ������ + ����ℎ����

Mining rights are included as mining areas limits. An internal offset of 50 m of the mining area is allowed for deforestation.

Costs are based on historical data, making adjustments for haulage distance. The plant recovery factor is estimated based on regression by analysing grades through laboratory work.

With all costs and revenues directly assigned to each block, the economic value is calculated for each block based on its process destination. Based on the process destination, another script is run to determine the blocks that are ore, the destination, and the boundary limit for the final pit shell.

With the final pit boundary, another script is run to adjust the proportion between washed and unwashed products based on the product budget for the following year. The same script will regularize the block height to only one block, with the height equal to the sum of the individual blocks in the same XY

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coordinate. The block will be assigned a single grade and ore type. In this process, any waste block in the middle of this column, will be diluted into the new ore block. To determine the final values for the Mineral Reserves, all blocks with height below 1.0m are excluded whilst the dilution is applied for tonnes and grades.

 

 

 

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14.0

Mining Methods

Juruti has been operating since 2009, with average historical annual production rates of approximately 8 Mtpa of ROM. In recent years, approximately 5.4 Mtpa of washed bauxite and 1 Mt of Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) have been produced per year.

The mine is an open pit operation and uses on-road 8x4 40 t trucks, hydraulic excavators 66 t and 74 t operating weight and D6 to D11 size dozers.

The Capiranga plateau is currently being mined and will be shortly followed by Capiranga Central and Mauari plateaus.

The mining concept is based on conventional strip mining. Each plateau is divided into panels and regular strips of 20 m width x 200 m length which can be mined after lateral accesses and box cuts are developed in advance. The operations within a strip consist of a number of sequential mining activities including land clearance, topsoil removal, overburden stripping and waste backfill and bauxite mining. Some lateral accesses were used in the past as a tailings dam.

Overburden has an average thickness of 12 m of clay and laterite. The preferred waste removal method for a thickness less than 12 m involves the use of D11T-DC dozers which push the overburden directly into the adjacent mined out strip. Thicker layers will require excavators/trucks which will remove the excess overburden thickness (greater than 12 m) so the dozers can further complete the stripping.

A suitable period of drying and consolidation of the fines will be allowed before overburden from the adjacent panel is dozed over the fines. The returned overburden surface will be contoured with dozers to create an acceptable final topography. Shortly thereafter, topsoil will be distributed over the overburden in preparation for landform rehabilitation.

A plan view of the mines is presented as Figure 13‑1 and Figure 13‑2 shows the stripping mining method as used at Juruti.

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Mauari plateau

 

Capiranga Central plateau

 

Figure 13‑1: Mines at Juruti (Alcoa, 2021)

 

Figure 13‑2: Schematic diagram of strip mining at Juruti (Alcoa, 2021)

Mining dilution and recovery associated with the adopted mining method are discussed in Section 12.0 above.

14.1

Geotechnical Considerations

The mining method for Juruti includes stripping an average thickness of 14.2 m for Capiranga Central and 14.7 m for Mauari of clay and laterite overburden by pushing back the material with dozers into the previously mined out strip. The bauxite is then mined out with backhoe excavators.

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The Massive bauxite thickness averages 2.9 m for Capiranga Central and 2.8 m for Mauari with a maximum of 7.7 m at Capiranga Central and 5.5 m at Mauari. The depth of the bauxite pits is therefore shallow, and the slope angles low and dozers can be used to cut the slopes. The geotechnical Modifying Factor is not a major consideration; no geotechnical parameters are applied in the mine area.

Wash plant fines are returned to the mined-out strips and stored in containment dams formed by bund walls created with overburden and strips prepared by dozers.

Overburden is pushed directly back into the previously mined strips so ex-pit waste dumps are limited.

14.2

Geotechnical and hydrogeological models

No geotechnical and hydrogeological models are used for the pit designs at Juruti.

14.3

Geomechanics, Ground Support

The depth of excavation at Juruti is shallow (20 m or less) and the method of overburden removal by pushing with dozers results in shallow slope angles of no greater than 35°. The geotechnical aspect of mine design is therefore not a major consideration for the deposit and a formal geotechnical investigation has not been completed for the open pits. SLR is satisfied that this does not preclude the estimation of Mineral Reserves. The safe operation of the pits can be properly managed through the application of appropriate work procedures and training.

The majority of the waste is backfilled by pushing the overburden back into the previously excavated cut with dozers. The geotechnical implications are limited, and the safety aspect of this process can be adequately managed through appropriate work procedures and training. The barren waste pile for Mauari plateau is designed to be constructed in 3 m lifts to a total maximum height of 12 m and overall slope angle of 14°. This is not considered significant geotechnically.

14.4

Hydrogeology

Ground water is not an issue at Juruti, and no lowering of the water table is necessary because the pits are typically very shallow. Drainage channels are placed around the plateaus to avoid rainwater flowing into the pit.

The water within the mining areas is pumped to sumps nearby and after some time of settling the water flows to natural drainage.

14.5

Mine Design

Strip mining requires the distribution of the mineable inventories into panels and strips. Small unprofitable areas are occasionally incorporated into the inventory due the limited flexibility of the stripping method. Once the decision to mine an area has been made, some marginal ore not included in the estimated reserves may get included in the mined ore tonnages.

Alcoa created several strip geometries and mining directions for each panel, selecting the best configuration from the mine scheduling viewpoint as shown in Figure 13‑3.

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Figure 13‑3: Mine design panels for Mauari (left) and Capiranga Central (right) plateaus by scheduled year (Alcoa, 2021)

The SLR QP is of the opinion that considering the style of mineralization, the average depth of the deposit, and the material characteristics of the overburden material whereby it is amenable to ripping / excavation using conventional earth-moving equipment, the strip mining method adopted at Juruti is the most appropriate method for the Mineral Reserves.

14.6

Life of Mine Plan

The current estimated life of mine (LOM) plan is shown in Table 13‑2. The planned mine production from 2022 through 2035 is expected to total approximately 128 wet Mt of ROM, potentially producing 101 wet Mt of washed and unwashed saleable product with average grades of around 47.1 % Al2O3, 3.5 % R.SiO2 and 16.5 % Fe. The strip ratio (SR) for the LOM is expected to be around 4.2 m3/t.

 

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Table 13‑2: Juruti Life of Mine plan

Year

Product

ROM (t)

Waste (m3)

SR (m3/t)

Bauxite (t)

Al2O3 (%)

R.SiO2 (%)

Fe (%)

Recovery (%)

Haul Distance (m)

2022

Washed

8,477,515

28,836,032

3.40

6,195,369

47.45

3.93

15.42

0.73

18,389

DSO

812,051

4,449,920

5.48

812,051

42.57

2.91

20.97

1.00

15,958

Total

9,289,566

40,236,207

4.33

7,007,419

46.88

3.81

16.07

0.75

18,107

2023

Washed

7,947,945

30,757,717

3.87

6,202,609

48.18

3.23

15.93

0.78

14,587

DSO

1,300,550

7,253,179

5.58

1,300,550

42.96

3.13

21.61

1.00

15,875

Total

9,248,495

42,881,797

4.64

7,503,159

47.28

3.21

16.92

0.81

14,810

2024

Washed

7,964,916

27,469,277

3.45

6,201,639

48.18

3.28

16.04

0.78

15,040

DSO

1,309,555

7,538,519

5.76

1,309,555

43.05

3.15

21.63

1.00

14,776

Total

9,274,471

39,742,755

4.29

7,511,194

47.29

3.25

17.01

0.81

14,994

2025

Washed

8,037,340

26,613,005

3.31

6,219,728

48.16

3.34

15.60

0.77

14,244

DSO

1,290,222

8,017,726

6.21

1,290,222

43.09

3.12

21.51

1.00

16,461

Total

9,327,562

37,658,344

4.04

7,509,950

47.29

3.30

16.62

0.81

14,625

2026

Washed

7,936,385

23,458,424

2.96

6,196,317

48.23

3.30

15.70

0.78

16,224

DSO

1,306,462

7,795,795

5.97

1,306,462

42.73

3.24

21.97

1.00

17,213

Total

9,242,847

36,696,943

3.97

7,502,779

47.27

3.29

16.79

0.81

16,396

2027

Washed

8,007,074

25,791,526

3.22

6,227,199

48.18

3.28

15.91

0.78

15,593

DSO

1,284,775

6,802,790

5.29

1,284,775

42.93

3.15

21.70

1.00

15,449

Total

9,291,849

35,469,205

3.82

7,511,974

47.29

3.26

16.90

0.81

15,568

2028

Washed

8,108,707

25,799,069

3.18

6,214,190

48.11

3.40

15.71

0.77

15,401

DSO

1,300,911

6,926,872

5.32

1,300,911

43.26

3.14

21.14

1.00

16,957

Total

9,409,618

35,870,845

3.81

7,515,100

47.27

3.36

16.65

0.80

15,670

2029

Washed

8,089,125

24,725,900

3.06

6,204,238

48.11

3.37

15.81

0.77

16,080

DSO

1,298,804

7,633,683

5.88

1,298,804

43.29

3.09

21.34

1.00

16,054

Total

9,387,930

34,553,478

3.68

7,503,042

47.28

3.32

16.77

0.80

16,076

2030

Washed

8,429,185

25,022,674

2.97

6,197,932

47.82

3.88

14.98

0.74

17,968

DSO

1,303,225

7,619,839

5.85

1,303,225

42.47

2.73

21.73

1.00

19,096

Total

9,732,410

38,571,071

3.96

7,501,158

46.89

3.68

16.15

0.77

18,164

2031

Washed

8,425,221

28,661,532

3.40

6,201,869

48.02

3.90

14.71

0.74

19,212

DSO

1,298,806

8,451,648

6.51

1,298,806

41.52

2.87

22.38

1.00

19,628

Total

9,724,027

42,860,912

4.41

7,500,674

46.89

3.72

16.04

0.77

19,284

2032

Washed

8,368,074

28,076,192

3.36

6,199,455

47.90

3.77

15.02

0.74

19,016

DSO

1,299,520

8,350,711

6.43

1,299,520

41.99

3.03

21.62

1.00

17,933

Total

9,667,594

42,686,186

4.42

7,498,976

46.88

3.64

16.16

0.78

18,828

2033

Washed

8,357,992

27,582,163

3.30

6,213,678

47.94

3.75

15.07

0.74

20,360

DSO

1,292,260

8,902,551

6.89

1,292,260

41.73

2.96

21.41

1.00

20,467

Total

9,650,252

44,918,966

4.65

7,505,937

46.87

3.62

16.16

0.78

20,378

2034

Washed

8,213,100

27,491,969

3.35

6,201,547

47.72

3.74

15.43

0.76

20,675

DSO

1,311,130

7,732,562

5.90

1,311,130

42.93

3.10

19.68

1.00

21,233

Total

9,524,230

39,928,990

4.19

7,512,676

46.88

3.63

16.17

0.79

20,773

2035

Washed

4,331,287

16,299,053

3.76

3,272,290

47.67

3.82

15.24

0.76

19,334

DSO

535,688

3,459,890

6.46

535,688

43.53

3.14

18.91

1.00

19,764

Total

4,866,976

24,367,612

5.01

3,807,979

47.08

3.73

15.75

0.78

19,395

 

 

 

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14.7

Infrastructure

A description of surface infrastructure facilities and services is included in Section 15.0.

14.8

Mine Equipment

The estimated requirement for primary and auxiliary mining equipment is provided in Table 13‑3.

Table 13‑3: Mining Equipment

Equipment

Units

Excavator CAT 349D

4

Excavator CAT 345-GC

2

Excavator CAT 365C

7

Excavator CAT 374F

1

On road truck Actros 4844K 8x4

42

On road truck G500 B HT 8x4

30

Front End Loader CAT 950H

1

Front End Loader CAT 980H

8

Dozer D6T

6

Dozer D8T

3

Dozer D11

16

Auxiliary Equipment

28

14.9

Manpower

The workforce of Juruti consists of company personnel and contractors. The Alcoa personnel and main contractor lists for mining operations are presented in Table 13‑4 and Table 13‑5, respectively. The number of Juruti employees required for mining operations is not expected to change significantly for the foreseeable future.

Mine production is carried out by contractors, employed on a permanent basis, while company personnel carry out the geology, planning and grade control activities. Administrative works on a 5x2 roster of 8-hour shifts while mine production staff work on 12h x 36h shifts.

Table 13‑4: Alcoa personnel

Juruti Alcoa

Total

Manager

12

Engineers and Geologists

38

Administrative Staff

77

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Juruti Alcoa

Total

Technical Staff

141

Operators

191

Interns/apprentices

26

Total

485

 

Table 13‑5: Contractors at Juruti

Juruti Contractors

No. of Personnel

Mine

1,136

Plant

781 

Others

102 

Total

2,019 

 

 

 

 

 

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15.0

Processing and Recovery Methods

15.1

Process Description

The process plant has been in operation in 2009 and continues to produce bauxite ready for refining at an Al2O3 grade of 47.5%. The current production capacity of the process plant is 6.2 Mtpa of washed bauxite and 1.3 Mtpa of unwashed bauxite as a Direct Shipping Ore (DSO).

