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Tasman's PEA Study of Norra Karr Heavy Rare Earth and Zirconium Project Demonstrates Robust Economics and Long Mine Life


News provided by

Tasman Metals Ltd.

22 Mar, 2012, 07:00 GMT

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VANCOUVER, March 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

TSXV : TSM
NYSE AMEX : TAS

Tasman Metals Ltd. ("Tasman" or the "Company") (TSXV : TSM) (Frankfurt: T61); (NYSE AMEX : TAS). Mr Mark Saxon, President & CEO, is pleased to announce the positive technical and financial results achieved from the NI 43-101 Compliant Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) of the Norra Karr heavy rare earth element (REE) and zirconium (Zr) project in southern Sweden.

"The PEA clearly demonstrates the strong economics of this highly strategic project, with the majority of the projected cash flow sourced from the production of the critical heavy rare earth elements, dysprosium, terbium and yttrium" said Mark Saxon, Tasman's President and CEO. "Norra Karr is one of the largest and most economically robust projects amongst its peers, due to the high contribution of the high value critical rare earth elements, the substantial capital and operating cost benefits provided by existing infrastructure, and the simple mineralogy that allows ambient temperature and pressure processing."

PEA Financial Highlights Include:

  • $1,464 million before-tax value (NPV at 10% discount rate);
  • 49.6% before-tax Internal Rate of Return (IRR);
  • Before-tax payback period of 2.6 years;
  • $5.3 Billion in revenue over the first 20 years and $10.9 billion over the 40 year life of mine;
  • Initial capital expenditures of $290 million (including contingency of $66.82 million or 30%);
  • Average annual operating expenses of $74.3 million or $10.93 per kg of mixed TREO concentrate;
  • Conservative basket price of US$51 per kg versus current China FOB basket price of US$184.85;

Key Project Attributes:

  • REE recoveries of 80% and byproduct zirconium recoveries of 60%;
  • Average annual mixed TREO concentrate production of 6,800 tonnes including 290 tonnes of dysprosium oxide (Dy2O3), 43 tonnes of terbium oxide (Tb2O3), 773 tonnes of neodymium oxide (Nd2O3) and 2,360 tonnes of yttrium oxide (Y2O3), in mixed concentrate form;
  • Average annual production of 15,000 tonnes of zirconium carbonate concentrate (on a 100% ZrO2 basis);
  • 70% of the projected economic value of the project (86% of TREO revenue) is expected to be derived from the production of Norra Karr's four critical rare earth elements (CREE), dysprosium, terbium, neodymium and yttrium;
  • New "In Pit" mineral resource estimate of 41.6 Mt at 0.57% TREO with 51% HREO/TREO% and 1.70% Zr2O(Indicated), and 16.5 Mt at 0.64 % TREO with 49% HREO/TREO% and 1.70% Zr2O (Inferred);
  • 40 year mine life;
  • Low start-up capital costs due to the excellent existing infrastructure at Norra Karr;
  • Proximal to operating ports with rapid access to the European market;
  • Simple process flow sheet and high recoveries due to success in bench scale metallurgical testing.

Preliminary Economic Assessment

Tasman's 100% owned Norra Karr project is the only NI 43-101 compliant REE resource in mainland Europe, located in mining-friendly Sweden. Norra Karr lies 15km NNE of the township of Gränna and 300km SW of the capital Stockholm in mixed forestry and farming land.

The PEA for Norra Karr was completed by leading independent mining consultants "Pincock, Allen & Holt" (PAH) of Denver, Colorado. Metallurgical process design was completed by Mr John Litz of JE Litz and Associates, Colorado, on the basis of data provided from process testing of Norra Karr mineralization completed by SGS Canada Inc. (SGS) in Lakefield, Canada, and the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) in Outokumpu, Finland.

The project is proximal to road, rail, power and operating ports, plus skilled personnel, minimizing the need for offsite infrastructure to be built by the Company. Development of the project will occur as an open pit mine, with crushing, grinding, beneficiation and mineral dissolution occurring in the immediate vicinity of the pit. High purity precipitates of a mixed rare earth carbonate concentrate and a zirconium carbonate concentrate will be produced.

