Overview
Stage | Preliminary Economic Assessment |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
- Total Rare Earth Oxides
- Scandium
- REE
|
Mining Method |
|
Processing |
- Dewatering
- Sulfuric acid (reagent)
- Heap leach
|
Mine Life | 11 years (as of Jan 1, 2021) |
The acquisition of SerenTech delivers IonicRE an immediate rare earth separation and refining capability to target high purity products. Most attractive is the demonstrated capability to recycle NdFeB magnets via extraction of the individual REE content to produce high purity REO products.
SerenTech has demonstrated capability to separate magnet rare earths Neodymium (Nd), Praseodymium (Pr), Dysprosium (Dy) and Terbium (Tb) for modest capital requirements. This presents an opportunity for targeted deployment in key markets in the US, Europe and Asia where existing inventories of magnets exist and where the current recycling technology fails to be able to achieve similar REE extraction results, thus providing a step change advantage and the ability to take an early mover position in new NdPr supply. |
Latest News | Ionic Rare Earths Unveils Substantial Increase To Makuutu REE Resource May 3, 2022 |
Source:
p. 13
The Makuutu Rare Earth Elements project is owned 100% by Rwenzori Rare Metals Limited (RRM), a Uganda registered private limited company. Ionic Rare Earths Limited (IonicRE) is the 51% owner of Rwenzori Rare Metals Limited (RRM), while the remaining 42% stake is held by the South African registered Rare Earth Elements Africa Proprietary Limited (REEA) and 7% by Ugandan Partners.
Deposit Type
- Laterite
- Sedimentary
- Saprolite
Summary:
Makuutu is an ionic adsorption clay (IAC) deposit. IAC deposits contain rare earth elements (REE) ionically bonded to the clay rather than existing as primary minerals in the ore. IAC REE mineralisation can be summarised as REEs that are mainly adsorbed onto the surfaces of clay minerals in the form of hydrated ions or hydroxylhydrated ions. These REE deposits are hosted within the regolith (laterite profile).
At Makuutu, the mineralisation is contained within the tropical lateritic weathering profile of a basin filled with sedimentary rocks including shales, mudstones and sandstones potentially derived from the surrounding granitic and mafic rocks. These rocks are considered the original source of the REE which were then accumulated in the sediments of the basin as the surrounding rocks have degraded. These sediments then form the protolith that was subjected to prolonged tropical weathering.
The weathering developed a lateritic regolith with a surface indurated hardcap, followed downward by clay rich zones that grade down through saprolite and saprock to unweathered sediments. The thickness of the regolith is between 10 and 20 metres from surface.
The REE mineralisation is concentrated in the weathered profile where it has dissolved from its primary mineral form, such as monazite and xenotime, then ionically bonded (adsorbed) or colloidally bonded on to fine particles of aluminosilicate clays (e.g., kaolinite, illite, smectite). The adsorbed and colloidal REE is the target for extraction and production of REO at Makuutu.
At Makuutu the top of the mineralised zone is defined by a thin surficial soil/hardcap zone that averages 3 m in thickness (cover zone). The base of the mineralised zone is defined by the top of the saprock/fresh rock boundary which extends to an average vertical depth of 9.0 m (Clay zone).
Summary:
The Study has identified that the most suitable and economical mining methods at Makuutu comprise low unit cost, open pit extraction methods.
The assumed mining method would be ‘free dig’ using truck and shovel using a selective mining approach to target higher grade ore feed in the early years of mine life.
Wall angles have been assumed at 45 degrees in the absence of further geotechnical information, however mining is generally shallow with no permanent high walls.
Mining will involve a pre-strip of 1m of topsoil which will be stockpiled adjacent to the pit. ROM mining will be selective with lower recovered rare earth grade open pit material stockpiled adjacent to the pit, whilst waste will be mined and paddock dumped adjacent to the pit. Open pit material will be hauled to the Run-of-Mine (ROM) pad and either stockpiled or direct fed into the process plant. Once areas (slots) are completely mined out, the mined waste and heap leach residue will be reclaimed and the slot will be backfilled (progressive rehabilitation), prior to the topsoil spread back on the area disturbed.