The overall processing requirements of bauxite from Juruti is limited and consists of primary and secondary ore crushing followed by washing. The principal objective of the processing flowsheet is to remove or reduce the fine silt and clay content within the run-of-mine material. The removed fines are initially deposited in a thickening pond for settling and water recovery (for reuse in the washing plant) then discarded in tailings ponds.

A block flow diagram of the process flowsheet is shown in Figure 14‑1.

Figure 14‑1: Block flow diagram of process (Alcoa, 2021)

 

15.1.1

Crushing

The bauxite, mined out in manageable pieces, is loaded into trucks, and transported to crushing circuit consisting of three stages of roller crushers. The crushed ore is transported by conveyor belts to the stockpiles, and later to the washing plant.

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The run of mine feeds the crushing circuit consisted of two tooth roller crushers operating in series, with the same operational conditions, to guarantee the specified particle size of the product at P95=75 mm. The capacity of the crushers is 844-1,097 tonnes per hour (tph). The crushing plant feed and the fine material content into the feed are controlled by mining sequencing rather than stockpiling. The crushed ore is then stockpiled and subsequently fed to the washing plant.

15.1.2

Washing

The washing plant is designed with the objective of separating the crushed bauxite into three separate size fractions (coarser than 1.18 mm, 38 µm to 1.18 mm and finer then 38 µm). The top two size fractions will constitute the washed product while the finest fraction will be final trails. The washing plant operates in two identical circuits with each circuit consists of scrubber/ trommel, screening, hydrocyclones, and filtering.

The crushed ore is washed in a scrubber with the objective of clay removal. The scrubber residence time and feed pulp density are approximately 3 minutes and 50% solids by weight. The scrubber discharge is screened at a 75 mm aperture trommel screen to remove the coarser particles from it.

The particles with size lower than 75 mm are screened in two stages with double deck screens while the particles size higher than 75 mm feed a tertiary crusher and then recirculated back to the trommel.

The oversize (+1.18 mm, -75 mm) of the secondary screening corresponds to the coarse product. The undersize (-1.18 mm) feeds a battery of hydrocyclones. The purpose of the hydrocyclones circuit is to remove the ultrafine material (-38 µm) that consisted of silica and other impurities. These ultrafine material reports to the cyclone overflow and pumped to the tailings disposal area of the circuit.  The cyclone underflow is the fine product with a size distribution of +38 µm – 1.18 mm. This product is filtered in two belt filters, with 20 m2 of area each. The filter cake (fine product) and the oversize (coarse product +1.18 mm, -75 mm) are considered as the washed bauxite products from the Juruti operation.

The tailings of the washing circuit (ultrafine material) are pumped as a dilute slurry at approximately 8 to 10% solids content to the tailing ponds.

The current global mass recovery of the plant is 75% ± 1%. The final product specification has 47.5 ± 1% of available alumina content (A.Al2O3) and 4.1 ± 0.5% of reactive silica (R.SiO2) content. The residual moisture content of the final product is 13% ± 1%.

15.2

Primary equipment list

The primary equipment list of Juruti process operation is shown in Table 14‑1.

Table 14‑1: Primary equipment list

Equipment

Quantity

Installed Power (kW)

Primary crusher

1

634

Secondary crusher

1

532

Shoe feeder

1

159

Conveyor

1

158

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Equipment

Quantity

Installed Power (kW)

Conveyor

1

129

Ore forklift

2

400

Conveyor

1

158

Belt feeder

1

120

Tertiary crusher

1

197

Conveyor

1

196

Rotary washer & fan

2

198

Rotary washer & fan

1

21

Shoe feeder

2

16

Slurry pump

2

196

Slurry pump

2

273

Slurry pump

1

80

Slurry pump

2

40

Slurry pump

2

33

Well pump

2

16

Vacuum pump for belt filter

2

121

Vibrating primary screen

4

16

Vibrating secondary screen

5

16

Vibrating screen

11

24

Belt conveyor

1

121

Belt conveyor

1

8

Belt filter

1

21

Belt conveyor

2

101

Coarse product conveyor

1

8

Belt conveyor

1

13

Belt conveyor

1

8

Intermediate Product conveyor

1

48

Fine product conveyor

2

20

Final product conveyor

1

121

Sampling belt conveyor

1

16

Runner feeder

1

24

Mobile feeder

1

20

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Equipment

Quantity

Installed Power (kW)

Air compressor

1

60

Freight elevator

1

33

Belt conveyor

1

157

Service water pump

2

40

Sealant water pump

2

60

Overhead crane

1

240

Overhead crane

1

60

15.3

Process plant requirements

The average annual power and water consumptions of the process plant are approximately 47,000 MWh and 18 Mm3.

Other consumables of the process plant include crusher liners, screen panels, cyclone liners, filter cloths and spares for feeders and conveyors. These are kept on site and replaced as part of the routine maintenance schedule according to manufacturers guidelines. The process plant is appropriately staffed with trained personnel and SLR has the opinion that the plant can continue to operate with the current staff levels.

15.4

Summary and QP opinion

The SLR QP is of the opinion that selected processing method and the flowsheet is suitable for Juruti operations. It is important to note that a significant proportion of the ore head grades meet the refinery specifications for processing in terms of A.Al2O3 grades and R.SiO2 grades. This means the majority of the ore can be directly shipped to the refinery for downstream refining/smelting without any upgrading in the mineral processing plant. The crushing circuit reduces the particle size suitable for conveying as well as to meet particle size specified by the refinery.

The remaining ore, with higher R.SiO2 content, is processed in a washing circuit to reduce the R.SiO2 content to meet the refinery specifications.

 

 

 

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16.0

Infrastructure

Infrastructure associated with bauxite mining operations is generally all located within the area of the Juruti Bauxite Mine, approximately 55 km south of the town of Juruti. The required infrastructure includes the following:

 

Rail siding and rail loading facilities

 

Bauxite beneficiation plant comprising ore crushing (primary and secondary) and washing (scrubbing, screening, cyclone separation, filtering) plants

 

Mine waste facilities including tailings thickening lagoons and tailings disposal ponds

 

Stockpiles and material handling including conveyors

 

Ancillary buildings including administrative and mine site offices, warehouses, laboratory, and workshops

 

Fuel station

 

Water supply system comprising water collection pumps installed on a raft in the Juruti Grande stream north on the mining infrastructure and plant area, and a water pipeline corridor of approximately 9 km. A portion of the water is also reclaimed from the tailings ponds and re-used by the beneficiation plant.

 

Power generation through Thermoelectric Units (UTE) under a power purchase agreement with Petrobras Distribuidora S.A. (Petrobras). Two units are located at the mine site and port, each supplying 13.8 kV into dedicated electrical substations. Power is distributed by overhead insulated transmission lines installed by Alcoa and downrated by secondary substations.

 

Surface water management and pumping systems, including a wastewater (effluent) treatment plant.

 

55 km off-site rail corridor connecting the mine to Juruti port and access road. The railroad is serviced by two locomotives and 26 wagons, each with a capacity of 81 tons.

 

Port facilities including rail siding, materials handling equipment/conveyors, and 4,000 tph capacity ship loader. The port can receive vessels with capacity up to 75,000-tons.

Other available infrastructure in proximity to the Juruti Bauxite Mine include accommodation in Juruti town, which provides a portion of labour for the mine, and Juruti Airport.

The following figures provide aerial photographs of key areas of the Juruti Bauxite Mine and infrastructure areas including the materials handling facilities and processing plant (Figure 15‑1), the product stockpiles and railroad (Figure 15‑2), and the ship loader at Juruti port (Figure 15‑3).

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Figure 15‑1: Aerial photograph of the crusher, stockpiles, washing plant and office facilities at the mine (Alcoa, 2021)

 

Figure 15‑2: Aerial photograph of the railroad and bauxite product stockpiles (Alcoa, 2021)

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Figure 15‑3: Aerial photograph of the ship loader and port at Juruti town (Alcoa, 2021)

 

Figure 15‑4 below illustrates the infrastructure layout of the Juruti Bauxite Mine, including the rail and road access points to the east, processing plant area, internal road networks, and the relative location of the thickening lagoon / settling pond and tailings ponds.

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Figure 15‑4: Juruti Infrastructure Layout (Alcoa, 2021)

Notes:

 

1.

TP refers to Tailings Ponds

 

2.

SP refer to Settling (Thickening) Pond

16.1

Mine Waste Management

16.1.1

Existing Tailings Storage Facilities

Tailings at the Juruti Bauxite Mine are generated from beneficiation of the bauxite ore at the processing plant which involves removing silt and clay (fine particles) by a simple washing process. The tailings of the overall washing circuit comprise the overflows of the hydrocyclones batteries. Based on an annual washed bauxite production of 6 Mtpa, the tailings generated annually are in the order of 1.93 Mtpa (dry tonnage).

The tailings disposal system from the bauxite process relies on the use of thickening ponds and tailings disposal ponds. The tailings produced in the processing of bauxite in the washing plant are fed into the thickening pond as a pulp with 6% to 8% of solid content on average. After a period of solid sedimentation, the water is pumped and reclaimed for reuse in the system. Settled solids are dredged and deposited into the tailings disposal ponds, see Figure 15‑5. The solid content of the dredged tailings is 22%. The solid content of the deposited tailings reaches 46.4% after one year and 55% long term.

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Figure 15‑5: Juruti Tailings Process (Alcoa, 2021)

Typically, the mine tailings storage facilities (TSFs) are constructed of earthen embankments, or dikes, forming an enclosure. Some impoundments are maintained at their original height, with the perimeter embankment constructed to full height before deposition begins. Others are raised over time using downstream, upstream or centerline methods, depending on the type of tailings being stored and the method of deposition used.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine currently has eight tailings storage facilities, as listed in Table 15‑1 below, which comprise one thickening pond and seven tailings disposal ponds in operation (TP1 to TP7), two of which are inactive (TP1 and TP2). The ninth tailings disposal pond (TP8) is under construction and will be delivered for operations in 2022.

Table 15‑1: List of Existing Tailings Storage Facilities at the Juruti Bauxite Mine

TSF Name

Date of Initial Operation

Current Max Height (m)

Current Tailings Storage Volume (Mm3)

5-yrs Tailings Storage Plan (Mm3)

Consequence Classification

Thickening Pond (LE)

2008

9.0

4.3

4.4

Medium

Disposal Pond TP1

2008

24.0

2.7

3.0

Medium

Disposal Pond TP2

2008

24.0

2.5

3.4

Medium

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TSF Name

Date of Initial Operation

Current Max Height (m)

Current Tailings Storage Volume (Mm3)

5-yrs Tailings Storage Plan (Mm3)

Consequence Classification

Disposal Pond TP32

2013

10.0

4.8

5.5

Medium

Disposal Pond TP4

2016

14.0

2.0

2.4

Low

Disposal Pond TP5

2018

18.5

3.0

3.5

Medium

Disposal Pond TP6

2020

6.9

1.9

2.9

Medium

Disposal Pond TP73

2021

18.0

0.8

4.8

Medium

 

Limited detailed design and/or construction documentation was available for the review, however, it is understood from the published Alcoa Corporate Tailings Impoundment Database (July 2021) that relevant engineering records including design, construction and closure are available for the facilities.

Information available on the governance of tailings management at the Juruti Bauxite Mine was initially limited to that publicly available, namely Alcoa policy documents, which were discussed via email correspondence with the Alcoa team (Alcoa, 2021) regarding current tailings management practice.

Alcoa’s global impoundment policy requires all impoundments to be planned, designed, constructed, operated, maintained, and closed in accordance with the Alcoa mandated impoundment standards and guidelines, the International Council on Mining and Metals Global Tailings Standard, or the laws and regulations of the country in which the Impoundments are located (whichever are higher). It has not been possible to verify the extent to which the policy requirements have been implemented for the management of the Juruti tailings storage facilities.

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Figure 15‑6: Aerial photograph of the Tailings Lagoon (LE) and Tailings Disposal Ponds (TP1 to TP7), (Alcoa 2021)

It is understood from published information and email correspondence with Alcoa’s team (Alcoa, 2021) that Alcoa applies a consequence rating system as guided by either local regulations or internal Alcoa requirements. For the case of the Juruti Bauxite Mine, the TSFs are classified and audited in accordance with Brazilian regulation and the Brazilian National Mining Agency standards are being used. Alcoa is currently in the process of reclassifying the consequence ratings of its tailings facilities to the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management, with implementation planned to take place in 2025.

