Northern Minerals increases Browns Range Resource…again
THE DRILL SERGEANT: Northern Minerals (ASX: NTU) has increased the rare earth Mineral Resource estimate for the company’s Browns Range project in northern Western Australia.
The Total Mineral Resource at Browns Range is now estimated at 8.98 million tonnes at 0.63 per cent total rare earth oxides (TREO), comprising 56.663 million kilograms of contained TREO using a cut-off grade of 0.15 per cent TREO.
Northern Minerals explained a feature of the project’s Mineral Resource is a dominance of heavy rare earths (HREs), containing the high-value elements dysprosium and terbium.
The heavy rare earth oxide (HREO) percentage of the TREO is 87 per cent (Indicated and Inferred Resource).
The company considers the presence of xenotime as the dominant HRE mineral host, which is rich in dysprosium, to be a competitive advantage for the project.
Its rationale being that the xenotime mineralisation, in combination with the mainly silica host rock, allows for concentration of the ore and excellent HRE recoveries through the beneficiation stage.
“This latest Mineral Resource upgrade is significant as it has the potential to extend the project’s current mine life and further strengthen the project’s economics,” Northern Minerals managing director George Bauk said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.
“To date our mineral resources have provided a 10 year project mine life.
“This latest upgrade is a great achievement as it has the potential to add mine life for the Definitive Feasibility Study, which is now being finalised.
“By undertaking a program of shallow close spaced drilling, we were able to confirm there is more accessible mineral resource near surface at the Wolverine deposit than previously understood, which will provide additional feed at the early stages of production.
“Four successive Mineral Resource upgrades since 2010 have increased the project’s Mineral Resource more than fivefold…clearly demonstrating the outstanding exploration potential.”
Email: info@northernminerals.com.au
Website: www.northernminerals.com.au