Name of the Project
Phalaborwa rare earths project.

Location
South Africa.

Project Owner/s
Rainbow Rare Earths announced the signing of a binding agreement with Bosveld Phosphates for the codevelopment of the Phalaborwa rare earths project in November 2020.

On completion of a prefeasibility study (PFS), 70% of the project will be held by Rainbow and 30% by Bosveld, with a mechanism included to allow for Rainbow’s joint venture ownership to vary from 60% to 85%, depending on the results of the PFS.

Project Description
Rainbow Rare Earths and Bosveld Phosphates intend to jointly develop and process rare-earth elements from the gypsum contained in two stacks at the project site.

The project comprises an estimated 35-million tonnes of gypsum, resulting from historical phosphate hard-rock mining and containing rare-earth elements, with an estimated average in situ grade of 0.6% total rare-earth oxides (TREOs) for about 210 000 t of TREOs, with neodymium and praseodymium expected to constitute about 30% of the TREOs basket.

The reprocessing of these gypsum stacks carries significant environmental benefits, as it will redeposit clean, benign gypsum, which then has the potential for further use in the building and fertiliser industries.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Capital Expenditure
Not stated.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Rainbow Rare Earths has completed an auger drilling programme at the project. The programme, completed ahead of schedule and under budget, was aimed at delivering an inferred Joint Ore Reserves Committee-compliant resource classification within the 35-million-tonne gypsum stacks.

Assay samples have been dispatched to SGS Laboratories, in South Africa, with results expected during the first quarter of 2021.

A metallurgical test programme will also be conducted from the drill samples to facilitate process optimisation of the original processing flowsheet, which has allowed for the successful operation of a pilot plant to produce more than 3 t of mixed rare-earth carbonate.

"Based on previous sampling campaigns, the gypsum stacks contain rare-earth elements with an estimated average grade of 0.6% total rare-earth oxide, of which an estimated 30% is neodymium and praseodymium – vital metals for the green revolution.

"Defining an inferred resource for Phalaborwa will represent an important step in validating the project's considerable potential as a significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium, consequently enabling us to define and progress the optimal route to commercial production,” CEO George Bennett has noted.

He has added that, owing to the nature of the project, with the resources contained in gypsum stacks, the drilling programme was low-cost when compared with that of drilling a hard-rock deposit to define a similar size resource.

Key Contracts, Suppliers and Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Rainbow Rare Earths George Bennett, cell +27 82 652 8526.