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Namibia
Lofdal Project

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 Location:
27 km SE from Khorixas, Namibia

  Project Contacts:
8 Brandberg Street
Windhoek
Nova Scotia, Namibia
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Fax+264 61 225304
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  • Overview
  • Owners
  • Geology
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  • Processing
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  • Reserves
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  • Filings & News

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Overview

StagePermitting
Mine TypeOpen Pit
Commodities
  • Total Rare Earth Oxides
  • Light Rare Earth Oxides
  • Heavy Rare Earth Oxides
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Processing
  • Acid leach
  • Solvent Extraction
  • Calcining
  • Hydrochloric acid (reagent)
  • Hydrometallurgical plant / circuit
  • Water leach
  • Flotation
  • Cracking
  • Magnetic separation
  • X-Ray sorting
  • Ion Exchange (IX)
Mine Life7.25 years (as of Jan 1, 2014)
Namibia Critical Metals Inc. is pleased to announce that the Mining Licence (ML 200) has been issued for the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Dysprosium-Terbium Projectby the Republic of Namibia Ministry of Mines and Energy. The Mining Licence is valid for a 25-year period through to May 10, 2046.
Latest NewsBannerman Acquires Strategic Stake In Namibia Critical Metals     May 19, 2022


Owners

Source: p. 2
CompanyInterestOwnership
Namibia Critical Metals Inc. 95 % Indirect
The Lofdal Project is being developed Namibia Critical Metals in joint venture with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (“JOGMEC”) targeting a long term, sustainable supply of heavy rare earths to Japan.

Namibia Critical Metals currently owns a 95% interest in the Lofdal project with the remaining 5% held for the benefit of historically disadvantaged Namibians. The terms of the JOGMEC joint venture agreement with the Company stipulate that JOGMEC provides $3,000,000 in Term 1 and $7,000,000 in Term 2 to earn a 40% interest in the Lofdal project. Term 3 calls for a further $10,000,000 of expenditures to earn an additional 10% interest. JOGMEC can also purchase another 1% for $5,000,000 and has first right of refusal to fully fund the project through to commercial production and to purchase all production at market prices.

Deposit Type

  • Hydrothermal
  • Intrusion related
  • Metamorphic


Summary:

The Lofdal property is underlain by Paleoproterozoic metamorphic rocks of the Huab Metamorphic Complex, which outcrop as an inlier of the Congo Craton surrounded by stratified rocks of the Damaran Orogen. The metamorphic basement was intruded at ca 750 Ma by alkaline silicate rocks and carbonatites of the Lofdal carbonatite complex. The complex comprises an early silicate intrusive assemblage of dominantly nepheline syenite, and a later carbonatite intrusive assemblage ranging from sovite through dolomitic and ankeritic carbonation.

The Huab Metamorphic Complex is polydeformed, affected by at least one phase of high-temperature isoclinal folding and is locally migmatised. The Huab Metamorphic Complex has not been directly dated but is considered to be about 2.0 billion years (Ga) old as it is intruded post-tectonically by the Fransfontein Granite, which has been imprecisely dated by U/Pb with two discordia lines giving ages of 1871 ±30 million years (Ma) and 1730 ±30 Ma.

Rocks of the Huab Metamorphic Complex were polydeformed and metamorphosed prior to intrusion of the Fransfontein Granite at about 1.7 Ga. They were subsequently affected by extensional tectonics during the rifting event that initiated the Damara Orogen at 850 Ma to 750 Ma and transpression during the orogenic events that accompanied the Damara Orogeny from 580 Ma to 500 Ma. The effects of both Neoproterozoic rifting and early Paleozoic transpression are recorded in the Lofdal carbonatites.

The Huab Metamorphic Complex in this area is dominated by quartzo-feldspathic gneiss and metasedimentary grey gneiss with lesser amphibolite and pegmatite. The gneisses strike approximately ENE-WSW and generally dip steeply southwards.

Mineralization in Areas 4 and 2B is structurally controlled and hydrothermal in origin. The host structures are first- and perhaps second-order basement structures that were apparently reactivated more than once during the mineralizing event. Repeated movement promoted the introduction of several generations of hydrothermal fluids, which resulted in a complex series of overprinting alteration events. The mineralization is dominantly present in xenotime and is interpreted to be related to the waning stages of hydrothermal alteration related to carbonation intrusion. The highest-grade mineralization does not occupy a consistent position within the structural zones. It is interpreted to occupy structures within the zone that were still open during the last phases of hydrothermal alteration. The mineralised structures can be traced from hole to hole and are variably mineralised.