The tailings facilities, with the exception of TP7, which was not commissioned, were reviewed by independent experts in 2021. Updated dam-breach assessments for the TSFs were recommended in order to address the latest Brazilian Mining Agency regulation on the matter. This is currently being progressed.

It is noted that in November 2017, a partial overtopping of the crest took place in the southeast area of the thickening pond. There was no tailings flow downstream. Key stakeholders were engaged and remedial actions were implemented. SLR relies on the conclusions provided in the published database and email correspondence with Alcoa’s team and therefore provides no conclusions or opinions regarding the stability of the listed dams and impoundments.

The tailings management governance structure involves three reporting levels: the owner’s board of directors, an Accountable Executive Officer and a Responsible Person. An Accountable Executive has been appointed. A Senior Geotechnical Engineer is being appointed on site for the role of responsible tailings facility engineer (RTFE). The appointment of an engineer of record (EoR) is being considered as part of the implementation plan of GISTM requirements.

Email correspondence with Alcoa’s team (Alcoa, 2021) indicates that TSFs have operations, maintenance and surveillance (OMS) manuals, developed based on local guidelines and international best practice, as

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well as emergency response plans (ERP). Each TSF is inspected twice a month at a minimum. Triggers action response plans (TARP) are currently being updated in order to incorporate recently installed instruments as well as recent topographic survey and geotechnical data

16.1.2

Future Tailings Disposal Plan

The Juruti Tailings Master Plan (Alcoa, June 2021) for tailings management provides a 15-year plan for sustaining production with the current wet tailings disposal method. Alternative technology involving dry tailings disposal is being investigated. The base-case considers sustaining the production for at least 5 years with current technology. The potential technology switch to dry disposal is envisaged starting year 2026.

Table 15‑2 below presents the scheduled tailings facilities from 2021 until 2036. One new tailings pond is planned every two years based on current technology.

Table 15‑2: Planned Tailings Storage Facilities

Disposal Pond

Type

Capacity (Mm3)

Life (months)

Design & Construction

Operation Start

TP 8

In-pit with bauxite

6.7

26.8

2021/22

2022

TP 9

In-pit with bauxite

7.9

31.7

2022/24

2024

TP 10

Already Mined

6.4

25.6

2024/26

2026

TP 11

In-pit with bauxite

6.0

24.0

2026/28

2028

TP 12

Already Mined

6.0

24.0

2028/30

2030

TP 13

In-pit with bauxite

6.1

24.4

2030/32

2032

TP 14

Already Mined

6.0

24.0

2032/34

2034

TP 15

In-pit with bauxite

5.9

23.6

2034/36

2036

Total

 

51.0

 

 

 

 

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Figure 15‑7: Planned Tailings Storage Facilities construction sequence (Alcoa, 2021)

 

As an alternative to the base case scenario of tailings ponds construction, Alcoa is assessing other technologies to dewater and dispose of Juruti bauxite tailings. Preliminary studies show that the “dry backfill” alternative has technical and financial potential to be competitive and field tests need to be done in Juruti to confirm the assumptions and to substantiate a FEL2 development.

The “dry backfill” consists of excavated areas receiving tailings from the dredges or mechanical thickener which are disposed as a slurry in layers over large areas for solar drying for a certain period (it can vary from 30 to 90 days, depending on the seasonality). After that, the “dried tailings” are excavated, hauled to the mined areas and disposed with the overburden (Figure 15‑8). A field test is expected to take place by 4Q2022.

 

 

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Figure 15‑8: Alternative dry disposal technology (Alcoa, 2021)

16.1.3

Closure of Tailings Facilities

Alcoa’s 15-year Master Plan provides for closure of twelve tailings facilities, TP1 to TP12. Closure concepts and cost estimates based on preliminary assessment have been developed for TP1 and TP2 which will be the first facilities to be closed. The rest of the facilities will be closed progressively throughout the mine life.

The closure concept involves reshaping and capping of the tailings body with a conforming soil-fill and then topsoil before planting. External drainage and storm water management will be provided. The main objective of the closure design is geotechnical, geochemical, and biological stability.

16.1.4

Waste Rock Disposal

Disposal of mine waste involves backfilling of previously mined panels. The mining operations involve dividing the entire plateau in 200 m x 25 m panels. The overburden stripped from the panel being mined out is pushed by dozers into the previously excavated panel.

Only a small volume of the overburden excavated from the first panel is deposited in a waste dump in the Mauari Plateau. The dump is constructed in 3 m lifts to a total maximum height of 12 m and overall slope angle of 14° (Figure 15‑9).

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Figure 15‑9: Mauari Waste Dump (Alcoa, 2021)

16.2

Access Roads

As described in Section 4.0, the Juruti Bauxite Mine site is serviced by a local access road (PA-257) that heads south from Juruti town. After approximately 20 km, the road splits with the national road continuing eastwards and the mine access road continuing southwest for approximately 35 km. The final 17 km of the access road to the mine site follows the route of the dedicated rail corridor that connects the mine to Juruti port.

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Figure 15‑10: Juruti Bauxite Mine Access (SLR, 2021)

The Juruti Bauxite Mine site also has several internal site roads which have been constructed to interconnect the infrastructure and processing plant area and each of the individual mining areas (plateaus). The layout of these internal site roads is illustrated in Figure 15‑11 below.

 

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Figure 15‑11: Juruti Bauxite Mine internal site road layout (Alcoa, 2022)

16.3

Power

Power generation is available from two separate sources for the infrastructure area at the mine site and at the port site in Juruti town. Electrical power is provided by Thermoelectric Units (UTE) under a power purchase agreement with Petrobras Distribuidora S.A. (Petrobras), with one unit located at the processing plant facilities at the mine site and one unit located at the port facilities in Juruti town.

Electrical power is delivered at 13.8 kV, and Alcoa has installed insulated overhead transmission lines which distributes this incoming power to secondary substations. Substations lower the incoming voltage to 4.16 kV for high-power loads and 0.44 kV for low-power loads.

Electrical consumption is monitored by Soenergy, a subsidiary of Petrobras, jointly with AWA Brasil, from distribution boards on the substations located at the mine site and at the port. Secondary substations at the mine and port are also monitored for electrical consumption by Alcoa World Alumina Juruti.

16.4

Water

The primary source of water for the Juruti mining operations is the Juruti Grande stream north of the mining infrastructure and plant area, and which empties into the Amazon River, along with the Aruá River to the south of the mining areas, which empties into the Arapinus River at Cochoeira do Aruá. The Juruti Grande stream is known to represent the primary drainage system for surface water across the majority of the Juruti mining areas, with minor drainage into the Aruá River.

Figure 15‑12 below shows the raw water collection system on the Juruti Grande stream north of the infrastructure area. The collection system comprises vertical pumps installed on a raft and a water pipeline corridor of approximately 9 km.

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Figure 15‑12: Aerial photograph of the Juruti Grande water intake, looking southeast (Alcoa, 2021)

Water is collected, recycled, and reused across almost areas of the Juruti mining operations to ensure water demand can be met year-round. As described previously, tailings from the processing plant facilities are initially fed into a thickening lagoon as a pulp / slurry with typically 6-8% solids. The purpose of the thickening lagoons is to allow for sedimentation of solids and the recovery / reclaim of water. Tailings solids are dredged and deposited into separate tailings disposal ponds, at which time any additional water from further settling is also reclaimed where possible.

It has previously been demonstrated through an evaluation of the seasonal and steady-state recovery of water from the thickening pond that the system is sufficient to provide the required quantity of water for normal operation of the process (washing) plant.

Wastewater from the port and processing plant areas is managed by two effluent treatment stations (ETE). Raw and treated wastewater qualities are monitored on a monthly basis, with more detailed physical, chemical, and bacteriological parameters analysed on a quarterly basis by a certified laboratory. Analysis results are compared to values established by CONAMA (Brazilian National Environment Council) Resolution 430/2011 that provisions the conditions and standards of effluents, to ensure the discharged wastewater meets the required quality standards.

Wastewater discharge is reported to be from a single discharge point at the Port Sanitary Effluent Treatment Station into the Amazon River. This is reported by Alcoa to be in accordance with Ordinance no. 118/2011 by the ANA (National Water Agency). Other effluents are disposed of into the soil, however, in absence of reference values for this practice, Alcoa uses CONAMA 430/2011 as a reference.

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16.5

Site Buildings

Mine site buildings are principally located around the process plant area and include mine services offices, workshops, warehouses, and an on-site analytical laboratory. Additional administrative offices are located at the port in Juruti town.

16.5.1

Workshops

The Juruti area has a complete Maintenance Workshop equipped with bays for medium mobile equipment. Its construction is in a metallic structure and there is an office and a dressing room attached to the shed, built with masonry. Other facilities include the Lube Bay, the Vehicle Washing Bay, the Tire Shop, the Heavy and Light Vehicle Refueling Station, the Parking Lot, and the patio, all of which are in proximity to the General Maintenance Workshop.

16.5.2

Laboratory

All the quality control of the ore is carried out using the structures of the Juruti plant laboratory, where physical tests and assays of the entire production chain are carried out.

16.5.3

Offices

Masonry offices are grouped in the administrative areas of Juruti and its contractors. It is made up of offices for senior management, management, coordination, meetings, technicians, files, reception, and restrooms, which serve all administrative personnel.

16.5.4

Warehouses

The warehouse, built partly in masonry and partly in metallic structure, is surrounded by an outdoor area surrounded by gates. The covered area includes service desks, offices, and restrooms, and the external area for storage of materials at this time includes annexes for the storage of lubricants, fuels, and tires. The fuel storage is equipped with horizontal tanks for filtered diesel, with drainage basins and a water-oil separation system.

16.5.5

Meal Room

There is a cafeteria that serves all staff, both in-house and outsourced, and provides lunch, dinner, and snacks. Its operation is outsourced by Alcoa as is the case in Alcoa’s other operating units of the company.

16.5.6

Fire Fighting System

The firefighting water is stored in metal tanks and directed to the entire area of the Juruti plant, crusher, stock yard and offices through a pipe network.

16.5.7

Housing

Part of Alcoa’s staff resides in the urban center of Juruti so there is no need to build new accommodation in the industrial area.

 

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17.0

Market Studies

17.1

Overview

Alcoa Corporation is a vertically integrated aluminum company comprised of bauxite mining, alumina refining, aluminum production (smelting and casting), and energy generation.

Through direct and indirect ownership, Alcoa Corporation has 28 operating locations in nine countries around the world, situated primarily in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Iceland, Norway, Spain, and the United States. Governmental policies, laws and regulations, and other economic factors, including inflation and fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates and interest rates, affect the results of operations in these countries.

There are three commodities in the vertically integrated system: bauxite, alumina, and aluminum, with each having their own market and related price and being impacted by their own market fundamentals. Bauxite, which contains various aluminum hydroxide minerals, is the principal raw material used to produce alumina. Bauxite is refined using the Bayer process to produce alumina, a compound of aluminum and oxygen, which in turn is the raw material used by smelters to produce aluminum metal.

Alcoa obtains bauxite from its own resources and processes over 85% of its combined bauxite production into alumina. The remainder is sold to the third-party market. In 2021, total Alcoa production was 47.8 M dmt.

Aluminum is a commodity that is traded freely on the London Metal Exchange (LME) and priced daily. Pricing for primary aluminum products is typically comprised of three components:

 

(i)

The published LME aluminum price for commodity grade P1020 aluminum;

 

(ii)

The published regional premium applicable to the delivery locale; and

 

(iii)

A negotiated product premium that accounts for factors such as shape and alloy.

Further, alumina is subject to market pricing through the Alumina Price Index (API), which is calculated by Alcoa based on the weighted average of a prior month’s daily spot prices published by the following three indices: CRU Metallurgical Grade Alumina Price; Platts Metals Daily Alumina PAX Price; and Metal Bulletin Non-Ferrous Metals Alumina Index. As a result, the price of both aluminum and alumina is subject to significant volatility and, therefore, influences the operating results of Alcoa Corporation.

Unlike alumina and aluminum, bauxite is not a standard commodity traded on an index. Bauxite’s grades and characteristics vary significantly by deposit location and the value of bauxite deposits for each downstream refinery could be different, based upon:

 

refinery technology;

 

the location of each refinery in relation to the deposit; and

 

the cost of related raw materials to each refinery.

As such, there is no widely accepted index for bauxite. Most bauxite traded on the third-party market is priced using a value-in-use methodology. The key assumption for the value-in-use methodology is that both the (1) offered bauxite and the (2) comparative bauxite being used in the target refinery will generate the same refining cost. As such, using the known price for the comparative bauxite used in the target

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refinery, the offered bauxite price will then be derived by considering the bauxite characteristics and quality differences between the offered and comparative bauxite.