A summary of the operating assumptions and financial model for Norra Karr can be found in Tables 1 - 2 below:

                   Table 1: Norra Karr Project, Annual Operating Summary
                               Year
    Production      Units        1       Year 2     Year 3-20 (avg)     Year 21-40 (avg)
    Total
    Tonnes
    mined
    (ore+waste)       Mt       2.91       2.54           2.82                 2.58
                    Waste
    Strip Ratio     : Ore      2.86       1.24           0.87                 0.75
    Tonnes
    processed         Mt        752      1,133          1,504                1,458
    Grade TREO        %        0.53       0.56           0.58                 0.60
    Grade ZrO2        %        1.61       1.60           1.64                 1.77
    Recovery
    TREO              %          80%        80%            80%                  80%
    Recovery
    ZrO2              %          60%        60%            60%                  60%
 
    Mixed TREO
    concentrate     Tonnes    3,165      5,067          6,946                7,004
    Zirconium
    Carbonate
    concentrate     Tonnes    7,260     10,893         14,831               15,492
              Table 2: Norra Karr Project, Summary of Projected Revenue, Expenditure and NPV
                                                    First 20 Years       40 Year Mine Life
                                                    ($ million CAD)         ($ million CAD)
    Total Revenue                                          5,275.3                10,858.5
    Initial Capital Expenditures 
    
(including contingency)                             
    290.2                   290.2
    Sustaining Capital Expenditures                          74.1                   217.1
    Royalty Payments                                         13.2                    27.2
    Mine Reclamation Costs                                   10.9                    10.9
    Total Before-tax Cash Flow (undiscounted)             3,419.4                 7,376.1

    Before-tax NPV @ 10%                                  1,214.7                 1,464.1
    Before-tax NPV @ 12%                                  1,015.9                 1,168.0
    Before-tax NPV @ 14%                                    855.0                   949.4
    Before-tax IRR (%)                                      49.6%                   49.6%
    Before-tax Payback Period (years)                         2.6                     2.6

    Long-term Average REE Basket Price                   US$51.00                US$51.00
    REE Basket Price Discounted for Refining             US$31.60                US$31.60
<end_table>

"When in production, the project will make a very significant contribution to 
the availability of heavy rare earth elements outside of China, and provide long 
term security of these metals for Europe" said Mark Saxon. "With this 
encouraging independent assessment in hand, Tasman shall accelerate progress 
during 2012, with additional drilling, further refinement of our metallurgical 
process, extensive work on permitting and initiation of a full Pre-Feasibility 
Study (PFS)".

Geology and Mineralization

Norra Karr is a zirconium and rare earth element enriched peralkaline 
(agpaitic) nepheline syenite intrusion which covers 350m x 1200m in area. The 
deepest extents of the mineralized intrusion have not been delineated, but 
exceed 320m. The rock units comprising the Norra Karr intrusion are uncommon on 
a global scale, and include mineral phases that are comprised of or associated 
with REE's, Zr, Nb, Y and Hf. The most abundant intrusion present is grännaite, 
a medium grained syenite consisting of alkali feldspar, nepheline, aegirine, 
natrolite, eudialyte and catapleite. Lesser units include lakarpite 
(arfvedsonite-albite nepheline syenite), pulaskite 
(microcline-arfvedsonite-albite nepheline syenite) and kaxtorpite 
(eckermannite-microcline-aegirine-pectolite-nepheline syenite). Intervals of 
irregular coarse grained pegmatite schlieren with equivalent mineralogy to the 
grännaite are also commonly developed. The Norra Kärr intrusion is hosted by 
granitoide rocks which close to the contacts (0-25m) exhibit signs of 
fenitization (metasomatic alteration).

The rare earth and zirconium bearing minerals at Norra Karr comprise almost 
exclusively the zirconosilicates: eudialyte and catapleiite. Rare mosandrite, 
rosenbushite and cerite have been described locally. Eudialyte and catapleiite 
are both soluble in moderate strength sulphuric acid at room temperature and 
pressure, which has allowed for development of a simple flow sheet with low 
consumption of both reagents and energy. The bulk sample used in concentrate 
preparation showed eudialyte comprised approximately 6% of the rock, and 
typically contained between 5 and 10 weight % TREO.

Spatial distribution of rare earth minerals at Norra Karr is very consistent. 
TREO grade, mineral grain size and HREO/TREO% varies only slightly across the 
deposit in a concentric manner. REE bearing minerals have not been noted to vary 
with either strike or depth to any significant degree.

Uranium (U) and thorium (Th) levels at Norra Karr are considered low for an 
REE-enriched intrusion and do not significantly exceed background. The thorium 
(average value 7 ppm) and uranium (average value 14 ppm) present in the Norra 
Karr deposit are believed disseminated within the REE minerals.

