Tag Archives: Northern Minerals

Orexplore furthers critical mineral core scanning push with Green Critical Minerals, Northern Minerals agreements

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Mineral scanning technology company, Orexplore Technologies Limited, has made inroads into the critical minerals industry after signing two scanning agreements with companies from that sector and progressing an R&D project in collaboration with Uppsala University.

Green Critical Minerals has extended its engagement for a further 2,500 m of core scanning, in addition to 300 m already scanned in 2023 via Orexplore’s laboratory service. This order brings the total value of the engagement to approximately A$226,000 ($149,589) and encompasses scanning of graphite-bearing drill core and the delivery of ore-sorting evaluation, grade proxy modelling and emerging graphitic flake analysis solutions using the dataset captured by the company’s GeoCore X10® hardware, Orexplore says.

Green Critical Minerals is developing the McIntosh graphite project in Western Australia, which, it says, currently has the third largest graphite resource in Australia with 1.1 Mt of contained graphite.

Northern Minerals, meanwhile, has extended its engagement for an additional 900 m of core scanning, following the 420 m already scanned to date. This order brings the total value of the engagement to approximately A$130,000 and encompasses scanning of rare earth-bearing drill core and crushed samples. The project focuses on delivering two Orexplore solutions – ore-sorting evaluation and a proof of concept for operational grade control, the company said.

Northern Minerals is developing the Browns Range heavy rare earth project in Western Australia, which is currently the subject of a definitive feasibility study.

On top of these two agreements, Orexplore said its research and development on critical minerals accelerates with a project it is carrying out in collaboration with Uppsala University in Sweden having recently progressed to scanning samples from Talga Group Limited’s (ASX: TLG) Swedish resources. It has also received a development grant of A$77,000 for advancing a project on lithium scanning technologies with a Swedish lithium producer, which is supported by Sweden’s Vinnova innovation agency.

Northern Minerals rare earth pilot plant keeps up thyssenkrupp REC deliveries

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Northern Minerals’ Browns Range rare earth pilot plant in Western Australia has continued to churn out more product, with the company set to soon make a shipment of more than 40,000 kg to offtake partner thyssenkrupp Materials Trading GmbH.

The Browns Range pilot plant has now surpassed a new production milestone of 210,000 kg of rare earth carbonate (REC), Northern Minerals said.

A shipment of 40,406 kg of REC that contains 1,835 kg of dysprosium oxide and 233 kg of terbium oxide is ready at Browns Range for delivery to thyssenkrupp, bringing total production of REC from the pilot plant to 211,109 kg.

The REC produced to date contains a total 103,731 kg of rare earth oxide, which, in turn, contains 9,751 kg of dysprosium oxide and 1,245 kg of terbium oxide: critical elements in the permanent magnet motors used in E-mobility powertrain applications.

Northern Minerals CEO, Mark Tory, said: “Despite the operational and supply chain challenges in the past 12 months, the global trend toward electrification of transport continues to accelerate as a result of regulatory changes and bold decisions by car manufacturers in transition to fully-electric fleets.

“Browns Range is still the most strategically placed heavy rare earths operation in the western world, and we continue to apply our significant R&D learnings to successfully produce batches of REC for our European offtake partner thyssenkrupp from our pilot plant in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.”

Northern Minerals started producing rare earth carbonate through the Browns Range pilot plant in October 2018 as part of a three-year pilot assessment of economic and temporary technical feasibility of a larger-scale development at Browns Range.

The company expects to commission a Steinert sensor-based ore sorter at Browns Range in the June quarter as part of its latest R&D work at the pilot plant.

Northern Minerals lays the groundwork for Steinert XRT ore sorter installation

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Northern Minerals is set to commission a Steinert sensor-based ore sorter for use at its Browns Range rare earth pilot plant, in northern Western Australia, after gaining the relevant regulatory approvals for installation of the machine.

The ore sorting equipment concentrates ore prior to the beneficiation circuit by selecting ore and rejecting waste based on X-ray Transmission. This has the potential to double the feed grade and reduce production costs, according to the company.

Both the Western Australian Office of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation have now cleared the installation and commissioning, with construction commenced on the structural and mechanical equipment (pictured). Commissioning is scheduled for mid-2021.

