Latest news with #Toro
West Australian
3 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Uranium company says WA Government policy changes ‘warranted' as it produces ‘more accurate' project study
A company with a long-stalled uranium project in the northern Goldfields says changes to the State Government's policy towards the nuclear fuel are 'warranted' after a 'more accurate' low-level study highlighted the 'robust' economic potential of one of its deposits. West Perth-headquartered Toro Energy's Wiluna uranium-vanadium project has three deposits, including Lake Maitland, which is 105km south-east of the northern Goldfields town. The WA Labor Government has a policy banning new uranium mining projects in the State, and Toro's approvals for Wiluna, which were granted in 2016, lapsed in 2021 because 'substantial commencement' was deemed not to have taken place. The only uranium project in WA with currently valid State approval is Deep Yellow's Mulga Rock proposal 290km east-north-east of Kalgoorlie-Boulder — but this is second in line to the $750 million Tumas project in Namibia, where Deep Yellow recently delayed a financial investment decision as it waits for global prices to improve. However, Toro has kept its investment in Wiluna bubbling away, and on Wednesday released an updated scoping study for Lake Maitland which it said highlighted a 'robust' case for a standalone mining and processing operation. Toro executive chairman Richard Homsany said the new study used the recently completed, more accurate resource estimation and re-engineering of the proposed mining operations. 'The result is a more accurate study that clearly demonstrates just how robust the potential economics of the proposed project are, with an uplift of $75m or 9 per cent to a base case of $908m in pre-tax net present value, and a significant reduction in the payback period to a very swift 18 months from the commencement of mining and processing,' he said. 'As we have stated previously, the Lake Maitland deposit comprises a significant proportion of the Wiluna uranium project's resources, so we cannot understate just how transformational the standalone Lake Maitland operation is on the potential economics of the entire Wiluna uranium project. 'These latest estimates at Lake Maitland outline its potential to be brought into production and capacity to generate significant returns when regulatory settings align. 'Importantly, Lake Maitland's upside and quality continue to improve with each evaluation Toro undertakes, further strengthening the case that Wiluna is an asset of global significance. 'Policy changes at the WA State Government level to facilitate Toro's project development and unlock the considerable value in WA's uranium industry are warranted and, in the context of assisting many countries with nuclear power in their energy mix to achieve decarbonisation, are more than well overdue.' Toro on Wednesday said it believed its State approval remained valid despite not achieving substantial commencement, and it still had the option of applying under the Environmental Protection Act for an extension of time at a later time during the life of the approval. 'It is also envisaged that favourable results from the studies detailed in this announcement may also necessitate an amendment to the proposal the subject of each environmental approval received,' the company said. The company updated the resource at Lake Maitland last September by 12 per cent to 29.6 million pounds of contained triuranium octoxide — otherwise known as yellowcake — with a reduction in average grade to 403 parts per million triuranium octoxide at a 100ppm cut-off grade. The study released on Wednesday said Lake Maitland could produce 1.3 million pounds annually of yellowcake across a 16.3-year mine life — which amounted to a total of 22Mlb. It said the total cost of the project was $298.4m. The returns were based on a uranium price of US$85/lb — rival Canadian company Cameco estimates the spot price in April was US$67.73/lb. The study also included the stripping of vanadium from the uranium processing flow stream — Toro said it was liberated from the uranium ore mineral as a potassium uranium vanadate, along with the uranium, during leaching, to produce a low-value sodium hexavanadate as a by-product. Last September's mineral resource estimate said Lake Maitland had a vanadium resource of 50Mt at 285ppm vanadium oxide for 31.4Mlb at a 100ppm cut-off.
