A CONSORTIUM backed by the US government has emerged as the preferred candidate to invest in a major nickel project in Tanzania, said Bloomberg News. Lifezone Metals, which has been searching for a partner to develop its Kabanga nickel deposit into a large underground mine, has selected Orion CMC from among several bidders, said the newswire citing people familiar with the deal. Lifezone CEO Chris Showalter said last week the firm had “selected a preferred partner” from multiple offers for a “strategic equity investment,” though he did not name Orion CMC publicly, said Bloomberg. The size of the commitment has not been disclosed, with Showalter saying that talks were in their “final phase” following a process overseen by Standard Chartered. Kabanga, described by Lifezone as one of the largest, highest-grade nickel sulfide deposits, is expected to cost about $940m to build and produce roughly 350,000 tons of nickel concentrate annually, alongside copper and cobalt.