PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Mineral sands developer Strandline Resources is expecting to take a development decision on its Coburn project, in Western Australian, during the first half of 2019, with the project potentially starting production by the second half of 2020.
Strandline is in the midst of conducting a definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the project, which is due for completion in the March quarter of next year.
The findings of the DFS will underpin discussions with potential offtake and development partners, with Strandline saying on Tuesday that samples of the various mineral sands products from Coburn were now being distributed to potential offtake partners.
Previous DFS work has shown that the project could have a mine life of more than 19 years, based on a mining rate of 23.4-million tonnes a year, to deliver 49 500 t of zircon, 109 000 t of ilmenite and 23 500 t of high-titanium oxide, based on a Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant resource of 979-million tonnes, at 1.26% heavy minerals and an ore reserve of 308-million tonnes at 1.2% heavy minerals.
Strandline in June this year decided to update the DFS after an upswing in mineral sands prices.
The company said on Tuesday that DFS pricing across major works packages received to date showed potential operating costs savings compared with the previous estimates.