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Australia

Nyngan Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • Scandium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotNyngan is poised to be the world’s first primary scandium mine.

All required governmental approvals to proceed have been received. Customer offtake agreements are final step to FID and financing, prior to construction.

9/11/2023 - Scandium International Mining Corp. announced that its 100% owned subsidiary, EMC Metals Australia Pty Ltd, commenced physical development of the Nyngan Scandium Project following the results of the 2023 Nyngan drilling program. The actions include:

• Survey conducted of the site to establish and peg the boundaries for proposed work in accordance with State Significant Development 5157.

• Soil management works including the establishment of water exclusion embankments and the stripping of topsoil, with subsequent stockpiling.

• Construction and placement of temporary office quarters at the site for future site development activities.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Scandium International Mining Corp. 100 % Indirect
Scandium International Mining (SIM) acquired a 100% interest in the Nyngan Scandium Project in June of 2014 pursuant to the terms of a settlement agreement with Jervois Mining Ltd. of Melbourne, Australia. The project is held through SIM Australian subsidiary, EMC Metals Australia Pty Ltd.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Laterite
  • Saprolite

Summary:

The Nyngan scandium resource is located within a limonitic and saprolitic tertiary age laterite profile, covered by 12 to approximately 25m of Cainozoic alluvium. A fairly typical laterite profile is developed at the prospect:
-Hematitic clay.
-Limonitic clay.
-Saprolitic clay.
-Weathered bedrock.
-Fresh bedrock.

Mineralisation
A geological interpretation plan has been previously prepared, based on bedrock intersections in both recent and previous drilling. Because of the weathered nature of the drill cuttings, the geological plan must be considered interpretive. The igneous rock types which have been encountered are:
Pyroxenite.
-Olivine Pyroxenite.
-Hornblende Pyroxenite.
-Hornblendite.
-Magnetite Pyroxenite.
-Dunite.
-Monzonite.

There is a suggestion of a layered trend of the complex in a NW-SE direction (this is supported by the magnetic pattern). These trends reflect a broadly concentric zonation of lithologies (mafic lithologies in the centre becoming intermediate in moving out from the “core”) in the complex. There also appears to be a zone of stronger alteration in the (south) centre of the zone where abundant magnetite and mica (phlogopite) occur.

The area is located within the western-most north-south structural zone of the Lachlan Fold Belt, which is known as the Girilambone Structural Zone. It is composed of Cambrian-Ordovician metasediments and minor basic volcanics and is known as the Girilambone Group, and it is intruded by numerous mafic and ultramafic bodies of similar age and by middle Silurian granite and volcanics.

Scandium levels appear to be highest in the pyroxenite and olivine pyroxenite phases of the complexes, so these rock types are considered to be the main bedrock sources for the scandium mineralisation in the laterites. The highest scandium grades occur in the limonitic laterite units, overlying or close to the pyroxenite source rocks.

Reserves

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Mining Methods

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Comminution

Crushers and Mills

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Processing

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Production

CommodityUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Scandium kg 37,6901,436,429
All production numbers are expressed as oxide.

Operational metrics

Metrics
Daily processing rate 240 t *
Annual ore mining rate 75,000 t *
Plant annual capacity 75,000 t *
Annual production capacity 38.7 t of scandium oxide *
Annual processing rate 71,820 t *
Waste tonnes, LOM 4,306,281 t *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 2,047,334 t *
Total tonnes mined, LOM 6,353,615 t *
Tonnes processed, LOM 1,436,429 t *
* According to 2016 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsEstimated
Cash costs Sc2O3 USD 557 / kg *  USD
Assumed price Sc2O3 USD 2,000 / kg *  USD
* According to 2016 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

Currency2016
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G&A ($/t milled) USD  ....  Subscribe
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* According to 2016 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
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Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
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After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscribe
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Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 15, 2016
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 15, 2016
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Apr 15, 2016
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Feb 28, 2023

Aerial view:

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