Rare Earth Mineral Plc (AIM: REM) has told DirectorsTalk that Hastings Rare Metals Limited, REM’s 70% joint venture partner in the Yangibana Rare Earths Elements Project in Western Australia, has announced the grant of additional mining licenses over the Yangibana Project inclusive of licenses owned by the joint venture.
HIGHLIGHTS ON JOINT VENTURE ASSETS (30% interest owned by REM)
· Additional Mining Leases (“ML”) Granted – covering resources and targets at Bald Hill North and Yangibana prospects (M 09/161 and M 09/163 respectively)
· A total of 3 ML granted under the joint venture which now covers some 31.2 km2, all of the MLs are free of Native Title.
· The JORC resource estimated for two of these three MLs (previously announced 06/10/2015):
o Indicated Resources at these assets now stand at 2.7 million tonnes at 1.46% TREO** containing 0.50% Nd2O3-Eq*
o Inferred Resources at these assets now stand at 0.6 million tonnes at 1.28% TREO** containing 0.46% Nd2O3-Eq*
· Pre-Feasibility Study that commenced in early 2015 is nearing completion. Processing test work is advanced, infrastructure sites selected for all major components.
· Mine designs based on optimised open pits and waste dumps have been designed on ML N/159 (Yangibana North).
Further diagrams of the granted mining licenses and the Yangibana North open pit and waste dump designs are available here:
REM Yangibana_License_Map_and_Pit_Design
Details of Ownership:
On 1 December 2011, REM announced that it had acquired a 30% free carried interest to Bankable Feasibility Study (“BFS”) of the Yangibana North Rare Earth Deposit. The exploration costs until the commencement of the BFS are therefore borne solely by Hastings Rare Metals Limited (70% owners and operator). The same terms agreed and announced on 1 December 2012 also apply to Gossan, Hook, Kanes Gossan, Lions Ear and Bald Hill North. The gross and net attributable mineral resources to REM are set out below at both a nil cut-off and at a 0.25% Nd2O3-Eq.
Table 1- Joint Venture properties, JORC Resource with no cut-off. Operator is Hastings
Gross |
|||||||||||||
Mineral Resource Category |
Tonnes |
Grade |
Contained Metals (metric tonnes) |
||||||||||
Indicated |
Million tonnes |
% TREO |
% Nd2O3-Eq |
ppm Nd2O3 |
ppm Pr2O3 |
ppm Dy2O3 |
ppm Eu2O3 |
TREO |
Nd2O3-Eq |
Nd2O3 |
Pr2O3 |
Dy2O3 |
Eu2O3 |
Yangibana North |
2.718 |
1.46% |
0.50% |
3,061 |
910 |
43 |
89 |
39,683 |
13,590 |
8,320 |
2,473 |
117 |
242 |
Sub-Total |
2.718 |
1.46% |
0.50% |
3,061 |