Updated Mineral Inventory and "In-Pit" Mineral 
Resource Estimate

In 2011, Tasman completed two extensive drill programs with the goal of 
increasing the overall size of the resource as well as increasing the confidence 
level in the existing NI 43-101 compliant estimate. In conjunction with the 
release of this PEA, Tasman is pleased to announce a revised NI 43-101 compliant 
estimate for Norra Karr. The resource estimate was prepared by Pincock Allen 
& Holt ("PAH") / Minarco-Mineconsult (both subsidiaries of Runge Ltd)

A block model mineral inventory showing grade and tonnage relationships at 
five geological cutoff grades for percent total rare earth oxides (%TREO) is 
presented in Table 3. At a geological cutoff grade of 0.4 %TREO, the Norra Karr 
deposit contains a mineral inventory of 69.1 million tonnes at 0.60% TREO and 
1.82% ZrO2. The ratio of HREO/TREO for this tonnage is 52%. Both grade and total 
tonnage have increased over the NI43-101 compliant estimate of November 
2010.

Table 3: Norra Karr Project - March 
2012 Block Model Mineral Inventory and REO Distribution

    Cutoff
     TREO
      %                                             LREO
           Tonnes TREO HREO LREO HREO/  La203 Ce203 Pr203 Nd203 Sm203
             MT    %    %    %   TREO %   %     %     %     %     %

     0.20  148.8  0.42 0.24 0.19  56 %  0.037 0.083 0.011 0.044 0.012
     0.30   85.0  0.55 0.29 0.26  53 %  0.052 0.116 0.015 0.060 0.016
     0.40   69.1  0.60 0.31 0.29  52 %  0.058 0.131 0.017 0.067 0.018
     0.50   58.8  0.63 0.33 0.30  52 %  0.059 0.136 0.018 0.070 0.019
     0.60   38.8  0.67 0.35 0.32  52 %  0.062 0.144 0.019 0.076 0.021

    Cutoff
     TREO
      %                                            HREO
           Tonnes TREO Eu203 Gd203 Tb203 Dy203 Ho203 Er203 Tm203 Yb203 Lu203 Y203
             MT    %     %     %     %     %     %     %     %     %     %     %


     0.20  148.8  0.42 0.002 0.014 0.003 0.021 0.005 0.015 0.002 0.015 0.002 0.159
     0.30   85.0  0.55 0.002 0.018 0.004 0.025 0.006 0.017 0.003 0.017 0.002 0.200
     0.40   69.1  0.60 0.002 0.019 0.004 0.027 0.006 0.018 0.003 0.017 0.002 0.215
     0.50   58.8  0.63 0.002 0.020 0.004 0.028 0.006 0.018 0.003 0.017 0.002 0.224
     0.60   38.8  0.67 0.003 0.022 0.004 0.029 0.006 0.019 0.003 0.018 0.002 0.240
<end_table>

Notes:
  1. Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) includes: La2O3, Ce2O3, Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Eu2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, Yb2O3, Lu2O3, Y2O3
  2. Heavy Rare Earth Oxides (HREO) includes: Eu2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, Yb2O3, Lu2O3, Y2O3
  3. The block model mineral inventory was completed by Mr Geoffrey Reed, Senior Consulting Geologist of Minarco-Mineconsult (Australia), and is based on geological and geochemical data supplied by Tasman, audited by Mr Reed. Mr Reed is an independent qualified person for the purposes of NI 43-101 standards of disclosure for mineral projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators and has verified the data disclosed in this release. A Technical Report with the estimate will be filed on SEDAR within 45 days.
  4. Cut-off grades are geological cut-offs and not based on economics.
  5. Block model mineral inventories are not mineral resources because the reasonable prospects of economic extraction standard has not been satisfied.
  6. The resource estimate is based on:

  • A database of 49 diamond drill holes completed by the Company since December 2009 where samples were composited on 2m lengths. Assays were completed at ALS Chemex, with check sampling completed by ACME Laboratories Ltd.
  • Specific gravity (SG) used the overall mean of 2.70 g/cc from 179 SG readings.
  • Block model was estimated by inverse distance squared interpolation method on blocks 100m x 20m x 20m.

For the purposes of the PEA and following a supply and demand study of the 
heavy REE market, PAH was requested to optimize the resource and pit that would 
allow for the production 6,000 - 7,000 tonnes of separated rare earth oxides per 
annum over an initial mine life of 20 years. This production rate was chosen due 
the globally significant output of the heavy REE's dysprosium, yttrium and 
terbium that will be produced from Norra Karr under this scenario.

Using this production rate and duration guidance provided by Tasman, PAH 
produced a Whittle pit model to estimate the in-pit Mineral Resource as provided 
in Table 4. Expansion of the annual production rate or extending the mine life 
beyond 20 years will be reviewed in the upcoming PFS.

