Name and Location
Ngualla rare earths project, Tanzania.

Client
Peak Resources.

Project Description
A revised scoping study on Ngualla has increased the project’s total mineral resource from 8.2-million tonnes at 4.35% rare-earth oxides in the December 2012 scoping study to 21.6-million tonnes at 4.54% rare-earth oxides.

The study envisages a life-of-mine of more than 50 years, based solely on the indicated and measured portions of the weathered Bastnaesite zone mineral resource.

Fundamental geological aspects of the central Bastnaesite zone targeted for first production offer distinct advantages for development over other rare earths projects. These include the large size of the deposit, outcropping, high-grade mineralisation amenable to opencut mining with low strip ratios, favourable mineralogy enabling a simple, low-cost processing route and the lowest uranium and thorium levels of any major rare earths deposit in the world.

Value
The capital cost has been reduced to $373-million, excluding contingency.

Duration
Production start-up is expected in 2016.

Latest Developments
Peak Resources has completed the solvent extraction pilot plant work at the Ngualla project, with the production of the fourth and final separated high-purity rare-earth oxide.

The delivery of these final cerium oxide products marks the conclusion of the six-month solvent extraction pilot plant operation at ANSTO Minerals’ test facility near Sydney. The programme started in February with the preparation of a feed for the solvent extraction pilot plant from a 1.3 t bulk sample of weathered Bastnaesite zone mineralisation from Ngualla. ANSTO treated this sample using the simple sulphuric acid-leach recovery process. The pilot plant has demonstrated that Peak has the technology to produce high purity rare-earth oxide products from the Ngualla mineralisation. It has also provided samples for evaluation by potential offtake partners and quantified operating data to accurately determine separation plant capital and operating costs.

The completion of this final processing stage is a significant milestone and positions Peak as one of a select few companies outside China to have practically demonstrated the entire process route from feed mineralisation to high-purity rare-earth oxide products.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Peak Resources, tel +61 8 9200 5360, fax +61 8 9226 3831 or email info@peakresources.com.au.