910 |
43 |
89 |
39,683 |
13,590 |
8,320 |
2,473 |
117 |
242 |
Inferred |
|||||||||||||
Yangibana North |
0.471 |
1.46% |
0.50% |
3,061 |
910 |
43 |
89 |
6,877 |
2,355 |
1,442 |
429 |
20 |
42 |
Gossan |
0.221 |
1.07% |
0.34% |
2,132 |
660 |
22 |
55 |
2,365 |
751 |
471 |
146 |
5 |
12 |
Lion’s Ear |
0.842 |
1.42% |
0.47% |
2,844 |
846 |
42 |
81 |
11,956 |
3,957 |
2,395 |
712 |
35 |
68 |
Hook |
0.349 |
1.09% |
0.31% |
1,866 |
611 |
30 |
49 |
3,804 |
1,082 |
651 |
213 |
10 |
17 |
Kanes Gossan |
0.578 |
1.16% |
0.41% |
2,520 |
773 |
42 |
57 |
6,705 |
2,370 |
1,457 |
447 |
24 |
33 |
Bald Hill North |
0.102 |
0.43% |
0.25% |
1,582 |
327 |
39 |
43 |
439 |
255 |
161 |
33 |
4 |
4 |
Sub-Total |
2.563 |
1.25% |
0.42% |
2,566 |
773 |
39 |
69 |
32,145 |
10,771 |
6,577 |
1,980 |
99 |
177 |
Total |
5.281 |
1.36% |
0.46% |
2,821 |
843 |
41 |
79 |
71,828 |
24,361 |
14,897 |
4,454 |
216 |
419 |
Net attributable (30%) |
|||||||||||||
Mineral Resource Category |
Tonnes |
Grade |
Contained Metals (metric tonnes) |
||||||||||
Indicated |
Million tonnes |
% TREO |
% Nd2O3-Eq |
ppm Nd2O3 |
ppm Pr2O3 |
ppm Dy2O3 |
ppm Eu2O3 |
TREO |
Nd2O3-Eq |
Nd2O3 |
Pr2O3 |
Dy2O3 |
Eu2O3 |
Yangibana North |
0.815 |
1.46% |
0.50% |
3,061 |
910 |
43 |
89 |
11,905 |
4,077 |
2,496 |
742 |
35 |
73 |
Sub-Total |
0.815 |
1.46% |
0.50% |
3,061 |
910 |
43 |
89 |
11,905 |
4,077 |
2,496 |
742 |
35 |
73 |
Inferred |
|||||||||||||
Yangibana North |
0.141 |
1.46% |
0.50% |
3,061 |
910 |
43 |
89 |
2,063 |
707 |
433 |
129 |
6 |
13 |
Gossan |
0.066 |
1.07% |
0.34% |
2,132 |
660 |
22 |
55 |
709 |
225 |
141 |
44 |
1 |
4 |
Lion’s Ear |
0.253 |
1.42% |
0.47% |
2,844 |
846 |
42 |
81 |
3,587 |
1,187 |
718 |
214 |
11 |
20 |
Hook |
0.105 |
1.09% |
0.31% |
1,866 |
611 |
30 |
49 |
1,141 |
325 |
195 |
64 |
3 |
5 |
Kanes Gossan |
0.173 |
1.16% |
0.41% |
2,520 |
773 |
42 |
57 |
2,011 |
711 |
437 |
134 |
7 |
10 |
Bald Hill North |
0.031 |
0.43% |
0.25% |
1,582 |
327 |
39 |
43 |
132 |
77 |
48 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
Sub-Total |
0.769 |
1.25% |
0.42% |
2,566 |
773 |
39 |
69 |
9,644 |
3,231 |
1,973 |
594 |
30 |
53 |
Total |
1.584 |
1.36% |
0.46% |
2,821 |
843 |
41 |
79 |
21,548 |
7,308 |
4,469 |
1,336 |
65 |
126 |
Note: All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and have been used to derive sub-totals, totals and weighted averages. Such calculations inherently involve a degree of rounding and consequently introduce a margin of error. Where these occur, REM does not consider them to be material.