17.1.1

Market Fundamentals

Bauxite is the principal ore of alumina (Al2O3), which is used to produce aluminum. Bauxite mining and alumina refining are the upstream operations of primary aluminum production. China is the largest third-party seaborne bauxite market and accounts for more than 90% of all bauxite traded. Bauxite is sourced primarily from Australia, Guinea, and Indonesia on the third-party market. In the long run, China is expected to continue to be the largest consumer of third-party bauxite with Guinea expected to be the majority supplier. Further, third-party traded bauxite is expected to be in surplus over the next decade, with most new mining projects announced recently being located in Guinea.

Bauxite characteristics and variations in quality heavily impact the selection of refining technology and refinery operating cost. A market bauxite with high impurities could limit the customer volume an existing refinery could use, resulting in a discount applied to the value-in-use price basis.

Besides quality and geography, market fundamentals, including macroeconomic trends; the prices of raw materials, like caustic soda and energy; the prices of alumina and aluminum; and, the cost of freight, will also play a role in bauxite prices.

17.2

Market: Juruti

17.2.1

Operation

The Juruti Bauxite Mine, located in the Amazon region of Brazil, serves primarily to supply bauxite to the integrated Alumar refinery, a joint venture between Alcoa, South32 and Rio Tinto (also located in the Amazon region of Brazil) as well as to supply third-party customers in the Atlantic region. The market for Amazon bauxite is used primarily to supply Atlantic region refineries with demand expected to be slightly in surplus over the next decade.

17.2.2

Sales Contract

The majority of Juruti bauxite is shipped internally to Alumar. The Alumar refinery has been designed to consume Amazon bauxite for its unique quality, composition, and other characteristics. In 2021, approximately 76% of Juruti bauxite was shipped to supply Alcoa’s share of the Alumar refinery. A further 13% of Juruti bauxite was shipped to meet the other Alumar partners’ obligations of the refinery. In total 89% of Juruti bauxite was shipped to the Alumar refinery. The remaining Juruti bauxite was sold externally to the third-party market. The sales contracts for these third-party sales include both near-term (1 year) and long-term (exceeding 1 year) contract terms, or spot prices.

17.2.3

Pricing

As bauxite is not reliant on an index to negotiate price, the value-in-use methodology is used as the starting point of pricing negotiations which also consider the MRN partner price formula as well as certain fixed- and formula-based prices negotiated with individual customers. Mineração Rio Do Norte (MRN) is a Brazilian bauxite mine in which Alcoa has an ownership interest. MRN bauxite price is set using the MRN

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partner price formula, which considers bauxite quality and mineralization and is linked to LME aluminum and API alumina prices. MRN partner price provides a benchmark for Juruti bauxite sales to third parties.

The transfer price mechanism from Juruti to Alumar is determined by a weighted-average price of the previous year’s third-party sales. For example, the 2021 internal transfer price from Juruti to Alumar will be the weighted-average price of 2020 third-party sales.

The average LOM selling price, for washed and unwashed bauxite product $31.66/tonne.

17.3

Contracts

Shipping contracts: The majority of Juruti volume used to supply its integrated demand is reliant on the Cabotage Model (Brazilian coastal) delivered via Panamax vessel. The cargoes/shipments are managed by Alcoa, but the services and vessels are provided by a third-party, covered mostly by long-term contracts with a few spot contracts, aiming to guarantee the number of shipments expected for the year.

Juruti volume shipped to the third-party market are usually negotiated on Free On Board (FOB) terms.

Electric power generation contract: Alcoa has a mid-term contractual agreement with a third-party to supply energy for mining operations. Pricing is based on market pricing for fuel, payable on volume consumed.

Mining contractor contract: Alcoa has a long-term contractual agreement with a third-party to perform bauxite and overburden extraction. Pricing is based on a fixed rate schedule, payable based on volume extracted.

Pre-mining clearing contract: Alcoa has a long-term contractual agreement with a third-party to provide vegetal suppression services to enable mining. Pricing is based on a fixed rate schedule, payable on area of work completed.

 

 

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18.0

Environmental Studies, Permitting, and Plans, Negotiations, or Agreements with Local Individuals or Groups

The 2020 Alcoa Annual Report states that Alcoa is a values-based company and strives to protect the environment and work with communities where Alcoa operates. Advancing sustainability of operations is listed as one of three strategic priorities. Alcoa’s sustainability guidelines support its strategic priorities through three pillars:

 

Create shared value with the communities where Alcoa operates.

 

Reduce environmental impacts to improve the efficiency of operations.

 

Differentiate products to better meet sustainability demands.

The Juruti operations are reported by Alcoa to be certified by the Aluminum Stewardship Initiative (ASI). ASI is a comprehensive global sustainability certification program for the entire aluminum value chain. Alcoa is also a member of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM), an organization focused on improving the contribution of industry to society with safe, fair, and sustainable practices.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine and supporting services areas of operations include the open cast mine and residue facility, mineral processing plant, rail, highway and harbor or port operations. The port area comprises offices, maintenance areas, a fuel station, thermoelectric power plant, seedling nursery and water and wastewater treatment plant. Mining commenced in September 2009. The mine feeds the Alumar alumina refinery in Maranhão State.

18.1

Environmental Studies

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for Juruti Bauxite Mine was compiled in 2004 by CNEC Engenharia SA (CNEC) to obtain a Preliminary Environmental License (LP). The EIA provided detailed baseline descriptions of the physical, biological and socio-economic environment. The report included an impact assessment which assessed all project phases and assessed impacts in terms of the nature of the impact (positive or negative), type (direct or indirect), duration, spatial extent, reversibility, temporal scale and occurrence. Alcoa provided an impact assessment matrix which is understood to match this EIA. The following impacts were noted as having a high significance:

 

Vegetation clearing (referred to as vegetation suppression in the documents reviewed).

 

Vegetation degradation by increased human activity in the area.

 

Decrease in local fauna populations due to habitat reduction.

The main mitigation measures listed are preventative and corrective and include conservation of vegetation where possible, management of vegetation clearing, rehabilitation and recovery of degraded areas, and environmental education.

Environmental Control information is presented in the annual Environmental Reports submitted to the regulator. The annual reports refer to a Social and Environmental Management Plan (PGSA), which was prepared by Alcoa based on the requirements of its operation license. SLR was not provided with this

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PGSA, however the annual reports include information on the control plans for air quality, water quality and drainage, solid waste management, ecology, heritage resources, erosion management and social aspects. The controls mentioned are mainly monitoring, and dust suppression in the air quality control information section. Juruti has implemented management processes for vegetation removal and rescue of fauna and for rehabilitation and recovery of degraded areas and monitoring thereof. These management processes therefore focus on the impacts that were identified as having a high significance in the EIA. The annual reports provide a significant level of detail on these activities.

18.2

Environmental Monitoring

Environmental monitoring is described in the 2020 and 2021 Annual Environmental Reports.  This is summarized below.

18.2.1

Climatic

Climatological monitoring is conducted at the port facility and at the mineral processing facility.

18.2.2

Air Quality

Air quality monitoring includes:

Dust monitoring at the port area and Capiranga Base occurs every 6 days and every 3 months at the Jauari Community.

Carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulphur dioxide (SO2) emissions are determined at Alcoa's Port and Beneficiation power generation units monthly through estimates by mass balance.

Particulate matter is monitored at the generators and mobile sources (vehicles and diesel equipment) through visual inspection made with reference to the Ringelmann scale.

Measurements of NOx and SO2 gases from diesel used in locomotives is determined quarterly, with the use of testing equipment, aiming at controlling the emissions of pollutants from the burning of diesel.

Air quality monitoring was suspended in September 2019 at two monitoring points due to the position of the Association of Communities of the Juruti Velho Region (Acorjuve).  Monitoring resumed in April 2021 when an agreement was apparently reached between the parties. In 2020 the pandemic further impacted monitoring activities. Air quality monitoring data is analyzed using the Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Air quality monitoring data is compared with the legal limits for inhabited areas aiming at community comfort as specified in CONAMA Resolution No. 1/1990. Alcoa reported no exceedance of these limits when sampling was possible.  

18.2.3

Noise

Noise monitoring is conducted on a quarterly basis during the day and night at six monitoring points in surrounding communities. These include the Terra Preta, Lago Preto, Jauari Community, Capiranga, São Pedro and Café Torrado. Noise monitoring was suspended in September 2019 for approximately 18 months at two monitoring points due to the position of the Association of Communities of the Juruti Velho Region (Acorjuve), as described above.  In 2020 the pandemic further impacted monitoring activities.  Noise monitoring data is compared with the legal limits for inhabited areas aiming at community comfort

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as specified in CONAMA Resolution No. 1/1990.  Alcoa reported some exceedances of these limits but attributed these to community and traffic noise not associated with the Juruti operations.  

18.2.4

Surface Water

Surface water monitoring includes monthly in-situ monitoring for pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and turbidity; and quarterly sampling and lab analysis of a set a parameters including metals and salts at 35 monitoring points.  These monitoring points are located upstream (reference points) and downstream of operations and activities, not just at the mine site but at the port, along railway and highways used, and in communities.  Water quality results are compared with the water quality guidelines for Class 2 watercourses specified in CONAMA Resolution No. 357/2005. Two monitoring points are in the Amazon River and show different results when compared to the other monitoring points.  Alcoa reported that monitoring results complied with the maximum allowed values in CONAMA Resolution No. 357/2005.  It was noted that some monitoring results were influenced by the geology of the area and the natural characteristics of the Amazon River.  Monitoring was disrupted on a few occasions due to health and safety risks.  

Effluent is discharged from the domestic or sewage wastewater treatment plant into the Amazon River at the port in accordance with Ordinance n. 118/2011 issued by the National Water Agency.  This effluent is monitored monthly using in-situ monitoring for pH, dissolved oxygen, and electrical conductivity, and quarterly sampling is conducted when samples are sent for lab analysis.  Monitoring results are compared with the limits specified in CONAMA Resolution No. 430/2011 and Alcoa reported no exceedances.  The mining area also has a sewage wastewater treatment plant, and this effluent is discharged to land.  There are no effluent quality requirements specified in the law for land disposal, however Alcoa monitors the effluent quality and uses the CONAMA Resolution No. 430/2011 limits to compare with the results of this monitoring and noted some exceedance of ammonia and nitrogen.  

Monitoring is also conducted within the mine water circuit in the operational areas, but this monitoring is aimed at understanding the quality of water for reuse within the water circuit.  These include:

 

Fines retention pond which receives runoff from the port area.

 

Waste disposal site treatment ponds.

 

Mineral processing plant sewage treatment plant.

 

Mineral processing plant oil separation system.

 

Bauxite washing plant (no chemicals used in this process).

 

Port oil separation system.

18.2.5

Groundwater

Groundwater monitoring is conducted in the shallow aquifer using in-situ monitoring for pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and turbidity; and quarterly sampling and lab analysis of a selected metals and salts, as well as coliforms at 18 monitoring points.  The monitoring points are located at the mining area, processing plant and port operations.  Water quality results are compared with the water quality guidelines for Class 2 watercourses specified in CONAMA Resolution No. 396/2008.   Alcoa reported that monitoring results generally complied with the maximum allowed values in CONAMA Resolution No. 396/2008, although aluminum and iron concentrations exceeded the limits but are ascribed to the natural geology in the area.      

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18.2.6

Ecology

Detailed ecological monitoring is conducted following specific procedures developed by Alcoa as referenced in the 2021 Annual Environmental Report.  Fauna inventories and periodic seasonal surveys to trap, mark and release fauna are conducted.  Animal mortalities are recorded as well.  Vegetation monitoring is conducted in affected areas as well as in rehabilitated or recovered areas.  Aquatic fauna monitoring is conducted at 17 monitoring points.  

18.3

Waste and Tailings Disposal, and Site Monitoring

The tailings storage facilities are covered by the National Dam Safety Policy (PNSB). According to Art. 16 and Art. 18 of Ordinance No. 70,389/2017, the operator must carry out routine inspections of the facilities under his responsibility, at least once every two weeks. Inspections are recorded in a Regular Inspection Form. They are performed by qualified staff trained to identify deviations from standards and anomalies that could potentially or immediately affect the safety of the TSF.

Visual inspections are essential activities for the assessment of the safety status of structures, since they allow the detection of signs of potential instabilities, as well as any other anomalies. The Regular Safety Inspection Form is filled in the SIGBM (Integrated Mining Dam Safety Management System), a management system which has been developed with the objective of managing mining dams in the national territory by the Brazilian National Mining Agency.

The frequency of visual inspections is necessary to maintain adequate operation of the tailings disposal system and to obtain a history of the behavior of the structures. In the event of an anomaly, the inspection frequency is intensified. Visual inspections are classified according to the level of complexity and severity of the situation being faced. In the event of a trigger anomaly, emergency actions will follow the procedures established in the Emergency Action Plan for Mining Dams.

To comply with Law 12,334, of the 20th of September 2010, TSF safety audits must be carried out every six months. Declarations of Stability are presented on by the 30th of March and the 30th of September each year.