           Table 4: Norra Karr Project, NI43-101 Compliant 
           March 2012 "In-Pit" Mineral Resource[1] Estimate
                                                                       Tonnes of
                   Tonnes  TREO   LREO    HREO    HREO/TREO   ZrO2     Contained
    Classification   Mt      %      %       %         %        %        TREO
    Indicated       41.6   0.57   0.28    0.29      50.8      1.70     237,120
    Inferred        16.5   0.64   0.33    0.31      48.4       1.70     94,050
Notes:
  1. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral Resource estimates do not account for mineability, selectivity, mining loss and dilution. The Preliminary Economic Assessment includes inferred mineral resources which are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as Mineral Reserves. There is no certainty that the results projected in the Preliminary Economic Assessment will be realized and actual results may vary substantially.
  2. Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) includes: La2O3, Ce2O3, Pr2O3, Nd2O3, Sm2O3, Eu2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, Yb2O3, Lu2O3, Y2O3.
  3. Heavy Rare Earth Oxides (HREO) includes: Eu2O3, Gd2O3, Tb2O3, Dy2O3, Ho2O3, Er2O3, Tm2O3, Yb2O3, Lu2O3, Y2O3.
  4. "In-pit" Mineral Resources were estimated by PAH using the Whittle pit optimization software and scoping level economic parameters for commodity prices, metal recoveries and current operating expenses as presented in the PEA and summarized in this press release.
  5. Mineral Resources are reported at a marginal cutoff grade of 0.285% TREO.

Mine Design Considerations

Mine design consists of a single open pit with single entry ramp. As the 
Norra Karr deposit is covered by only a thin (typically less than 1 metre) layer 
of soil, no significant pre-strip is required. Below this soil layer the rock is 
unweathered, therefore no consideration need be given to variation in mineralogy 
or grade relating to weathering. A two year ramp up period is anticipated to 
full production, with a total modeled mine life of twenty years.

Mining will be carried out using dump trucks and excavators as mining 
equipment with haulage via the access ramp to the nearby processing facility. 
The life of mine open pit strip ratio is estimated to be 0.85:1 (waste:ore) with 
a mine life of 40 years. The mill feed at full operation is 1.5 million tonnes 
per year, or approximately 4,100 tonnes per day.

Beneficiation and Processing Considerations

Flow sheet design within this PEA incorporates the results from ambient 
temperature/pressure leach testing and roast/leach testing of whole ore 
completed at SGS during late 2010 and 2011 under the guidance of Mr Les Heymann; 
and beneficiation and ambient temperature/pressure leach testing of mineral 
concentrate completed at GTK during 2011 under the guidance of Mr John Litz. 
Metallurgical test work was undertaken on two approximately 100 kg samples. 
These samples were comprised of drill core intervals selected from across the 
Norra Karr deposit to represent both the resource grade at a 0.4% TREO cut-off 
(grade of 0.54% TREO) and the range of ore types encountered. The samples can be 
considered representative based on the current understanding of the project.

The rare earth and zirconium bearing minerals at Norra Karr comprise almost 
exclusively the zirconosilicates: eudialyte and catapleiite. Both minerals are 
soluble in moderate strength sulphuric acid at room temperature and pressure, 
which has allowed for development of a simple flow sheet with low consumption of 
both reagents and energy.

The simplified ore processing modeled under the PEA at Norra Karr consists 
of:

Crush & Grind
  • Crushing and grinding to approximately 90 µm in sequential semi-autogenous and ball/rod mills;

Beneficiation
  • Magnetic separation to exclude a non-magnetic feldspar/nepheline fraction;
  • Flotation to exclude aegirine (clinopyroxene);
  • Excluded fractions (25-35% of original volume) will be diverted to tailing storage, and considered for other commercial options;

Hydrometallurgy
  • Sulphuric acid digestion of the REE mineral concentrate;
  • Thickening and solid/liquid separation to divert REE-bearing pregnant solution;
  • Stepwise precipitation of REE and Zr carbonate through addition of sodium carbonate;
  • Calcination to yield final >90% pure mixed REE carbonate and Zr carbonate products for bagging and sale;
  • Contaminants and undissolved solid phase will be neutralized with limestone slurry and diverted to a tailings storage;
  • Acid in the liquid phase shall be recycled where possible, the balance neutralized with limestone;
  • Process water will be purified with a reverse osmosis plant to ensure suitable for discharge and efficient reuse;

Transport of Final REE and Zr 
Products
  • Saleable products (mixed REE carbonate and Zr carbonate) shall be transported off site by existing road and rail networks;

Under the planned PFS, process optimization shall include testing of 
individual ore types, review of nepheline/feldspar co-product value and 
saleabilty, testing of additional digestion and precipitation mechanisms to 
reduce reagent and effluent streams.