Table 2- Joint Venture properties, JORC Resource at a 0.25%Nd2O3-Eq cut-off. Operator is Hastings
Gross |
||||||||||||||||
Mineral Resource Category |
Tonnes |
Grade |
Contained Metals (metric tonnes) |
|||||||||||||
Indicated |
Million tonnes |
% TREO |
% Nd2O3-Eq |
ppm Nd2O3 |
ppm Pr2O3 |
ppm Dy2O3 |
ppm Eu2O3 |
TREO |
Nd2O3-Eq |
Nd2O3 |
Pr2O3 |
Dy2O3 |
Eu2O3 |
|||
Yangibana North |
2.491 |
1.55% |
0.53% |
3,235 |
962 |
45 |
94 |
38,611 |
13,202 |
8,058 |
2,396 |
112 |
234 |
|||
Sub-Total |
2.491 |
1.55% |
0.53% |
3,235 |
962 |
45 |
94 |
38,611 |
13,202 |
8,058 |
2,396 |
112 |
234 |
|||
Inferred |
||||||||||||||||
Yangibana North |
0.425 |
1.55% |
0.53% |
3,235 |
962 |
45 |
94 |
6,588 |
2,253 |
1,375 |
409 |
19 |
40 |
|||
Gossan |
0.150 |
1.34% |
0.42% |
2,636 |
824 |
24 |
64 |
2,010 |
630 |
395 |
124 |
4 |
10 |
|||
Lion’s Ear |
0.789 |
1.47% |
0.48% |
2,949 |
875 |
44 |
84 |
11,598 |
3,787 |
2,327 |
690 |
35 |
66 |
|||
Hook |
0.177 |
1.64% |
0.46% |
2,783 |
919 |
39 |
69 |
2,903 |
814 |
493 |
163 |
7 |
12 |
|||
Kanes Gossan |
0.494 |
1.29% |
0.45% |
2,795 |
859 |
46 |
63 |
6,373 |
2,223 |
1,381 |
424 |
23 |
31 |
|||
Bald Hill North |
0.054 |
0.57% |
0.34% |
2,112 |
437 |
56 |
61 |
308 |
184 |
114 |
24 |
3 |
3 |
|||
Sub-Total |
2.089 |
1.43% |
0.47% |
2,913 |
878 |
43 |
78 |
29,779 |
9,891 |
6,084 |
1,833 |
90 |
162 |
|||
Total |
4.580 |
1.49% |
0.50% |
3,088 |
924 |
44 |
87 |
68,390 |
23,093 |
14,143 |
4,230 |
202 |
397 |
|||
Net attributable (30%) |
||||||||||||||||
Mineral Resource Category |
Tonnes |
Grade |
Contained Metals (metric tonnes) |
|||||||||||||
Indicated |
Million tonnes |
% TREO |
% Nd2O3-Eq |
ppm Nd2O3 |
ppm Pr2O3 |
ppm Dy2O3 |
ppm Eu2O3 |
TREO |
Nd2O3-Eq |
Nd2O3 |
Pr2O3 |
Dy2O3 |
Eu2O3 |
|||
Yangibana North |
0.747 |
1.55% |
0.53% |
3,235 |
962 |
45 |
94 |
11,583 |
3,961 |
2,418 |
719 |
34 |
70 |
|||
Sub-Total |
0.747 |
1.55% |
0.53% |
3,235 |
962 |
45 |
94 |
11,583 |
3,961 |
2,418 |
719 |
34 |
70 |
|||
Inferred |
||||||||||||||||
Yangibana North |
0.128 |
1.55% |
0.53% |
3,235 |
962 |
45 |
94 |
1,976 |
676 |
412 |
123 |
6 |
12 |
|||
Gossan |
0.045 |
1.34% |
0.42% |
2,636 |
824 |
24 |
64 |
603 |
189 |
119 |
37 |
1 |
3 |
|||
Lion’s Ear |
0.237 |
1.47% |
0.48% |
2,949 |
875 |
44 |
84 |
3,479 |
1,136 |
698 |
207 |
10 |
20 |
|||
Hook |
0.053 |
1.64% |
0.46% |
2,783 |
919 |
39 |
69 |
871 |
244 |
148 |
49 |
2 |
4 |
|||
Kanes Gossan |
0.148 |
1.29% |
0.45% |
2,795 |
859 |
46 |
63 |
1,912 |
667 |
414 |
127 |
7 |
9 |
|||
Bald Hill North |
0.016 |
0.57% |
0.34% |
2,112 |
437 |
56 |
61 |
92 |
55 |
34 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
|||
Sub-Total |
0.627 |
1.43% |
0.47% |
2,913 |
878 |
43 |
78 |
8,934 |
2,967 |
1,825 |
550 |
27 |
49 |
|||
Total |
1.374 |
1.49% |
0.50% |
3,088 |
924 |
44 |
87 |
20,517 |
6,928 |
4,243 |
1,269 |
61 |
119 |
|||
Note: All figures are rounded to reflect the relative accuracy of the estimate and have been used to derive sub-totals, totals and weighted averages. Such calculations inherently involve a degree of rounding and consequently introduce a margin of error. Where these occur, REM does not consider them to be material.