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

Location
Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Northern Minerals.

Project Description
The project has been separated into three development stages and enables Northern Minerals to test the process, market the mixed rare-earth carbonate product, develop the project to bankable feasibility study (BFS) level and, finally, build the full-scale operation.

Stage 1 includes the construction of a three-year, 60 000 t/y pilot plant operation. It will comprise an opencut mining operation, with processing through a beneficiation and hydrometallurgical pilot plant to produce 49 000 kg/y dysprosium in 590 000 kg/y total rare-earth oxide (TREO) contained in a mixed rare-earth carbonate. This stage is important to derisk the operation by testing the process and improving the knowledge of grade control and the project’s geology.

Stage 2 involves developing the project to BFS level, based on the definitive feasibility study completed in March 2015; and on the results of the studies, announced on August 27, 2015, aimed at reducing mining costs, boosting production, producing a premium product and increasing the ore reserve.

The final stage involves building the project to full-scale production based on the successful outcomes of stages 1 and 2. Once at full-scale, the project will process 585 000 t/y to produce 279 000 kg of dysprosium contained within 3 098 000 kg/y TREO (before yttrium rejection) in a mixed rare-earth carbonate.

Potential Job Creation
The project is expected to create 50 construction jobs and 45 ongoing operational positions.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

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

Planned Start/End Date
Construction of Stage 1 is expected to take about nine months once product offtake and funding are in place.

Latest Developments
Northern Minerals has set a A$5-million exploration budget for the 2021/21 financial year at its Browns Range project.

Drill rigs are expected on site in mid-October, with the exploration programme focused on increasing the mineral resource and the potential mine life of the project.

The company is planning an estimated 8 000 m of reverse circulation drilling before the end of 2020, which will test several new targets and follow up on significant drilling intersections at several prospects.

“This significant commitment to exploration in the next 12 months will underpin the company’s ongoing ambition to realise the potential of Browns Range beyond the pilot plant project, which, if successful, would create significantly greater opportunity for the company,” said CEO Mark Tory.

The drilling results, along with pilot plant testwork, will feed into a new feasibility study to evaluate the potential for a commercial, larger-scale heavy rare earths plant.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
MACA (bulk earthworks), Primero (turnkey solutions provider); Sinosteel MECC (engineering, procurement and construction contract); and K-Technologies (scoping study).

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