Capital Cost Estimate

The capital cost estimate for the start up of the Norra Karr project is 
CA$290 million, which includes a 30% cost contingency as outlined in Table 5. 
Costs considered include all equipment needed for mining and processing, 
including a tailings facility, warehouses, offices and upgrades to existing 
power and road infrastructure, plus any additional infrastructure required for 
the Norra Karr project based on achieving a PEA Study with an accuracy of 
+/-35%. Indirect costs such as engineering, procurement, construction management 
and owner's costs are incorporated in the costing of the consolidated capital 
items.

Access to water and power are considered to be available on or very close to 
site respectively. A major highway lies 0.5km from the project, and rail within 
25km which are considered suitable for transport in and out of all required 
materials and products. Villages and towns in the immediate region provide 
sources of skilled and semi-skilled labor including those with mining industry 
experience, and construction of accommodation is not considered necessary.

             Table 5: Norra Karr Project, Initial Capital Cost Items
                                                                            ($
                                                                       million
                                                                          CAD)
    Mining                                                                18.2
    Processing                                                           120.0
    Tailings and
    Management
    Facilities                                                            75.0
    Other Infrastructure                                                  10.0
    Total                                                                223.2
 
    Contingency (30%)                                                     66.8
    Total Initial
    Capital Cost                                                         290.0
Operating Cost Estimate

The Operating Cost estimates for the mining operation were developed by PAH 
with contribution from Golder Associates, Sweden. The operating costs for the 
metallurgical process operations were developed by consulting metallurgist, Mr. 
John Litz of JE Litz and Associates, Colorado. The Operating Cost for the mining 
and metallurgical operations cover all stages up to the shipment of REE and Zr 
concentrates, as well as water management, tailings disposal, transport of 
material to and from site, general and administration fees along with associated 
infrastructure and services.

The project operating estimate is based on the following assumptions:
  • Average of 1.5 million tonnes of ore mined per year following ramp up;
  • Average of 1.2 million tonnes of waste rock mined per year following production ramp up;
  • Approximately 6,950 tonnes of mixed REO concentrate produced per year following production ramp up;
  • A total of 250 employees required for all operations.

Overall Operating Costs at Norra Karr are estimated to be $74.4 million per 
year or $10.93/kg of mixed TREO concentrate output. A summary of the costs is 
shown in Table 6.

                Table 6: Norra Karr Project, Operating Cost Items
                                             Average Cost Per   Average Cost
                            Average Annual          kg               Per
                                 Cost         of Mixed TREO     Tonne of Ore
                            (Thousands $/y) concentrate ($/kg)  Milled ($/T)
    Mining                           10,224               1.52         3.80[1]
    Processing                       60,256               8.84           41.48
    Closure Cost Accrual                272               0.04            0.19
    General and
    Administrative                    3,632               0.53            2.50
    Total                            74,383              10.93
    1. Mining costs based on per tonne of ore and waste
Output of the various REE's based on the operating scenario above is provided 
in Table 7. Note that output quantity is given in oxide equivalent form. 
Mine-gate output is as a mixed rare earth carbonate. The financial model for 
Norra Karr under this PEA assumes no revenue from Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu due to 
the small market size and lack of robust historical pricing.

    Table 7: Norra Karr Project, Annual REE Production Output (Mixed Concentrate, Tonnes)
                                  Year
                              % of Ore      Year 1      Year 2    Year 3-20       21-40
    REO Name                 (Average)    (Tonnes)    (Tonnes)    (Average)   (Average)
    Lanthanum           La2O3    10.01         317         507          695         701
    Cerium              Ce2O3    22.52         713       1,141        1,564        1577
    Praseodymium        Pr2O3     2.86          91         145          199         200
    Neodymium           Nd2O3    11.31         358         573          786         792
    Samarium            Sm2O3     2.98          94         151          207         209
    Europium            Eu2O3     0.37          12          19           26          26
    Gadolinium          Gd2O3     3.16         100         160          219         221
    Terbium             Tb2O3     0.63          20          32           44          44
    Dysprosium          Dy2O3     4.25         135         215          295         298
    Holmium             Ho2O3     0.93          29          47           65          65
    Erbium              Er2O3     2.87          91         145          199         201
    Thulium             Tm2O3     0.45          14          23           31          32
    Ytterbium           Yb2O3     2.73          86         138          190         191
    Lutetium            Lu2O3     0.37          12          19           26          26
    Yttrium              Y2O3    34.55        1094       1,751        2,400        2420
    Total                       100.00       3,165 T     5,066 T      6,945 T     7,003 T
REE and Zr Pricing and Market Considerations

In the development of the price deck for this PEA, much effort was expended 
by Tasman and PAH to ensure the price forecast was realistic and conservative. 
Price forecasts were compiled and studied from industry groups including Roskill 
and IMCOA, as well as financial analysts including Dundee Securities, Cormark 
Securities, Euro Pacific Canada, CIBC World Markets, and Global Hunter 
Securities. Also taken into consideration were previously published PEA and PFS 
studies from competing REE projects including, Avalon Rare Metals, Quest Rare 
Mineral, Hudson Resources, Matamec and Frontier Rare Earths.   The three 
year trailing price average for China FOB pricing from Asian Metals was also 
reviewed.

