PERTH (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Northern Minerals has deferred the completion of a scoping study for its Browns Range rare earths project, in northern Australia, as it awaits a resource update and includes a hydrometallurgical process step.
The company has been working on the project’s process flow sheet development, as well as the environmental and Native Title approval process, and was drilling to support the release of an upgraded resource in October this year.
MD George Bauk said that the developments kept the project on schedule, which would see it attaining first production by 2016.
“All of these elements will make important contributions to the ultimate development of the Browns Range as a strategic new supplier of high-value heavy rare-earth oxides to global markets.”
Bauk pointed out that several components of the scoping study were nearing completion, with preliminary results validating the company’s planned work programme.
“However, in light of the decision to include the hydrometallurgical process into the flow sheet and the planned resource upgrade expected in October, we have decided to incorporate these important parameters into the scoping study, which will delay its release until the fourth quarter.”
Bauk noted that the scoping study’s delay would not impact on the current development timeline, and would underpin a more robust, longer-life project.
Northern Minerals was hoping to more than double its resource inventory in October, to between 22 000 t and 29 000 t of rare-earth oxide, which could increase the initial mine-life of the start-up operation.