Name and Location
Dubbo Zirconia project (DZP), New South Wales, Australia.

Client
Australian Zirconia Limited (AZL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Alkane Resources.

Project Description
The DZP has proved and probable reserves of 35.93-million tonnes, with a grading of 1.93 % zirconium oxide, 0.04% hafnium oxide, 0.46% niobium pentoxide, 0.03% tantalum pentoxide, 0.14% yttrium oxide and 0.74% rare-earth oxide.

A definitive feasibility study (DFS) completed on the DZP has delivered a technically and financially robust project over an initial 20-year mine life.

The DFS envisages a one-million-tonne-a-year operation from an opencut mining operation, which will entail the drilling and blasting, loading and hauling of the ore to the dumping on the run-of-mine (RoM) pad situated about 3 km west of the deposit.

Owing to the size of the deposit, only 3.46-million tonnes of waste will be removed during the 20-year mine life.

The currently defined resource could support the operation for more than 70 years.

The ore will be processed through a proprietary process developed by AZL, based on the crushing and grinding of the RoM feed, followed by sulphuric acid roast, water leaching, solvent extraction recovery and chemical refining to produce high-purity zirconium products.

Value
The project will cost an estimated $996.4-million to implement.

Duration
Development of the project is expected to start at the beginning of 2014.

Latest Developments
The DZP environmental-impact assessment is nearing completion and a development decision is expected in early 2014.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Alkane Resources, tel +61 8 9227 5677, fax +61 8 9227 8178 or email mail@alkane.com.au.
Westbrook Communications on behalf of Alkane Resources, Ian Westbrook, tel +61 2 9231 0922.