Price forecasts between the various analysts and competing REE projects 
differ substantially, with particular divergence in the forecast for cerium and 
lanthanum. The Norra Karr deposit provides little exposure to cerium and 
lanthanum (approximately 3% of annual revenue), and this divergence plays only a 
minor role in the financial modeling within. The majority of industry analysts 
expect an increase in consumption of rare earth elements, particularly those 
considered to be in the critical rare earth oxide (CREO) category as defined in 
the August 2011 report issued by Technology Metals Research. These CREO elements 
include Tasman's major revenue drivers of dysprosium, yttrium, terbium, 
neodymium, and europium.

This PEA is based upon the production of a mixed REE concentrate, as modeling 
of separation of this concentrate into individual rare earth oxides was 
considered beyond the scope of the study. For separation, Tasman is exploring 
multiple options, which include outsourcing, partnerships, and new technologies. 
For the scope of this report, modeled pricing is at a discount of 38% to the 
final separated oxide sellingprice given in Table 8 to account for the cost 
of separation by a third party. The undiscounted REE basket price used in the 
PEA analysis was US$51.00 and therefore the corresponding long term discounted 
basket price was US$31.60.

Zirconium carbonate shall be produced with the rare earth products based on 
the current metallurgical process design. Zirconium carbonate is an important 
input into the rapidly growing zirconium chemicals industry, with zirconium 
carbonate being the pre-cursor material from which other zirconium chemicals are 
manufactured. The end products from zirconium carbonate include: antiperspirant 
actives, paint driers, leather tanning products, paper coatings and automotive 
catalysts. Currently, the majority of zirconium carbonate is sourced from 
zircon, which requires extensive processes and chemical cracking operations to 
separate zirconium. According to data published by independent consulting firm 
TZ Minerals International, the zirconium chemicals market is the fastest growing 
segment of the zirconium market and is estimated to account for 18% of the 
zirconium market in 2012 or approximately 250,000 tonnes. Price forecasts and 
current spot pricing for zirconium carbonate was not available and as such, the 
price of zirconia or zirconium oxide has been used as a proxy. As a result, a 
conservative price forecast of $3.77 per kg was used in the model, in line with 
competitor PEA pricing.

The price deck used in the PEA is illustrated in Table 8.

      Table 8: Rare Earth Oxide and Zirconia Equivalent "Price Deck" Assumed for Norra
                                          Karr PEA
                                           Tasman                        Norra Karr - %
                                         Estimated                          of TREO
                                         Long-term      Feb 2012 China      Revenue
                                        Market Price     FOB Price[1]    (Based on Avg.
                                          (US$/kg)         (US$/kg)       Production)
    Lanthanum        La2O3                       10.00            35.00             1.9%
    Cerium           Ce2O3                        5.00            31.00             2.2%
    Neodymium        Nd2O3                       75.00           165.00            16.6%
    Praseodymium     Pr2O3                       75.00           160.00             4.2%
    Samarium         Sm2O3                       10.00            71.00             0.5%
    Europium         Eu2O3                      500.00         3,375.00             3.6%
    Gadolinium       Gd2O3                       40.00           100.00             1.9%
    Terbium          Tb2O3                      975.00         2,550.00            12.1%
    Dysprosium       Dy2O3                      520.00         1,500.00            43.4%
    Yttrium          Y2O3                        20.00           155.00            13.6%
    Norra Karr REE "Basket Price"                51.00           184.85
 
    Basket Price
    with 38%
    Discount                                     31.60
    Zirconia
    Equivalent       ZrO2                         3.77          7.15[2]
    Note: no value applied to Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, or Lu due to lack of available
    historical prices
    1. Feb 2012 China FOB price quoted as average prices from Asian Metals.
    2. Zirconia prices quoted as average prices from Industrial Minerals
Economic Analysis and Technical Assumptions

For the analysis, the Norra Karr deposit was analyzed based on an open 
pittable recoverable resource of 58.1Mt million tonnes grading 0.59% TREO (50.0% 
HREO/TREO) and 1.70% ZrO2, in the inferred and indicated categories. 
This resource provides for a greater than 20 year mine life, however if the 
entire deposit were to be included at the current estimated processing rate, the 
project would have a mine life of approximately 100 years.

