Global trading house Glencore has teamed with Australian miner Fe, signing an exclusive $US7.5M prepayment and offtake agreement for life of mine lumps and fines production from its ramping JWD iron ore DSO project at Wiluna West in WA.
Under the agency-style agreement, Glencore will pay for purchases up-front and work together with Fe to optimise sales through its global distribution network as well as end-users known to Fe.
The deal is subject to the rights of GWR Group, owner of the wider Wiluna West project, to purchase up to 50,000t of fines product at the mine gate.
Fe chairman Tony Sage says securing Glencore as offtake partner is a great vote of confidence in the project and will provide valuable liquidity as it ramps up to full capacity.