As part of its Environmental Education Program, the company has a specific campaign on TSF safety. The campaign’s objective is to inform internal staff and the external public about the TSFs function as part of the company’s operation, their structures, the risks they pose, the safety control procedures and monitoring carried out by the company to ensure the integrity of the TSFs and the environmental protection.

Alcoa samples the tailings in the thickening pond to characterize this waste material on an annual basis. According to a report dated October 2021, the results comply with the Brazilian Association of Technical Standards 10004 (November 2004) and the tailings material was determined to be inert.

Juruti has a small waste rock dump from the first boxcut. This facility does not have stability concerns due to its limited size. No further information is available on this facility.  

18.4

Water Management

Juruti has a mine drainage or stormwater management plan for three phases, pre-mining, operations, and post-mining (Alcoa, 2021).  The 2021 Annual Environmental Report describes mining progress for the period and states that there were no issues of excessive water accumulation. The report describes

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maintenance activities completed and the construction of drainage basins in the operational areas as required by the plan. The report also describes water balance and stability monitoring in the main containment dams as required by the operating licence.    

Alcoa provided a brief presentation file which describes water management focussed on the tailings and impoundments.  Wastewater is generated in the washing plant. This flow is monitored and there are control measures to ensure that there is no discharge, and the water is reused.  Some effluent is discharged to the Amazon River, this is understood to be from the sewage treatment plant at the port, and the effluent meets applicable discharge criteria. Alcoa provided a water balance flow diagrams for the mine and the port and these confirm the discharge of treated sewage effluent into the Amazon River, and additional discharge of treated sewage effluent to land in the mining area.  It should be noted that there are various uncertainties and limitations noted in the water balance and supporting information. Notably, infiltration and evaporation data are highly uncertain, and these have been balanced so that inputs equal outputs.  The densification of tailings in the ponds is also noted to be variable. The information made available in the water balance cannot be verified by SLR.  

The hydrogeology section 13.4 describes water management in the mining areas.  The operation does not lower the groundwater level because the mine in shallow.  Instead, water inside the mining areas is pumped to sumps nearby, allowed to settle out and then released to natural drainage.  

18.5

Waste (Non-Mineralized) Management

Alcoa reports in the 2021 Annual Environmental Report that the Juruti Solid Waste Management Program addresses all phases of waste management, namely waste generation, separation, collection, reuse and recycling, temporary storage and final disposal. A licenced contractor with extensive experience in the field of waste management implements the program under supervision from Alcoa.  

Alcoa has a solid waste management team comprising company representatives. This group meets monthly, and their main activities include education campaigns, field inspections, identification of non-conformances and preparation of correction action plans, and mapping opportunities for waste reduction.  Alcoa has developed and regularly updates a detailed waste inventory.  The 2021 Annual Environmental Report lists a series of procedures for waste management.  

The waste disposal area is located between the port and the beneficiation plant. It is approximately 50 hectares in size. Sorting is conducted at the waste site to separate out recyclable materials.  Hazardous waste is stored in metal drums in a designated shed until collection by a licenced contractor for treatment.  Organic material is used in compost and in a landfill cell with effluent collection and treatment systems.  The landfill ultimately receives solid waste classified as non-recyclable and non-hazardous and includes dehydrated sludge from the sewage treatment plants. Waste is covered with soil daily.

18.6

Project Permitting

18.6.1

Legal framework

In Brazil, Mineral Resources are the property of the Federal Government. The Mineral Resource rights are separated from surface property ownership.  Exploration and mining activities can be executed by private entities, through an authorization or a concession granted by the Federal Government, thereby offering to the concessionaire the guarantee of ownership of the mining product.

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The Mining Code (Decree No. 227, dated February 28, 1967 - Mining Code (modified by Law 7.805 dated 18 July 1989 and recently modified by Law 14.066 dated 30 September 2020) and its regulation (Decree No. 9.406 dated June 12, 2018) provide for the rights related to Mineral Resources, the legal regimes for their exploration and development, and establish the norms on government inspection of the mineral industry. Furthermore, the Mining Code and its regulations establish, among other things, the classification of mines, exploration, mining, surface owner rights, sanctions, and cancellation.

Resolution No. 237 of the Conselho Nacional de Meio Ambiente (CONAMA, the National Environmental Council), dated December 19, 1997, provides that any mineral activity shall be subject to:

An environmental licensing process.

An environmental impact assessment.

Restoration of degraded areas.

Companies which conduct activities considered as potentially polluting or utilizing natural resources, such as mining, must be registered with the Federal Environmental Agency called Agência Ambiental Federal (IBAMA), as per IBAMA Normative Instruction No. 6 dated March 15, 2013. Companies must hold the applicable Technical Registers and pay the environmental fees (TCFA – Taxa de Controle e Fiscalização Ambiental) on a quarterly basis. Annual reports must be submitted to the federal agency by March every year.

Environmental permitting is required for the following project phases:

A Preliminary Permit (LP – Licença Prévia) must be obtained prior to the planning stage. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA – Estudo de Impacto Ambiental) must be conducted, and the respective Environmental Impact Report (Relatório de Impacto Ambiental - RIMA) must also be completed. The EIA/RIMA must be submitted for approval by the competent environmental agency, together with a plan for recovery of degraded areas.

At the development stage, the Installation Permit (LI – Licença de Instalação) must be obtained to allow the installation of all buildings, equipment, machines, etc.

At the mining stage, another permit must be obtained, the Operating Permit (LO – Licença de Operação), which must be issued authorizing the mining operations. Permit renewals must be applied 120 days prior to the permit expiration and any modifications or expansions must be preceded by permitting, as legally required.

18.6.2

Juruti approvals

SLR and Brazilian consultancy Antithesis reviewed the Juruti approvals and gained an understanding of the Juruti areas of operations and activities by reviewing the 2021 Annual Environmental Report.  The table below lists the approvals currently held by Juruti.  One permit listed was not provided for review, namely the Vegetation Suppression (clearing or removal) Authorization No. 4332/2020 (item 22 in the table below).

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Table 171: Environmental Approvals

Item #

Permit

Validity

Regulation

Description

1

Authorization # 4726/2021

February 25, 2022

Law 5457/1988, Law 5752, 1993, 7.026/2007 and 5.887/1995

Suppressing (clearing or removal) vegetation in an area of 5,669.77 ha at Juruti Bauxite Mine.

2

Operating Permit # 1658/2008

October 10, 2012

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Water and wastewater treatment at the beneficiation area

3

Operating Permit # 3262/2010

February 07, 2014

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Class II Industrial Landfill and a screening and compost plant operated by Omnia Minérios Ltda.

4

Operating Permit # 7405/2015

August 27, 2018

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Mineral research (exploration) referring to DNPM process # 808.953/1975, 751.777/1996 and 850.580/2003.

5

Operating Permit # 8105/2013

December 19, 2016

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Water Treatment Plant to treat water abstracted from two groundwater wells (240m³/day) at the Port.

6

Operating Permit # 12148/2020

March 31, 2024

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Wildlife Recovery Center at Juruti Bauxite Mine.

7

Operating Permit # 11122/2018

April 26, 2019

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Disposal Pond No. 3 (LD 3) after the first increase in capacity (2,710,000 m³ capacity).

8

Operating Permit # 10606/2017

March 28, 2019

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Disposal Pond No. 4 (LD 4) (2,360,639.37 m³ capacity).

9

Operating Permit # 11658/2019

May 01, 2022

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Disposal Pond No. 5 (LD 5) (3,504,352.00 m³ capacity)

10

Operating Permit # 8629/2014

May 15, 2016

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Disposal Pond Nos. 1, 2 and 3 (LD 1, LD 2 and LD 3) + Thickening Pond (total operational volume of 12.15 million m³)

11

Operating Permit # 3113/2009

September 17, 2013

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Mineral Research (exploration) referring to DNPM process # 808.954/1975, 850.010/1991 and 850.011/1991

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Item #

Permit

Validity

Regulation

Description

12

Operating Permit n. 9638/2015

January 28, 2018

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Bauxite Extraction (9.2 Mtpa of bauxite ore) and disposal of construction debris (lavra 04)

13

Operating Permit n. 9636/2015

December 01, 2017

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Bauxite Beneficiation (5.0 Mtpa of bauxite – washed dry base and 2.5 Mtpa of bauxite – crushed dry base)

14

Operating Permit n. 9273/2015

May 26, 2018

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Port operations at the Juruti Bauxite Mine, including equipment required for the operations.

15

Operating Permit n. 8995/2015

January 27, 2018

(renewal lodged)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Railway operations (55 km expansion).

16

Operating Permit n. 12858/2021

June 25, 2023

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Disposal Pond 6 – LD 6 with a capacity of 3,001,330 m³

17

Operating Permit n. 12986/2021

August 30, 2022

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Disposal Pond 7 – LD 7 with a capacity of 4,648,164 m³

18

Operating Permit n. 12444/2020

October 14, 2025

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Wastewater Treatment Plant located at Juruti Bauxite Mine

19

Operating Permit n. 12437/2020

October 14, 2025

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Fuel Station at the beneficiation area, including two aboveground storage tanks with 15 m³ each.

20

Operating Permit n. 12440/2020

October 14, 2025

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Fuel Station at the Juruti Bauxite Mine, including two aboveground storage tanks with 15m ³ each.

21

Vegetation Suppression Authorization n. 3826/2018

November 21, 2021

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Supressing (removal of) vegetation for mineral exploration activities (125.20 ha)

22

Vegetation Suppression Authorization n. 4332/2020

February 26, 2022

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Supressing (removal of) vegetation for mineral operations, exploration and geotechnical drilling for CAPEX project (bridge).

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Item #

Permit

Validity

Regulation

Description

23

Fauna Authorization n. 4471/2020

August 25, 2021 (Replaced by Authorization 4825/2021)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Fauna activities at the Juruti Bauxite Mine.

24

Fauna Authorization n. 4578/2020

November 27, 2021

(Replaced by Authorization 4873/2021 which expires November 30, 2022)

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Fauna activities at the Juruti Bauxite Mine.

25

Fauna Authorization n. 4825/2021

October 01, 2022

State Laws 5752/1993, 7026/2007 and 5887/1995

Fauna activities at the Juruti Bauxite Mine.

 

Juruti also has an Exemption Certificate issued by the Federal Water Agency (ANA) on February 18, 2021, exempting Alcoa from requiring a discharge permit as the discharge was considered as “not having a significant impact”. The certificate specifically allows the discharge of a maximum of 1.44 kg/day of organic matter into the Amazonas River within the Juruti municipal area.  

The following conclusions are made regarding the Juruti approvals:

24 approvals were provided for review and 14 were noted to have reached the expiry dates on the permits.

Alcoa indicated that renewal applications were lodged within the legal timeframe for renewals (120 days prior to expiration) for approvals 2 – 5, 7, 8, 10 and 12 – 15. These permit renewals are long overdue.  Alcoa has indicated that the company does engage with the regulators regularly on these overdue renewals and includes a list of these in the annual report submitted to the regulators, however the lack of capacity at the regulator is a significant issue in the State of Pará.  

Alcoa has confirmed that replacement permits were not required for the vegetation suppression permits once vegetation removal was completed (items 21 and 22).  These permits cannot be renewed but must be applied for each year they are required.

Items 9, 17 and 25 have expiry dates in 2022 and therefore renewals must be lodged 120 days prior to expiry.

Alcoa has indicated that all the required permits are in place.  It is noted that the two thermo-electric plants (one at the beneficiation plant and the other at the port) are operated and licensed by Petrobras, a separate company.  Alcoa has additionally indicated that no specific licence is required for the seedling nursey at the port.

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18.6.3

Compliance

Alcoa submits an Annual Environmental Report in compliance with the Juruti operating licenses and approvals. This report includes detailed descriptions of activities undertaken for the year and environmental and social monitoring.  No significant compliance issues were identified in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 Annual Environmental Reports.

Alcoa conducted an environmental assessment on the impacts of two environmental incidents that occurred in December 2020 and March 2021.  These incidents occurred during heavy rainfall over 24 hours which led to siltation of downstream watercourses.  The assessment was comprehensive and addressed ecology, water, and social impacts.  Alcoa has therefore demonstrated that the mine reports and addresses non-compliance issues and incidents.  

18.7

Social or Community Requirements

18.7.1

Stakeholders

Alcoa has defined its area of influence, and this includes the municipality of Juruti and communities surrounding the Grande River.  The nearest major urban center is Santarém which lies some 200 km away from the mine by boat.  Alcoa has not provided information on stakeholders identified other than Alcoa technical teams.  The external audit report compiled in 2019 indicates that there are no influences of the project operations on indigenous areas.