The total capital investment for the procurement, installation and commissioning of the ore sorter is budgeted at A$5.9 million ($4.3 million), Northern Minerals said.

Previous trials of ore sorting technology at Browns Range, announced in October 2018, identified the potential to double the mill feed grade. This would lead to an increased production rate of heavy rare earth carbonate and a potential lowering of overall operating costs.

Once the ore sorting system is commissioned, Northern Minerals plans to run additional test work at pilot plant scale on all ore types to establish baseline data on feed grade improvements, it said. This work will also help evaluate material flow-through benefits of ore sorting on overall processing efficiencies, feeding into any future commercial, large-scale project feasibility studies at Browns Range.

Northern Minerals says it is also evaluating the economics of further downstream processing options for Browns Range ore.

To date, Browns Range has produced a mixed heavy rare earth carbonate for small-scale export to offtake partners. The options being assessed would take a further step along the supply chain to produce separated heavy rare earth oxides.

The company announced in August 2019 it had commenced a scoping study with US-based K-Technologies Inc to investigate a separation technology on intermediate mixed rare earths materials produced at Browns Range. K-Tech’s technology is focused on continuous ion exchange, continuous ion-chromatography and related advanced separation methodologies.

The study continues to progress well, with positive test results being achieved at K-Tech’s facilities in Florida albeit slower than planned because of constraints associated with COVID-19, Northern Minerals said. However, the company expects to see separated dysprosium and terbium oxides from the study before the end of this year.

Separately to collaborating with K-Tech, Northern Minerals is pursuing studies into traditional solvent extraction to produce oxides from the mixed heavy rare earth material produced at Browns Range.

Northern Minerals CEO, Mark Tory, said: “With approvals in place for the ore sorter and installation now under way, we will be in a strong position to thoroughly evaluate the flow-through benefits of that technology at a pilot plant scale.

“The results will provide a valuable input into future feasibility studies to assess the commercial viability of a large-scale heavy rare earths mining and processing operation at Browns Range.

“In addition to our investment in ore sorting to improve the mill feed grade, we are also committed to assessing opportunities to further unlock value at Browns Range through downstream processing to oxide products, which opens up a wider field of offtake and future project financing opportunities.”

Northern Minerals started producing rare earth carbonate through the Browns Range pilot plant in October 2018 as part of a three-year pilot assessment of economic and temporarily technical feasibility of a larger scale development at Browns Range.

Northern Minerals backs XRT ore sorting pilot plant plan with Steinert order

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Northern Minerals has capped off its ore sorting project enhancement initiatives at the Browns Range rare earths project, in northern Western Australia, with the selection of a Steinert ore sorter for use at its pilot plant.

The selected machine is in stock in Perth and a deposit has been paid in order to secure it and avoid any lead time lags or delays, the company said.

Nexus Bonum, which previously completed the feasibility study for the x-ray transmission ore sorter system at the pilot plant, has been engaged to undertake the front-end engineering and design work required for the inclusion of the sorter into the pilot plant beneficiation circuit.

The company said: “As previously announced, the findings from initial test work and studies indicate that the inclusion of ore sorting at Browns Range has the potential to double the mill feed grade potentially leading to an increased production rate of heavy rare earth carbonate and a potential lowering of operating costs.”

The company is currently working with stakeholders and regulators on obtaining the approvals required for the installation of the ore sorter at Browns Range and is aiming to have the system installed and commissioned by mid-2020, subject to receiving these approvals in a timely manner.

Northern Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, George Bauk, said: “Following the recent capital raising, we have moved quickly to progress this critical piece of equipment that has the potential to be a game changer for the project.

“Higher grades going into the plant would result in higher production rates and lower operating costs, a double win in terms of proving the economics of the Browns Range project.”

Northern Minerals commenced production of heavy rare earth carbonate at the Browns Range pilot plant back in October. This followed plant commissioning in June.

The project is designed to assist the company in evaluating the economic and technical feasibility of mining at Browns Range and will provide the opportunity to gain production experience and surety of supply for its offtake partner. This could see the company become the first significant producer of dysprosium outside of China.