West Australian
4 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Optimised Toro Energy scoping study powers up WA uranium economics
Toro Energy has supercharged the project financials for its Lake Maitland uranium project near Wiluna in Western Australia, unveiling an updated scoping study forecasting a low-cost, long-life mining operation. The latest numbers paint an encouraging picture for a standalone operation, improving its historic net present value (NPV) by 9 per cent to a hefty $908 million while slashing the project's payback period to 1.5 years. The updated study was driven by a refined resource estimate and re-optimised pit design, allowing for a robust internal rate of return of 56 per cent on an estimated capital expenditure of $298M. The study was completed by mining experts at SRK Consulting and metallurgical specialists Strategic Metallurgy to leverage a strong uranium price of US$85 (A$130) per pound and a vanadium price of US$5.67 per pound. The assumptions align with what the company believes is a bullish projected uranium market, buoyed by supply shortages, geopolitical tensions and growing demands for clean nuclear energy. Toro says its Lake Maitland project is forecast to produce 1.3 million pounds (Mlbs) of uranium and 0.75Mlbs of vanadium annually during a 16.3-year mine life, totalling a substantial 22Mlbs of uranium and 12.3Mlbs of vanadium. The company says its operating costs are a standout, with C1 cash costs pegged at just US$15.46 per pound of uranium in the first five years, rising to US$22.67 over the life of mine. The all-in sustaining costs are equally competitive at US$20.68 per pound initially and US$28.37 over the life of the mine. Total EBITDA is projected at a huge $2.33 billion, with undiscounted pre-tax cash flows of $1.96B, averaging $120M annually. The study builds on a re-estimated resource at Lake Maitland of 33.3Mt grading 403 parts per million (ppm) uranium oxide for 29.6Mlbs contained uranium and 50Mt at 285ppm vanadium oxide for 31.4Mlbs contained vanadium. The shallow hosted, clay-dominated resource contains both uranium and vanadium, with a strong 83 per cent correlation between the two, offering a strategic by-product bonus. Toro's mining plan is straightforward, using conventional open-pit truck-and-shovel methods with minimal drill-and-blast due to the unconsolidated clay host. The high-grade core will be mined first to maximise early cash flows. The company says it is confident it can secure traditional debt and equity financing thanks to its partnership with Japanese giants JAURD and ITOCHU, which could earn a 35 per cent stake in Lake Maitland for $60M upon a positive definitive feasibility study. Lake Maitland's low costs and high margins make it stand out in a tightening market, should ancient regulations around uranium mining in WA ever be lifted. With the scoping study complete and feasibility work on the horizon, Toro is charging towards project funding as it navigates political winds and, no doubt, hoping its Lake Maitland can cornerstone WA's uranium revival.
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Alex Bregman could miss two months with strained right quad
Related : 'I played a lot,' Toro said Sunday before going 2 for 4 in The Sox are planning to use rookie Romy Gonzalez , and Nick Sogard also have major league experience at third. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Rafael Devers , of course, has the most experience. But manager Alex Cora has already ruled him out, saying he wants Devers to remain the designated hitter. Advertisement 'Teams go through stuff and injuries are an opportunity for somebody else to step up,' Toro said. 'Whether it's me or anybody else, you need to take advantage of those chances.' The Astros were 33-24 when Bregman was on the injured list. They finished 95-67 and won the American League pennant before losing to the Braves in the World Series. The Red Sox don't have the same base of talent as those Astros. But Toro believes they can persevere without Bregman. Advertisement 'We have a lot of defensive versatility on this team,' he said. 'I think Cora can make it work. Everybody has to be ready to do their part.' Relief for the bullpen Righthander Luis Guerrero was optioned back to Triple A Worcester after throwing 41 pitches over 1⅓ innings in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader. Righthander Zack Kelly was recalled, giving the overworked bullpen a fresh arm. He pitched two innings and allowed two runs, one earned. Sox relievers had worked 27⅔ innings over the previous six days. Kelly had last pitched for the Sox on April 20. He was demoted after allowing 10 earned runs over 10 innings. 'We've got to keep making moves to reset the bullpen. It's been hard the whole week,' Cora said. 'At one point we'll reset.' Story takes a seat Shortstop Trevor Story sat out Sunday's game and that could be the case on Monday as well. He's 8 of 61 (.131) in his last 16 games with 21 strikeouts and has a .589 OPS on the season. 'Disconnect him,' Cora said. 'Keep working. It's not a lack of working; it's been a lot. Maybe just back up and just watch the game from a different perspective. 