18.7.2

Indigenous Communities

The external audit report compiled in 2019 indicates that there are no influences of the Project operations on Indigenous areas.  Alcoa has confirmed that are no Indigenous Communities or escaped slave (Quilombola) communities directly affected by the Juruti Mine.  However, there are agro-extractive traditional communities that are affected and are included in the list of groups covered by the concept of “Indigenous people” in terms of the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention (ILO Convention) 169 of 1989, to which Brazil is a signatory. Alcoa therefore consulted with and established agreements with the traditional communities in Juruti Velho.  These communities are represented by the Association of Communities of the Juruti Velho Region (Acorjuve) and this representation includes landownership rights.  Juruti Velho has a population of approximately 9,900 people (21% of the overall population of the municipality of Juruti) and includes 56 settlements located near the mining operations (Alcoa, 2020).  

In February 2018, Acorjuve, the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), federal and state regulators and Alcoa signed a social, environmental, and economic agreement on common land use, shared value and sustainable mining in the Amazon region. This followed a comprehensive study to evaluate compensation for loss and damages that was completed in late 2014.  Alcoa agreed to pay US$ 5.3 M in compensation for the 2006 to 2010 period. The parties agreed that this amount and the royalties paid to Acorjuve would be managed by a foundation to ensure transparency and good governance in accordance with recommendations issued in February 2015 by federal and state regulators.  Alcoa indicated that INCRA also granted land titles to the communities through the agreement process.

Alcoa states in its 2020 Sustainability report that in the third quarter of 2019, the representatives of Acorjuve decided not to follow the agreed-upon path to transition proceeds to the foundation. In 2020, Alcoa again approached the association to return to the negotiation table and work toward the execution

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of the agreement signed in 2018, but the association declined. Along with the other participants in the negotiations, Alcoa states that it continues to urge the association to engage in dialogue with the expectation of completing the foundation’s by-laws as soon as possible.

According to the 2020 Sustainability Report, from mine start-up in October 2009 through December 2019, Alcoa paid US$ 25.1 M in royalties to Acorjuve (Alcoa, 2020). Alcoa provided SLR with an updated figure of US$ 27.2 M paid in royalties until December 2021.  

18.7.3

Land use agreements

The external audit report compiled in 2019 indicates that Alcoa has mining concessions and agreements with surface owners for implementation of activities. Alcoa works with the consent of the surface owners and there is no current need to purchase third-party land. In February 2018 Alcoa entered into an agreement on shared land use as described in the section above.

18.7.4

Resettlement

Port development necessitated the relocation of 32 families. Alcoa reports on monitoring of three families who remain vulnerable in the 2019/2020 and 2020/2021 Annual Environmental Reports.  This monitoring is required by the operating license. Each family’s employment and income are monitored.  Alcoa makes some effort to obtain employment for some family members in contracted companies.  

18.7.5

Social or community relations

SLR conducted an internet search and found an account of land protests launched by the traditional riverine settlers represented by Acorjuve against Alcoa in 2009. Approximately 1,500 people blockaded the road linking the town of Juruti to the mine on 28 January 2009. The government was reported to grant full collective land rights, and Alcoa agreed to pay rent for occupying community land, compensate for losses and damages, and give locals an annual share in the mine profits. Alcoa has shared information on the compensation programs implemented with SLR and this is discussed at the end of this section.

The 2021 Annual Environmental Report describes how Alcoa disseminates information to communities using advertising, social media platforms and radio.  Information on COVID-19 has been disseminated in this way. Alcoa also conducts environmental education campaigns in local communities. SLR understands that communities can raise grievances via a formalised complaint system. It is noted that Acorjuve remains active in the area and submitted a letter in September 2019 in which the community objected to the social programs and dissemination of information from Alcoa, stating that the company used photos of their communities and children without authorization in the information Alcoa disseminated. In this letter Acorjuve requested a meeting with Alcoa representatives to address these issues. Alcoa reportedly came to an agreement with the parties and environmental monitoring and dissemination of information resumed in April 2021.

18.7.6

COVID-19 pandemic response

Alcoa conducted internal campaigns on COVID-19 aimed at educating its employees on the illness and prevention measures.  Alcoa reported that it mobilized to transport oxygen cylinders between Juruti and Belém to support the treatment of patients.  

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18.7.7

Local hiring

The EIA identified the needs for strengthening education levels in the municipal area and promoting   employability of professionals in the region.  Alcoa therefore developed and implements a labor training program in partnership with the National Industrial Apprenticeship Service of Pará (SENAI).  The 2021 Environmental Report includes information on training completed and planned.  Examples of these courses include functional English, administrative assistant, technician courses in mining mechanics and electronics, as well as a technical qualification in chemistry.  All professionals who complete the courses are evaluated by SENAI and Alcoa with the aim of including them in Alcoa’s and SENAI's talent pool. As of August 2021, 10,089 students were trained by the partnership, in more than 100 different courses, distributed in 606 classes, in a total 113,652 hours/class. Among the students from Juruti, 36% are women and 64% men.

Regarding employment of local people, the 2021 Annual Environmental Report provides information on the workforce and how employment of local skilled and unskilled labor is being achieved.  There were 464 jobs at the mine with 33% of these being held by people in the municipal area, and 39% held by people within the State of Pará. The report indicates that there were 1,961 indirect jobs with 52% being held by people in the municipal area, and 31% held by people within the State of Pará.  These percentages have increased slightly from those reported in the 2020 Annual Environmental Report.  Alcoa therefore reports that the labor training program is resulting in more local hiring.  

18.7.8

Local Procurement

Alcoa has a draft Local Procurement Policy aimed at adding value to Indigenous and land-connected people and the local economy.  Alcoa implements a program to promote the participation of local and regional suppliers in economic activities resulting from the mining activities.  Some detail is provided in the 2021 Annual Environmental Report. Alcoa reported that it invested approximately US$ 213 M in local and regional services in that year.   Alcoa provided a list of activities to be initiated in 2022 to support local supplier capacity building and partnering with local businesses.

18.7.9

Socio-economic programs

In response to an information request from SLR, Alcoa has indicated that it implements a “Positive Agenda” which corresponds to a series of complementary actions that have been developed jointly with the Juruti town administration and the local community to improve the quality of life of the local population by supporting and encouraging the carrying out of rural and urban infrastructure building works and other actions for strengthening health, education, culture, the environment, public security and justice and social assistance. This is referred to as a Collective Compensation Matrix.  Participants in the implementation and monitoring of these programs include APRAS (Association of Rural Producers of the Socó I settlement), INCRA, workers union, Juruti Municipality and Alcoa.  Completed actions include training of the community for agriculture, forest and timber management, infrastructure maintenance, monitoring of surface water, recover of degraded areas, construction and equipping of a hospital in Juruti, expansion of St. Peters school and construction of a new school in Café Torrado, construction of roads, construction of a community center in St. Peters amongst others.  Alcoa indicated that 50 initiatives were concluded and four are still in progress.  The 50 initiatives are listed in the 2020 closure plan.  The four in progress include the labor training and local supplier initiatives discussed above, and these three programs:

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Support for family farming: This program is aimed at encouraging and supporting family farming in the region, promoting agricultural diversification, and keeping the families in the countryside by using rational and environmentally sustainable practices.

 

Non-Timber Forest Management Program: This program aims to conserve natural resources and the generation of income for rural communities, this program encourages the sustainable exploitation of forest resources. Nurseries are used to source vegetation for the rehabilitation of mined-out areas.

 

Heritage education: this program was developed by Scientia Consultoria Científica (a scientific consultancy) in a partnership with Alcoa and conducts heritage education activities in Juruti. The activities were carried out jointly with the Municipal Departments of Education with the active participation of teachers, students, and communities.

18.8

Mine Closure Requirements

All mines must have a Mining Closure Plan, known as a Plano de Fechamento de Mina (PFM), which is required by the National Mineral Agency (ANM) Resolution #68/2021.  This plan must include all procedures to be followed for the decommissioning of the mine operations after the end of beneficiation and extraction activities, including the removal of all structures and recovery and preparation of the area for further use. This plan must also include the financial aspects related to the mine rehabilitation and closure. According to ANM Resolution, this plan must include maps and photographs of the area, pictures presenting the current situation of the area, description of the historical activities, existing structures, decommissioning project, planned monitoring activities, rehabilitation actions done and planned, financial schedule including pre-closure, closure and post-closure, general characterization of the area, risks evaluation, plans for structures removal and stabilization, measures to avoid unauthorized access and guidelines for the future use of the area.

Alcoa has compiled a 2020/2025 updated closure plan which addresses closure and post-closure.  This plan also discusses the management measures being implemented during operations to manage impacts with a view towards closure.  Closure objectives are not clearly stated in the plan.  In general, most structures will be removed, and the areas rehabilitated.  Waste will be disposed of responsibly.  Key infrastructure will be dealt with as follows:

 

Open cast mine: The mining area is progressively rehabilitated during strip mining and rehabilitation of mined-out areas during operations.  Post-closure monitoring will be implemented but has not yet been defined.  

 

Mineral processing plant:  The plant will be disassembled, and structures and equipment will be removed, concrete and masonry structures will be demolished.  The area will be rehabilitated and revegetated with native plant species.  Post-closure monitoring will be implemented but has not yet been defined.  

 

Class II industrial landfill: The landfill will be sealed to prevent water ingress and the pollution control dam will be drained and the area rehabilitated and revegetated with native plant species.  Post-closure monitoring will be implemented but has not yet been defined.  

 

Effluent treatment plant:  Concrete structures will be demolished, and ponds will be drained.  The area will be rehabilitated and revegetated with native plant species.  Post-closure monitoring will be implemented but has not yet been defined.  

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The closure plan does not describe how the tailings storage facilities or the waste rock dump will be decommissioned and closed. The tailings closure is however described in Section 15.1.3 of this report.  

The closure plan lists potential socio-economic impacts from closure and indicates that a management plan will be developed to manage these impacts.

Post-closure monitoring will include surface and groundwater, soil and fauna and flora in rehabilitated areas.  The specific monitoring plans will be developed in the future.  

The closure plan concludes that Alcoa aims to close the Juruti Bauxite Mine and supporting infrastructure in accordance with best practices and respond adequately to the demands of environmental protection and social responsibility, meeting legal obligations and contributing to the sustainability of the Juruti municipality and surroundings.  Alcoa participates in and contributes to funding of sustainability project of the Sustainable Juruti Institute (IJUS), a civil society organization of public interest.  

The 2020 closure plan does not include a rehabilitation and closure cost. Alcoa has however provided a separate cost in excel format. A mine closure plan has been prepared by Alcoa and total LOM costs are estimated to be $62.0 million.

The closure plan will be revised every five years or when changes are made to the mining activities or legal requirements to warrant an update sooner.  

 

 

 

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19.0

Capital and Operating Costs

19.1

Capital Costs

The operation is well-established and since the LOM plan does not envisage any significant change of the mining and production rate, capital expenditures anticipated by Alcoa are related to sustaining the current operations.

An estimated $183.5 million is required for the construction of new tailings storage facilities, of which one new facility is needed every two years of future mine life. Other sustaining capital over the remaining LOM is estimated to be $135.4 million. Allowances are included for the construction of new haul roads and the costs of establishing future mining operations on the Capiranga Central Plateau.

The operational costs for opening up new box cuts to sustain production amount to $114.6 million.

Alcoa’s sustaining and capital estimates for Juruti are derived from annual budgets and historical actuals over the long life of the current operation.  According to the American Association of Cost Engineers (AACE) International, these estimates would be classified as Class 1 with an accuracy range of ‑3% to -10% to +3% to +15%.

The mining area is progressively rehabilitated during mining with on-going rehabilitation of mined-out areas. A mine closure plan has been prepared by Alcoa and total LOM costs are estimated to be $62.0million.

19.2

Operating Costs

Mine production is carried out by contractors. Company personnel carry out the geology, planning and grade control activities. Administrative and technical support personnel work on a five by two, 8-hour shift roster while mine production staff work 12-hour shifts.

Operating expenditures include labour, fuel, energy, contracted services, mining contracts, maintenance, processing, transportation and offsite services.

Table 18‑1: LOM Operating Costs

Cost Centre

2022

($/t product)

LOM Average

($/t product)

Mining

5.56

5.91

Processing

1.78

2.11

General & Administration

2.97

3.54

Concentrate Rail Freight Cost

0.61

0.75

Transportation Cost

2.17

2.59

Total Cost

13.09

14.90

The workforce of Juruti consists of company personnel and contractors. The Alcoa personnel and main contractor lists for mining operations are presented elsewhere in Table 13‑4 and Table 13‑5, respectively. The number of Juruti employees required for mining operations is not expected to change significantly for the foreseeable future.

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20.0

Economic Analysis

20.1

Economic Criteria

Alcoa prepares a rolling annualised LOM plan for the Juruti operations, which is updated annually. The current LOM plan for 2022 to 2035 is shown in Table 13‑1: Mining Equipment

 

Table 13‑2.

An un-escalated technical-economic model was prepared on an after-tax discounted cash flow (DCF) basis, the results of which are presented in this subsection.  

