PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Sinclair caesium zone, within the Dome lithium-caesium-tantalum project, in Western Australia, is estimated to host some 10 500 t of caesium ore with a grade of 17.1% caesium oxide.
Owner Pioneer Resources has told shareholders that the mineral resource was defined following 22 reverse circulation drill holes for 1 446 m, to test for evidence of further caesium mineralisation.
“The mineral resource estimate is a significant step towards the company realising the value of the Sinclair caesium zone, which was discovered in September 2016,” said Pioneer MD David Crook.
“Preliminary metallurgy is looking very positive, with a simple process identified that can produce the very high-value, high-density caeseium formate brine for use in the oil and gas industry.”
Pioneer is now preparing to collect a bulk sample of pollucite for larger-scale comminution and metallurgical testwork.
Caesium is currently mined in small quantities in Canada and, sporadically, in Zimbabwe, with supply considered to be very constrained.