Approximately 84.5Mt of Mineral Resource in the mining plan will be mined at an average grade of 810 ppm TREO and delivering a mine life of 11 years. Mine scheduling demonstrates that minimal mining capital will be required ahead of the development of the open pit. Mineral resource extraction and project economics are optimal with a single open pit.
The shallow nature of the deposit results in a low strip ratio, with TMM nominal average annualised material movement initially commencing at 10Mtpa then stepping up to 12.5Mtpa in Year 7, then increasing to 15Mtpa in Year 9 prior to increasing to 25Mtpa in Year 10.
Flow Sheet:
Crusher / Mill Type | Model | Size | Power | Quantity |
Sizer
|
|
|
|
1
|
Processing
- Dewatering
- Sulfuric acid (reagent)
- Heap leach
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
Heap leaching has been nominated as the preferred technology for Makuutu.
The process flowsheet is simple and modular in nature, which will enable production capacity expansion via additional modules, with throughput of 2.5 Mtpa each. The heap leach pads are dynamic, meaning an on/off heap leach arrangement. ROM will be agglomerated, stacked approximately three (3) metres high, then irrigated in a counter current fashion using ammonium sulfate and sulfuric acid to desorb and solubilse the REE into solution. The primary and secondary leach pad will target slightly different pH conditions to minimise residual free acidity in the residue plus minimise overall reagent consumption. The secondary leach will generate an intermediate leach solution (ILS), which will then be dosed with minor additional salt addition to target a salt desorption step in the primary stage therefore reducing free acid concentrations and impurity tenors in the in the pregnant leach solution (PLS).
< ........

Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | Avg. LOM |
Scandium
|
Head Grade, ppm
| 30 |
REE
|
Head Grade, ppm
| 810 |
Reserves at March 3, 2021:
Above 200 ppm TREO minus CeO2 cut-off.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade |
Indicated
|
66 Mt
|
Total Rare Earth Oxides
|
820 ppm
|
Indicated
|
66 Mt
|
Sc2O3
|
30 ppm
|
Indicated
|
66 Mt
|
U3O8
|
20 ppm
|
Inferred
|
248 Mt
|
Total Rare Earth Oxides
|
610 ppm
|
Inferred
|
248 Mt
|
Sc2O3
|
30 ppm
|
Inferred
|
248 Mt
|
U3O8
|
10 ppm
|
Total Resource
|
315 Mt
|
Total Rare Earth Oxides
|
650 ppm
|
Total Resource
|
315 Mt
|
Sc2O3
|
30 ppm
|
Total Resource
|
315 Mt
|
U3O8
|
10 ppm
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
Document | Year |
...................................
|
2021
|
...................................
|
2021
|
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News:
News | Date |
Ionic Rare Earths Unveils Substantial Increase To Makuutu REE Resource
|
May 3, 2022
|
Ionic Rare Earths Attracts Global Backing For A$30 Million Placement
|
April 11, 2022
|
Ionic Rare Earths Delivers 100% Success Rate With Tranche 5 Infill Drilling
|
February 7, 2022
|
Ionic Rare Earths Hits Thickest Intervals To Date at Makuutu
|
January 6, 2022
|
Ionic Rare Earths Continues To Grow Makuutu
|
December 20, 2021
|
Ionic Rare Earths Obtains High-Grade Infill Drill Results At Makuutu
|
November 25, 2021
|
Ionic Rare Earths Continues To Obtain Excellent Makuutu Results
|
September 16, 2021
|
Ionic Rare Earth’s Phase 3 Drilling Continues to Deliver At Makuutu
|
July 20, 2021
|
Ionic Rare Earths Confirms Major Extension Potential At Makuutu
|
July 14, 2021
|
Galway Metals Intersects 4.8 g/t Au Over 34.0m, 23.0 g/t Au Over 7.4m, & 4.9 g/t Au Over 20.35m, at Clarence Stream
|
February 16, 2021
|
Galway Metals Discovers 3 New Veins in Gap: 19.5 g/t Au over 4.0m, 75.9 g/t Au over 1.1m and 10.0 g/t Au over 3.0m...