Annual estimates of mine production with associated cash flows are provided for years 2022 to 2033, based on Proven and Probable Reserves only. The presented economic analysis is based on 100% attributable Mineral Reserves (Alcoa Corporation owns 60%),

The assumptions used in the analysis are current at the end of December 2021.

Alcoa uses a 9% discount rate for DCF analysis.  SLR is of the opinion that a 9% discount/hurdle rate for after-tax cash flow discounting for the well-established, large-scale bauxite operations at Juruti is reasonable and appropriate.

Key criteria used in the analysis are discussed elsewhere throughout this TRS.  General assumptions used are summarized in Table 19‑1.

Table 19‑1: LOM Technical-Economic Assumptions

Description

Value

Start Date

January 1, 2022

Mine Life based on Mineral Reserves

11 years

Average LOM Price Assumption

$31.66/t

Average LOM Operating Costs per tonne sold

$14.90/t

Sustaining Capital

$330.1 million

Production Box Cuts

$114.6 million

Mine Closure/Reclamation Costs

$62.0 million

Discount Rate

9%

Discounting Basis

Beginning of Period

Inflation

0%

Royalty + CFEM

4.5%

Table 19‑2 provides a summary of the mine physicals over the 11-year mine life.

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Table 19‑2: LOM Production Summary

Description

Units

Value

Mine Life

Years

11

Total Mined

Mt

113.3

Waste Mined

Mm3

472.1

Average Strip Ratio

m3/t

3.61

Average LOM Annual Mining Rate

Mtpa

9.4

Average LOM Annual Product Tonnage

Mtpa

7.4

LOM washed Product

Mt

72.4

LOM Unwashed (DSO) Product

Mt

16.0

Total Product (washed +unwashed) sold

Mt

88.5

Average Product Available Al2O3 Grade

%

47.12

Average Product Reactive SiO2 Grade

%

3.45

 

20.2

Cash Flow Analysis

The indicative economic analysis results, presented in Table 19‑3, indicates an after-tax free cash flow of $343.2 million and an after-tax Net Present Value (NPV), using a 9% discount rate of $224.0 million at an average selling price of $31.66/tonne.

Capital expenditure identified in the economics is for the continuation of the operations over the mine life and covers construction costs for new tailings storage facilities (TSF), capitalised costs for excavation of future box cuts, haul roads and the set up and start of mining operations on the Capiranga Central plateau.

Project economic results and estimated cash costs are summarized in Table 19‑3.  Annual estimates of mine production with associated cash flows are provided for years 2022 to 2033, the current LOM based on Proven and Probable Reserves only.

The economic analysis was performed using the estimates presented in this TRS and confirms that the outcome is a positive cash flow that supports the statement of Mineral Reserves.

20.3

Sensitivity Analysis

Project risks can be identified in both economic and non-economic terms.  Key economic risks were examined by running cash flow sensitivities.  The operation is nominally most sensitive to market prices (revenues) followed by operating cost.

 

 

 

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Table 19‑3: Life of Mine Indicative Economic Results

 

 

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21.0

Adjacent Properties

There are no mineral properties immediately adjacent to those licenses / permits which comprise the Juruti Bauxite Mine, and as such the SLR QPs have not reported any other relevant information in this Technical Report Summary.

 

 

 

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22.0

Other Relevant Data and Information

No additional information or explanation is necessary to make this Technical Report Summary understandable and not misleading.

 

 

 

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23.0

Interpretation and Conclusions

23.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

As of December 31, 2021, exclusive of Mineral Reserves, Measured Mineral Resources are estimated to total 5.66 Mt at 44.53% available alumina (A.Al2O3) and 5.28% of reactive silica (R.SiO2) for washed and unwashed material, and Indicated Mineral Resources are estimated to total 58.59 Mt at 45.34% A.Al2O3and 4.42% R.SiO2 for washed and unwashed material. In addition, Inferred Mineral Resources are estimated to total 563.79 Mt at 45.69% A.Al2O3and 4.72% R.SiO2. Mineral Resources are reported on a 100% Alcoa attributable ownership basis for consolidated reporting purposes.

Juruti is a lateritic bauxite deposit formed through a combination of intense weathering and geochemical alteration, leaching by meteoric waters, and accumulation of alumina and iron-rich horizons. Periodic erosion and redeposition is also known to have occurred.

The lateritic deposits have originated from the Alter-do-Chao Formation; Cretaceous fluvial-lacustrine deposits of sandstone, siltstones, mudstones, and quartz breccia. Weathering and alteration of these parent rocks is estimated to have taken place during the Eocene.

Bauxitization has occurred through the formation of gibbsite crystals which form massive bauxite horizons which exist as plateaus across the Juruti region. In comparison to their lateral extent over tens of kilometers, the overall thickness of the bauxite deposits are relatively thin being only several metres thick.

Geological interpretation of the Juruti deposit has been possible through extensive exploration drilling, detailed geological logging, sampling, and the results of chemical analysis.

Mutum, Santarém, São Francisco and Nhamundá are plateaus drilled by auger, and to a less extent wells which support the estimation of Mineral Resources. SLR has reviewed this information and it is reasonable, but there is not a complete statistical study comparing these methodologies with more accurate drilling procedures (AC). The R.SiO2 bias identified in a preliminary comparison approach, is a known risk which can impact the Mineral Resources definition of these plateaus.

Protocols for drilling, sampling preparation and analysis, verification, and security meet industry standard practices and are appropriate for the purposes of Mineral Resource estimation.

Juruti technical staff do not use the short-term drilling information for the long term models due to different QA/QC and sampling methodologies used. Therefore the long term models do not have any detailed information that can confirm the continuity of the bauxite layer or change the KEV grades.

In the SLR QPs’ opinion, the QA/QC program as designed and implemented at Juruti is being improved continuously, and the assay results within the database are suitable for use in a Mineral Resource estimate.

The drill hole database used for geological modelling has been reviewed by the SLR QP and is deemed suitable for Mineral Resource estimation.

For the Mineral Resources classification IK and conditional simulations are used to quantify the uncertainty related with geological modelling and grade estimation.

The final Mineral Resource estimate is obtained through a benefit calculation that considers a future bauxite price, exchange rate, the three key economic variable grades, 100% of the metal recovery, and maximum mining selectivity, without consideration of a minimum thickness.

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The SLR QP reviewed the Mineral Resources assumptions, geological modelling and estimation workflows, data consistency and reporting procedures, and is of the opinion that the Mineral Resource estimate is appropriate for the style of the mineralization, and that the block model is reasonable and acceptable to support the December 31, 2021 Mineral Resource estimate.

23.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

As of December 31, 2021, Proved Reserves are estimated to total 50.94 dry Mt at 47.68% available alumina (A.Al2O3) and 3.52% of reactive silica (R.SiO2) for washed and unwashed material and Probable Reserves are estimated to total 37.94 dry Mt at 46.32% A.Al2O3and 3.41% R.SiO2 for washed and unwashed material.

 

A cut-off value is determined using the Mineral Reserve bauxite price, recovery, transport, treatment and mine operating costs. The bauxite price used for the Mineral Reserves is based on contract established with Alumar Refinery (Alcoa), as 90% of the production is shipped to this refinery, annually updated, upon which are considered clients characteristic, offer and demand for internal consumption and exported bauxite, bonus, and penalties according to the quality of the product.

The Juruti Mine operations are based on the use of conventional strip mining. Each plateau is divided into panels and regular strips of 20 m width x 200 m long within which a number of sequential mining activities including land clearance, topsoil removal, overburden stripping and waste backfill, and bauxite mining take place. The life of mine (LOM) plan is shown in Table 13‑1: Mining Equipment

 

 

Table 13‑2.

 

The production from 2022 through 2035 will include approximately 127.6 wet Mt of ROM, 100.9 wet Mt of bauxite with average grades of 47.10% Al2O3, 3.48% R.SiO2 and 16.47% Fe. Strip ratio for the LOM is 4.2 (m3/t).

 

Dilution and extraction factors follow the historical trend and are considered appropriate for the type of mining methods employed at Juruti.

 

The level of dilution will likely increase if the methodology is changed to the use of survey pickups also for the floor and by creation of solids by lithology as the current process. This does not represent a significant risk to the Mineral Reserve estimate, as the dilution should just be adjusted to more accurate values. The level of extraction will likely decrease under similar circumstances as more care will be required to avoid excess dilution in the ore.

23.3

Mineral Processing

The Juruti Bauxite Mine’s processing plant has been in operation since 2009 and uses a simple comminution (crushing), washing, and wet screening circuit to produce washed bauxite for shipping, in addition to an unwashed bauxite product (direct shipping ore). The plant flowsheet is designed for the removal of silt and clay (fine particles) using a scrubber and hydrocyclone which are subsequently deposited into tailings storage facilities.

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The production capacity of the process plant is 6.2 Mtpa of washed and 1.3 Mtpa of unwashed bauxite. The current global mass recovery of the plant is approximately 75% and the final product specification has 47.5 ± 1% of available alumina content (A.Al2O3) and 4.1 ± 0.5% of reactive silica (R.SiO2) content.

The SLR QP is of the opinion that the process flowsheet is straightforward as it comprises only comminution and washing and that it is appropriately aligned to the ore feed material.

The SLR QP is also of the opinion that the samples previously used for comminution test work were representative of the Juruti project ore at the time, and that test work results indicated that the ore is moderately hard and can be ground to the required product sizes without any challenges. More complex or extensive test work is deemed not to be required given the simple process flowsheet. The comminution results are sufficient for the initial mill sizing and ongoing benchmarking exercises.

On the basis that the process plant at the Juruti Bauxite Mine has been in operation since 2009, the SLR QPs are satisfied that the existing flowsheet is appropriate for the continued processing of Juruti ore.

The SLR QP is satisfied that according to Alcoa, plant consumables are kept on site and replaced as part of the routine maintenance schedule.

23.4

Infrastructure and Tailings

23.4.1

Infrastructure

The required infrastructure to support the ongoing mining operations at the Juruti Bauxite Mine are well established. Most of the required infrastructure is located within the surface infrastructure area at the mine site itself, including the bauxite processing / beneficiation plant, bulk power generation and water supply, mine waste facilities, railroad siding and materials handling/loading equipment, in addition to ancillary buildings.

Power to the mine site is supplied by fuel oil generators, while the port is connected to the commercial grid from Juruti town. Water for the mine site, principally used in the processing plant, is supplied from water collection pumps installed in the Juruti Grande stream to the north then via an approximately 9 km overland pipeline. Water is also recovered from the tailings ponds where possible and recirculated for use in the plant. SLR is satisfied that the power and water supplies to the Juruti Bauxite Mine are in place and have been demonstrated through past production to be sufficiently reliable to support ongoing operations.

Off-site infrastructure is similarly well established and comprises the materials handling and ship loading equipment at Juruti port used for bauxite product export along the Amazon River. The mine site is connected to the port by a dedicated railroad approximately 55 km in length, serviced by two locomotives.

The Juruti Bauxite Mine is accessible via a public road from Juruti town which connects to a mine access road. This road provides the primary means of access to the site for personnel living in Juruti town. Given the remote location of Juruti within Pará State, access to other regions by road is limited. Juruti port therefore, in addition to Juruti Airport, serves as the primary transportation route for equipment, materials and supplies from other regions of Brazil, or internationally.

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SLR has been able to confirm the suitability of infrastructure during a site visit conducted by the QPs and is satisfied that the equipment and facilities required to sustain the proposed bauxite mining activities are available.

23.4.2

Tailings

Based on an annual washed bauxite production of 6 Mtpa, the tailings generated annually are in the order of 1.93 Mtpa (dry tonnage). The Juruti Bauxite Mine currently has eight tailings storage facilities which comprise thickening ponds and tailings disposal ponds.

No design or construction documentation was made available for the review, however, it is understood that relevant engineering records are available. It has not been possible to verify the extent to which Alcoa’s corporate policy requirements have been implemented for the management of the Juruti tailings storage facilities.

The TSFs are classified and audited in accordance with Brazilian regulation and the Brazilian National Mining Agency standards are being used. SLR relies on the conclusions provided in the published database and correspondence with Alcoa’s team, and therefore provides no conclusions or opinions regarding the stability of the listed dams and impoundments.

To support ongoing operations, one new tailings pond is planned every two years based on current disposal technology i.e., the use of thickening and disposal ponds. The total planned disposal capacity is 51 Mm3. Alcoa is assessing other technologies to dewater and disposal Juruti bauxite tailings. Preliminary studies show that the “dry backfill” alternative has technical and financial potential to be competitive.

Closure concepts and cost estimates based on preliminary assessment have been developed for TP1 and TP2 which will be closed first. The rest of the facilities will be closed progressively throughout the mine life.

