Posts

Vital Metals Increases Tardiff MRE Tonnage

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Vital Metals (ASX: VML) reported an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Tardiff Upper Zone deposit, part of the company’s Nechalacho rare earths project in Canada.

Vital Metals said the updated MRE for Tardiff demonstrates a notable lift in the contained Neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr) in the total resource in comparison to an estimate the company had released in February 2023.

The updated MRE features a total resource tonnage (across all categories) of 212.7 million tonnes at 1.17 per cent total rare earth oxide (TREO) containing 2.48 million tonnes TREO, including more than 623,000 tonnes of NdPr.

“Deposit size and grade matters and Nechalacho’s world-class character is reinforced with our latest MRE for the Tardiff deposit, which shows its sector impact potential, particularly within a North American perspective, and is highlighted by the substantial increase in contained neodymium-praseodymium oxide, or NdPr, to more than 623,000 tonnes,” Vital Metals managing director and CEO Geordie Mark said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“We believe that Tardiff is an outstanding asset, given that it represents a shallow deposit hosted within a single pit-constrained resource with a high NdPr:TREO ratio (~25%), and a size that affords potential for project size and scalability of production over a protracted period.

“We will continue to deliver a range of catalysts over the course of the year, with more Tardiff drill results expected over the next few months, where high-grade mineralization remains open in several directions out from the 2023 drill grid perimeter.

“These data and updated geological interpretations will form the basis of targeted metallurgical work to inform a Scoping Study to be completed in late 2024.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Vital Metals Produces High Grade TREO Concentrate at Saskatoon Plant

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Vital Metals (ASX: VML) reported results from the first feed of the dense media separation (DMS) unit at the company’s Saskatoon rare earths extraction facility in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Vital Metals said the results show the DMS plant Sinks achieved comparable grades to those seen in testwork, with 43.7 per cent total rare earth oxide (TREO) achieved from the DMS Cyclone at Saskatoon.

This compares favourably with the 44.6 per cent TREO achieved in laboratory conditions.

The DMS unit also achieved 75.2 per cent recovery in its first run for a single pass, processing approx. 2,300 kilograms of concentrate mined at Vital’s Nechalacho rare earth project (North T zone), sorted onsite and then crushed at the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) facility adjacent to the company’s Saskatoon plant.

With the concentrate grade reaching the target, Vital will make adjustments to the plant before conducting further trials conducted that involve taking the tails (floats) from the first pass and subjecting it to a second scavenging step to try and increase the recovery further, whilst maintaining the combined sinks concentrate grade of greater than 40 per cent TREO.

“Our team has achieved outstanding results from the DMS unit during initial commissioning at Saskatoon and the fact that on the first run we hit the laboratory test grades for total rare earths with 75 per cent recovery with low grade feed material is above expectations,” Vital Metals managing director Geoff Atkins said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“There will be work to do with optimising our process over the coming months but these initial results demonstrate incredible potential.

“It gives us a great level of confidence for future commissioning activities through the remaining process.”

 

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Email: vital@vitalmetals.com.au

 

Web: www.vitalmetals.com.au

 

Vital Metals Commences Saskatoon REE Plant Commissioning

/in , /by

THE DRILL SERGEANT: Vital Metals (ASX: VML) has commenced feeding ore into a dense media separation (DMS) plant as part of commissioning the company’s rare earth extraction facility in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Vital Metals reported it intends commissioning the Saskatoon facility incrementally over coming months with plans to produce a 2.5 tonnes rare earth carbonate sample for offtake partner REEtec Ag as the next step of product qualification.

Vital is processing ore from its Nechalacho operation in Canada’s Northwest Territories, where mining commenced in mid-2021.

The Saskatoon plant will have initial throughput capacity of 1,000 tonnes/year of rare earth oxide (REO) excluding cerium, which is equivalent to approx. 470 tonnes neodymium and praseodymium (NdPr)/year.

Stage 2 will produce 2,000 tonnes/year REO excluding cerium, equivalent to 940 tonnes NdPr/year.

“This is an exciting step for the company as we continue our transition from rare earth developer to operator,” Vital Metals managing director Geoff Atkins said in the company’s ASX announcement.

“We have been a rare earth miner for more than 12 months and now we can commence production of rare earth carbonate.

“We are excited to have reached this milestone at Saskatoon despite the challenges surrounding supply chains and logistics across the world.

“We are targeting to produce 2.5 tonnes of carbonate for REEtec as an important step of our production qualification process before we commence ramping up our volume.

“We are forecasting for this to occur in October 2022.”

 

TO READ THE FULL ANNOUNCEMENT: CLICK HERE

 

Email: vital@vitalmetals.com.au

 

Web: www.vitalmetals.com.au