|
January 25, 2021
|
Galway Metals Makes Another New Discovery - 4.8 g/t Au Over 3.1m, 900m NW of the New Adrian Zone, Plus Mineralization Returned 400m East of GMZ...
|
January 6, 2021
|
Galway Metals – Adrian Zone Follow-Up: 33.7 g/t Au over 4.7 Metres and 1.5 g/t Au over 34.3 Metres at Clarence Stream
|
December 14, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 5.3 g/t Au over 25.5m and 5.1 g/t Au over 10.2m East & West of Richard
|
November 19, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 2.1 g/t Au Over 38.75m, Plus a New Vein in Western Extension of the GMZ at Clarence Stream
|
September 30, 2020
|
Galway Metals Expands Richard Zone Another 100m with 4.1 g/t Au over 16.0m and Gets Deepest Intersection with 10.0 g/t Au over 4.5m
|
September 9, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 13.4 g/t Au over 12.95 metres in New Discovery Hole at Clarence Stream
|
August 18, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects New Wide Vein with Significant Visible Gold 320 Metres NE of GMZ's New Veining at Clarence Stream
|
July 29, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 54.7 g/t Au Over 2.5m, 1.4 g/t Au Over 46.0m, and 4.7 g/t Au over 8.2m -Deepest Intersect - at West End...
|
July 15, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 186.5 g/t Au Over 0.6m in New Discovery, 950m West of the Jubilee Zone; Increasing Drills from 3 to 5
|
June 24, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 6.2 g/t Au Over 38.5m, and 1.4 g/t Au Over 85.0m, 45m Apart, at West End of the Richard Zone at Clarence Stream
|
June 1, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 4.6 g/t Au over 13.0m and 5.9 g/t Au over 12.0m in the Richard Zone; Step-Out Holes 78 & 93 are Now 8.5 g/t Au over 12.5m and 2.4 g/t Au over 30.0m
|
May 11, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 6.5 g/t Au over 14.05 metres, Extending the GMZ at Clarence Stream
|
April 29, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 10.6 g/t Au Over 47.0m (25.6mTW) South of the Richard Zone; 4.5 g/t Au over 10.8m (5.6mTW) Narrows Gap Between Richard and Jubilee at Clarence Stream
|
February 25, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 6.3 g/t Au Over 30.0 Metres, Hits VG in a 230m Stepout, and Discovers a New Zone with VG, all at the GMZ at Clarence Stream
|
February 13, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 20.9 g/t Au Over 4.75m Plus 2.7 g/t Au Over 14.1m in Gap Between Richard and Jubilee at Clarence Stream
|
January 9, 2020
|
Galway Metals Intersects 3.0 g/t Au Over 12.0m in the 1Km Gap Between Richard and Jubilee at Clarence Stream
|
December 3, 2019
|
Galway Metals Intersects 20.7 g/t Au Over 9.5m plus 14.2 g/t Au Over 7.5m in one hole, and 5.5 g/t Au Over 16.7m in another, extending Clarence Stream’s Richard Zone
|
November 13, 2019
|
Galway Metals Intersects 2.8 g/t Au Over 21.0 Metres and Extends Jubilee’s Strike Length—2nd Drill Rig Mobilized to Clarence Stream
|
April 18, 2019
|
Galway Metals Clarifies Referral to Clarence Stream Resource, and Estrades Resource, Both of Which Remain Unchanged
|
March 19, 2019
|
Galway Metals' 2nd Hole in New Gold Discovery Runs 5.4 g/t Au Over 11.0 Metres
|
February 26, 2019
|
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