Name of the Project
Browns Range heavy earths pilot plant development project.

Location
Western Australia.

Client
Northern Minerals.

Project Description
The Browns Range pilot plant will be used to assess the economic feasibility of a full-scale project and forms part of a broader ongoing feasibility study underpinning the Browns Range rare earths project. The Browns Range project will focus on the production of dysprosium.

The pilot plant is expected to operate for three years initially, with a throughput of 60 000 t/y. This is about 10% of the size of the full-scale development to assess, refine and confirm the optimal flowsheet.

The ore will be processed from two separate openpits – Wolverine and Gambit West – of varying depths and mineral concentrations to determine the optimal flowsheet for the proposed full-scale development.

Owing to the small volumes involved in the pilot plant project (180 000 t over three years), Northern Minerals has decided to mine all this material in one campaign in 2017, with ore stockpiled on the run-of-mine pad.

During the three-year pilot project, the plant is expected to produce 1 719 000 kg of total rare-earth oxide in a mixed rare-earth carbonate containing 148 200 kg of dysprosium.

The pilot plant is the precursor to the development of a full-scale A$329-million project, which has been modelled over an initial life of 11 years, and which will produce 585 00 t of high-value, heavy rare earths.

Jobs to Be Created
The project is expected to create 50 construction jobs and 45 ongoing operational positions.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
The project has a capital cost of A$56-million.

Duration
The project will take 11 months to build, with mixed rare-earth carbonate production expected in mid-2018.

Latest Developments
Northern Minerals has confirmed that, despite heavy rains in the project area over the past two weeks, causing some delays, the pilot plant is on track for completion by the end of June.

Primero Group continues to make steady progress on the installation of structural steel process plan modules, with electrical installation works having progressed and piping work having started.

The operations team continues with operational readiness work, progressing development of the commissioning plan, operations systems, as well as the procurement of key supply contracts. The recruitment drive for the remainder of the operations team is under way.

As a result of the successful share purchase programme in January, the company could accelerate project enhancement initiatives at the project. These include downstream processing options and an increase in exploration aimed at extending the potential mine life of the full-scale project from 11 years to more than 20 years.

Planning of drill programmes, which are scheduled to begin in the June quarter, is under way. Drilling will be aimed at providing a first pass assessment of several new prospects and targets, as well as follow-up drilling at existing deposits and prospects to increase the project’s mineral inventory.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
MACA (bulk earthworks), Primero (turnkey solutions provider) and Sinosteel MECC (engineering, procurement and construction contract).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Northern Minerals, tel +61 8 9481 2344, fax +61 8 9481 5929 or email info@northernminerals.com.au.