The current mining and processing assumptions are for a mining rate of 1.5 
million tonnes per year with average TREO recoveries of 80% and average 
ZrO2 recoveries of 60%. The project's mining and process assumptions 
are listed in Table 9. No provision is made for inflation, and the capital 
invested is assumed to be sourced as equity.

Based upon the total capital cost estimate of $290 million over a 1.5 year 
construction period, the before tax NPV at 10% discount rate as determined by 
PAH is $1,464 million as detailed in Table 2 above. Payback on the project is 
within 3 years from the start of production, and generates a pre-tax IRR of 
49.6%.

                            Table 9: Norra Karr, Mining and Processing Assumptions
    Item                                                Unit               Base Case Value
    Total Ore Mined (40 year mine life estimate)       M tonnes                      58.1
    Processing Rate                                 Tonnes / year               1,500,000
    Life of Mine                                        years                        40.0
    Average Process Recovery for REOs                     %                            80
    Average Process Recovery for Zr                       %                            60
    Average Mining Cost                          ($ / tonne mined)                   3.80
    Average Processing Cost                      ($ / tonne milled)                 41.48
    Average General & Administration Costs       ($ / tonne milled)                  2.50
    Average Closure Cost Accrual                 ($ / tonne milled)                  0.19
In addition to the direct capital expenditures, it is estimated that the 
working capital requirement at time of mine start-up is to be $9.0 million and 
reclamation costs at the end of the 40 year project life is expected to be $10.9 
million.

Sensitivity Analysis

Beyond the base case analysis, a sensitivity analysis was performed on the 
economic model to assess the impact for changes in the REE price deck as well as 
changes to the operational costs. The results of the sensitivity analysis are 
provided in Table 10, 11 and 12, which demonstrate that the economic model is 
most sensitive to changes in the REO basket prices followed by initial capital 
expenditures and finally increases or decreases in operational costs.

        Table 10: Norra Karr, Sensitivity Analysis of Cost Assumptions under PEA -
                                Change in REO Basket Price
    Selling Price of REO
    Basket                      NPV @ 8%          NPV @ 10%     NPV @ 12%           IRR
    US$ 66.30/kg  Increase 30%     $2,619,276    $2,062,558    $1,665,924         63.4%
    US$ 61.20/kg  Increase 20%     $2,372,801    $1,863,059    $1,499,932         58.9%
    US$ 56.10/kg  Increase 10%     $2,126,327    $1,663,560    $1,333,939         54.3%
    US$ 51.00/kg  Base Case        $1,879,852    $1,464,060    $1,167,947         49.6%
    US$ 45.90/kg  Decrease 10%     $1,633,378    $1,264,561    $1,001,955         44.8%
    US$ 40.80/kg  Decrease 20%     $1,386,903    $1,065,062      $835,962         39.9%
    US$ 35.70/kg  Decrease 30%     $1,140,429      $865,563      $669,970         34.8%

         Table 11: Norra Karr, Sensitivity Analysis of Cost Assumptions under PEA -
                            Change in Initial Capital Expenditure
    Initial Capital Expenditure   NPV @ 8%          NPV @ 10%     NPV @ 12%           IRR
       $348,024    Increase 20%      $1,821,848    $1,406,056    $1,109,943         42.7%
       $319,022    Increase 10%      $1,850,850    $1,435,058    $1,138,945         45.9%
       $290,020    Base Case         $1,879,852    $1,464,060    $1,167,947         49.6%
       $261,018    Decrease 10%      $1,908,854    $1,493,062    $1,196,949         54.1%
       $232,016    Decrease 20%      $1,937,856    $1,522,064    $1,225,951         59.6%

       Table 12: Norra Karr, Sensitivity Analysis of Cost Assumptions under PEA - Change
                                     in Operational Costs
    Operating Costs/kg TREO Output       NPV @ 8%     NPV @ 10%     NPV @ 12%         IRR
        $13.12         Increase 20%    $1,705,676    $1,322,431    $1,049,619       46.0%
        $12.03         Increase 10%    $1,792,764    $1,393,246    $1,108,783       47.8%
        $10.93            Base Case    $1,879,852    $1,464,060    $1,167,947       49.6%
         $9.84         Decrease 10%    $1,966,941    $1,534,875    $1,227,111       51.4%
         $8.75         Decrease 20%    $2,054,029    $1,605,690    $1,286,275       53.2%
Environmental Assessment

The Swedish Mining Act provides a clear pathway to resource development, and 
Tasman has hired a skilled team of staff and consultants to move the project 
forwards through appropriate legislation as quickly as possible.