Overall, the SLR QP is of the opinion that the current method of tailings disposal is conventional and that alternative technologies for future disposal are being considered by Alcoa. SLR is also satisfied that Alcoa has established or plans to establish sufficient tailings disposal capacity requirements for the next 15 years of operation and is actively addressing the closure of existing facilities at full capacity.

23.5

Environment

Juruti has several permit renewals that are long overdue, however Alcoa has confirmed that applications for renewal were lodged 120 days prior to expiry as required by law.  Alcoa follows up on these overdue permits with the regulators, but the renewal processes are hampered by capacity limits of the authorities. Evidently this is a widespread problem affecting many other companies in Pará state. The permits remain valid because renewal applications have been submitted, unless the regulators issue a negative decision. It does seem unlikely that a negative decision would be issued years after the renewals were lodged, however the risk cannot be ruled out.

Alcoa reports annually to the regulators in compliance with operating licence requirements and no compliance issues were identified with regards to compliance with licence conditions.  Alcoa reported

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two environmental incidents to the regulators which occurred in Dec 2020 and March 2021 which caused siltation of downstream watercourses.  These incidents were fully investigated and addressed.  

The water balance provided to SLR for review does not include all Project facilities and there are several uncertainties in the input data. There is risk in the lack of understanding the water management and water balance at the operations that could lead to unplanned discharge of excess and potentially contaminated water to the environment. Pollution incidents would result in non-compliance events and represent a risk of potential fines and costs associated with investigation and remediation. Pollution events also has the potential to impact negatively on the operations relationships with affected communities.

SLR has made recommendations regarding continuing to follow up with the regulators on permit renewals that are long overdue, updating environmental and social management plans, improving the water balance accuracy, and adding information in the closure plan on the management of mine tailings and waste rock facilities and to state the closure objectives.

The Association of Communities of the Juruti Velho Region (Acorjuve) has been active in the area since 2005 and disrupted environmental monitoring, a routine operational activity, as recently as 2019. The community objected to the social programs and dissemination of information from Alcoa and stated that the company used photos of their communities and children without authorization in the information Alcoa disseminated. Alcoa reportedly came to an agreement with the parties and environmental monitoring and dissemination of information resumed in April 2021.  However, another community issue arose in 2020 when Acorjuve representatives decided not to follow the agreed-upon path to transition mining proceeds to the foundation. This agreement was reached between Alcoa, community representatives and regulators in February 2018 in which Alcoa agreed to pay compensation and royalties to the community through a foundation to ensure transparency and good governance.  Alcoa has stated that it continues to urge the association to engage in dialogue with the expectation of completing the foundation’s by-laws as soon as possible. Community disruptions and a lack of progress in setting up the community foundation represent some risk, likely low, to the operations.

In SLR’s opinion Alcoa manages permitting adequately within the context of the regulator’s capacity limitations by applying for renewals according to legal requirements and following up on overdue renewals. Provided that Juruti personnel maintain auditable records of written and verbal communication with authorities regarding the overdue renewals and respond promptly to any requests for additional information, this risk should be appropriately managed. Alcoa continues to negotiate on the key issue of setting up a foundation to manage royalty payments to the communities.        

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24.0

Recommendations

24.1

Geology and Mineral Resources

 

1.

SLR has reviewed and agrees with Alcoa’s proposed plan to convert the historical exploration drilling data from auger and wells in Mutum, Santarém, São Francisco, and Nhamundá plateaus with air core (AC) drill hole data. Phase I of the recommended work program will include a significant amount of exploration and infill AC drilling and Phase II a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) also called an Initial Assessment (currently in progress).

 

2.

Review the grade restriction approach for all variables, and implement a procedure to avoid the estimation of values outside the low and top cut range.

 

3.

Review wireframe parameters to improve the modelled bauxite layer continuity and address gaps in the mineralization layer where there are no drill holes. In some areas the drill hole spacing is not regular resulting in incorrect geological interpretation of the continuity of the bauxite layer.

 

4.

For the future works, revise Mineral Resource classification criteria to correlate with drill hole spacing as it relates to geological and mineralization continuity.  

 

5.

Use the short-term drill hole information to update the long-term models, with consideration of the quality and confidence of the database.

 

6.

Investigate the discrepancies between the samples and block model results for reactive silica, as well as the high dispersion in the standards Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) charts for this variable. As mining commences at Capiranga Central and Maurari, work should be carried out to improve the accuracy and precision of the reactive silica testwork in both the analytical results and in the short-term model, and carefully monitor performance.

 

7.

Develop a robust monthly QA/QC report, which includes a summary of performance and related actions to improve results as needed.

 

8.

Work towards Brazilian and/or international accreditation for quality management (such as ISO 9001) and analytical techniques (such as ISO 17025 or ISO 14000) at the onsite Juruti laboratory.  

 

9.

Continue to work with an inter-disciplinary team to develop and improve the reconciliation process and establish reconciliation factors to consider for model calibration of all relevant model pair comparisons, e.g. long and short-term block models

 

10.

Continue to explore prospective plateaus with mineralization indicated through well or auger drill hole results (historical information) and to replace them with AC drill holes.

 

11.

Develop a statistic and geostatistical study with twin holes to calculate the real bias between methodologies for all the plateaus where the samples are from auger or wells. After that define correction factors or penalties for the biased variables.  

24.2

Mining and Mineral Reserves

 

1.

SLR recommends converting the sub-cell Resource block model to a SMU regularised block model with the ore lithology. This will account for the operating dilution prior calculating the NSR value. Current process calculates the NSR for each sub-cell block not accounting for operating dilution.

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2.

SLR recommends an application of the dilution and mining recovery factors prior pit optimization and mining scheduling.

 

3.

SLR recommends implementing a proper reconciliation process, taking in consideration the creation of 3D solids of each type of material is mined, increasing the accuracy of dilution and mining recovery factors. Those modifying factors should be calculate by each panel and a weight average should be calculated for each plateau and applied respectively on the block with the plateau.

 

4.

Haulage distance is calculated based on regressions. SLR recommends using the entrance haul roads design for plateau and use the entry point as the reference point to be used for each block, increasing the level of calculation.

 

5.

SLR recommends an economical trade-off study to define of what is the best percentage between washed and unwashed product.

24.3

Mineral Processing

 

1.

SLR recommends reducing the reactive SiO2 grades by potential process improvements such as reverse flotation to increase the quality of the product.

 

2.

SLR understands that all of the analysis for the Juruti operation is conducted internally by Alcoa and recommends that independent verification of the sample analysis by a certified laboratory. This program can be conducted on a structured basis to ensure the QA/QC aspects of the internal analysis.

24.4

Infrastructure and Tailings

 

1.

Updated dam breach assessments for the TSFs were previously recommended during independent reviews in 2021. These were ongoing at the time of reporting and therefore SLR recommends that the outcome of these assessments is evaluated for adherence to existing designs and ongoing monitoring/maintenance requirements.

 

2.

Continue with the implementation of the GISTM requirements, the assessment of alternative dry tailings disposal technologies, as well as the closure plan of the facilities that reach their full capacity.

24.5

Environment

 

1.

Continue to regularly update the Social and Environmental Management Plan in response to monitoring information to ensure that environmental and social impacts are managed as effectively as possible.

 

2.

Continue to ensure that renewal applications are lodged for all approvals that are due to expire soon and continue to follow up on renewals that are long overdue with the regulator.

 

3.

Develop an integrated water balance and management plan that includes all Project facilities.  This is necessary because the current water balance does not include all Project facilities and has various uncertainties.  Maintaining an accurate water balance is imperative to understand how water is stored in the various facilities and identify when there is risk of overflows or unplanned discharge.

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4.

It is recommended as per industry good practice that the mine develop and maintain a list of external stakeholders and their interests, and setup and maintain a system to receive, document and address community complaints or grievances.  

 

5.

Continue negotiations with Acorjuve to set up the foundation to manage royalties paid to the communities.    

 

6.

SLR recommends that Alcoa develop an integrated Mine Closure Plan (MCP) and associated cost estimate for closure, covering all mine facilities including mining areas, tailings and waste rock facilities, process plant and other infrastructure. The integrated MCP should include land use objectives for closure and should address social aspects of closure.

 

 

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25.0

References

Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM), 2014, CIM Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the CIM Council on May 10, 2014.

US Securities and Exchange Commission, 2018: Regulation S-K, Subpart 229.1300, Item 1300 Disclosure by Registrants Engaged in Mining Operations and Item 601 (b)(96) Technical Report Summary.

Carvalho, A., and Lucas, Y., et al., 1997, Brazilian Bauxites, Chapter III The Bauxite of Juruti, Paris: ORSTROM, 331 p.

Negrao, L. B. A., da Costa, M. L., Pollmann, H., 2018, The Belterra Clay on the bauxite deposits of Rondon do Pará, Eastern Amazon, Brazilian Journal of Geology, 48 (03),

de Oliveira, S. B., da Costa, M. L., Filho, H. P., 2016, The lateritic bauxite deposit of Rondon do Pará: A new giant deposit in the Amazon Region, Northern Brazil, Economic Geology, 111. 1277-1290. 10.2113

Alcoa, 2018. QAQC System Management - Rev 001.005. Internal Juruti Mine document prepared by consulting firm VCE and approved by M. Oliveira and A Lacerda of Alcoa.

Alcoa, 2021. Email response from Flavio Silva, relating to queries on tailings at Juruti, 18 November 2021

Alcoa, June 2021: Juruti Bauxite Tailings – 15 Year Master Plan (2021-2035), Presentation to internal stakeholders

Alcoa, 2021, Juruti Resource and Reserves Report_WashingPlant -2021, 31 October 2021

JKTech, 2002, Bond rod and ball mill work index tests on nine washed bauxite samples from Jurunti project, Brazil, prepared for Omnia minerios Ltd (December 2002)

HDA Servicos S/C Ltda, 2007, Bond work index testing on Juruto washed bauxite, prepared for Omnia minerios Ltds (February 2007)

Alcoa 2021a: Relatorio de Informacao Ambiental Annual, Alcoa Juruti 2020/2021 (2020/2021 Annual Environmental Report).

Alcoa, 2021b: Presentation titled: Matriz de Compensação Coletiva do Assentamento Socó 1 (Water management presentation).

Alcoa, 2021c: Draft Local Procurement Policy.

Alcoa, 2021d: Presentation titled: Development of commercial opportunities - Suppliers and communities from Juruti outskirts (English version).

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Alcoa, 2020a: Annual Report.

Alcoa, 2020b:  Juruti 2020 Plano de fechamento de Mina DNPM 808.954/1975 DNPM 850.010/1991 DNPM 850.011/1991 (Mine Closure Report).

Alcoa 2020c: Relatorio de Informacao Ambiental Annual, Alcoa Juruti 2019/2020 (2019/2020 Annual Environmental Report).

Associacao das Comunidades da Regiao de Juruti Velho-ACORJUVE, 9 September 2019: letter to Alcoa titled: Convite Pará Reu

CNEC, 2004: Projecto Juruti Estudo de Impacto Ambiental (Environmental Impact Assessment).

Internet account of community protest, sourced on 30 November, 2021. Alcoa vs. the Amazon: How the ribeirinhos won their collective land rights (mongabay.com)

Magma Analises Ambientais LTDA, October 2021: Resultados DA NBR 10004 – Rejeito De Bauixita Final (tailings analysis results)

VCE, 2019.  Relatorio QAQC Alcoa-18H17-008, Internal Report.

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26.0

Reliance on Information Provided by the Registrant

This report has been prepared by SLR for Alcoa.  The information, conclusions, opinions, and estimates contained herein are based on:

 

Information available to SLR at the time of preparation of this report,

 

Assumptions, conditions, and qualifications as set forth in this report, and

 

Data, reports, and other information supplied by Alcoa and other third-party sources.

For the purpose of this report, SLR has relied on ownership information provided by Alcoa in a legal opinion by Luciano Amaral, Legal Manager – Brazil, dated February 10, 2022 entitled Alcoa World Alumina Brasil Ltda. to SRL executed. SLR has not researched property title or mineral rights for the Juruti Bauxite Mine as we consider it reasonable to rely on Alcoa’s legal counsel who is responsible for maintaining this information.  

SLR has relied on Alcoa for guidance on applicable taxes, royalties, and other government levies or interests, applicable to revenue or income from the Juruti Bauxite Mine in the Executive Summary and Section 19.  As the Juruti Bauxite Mine has been in operation for over ten years, Alcoa has considerable experience in this area.

The SLR QPs have taken all appropriate steps, in their professional opinion, to ensure that the above information from Alcoa is sound.

Except for the purposes legislated under provincial securities laws, any use of this report by any third party is at that party’s sole risk.

 

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27.0

Date and Signature Page

This report titled “Technical Report Summary on the Juruti Bauxite Mine, Brazil
S-K 1300 Report” with an effective date of December 31, 2021 was prepared and signed by:

 

SLR International Corporation(Signed) SLR International Corporation

 

Dated in WA, USA
February 24, 2022

 

 

 

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