'Not to think about the game plan or go out there and compete. Just relax and clear your mind. Hopefully that benefits him.' Red Sox designated hitter Rafael Devers is 0 for 8 since his game-winning single in the 10th inning of the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Starter needed Saturday's doubleheader left the Sox in need for a starter in Milwaukee on Tuesday. Brayan Bello on Wednesday. Cora said the team is discussing options … Carlos Narváez was 2 for 3 with a walk and had his first career stolen base. The rookie catcher is 23 for 53 (.434) in his last 16 games with eight extra-base hits and nine RBIs. He is hitting .299 with an .850 OPS on the season … Devers is 0 for 8 since his walkoff single on Saturday … Gonzalez, out since May 8 with a badly bruised left thigh, is feeling better and should be ready for a rehab assignment soon … Richard Fitts is set for a second injury rehabilitation start with Worcester on Tuesday at Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. It's uncertain if he would need a third minor league game. Fitts has been out since April 13 with a strained pectoral muscle … The Orioles signed utility player Cooper Hummel after he opted out of his minor league contract with the Yankees. He joined the team on Sunday and utility player Terrin Vavra was designated for assignment … It was 59 degrees at first pitch. The average temperature for the last seven games of the homestand was 56 … On Memorial Day weekend, the Red Sox recognized 29 members of their staff who are veterans on the field before the game. USAF Staff Sgt. Matthew Scollin sang the national anthem and representatives of four Gold Star families threw out first pitches. Advertisement Peter Abraham can be reached at
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Veteran: Red Sox' Roman Anthony ‘the best minor league hitter I've ever seen'
BOSTON — Abraham Toro, who the Red Sox called up from Triple-A Worcester on Saturday, has seen hundreds of talented young players while appearing in 526 minor league games over nine seasons. Toro played in a loaded Astros farm system. He was teammates on the 2019 Triple-A Round Rock Express with Kyle Tucker before the then-top 10 MLB Pipeline prospect was a September call-up. Tucker has gone on to become a three-time All-Star with a career .876 OPS. Advertisement But Toro said Red Sox 20-year-old outfield prospect Roman Anthony has stood out to him offensively like nobody else. 'I don't say this lightly — I think he's the best minor league hitter I've ever seen," said Toro, who has played for five different organizations and appeared in 28 games for the WooSox to begin the 2025 season. 'I think he can be an absolute star in MLB. It just shows what he's doing.' Anthony is batting .305 with a .419 on-base percentage, .514 slugging percentage, .933 OPS, five homers, five doubles, one triple, 17 RBIs, 22 runs, 22 walks and 26 strikeouts in 29 games (129 plate appearances) for Worcester. 'He's patient,' Toro said. 'The way he's hitting it the other way, he's going to be a star one day.' Advertisement In addition to his extensive minor league resume, Toro has appeared in 366 major league games for the Astros, Mariners, Brewers, Athletics and Red Sox. 'The thing that impressed me the most is you don't see young guys going that often for power to the opposite field,' Toro said. 'And he stays there. And he's not really trying to pull the ball. Whenever he does, it's kind of like by accident.' Anthony, a left-handed hitter, has pulled one home run to right field this season, a 412-foot, 109.6-mph blast. He has driven two home runs to left-center field and one to left field. His other blast went to center field. Advertisement He ripped his triple (413 feet with a 100.6 mph exit velocity) to center field. Three of his five doubles have gone to the opposite field in left. He also has doubled to center field. And so of his 11 extra-base hits, nine have traveled either to the opposite field or center. 'If he can pull the ball more often, he'll just be one of the best players,' Toro said. Anthony hits it far and hard when he does pull the ball. He had a 114 mph homer to right field last year. That was the highest exit velocity in the organization in 2024. He also had a 110 mph blast to right field in the Spring Breakout Game in March right after a heckler chanted 'overrated' at him. Advertisement His exit velocities are off the charts. All 11 extra-base hits have had an exit velocity over 100 mph — and eight have left his bat with over 105 mph. Anthony has 'very strong and consistent' bat speed, senior director of player development Brian Abraham said. The Red Sox have focused on increasing bat speed with their minor leaguers, including using overload and underload training bats. Rookie Kristian Campbell has shown quality bat speed so far, ranking in the 71st percentile among major league hitters in that category (73.2). 'It's not always just bat speed but I think bat speed gives you the ability to hit the ball farther, the ability to potentially mis-hit a ball and still hit it hard,' Abraham said. 'I think if you look at Roman Anthony's 90th percentile exit velos, he's a 105-plus pretty consistently. So yeah, you have to swing the bat fast to be able to do that. You have to be strong to be able to do that. And I think they tend to generally go hand in hand. Definitely towards the top in our organization when it comes to that. Kristian certainly is as well.' Advertisement BETTING: Red Sox moneyline is +100 on FanDuel for Monday's game against the Rangers. Our comprehensive list of Massachusetts sportsbook promos will help you find a sportsbook to use. More On Red Sox Prospects Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston Red Sox prospect Marcelo Mayer reminds veteran of 5-time All-Star SS