Environmental and archeological baseline studies were conducted during 2011 
by consulting group Mirab AB which provides adequate information for the 
submission of a Mine Lease application during Q2 2012. Golder Associates Sweden 
are currently preparing the application document. Tasman is completing a program 
of thorough community, government agency and other stakeholder engagement in 
line with this process.

NI 43-101 Compliance

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in 
accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements by, or under the supervision 
of, Mr Craig Horlacher and Mr Paul Gates of Pincock Allen & Holt, Mr Geoff 
Reed of Runge Ltd and Mr John Litz of JE Litz and Associates all of whom are 
independent Qualified Persons as defined under National Instrument 43-101 
Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Samples submitted by Tasman Metals Ltd used with the resource calculation 
quoted above were analyzed by the ME-MS81 technique by ALS Chemex Ltd's 
laboratories in Pitea, Sweden and Vancouver, Canada, where duplicates, repeats, 
blanks and known standards were inserted according to standard industry 
practice. Where over-range for ME-MS81, Zr was determined using the ME-XRF10 
technique. The qualified person for the Company's exploration projects, Mark 
Saxon, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tasman and a member of the 
Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Australian Institute of 
Geoscientists oversaw this data collection. Metallurgical products produced 
during research by the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) were analyzed by the 
XRF technique in the laboratories of Labtium Oy in Finland. Labtium Oy is an 
independent consulting laboratory, fully accredited to industry standards.

The qualified person for the Company's exploration projects, Mark Saxon, 
President and Chief Executive Officer of Tasman and a Member of the Australasian 
Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Australian Institute of Geoscientists, 
has reviewed and verified the contents of this release.

About Tasman Metals Ltd.

Tasman Metals Ltd is a Canadian mineral exploration and development company 
focused on Rare Earth Elements (REE's) in the European region and is listed on 
the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "TSM" and the NYSE-AMEX under the 
symbol "TAS". REE demand is increasing, due to the metals unique properties that 
make them essential for high technology and environmentally-beneficial 
applications. Since over 95% of REE supply is sourced from China, the European 
Union is actively supporting policy to promote domestic supply of REE's, to 
ensure the security of high-tech industry. Tasman's exploration portfolio is 
uniquely placed, with the capacity to deliver "high-tech" metals from 
politically stable, mining friendly jurisdictions with developed 
infrastructure.

The Company's Norra Karr project in Sweden is one of the most significant 
heavy REE resources in the world, and the only NI43-101 compliant REE resource 
in mainland Europe. The resource is unusually low in radioactive metals relative 
to peer projects, with less than 15 ppm each of uranium and thorium.

For more information regarding rare earth elements, see the Rare Metal Blog 
at http://www.raremetalblog.com or Resource Stock Digest at 
http://strategicmetalstocks.resourcestockdigest.com

On behalf of the Board,

"Mark Saxon" 
Mark Saxon, President & 
CEO

The TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term 
is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange), the American Stock 
Exchange or the Frankfurt Stock Exchange accepts responsibility for the adequacy 
or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note to U.S. Investors Concerning 
Estimates of Inferred Resources. This news release uses the term "inferred 
mineral resource." We advise U.S. investors that this term is not recognized by 
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The estimation of inferrred 
resources involves far greater uncertainty as to their existence and economic 
viability than the estimation of other categories of resources. U.S. investors 
are cautioned not to assume that estimates of inferred mineral resources exist, 
are economically minable, or will be upgraded into measured or indicated mineral 
resources.

Cautionary Statements. Certain statements found in this release may 
constitute forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities 
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect the speaker's 
current views with respect to future events and financial performance and 
include any statement that does not directly relate to a current or historical 
fact. Such statements reflect the current risks, uncertainties and assumptions 
related to certain factors including, without limitations, competitive factors, 
general economic conditions, customer relations, relationships with vendors and 
strategic partners, the interest rate environment, governmental regulation and 
supervision, seasonality, technological change, changes in industry practices, 
and one-time events. Should any one or more of these risks or uncertainties 
materialize, or should any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual 
results may vary materially from those described herein. Forward-looking 
statements cannot be guaranteed and actual results may vary materially due to 
the uncertainties and risks, known and unknown, associated with such statements. 
Shareholders and other readers should not place undue reliance on 
"forward-looking statements," as such statements speak only as of the date of 
this release.



For further information:
Investor Information
http://www.tasmanmetals.com
1305 
- 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7
Company Contact: Jim Powell, 
V.P. - Corporate Development
+1-(647)-478 8952 or Mariana Bermudez 
+1-(604)-685-9316
Investor Relation Consultants - Mining 
Interactive
Nick Nicolaas +1(604)657-4058
Email: info@tasmanmetals.com

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