PERTH (miningweekly.com) - Minerals explorer Bryah Resources has reported a 15% increase in the indicated and inferred base metal mineral resource estimate at the Australian Vanadium project, which is located within the company’s Gabanintha project, in Western Australia.

Fellow-listed Australian Vanadium holds the mineral rights over the vanadium, titanium, iron and cobalt at the project, and also holds a 4.8% shareholding in Bryah.

Bryah on Wednesday told shareholders that the base metal mineral resource estimate at the Australian Vanadium project now stood at 36-million tonnes, grading 766 parts per million (ppm) nickel, 212 ppm copper and 231 ppm cobalt, for some 27 596 t of contained nickel, 7 630 t of contained copper and 8 303 t of contained cobalt.

“With Australian Vanadium progressing strongly toward vanadium production; completing the bankable feasibility study and being granted a A$49-million grant from the government, Bryah also comes a step closer to realising value in its mineral rights,” said Bryah CEO Ashley Jones.

“We are very pleased to report a substantial increase of 15% in the base metals mineral resource within the high-grade vanadium/titanium/magnetite deposit at Gabanintha. The indicated and inferred mineral resource has increased from 31.3-million tonnes to 36-million tonnes of 766 ppm nickel, 212 ppm copper and 231 ppm cobalt.

“Metallurgical test work from 2018 and 2022 indicate that a significant non-magnetic nickel/copper/cobalt-rich sulphide tailings stream would come from the plant following magnetic separation of the vanadium-bearing magnetite concentrate. We know that the vanadium ore beneficiation process effectively concentrates the sulphide minerals in the tail, enabling further concentration by flotation methods.”

Both Bryah and Australian Vanadium are working together to maximise the recovery of metals at the deposit, with Bryah taking the lead on base metal recovery.