Both the way 22-year-old shortstop prospect Marcelo Mayer swings the bat and plays defense looks almost effortless to Red Sox first baseman Abraham Toro. 'It kind of looks nonchalant,' said Toro, who played with Mayer in Triple-A Worcester before his call-up May 3. Advertisement Toro compared Baseball America's No. 8 overall prospect to a five-time All-Star shortstop. 'It's so relaxed,' Toro said. 'On the defensive side, he kind of reminds me of (Corey) Seager. It's so loose and it's like he's not trying — and I'm not saying he's not. That's the feel. 'Even his swing, it looks like he's not trying but like bat speed, I work out with him, it's one of the best,' Toro added. 'So that's helped him to be successful.' It's not the first time someone has described Mayer's play as effortless. Manager Alex Cora said during spring training he's an 'old-school shortstop' who 'moves with grace.' Advertisement It's also not the first time the 6-foot-3, 188-pound Mayer has been compared to Seager, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound left-handed hitter who has five defensive runs saved in 197 innings this season and 14 defensive runs saved since the start of 2023. Assistant GM Paul Toboni, then Boston's amateur scouting director, made the same comp when Boston drafted Mayer fourth overall in 2021. 'Probably some cross between Corey Seager, Brandon Crawford,' Toboni said almost four years ago. 'But thinking back to it, probably more advanced. I keep saying it, but he's got a really advanced feel to his game and ease to his game. I throw those two names out there not to really set expectations for him or anything. I say Seager because Marcelo does have a little bit of a bigger build. 'I say Brandon Crawford, because if you watch this kid take pregame ground balls, he's one of the cockiest defenders I've ever seen in my life,' Toboni added. 'I say that with a positive tone behind it. He's flipping balls with his glove, catching balls through the legs and going behind the back. It's not like he's showing off. It's just kind of his nature. It all comes pretty easy to him.' Advertisement The Red Sox appear to be creating a path to the majors for Mayer with Kristian Campbell working out at first base. If Campbell gets comfortable enough at first, Boston could move him there and promote Mayer to play second base. Cora said Tuesday that Campbell still has a lot of work to do to be ready for games and won't play first base on this homestand. Mayer has started at second base in three of four games for Worcester since Campbell began working out at first base Friday. Mayer had a 22-game on-base streak end May 11 and has slumped some recently. His OPS has dropped 66 points from .850 to .784 the past six games but he did have an RBI single in his final at-bat Tuesday. He leads the International League in RBIs (41). He's tied for sixth in the league in home runs with eight. His time is coming —whether it's at second or shortstop. Advertisement It would be difficult to move on from Trevor Story because he has another two years, $55 million remaining on his contract after this season. That's $25 million both in 2026 and '27 and a $5 million buyout in 2028. But how much longer can the Red Sox play Story every day with how he's hitting? The 32-year-old enters Wednesday with the 22nd worst OPS (.617) among qualified major league hitters. 'He wanted to play a lot of games, more than 150, and I think he's on pace to do that,' Cora said recently about Story. 'But obviously I gotta be smart, too. Not only with the production, but also the body.' Story has been an elite defender throughout his career but he's not playing shortstop well enough right now to justify keeping him in the lineup every day despite his poor offense. He's in the ninth percentile in outs above average/range (-3) and the 17th percentile in fielding run value (-2). Advertisement As MassLive's Sean McAdam put it Sunday, the Red Sox can't rely on Mayer and Roman Anthony to save their season. Mayer has struggled at times this year at Worcester and there should be adjustment and growing pains once he reaches the majors (Campbell is 4-for-50 in May). But Mayer's time should be coming. Roman Anthony has a .970 OPS It's becoming difficult for the Red Sox to justify keeping Roman Anthony, baseball's No. 1 prospect, at Triple A. Anthony blasted a 369-foot, 103.5 mph against a 95.9 mph sinker in Worcester's 8-2 win over Durham on Tuesday. He went 1-for-3 with two walks, two runs and a strikeout. Advertisement The 21-year-old is batting .322 with a .450 on-base percentage, .520 slugging percentage, .970 OPS, six homers, eight doubles, two triples, 18 RBIs, 33 runs, 37 walks and 38 strikeouts in 42 games (191 plate appearances). Toro recently said about Anthony, 'I don't say this lightly — I think he's the best minor league hitter I've ever seen." The Password homers in Triple-A debut Outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia— also known by his popular nickname 'The Password'— blasted a three-run home run (106.3 mph off the bat) in his Triple-A debut Tuesday. The Red Sox promoted the 22-year-old from Double-A Portland on Sunday. The other Garcia returns Jhostynxon Garcia's brother Johanfran Garcia played in his first minor league game Tuesday since he underwent surgery for a major knee injury last May. Advertisement The 20-year-old went 1-for-3 with two RBIs and a run in the Florida Complex League Red Sox' 3-1 win over the FCL Orioles. Monegro has a 43.9% strikeout percentage Righty Yordanny Monegro struck out 10 and allowed just three hits and one walk in 5 scoreless innings in Double-A Portland's 4-3 win over Reading. The 22-year-old Monegro has a 43.9% strikeout percentage (47 strikeouts, 107 batters faced) More On Red Sox Prospects Read the original article on MassLive.
