Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Yandanooka Project

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Categories

Summary

Mine TypeOpen Pit
Study CompletedPrefeasibility
Study in ProgressFeasibility
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Heavy Minerals
  • Ilmenite
  • Rutile
  • Zircon
  • Monazite
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
  • Dry mining
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SnapshotYandanooka mineral sands project is located in the vicinity of previous and existing mineral sands operations, as well as a well-connected network of highways and railway lines linking to the Geraldton Port and Fremantle / Kwinana ports.

In April 2024, a pre-feasibility study (PFS) results for the Yandanooka project were announced, highlighting low capital costs, very low strip ratio and high-quality mineral assemblage. Yandanooka has the shortest development timeline of any project in Image's portfolio due to deemed lower heritage and environmental sensitivities given the deposit is located on active farmland. A Bankable Feasibility Study is underway, with completion anticipated in CY2025, pending finalisation of a land access agreement.

Applications for Radiation Management Plan and License to Take Water have all been submitted to the relevant Government Agencies. Application for Mining Lease is pending access agreement letter being finalised with landowner.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Image Resources NL 100 % Indirect
Yandanooka mineral sands project is 100% owned by Image Resources NL.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Mineral sands

Summary:

Yandanooka is situated within two sub-basins of the Perth Basin. The eastern hinterland was formed by the Urella Fault displacing the Archaean Mullingarra Gneiss within the Irwin sub-basin. To the west of the Urella Fault the Dandaragan trough formed, which hosts the majority of the tenure.

The Perth Basin extends approximately 1,000 km along the southwestern margin of the Australian continent and averages 65 km in width. The Perth Basin contains a series of high-grade beach, dune and swale deposits extending from the Capel district in the south to the Eneabba district in the north.

Yandanooka is a broad, dunal-style HM sands deposit. The deposit is 6.0 km long and up to 2.5 km wide. Mineralisation is between 1 m and 21 m thick, with an average thickness of 7 m. It contains a zone of highergrade mineralisation (+3% total HM) that extends for 3.5 km and is up to 1.3 km wide. The higher-grade zone is between 1 m and 10 m thick, with an average thickness of 4 m. The Yandanooka deposit has minimal overburden and lies above the water table.

Heavy Mineral sands are the product of Cainozoic coastal placer deposits formed as a result of a marine transgression. Eustatic change in sea level has resulted in the prospective stratigraphy being situated between 280 mRL and 300 mRL. HM sands are interpreted to be a dunal-style accumulations deposited on a plateau formed by an Eocene-aged paleo-shoreline.

Image is exploring for Cainozoic HM sands associated with strandlines and aeolian dunal occurrences.

The lithological sequence includes a 1 to 18 m thick unit of medium- to fine-grained yellow-brown sand, comprising mostly quartz grains, sub-angular to sub-rounded with good sorting which characterises the upper to middle section of the deposit. This unit is interpreted to be of aeolian origin and hosts the bulk of the HM concentrations. This unit lies above, and is flanked by, a grey sandy-clay unit, containing a 1 to 6 m thick “transitional” zone of rounded to angular and moderately sorted material at the top of the unit, above angular to sub-rounded, moderately to poorly-sorted sandy clay. HM is concentrated within the sand unit and the top of the sandy-clay unit. The base of the sandy-clay unit is interpreted to represent the top of the Yarragadee Formation.

Intermittent clay and areas of iron induration were intersected by drilling. The induration is characterised by poorly cemented soft to very soft (immature) silt-sandstone, some of which is weakly iron stained.

Dimensions
The Yandanooka deposit is 6.0 km long and up to 2.5 km wide. Mineralisation is between 1 m and 21 m thick, with an average thickness of 7 m. It contains a zone of higher-grade mineralisation (+3% total HM) that extends for 3.5 km and is up to 1.3 km wide. The higher-grade zone is between 1 m and 10 m thick, with an average thickness of 4 m.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

Milling equipment has not been reported.

Processing

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Commodity Production

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Heavy Minerals Concentrate kt 1311,043

Operational metrics

Metrics
Hourly processing rate  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing rate  ....  Subscribe
Stripping ratio  ....  Subscribe
Waste tonnes, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes processed, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Total cash costs Heavy Minerals AUD  ....  Subscribe
C1 cash costs Heavy Minerals AUD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2024 study / presentation.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Sustaining CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
OP OpEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Processing OpEx $M AUD 92
G&A costs $M AUD 51.3
Total OpEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Royalty payments $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
EBITDA (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
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Pre-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Personnel

Mine Management

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Workforce

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