Overview
Stage | Pre-Feasibility |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
- REE
- Ilmenite
- Zircon
- Rutile
- Monazite
- Xenotime
- Titanium
|
Mining Method |
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Dredging
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 20 years (as of Jan 1, 2023) |
Wimmera is a large, fine-grained deposit providing a potential multi-decade source of both zircon and rare earths – including the highly valuable heavy rare earths dysprosium and terbium.
It is planned that Wimmera’s rare earths will be transported to Eneabba to be refined into separated rare earth oxides.
Work continuing on processing solution for higher level of impurities in zircon. Definitive feasibility study funding approved in February 2023, scheduled for completion end of 2025.
As zircon revenue has not been accounted for in Wimmera’s Ore Reserve estimation at this stage, it represents potentially substantial future upside to the development’s economics.
The internally derived commodity price assumptions are established by monitoring supply and demand on an ongoing basis using confidential and commercially sensitive trading arrangements. |
Source:
p. 3
The Wimmera project held by Iluka’s wholly owned subsidiary company (Basin Minerals Holdings Pty Ltd).
Contractors
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Summary:
The WIM100 deposit is located along the south eastern margin of the Murray Basin geomorphological province in the state of Victoria, Australia. The zone of mineralisation grading in excess of 1% HM is hosted in a single tabular horizon within the Loxton Parilla Sand (LPS) geological unit. Mineralisation extends over a north-south strike distance of 9.5km and an east-west distance of 3.5km. The mineralisation varies from 3 to 20m in thickness averaging 9.5m and resides beneath 8 to 20 m of unmineralised sediment.
WIM100 along with adjacent deposits WIM50 and WIM50 North are located along the southern margin of the Murray Basin, a shallow, intracratonic basin of Cainozoic age. The basin covers a saucershaped area around 300,000km2 extending into eastern South Australia, south-western New South Wales and north-western Victoria. It is flanked by uplands of Proterozoic and Palaeozoic rocks.
The Murray Basin contains a succession of freshwater, marine, coastal and continental sediments. The latest marine transgression-regression event resulted in the deposition of the Late Miocene to Late Pliocene Loxton-Parilla Sand (LPS). These sediments were deposited in shallow marine, littoral environments with some terrestrial fluvial intercalation and are characterised by fine to coarsegrained, generally well sorted sand with minor clay silt and gravel.
Dimensions
The WIM100 mineralisation has a north-south strike extent of about 9.5 km, an east-west a ........
Mining Methods
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Dredging
Summary:
The mining method selected for overburden is truck and shovel.
Dredge mining is the selected as the ore mining method following a detailed study considering multiple options. A conventional wheel suction dredge is considered suitable as the deposit lies largely below the groundwater table and the geology is amenable due to low oversize or induration. The ore will be pumped to a mining unit plant (MUP), located at the project’s processing plant, where oversize material is removed before the sand and fines components of the ore are subject to further processing.
The overall slope applied in the pit optimisations and pit designs was 35 degrees.
The dredge mining front (pond width) has been designed at 400m wide based on operational practicalities, including mining advance rates and infrastructure and services management.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Source:
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Reserves at December 31, 2023:
Mineral Resources are reported at a cut-off grade of 1.0% HM.
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Probable
|
183.2 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
5.4 %
|
9.9 Mt
|
Probable
|
9.9 Mt
|
Ilmenite
|
29 %
|
|
Probable
|
9.9 Mt
|
Zircon
|
17 %
|
|
Probable
|
9.9 Mt
|
Rutile
|
6 %
|
|
Probable
|
9.9 Mt
|
Monazite + Xenotime
|
2.6 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
1,377 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
5 %
|
68.6 Mt
|
Total Resource
|
68.6 Mt
|
Ilmenite
|
32 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
68.6 Mt
|
Zircon
|
16 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
68.6 Mt
|
Rutile
|
5 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
68.6 Mt
|
Monazite + Xenotime
|
2.3 %
|
|
Operating Costs:
| Units | 2023 |
OP mining costs ($/t milled)
|
AUD
| 1.3 * |
Processing costs ($/t milled)
|
AUD
| ...... |
* According to 2023 study.
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2023 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :
Metrics | Units | LOM Total |
Initial CapEx
|
$M AUD
|
......
|
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