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 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 of dysprosium in 590 000 kg/y of 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 paused the feasibility study for a full-scale beneficiation plant at its Browns Range rare earths project as it undertakes a company-wide strategic review.

This will include a review of the feasibility study into a full-scale benefication plant at Browns Range.

Northern Minerals has noted that work on the project will be reduced during the three-month review period to ensure that the company’s resources are focused on supporting the right strategy.

The company started the production of heavy rare-earth carbonate at the Browns Range pilot plant in late 2018 as part of a three-year pilot assessment of the economic and technical feasibility of a larger-scale development at Browns Range.

The company will complete the three-year test programme on the pilot plant at Browns Range during the March 2022 quarter, and the results of these test programmes, including results from the ore sorter, will be used and updated when the feasibility study is restarted.

The pilot plant will be put on care and maintenance.

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.