Name and Location
Donald mineral sands project, Murray basin, Australia.

Client
Astron Corporation.

Project Description
The Donald project is one of the largest-known zircon and titanium resources in the world, with 4.04-million tonnes at an average heavy minerals grade of 4.8%, and proven and probable reserves of 461-million tonnes.

A definitive feasibility study (DFS) on the project envisages an operation with initial production of 475 000 t/y of heavy mineral concentrate (Stage 1a), ramping up to 950 000 t/y of heavy mineral concentrate (Stage 1b).

Mining of the first stage of the project is based on a single-pit configuration, starting at the centre of the orebody and comprising a single face and mined by a contract miner using trucks and excavators. It is expected that the contract miner will switch to an owner operator from Year 6. This stage is expected to produce 475 000 t/y of heavy mineral concentrate from an average ore throughput of 7.5-million tonnes a year.

Construction of Stage 1b will start after the completion of Stage 1a and is expected to be in full production within 21 months of construction having started. Stage 1b consists of an additional mining face that will begin operating in the southern section of the orebody, advancing north.

Ore mined will be hauled to a semimobile mining unit plant, located ex-pit, to screen out oversized material, with the resultant slurry to be pumped to a wet concentration plant for processing into heavy mineral concentrate. This concentrate will then be transported by road to the Port of Portland and shipped to a processing plant, located in Fujian province, in China, and processed into magnetic and nonmagnetic concentrate streams by a concentrate upgrade plant. These streams will then be processed into ten final products by a minerals separation plant. Products will be sold in China – titanium-based products will be sent to distribution centres across the country and zircon products will be sent to a zircon wash plant to reduce the level of impurities before sale.

Total production is estimated at 106 000 t/y of primary zircon, 14 000 t/y of secondary zircon, 89 000 t/y of rutile, 35 000 t/y of leucoxene, 178 000 t/y of primary ilmenite, 39 000 t/y of secondary ilmenite, 4 000 t/y of zircon 60, 10 000 t/y of zircon saleable tails, 160 000 t/y of magnetic tailings and 74 000 t of nonmagnetic tailings.

Expansion of the project beyond 950 000 t/y of heavy mineral concentrate was not included in the scope of the DFS, but is expected to be the subject of further investigation.

Value
Total capital expenditure to achieve full production is estimated at $518-million, including $277-million for initial heavy mineral concentrate production of 475 000 t/y.

Duration
A definitive start date for the project is subject to a final investment decision, with further detailed design work and securing financing for the project continuing.

Engineering and construction for Stage 1a are expected to take 24 months, with commissioning and first production targeted for the first quarter of 2016.

Construction of Stage 1b will start after the completion of Stage 1a and is expected to be at full production within 21 months of construction having started.

Latest Developments
None.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Astron Corporation, tel +61 2 9375 2361, fax +61 2 9375 2121 or email info@astronlimited.com.