The outline of the alteration zone is highly irregular at map scale. The intense alteration in the core is typically between 15 m and 30 m wide on the surface (not true width). The less intense alteration halo exhibits gradational and diffuse contacts with the wall rocks and is typically on the order of 50 m to 60 m wide at surface but can range to more than100 m wide. At the eastern side of Area 4, the fault zone bifurcates, with the main system branching in a slightly more northerly direction and a splay of the fault continuing in an ENE direction. There is alteration and mineralization associated with both splays, but the southern splay appears to decrease in intensity along strike and alteration appears to die out within a few hundred metres.

The mineralization in Area 4 occupies a structurally-controlled, linear alteration zone. The Area 4 alteration zone is the largest and best mineralised and is clearly manifested and easily mappable in surface outcrops by variably intense albitisation and brown carbonization with locally abundant phlogopite. Grab samples from outcrops typically return highly anomalous values of HREE and also have a very high HREE/TREE ratio.

The principal mineralization in Area 2 is the 2B zone, a wide zone of hydrothermal alteration and carbonatite intrusion. Like Area 4, the mineralization is characteristically enriched in HREE and samples throughout the alteration zone show a very high ratio of HREE to TREE. The mineralized zone has been traced in outcrop along a strike length of more than 600 m and remote sensing information and regional sampling results suggest that the zone may ultimately have a strike length of more than 3 km. The width of the zone in outcrop is variable. At its southern end, the width of the zone of alteration and carbonatization ranges from about 20 m to 35 m but thins to less than 10 m in the central section where it bifurcates into two separate zones. At the northern end, where the zone of alteration and carbonatization is again amalgamated, it is more than 60 m wide. In outcrop, it comprises a zone of massive carbonatite dykes, within a complex envelope of hydrothermal alteration and brecciation. The southern part of the zone is dominantly brown carbonatite and related alteration. Alteration zone lithologies include massive albitite, localized zones of green phlogopitic fenite, brown stained albitite breccias infused with carbonation, as well as altered mafic schist that has been carbonatized, variably albitized, and intruded by carbonate veinlets. Although massive and continuous across strike at its southern end, the zone bifurcates at surface in its central section with a hanging wall zone of dominantly carbonatite and related alteration and a footwall zone that includes considerable altered, carbonatized schist and carbonatized stockwork.


Mining Methods

  • Truck & Shovel / Loader


Summary:

The proposed mining method is conventional open pit mining. Mineralised rock and waste would be drilled, blasted, loaded by hydraulic shovels and hydraulic excavators into off-highway dump trucks, and hauled to the processing plant.

The Main Zone of the Area 4 deposit would be mined at cut-off grade of 0.1% TREO which would require minimal in-pit grade control. Essentially, the entire mineralised zone would be mined. "Fine" in-pit grade control is expected to be difficult because of the nature of the mineralisation. The use of XRT after the crushing stage will deal with the separation of internal waste. It was therefore decided to not carry out a standard pit optimisation to guide the pit design.


Crushing and Grinding


Processing

  • Acid leach
  • Solvent Extraction
  • Calcining
  • Hydrochloric acid (reagent)
  • Hydrometallurgical plant / circuit
  • Water leach
  • Flotation
  • Cracking
  • Magnetic separation
  • X-Ray sorting
  • Ion Exchange (IX)

Flow Sheet: Subscription required

Summary:

Although testwork is still progressing at Mintek in Johannesburg, South Africa as well as Nagrom in Western Australia, this study compiled a flowsheet based on best data from testwork at the time of writing for a 2,500 t/d primary processing facility coupled to a remote xenotime cracking facility to remove radioactive thorium from the concentrate. The final concentrate will be shipped from the port of Walvis Bay, Namibia to processing facilities abroad.

The process plant will most likely consist of two locations with the primary beneficiation facility (Mill Site Process Plant) located at the mine site and the concentrate processing facility (Cracking Plant) located at the port of Walvis Bay. This will allow the key skills to be located in the town of Walvis Bay, which will facilitate easier attraction and retention of skills required for the relatively complex cracking facility. At present the calcite HCL leach facility is still located at the mine site but should this faci ........


Projected Production:

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. AnnualLOM
Total Rare Earth Oxides t 1,50011,000
Dysprosium Oxide t  ......  Subscription required

Operational Metrics:

Metrics
Stripping / waste ratio 10.4 *
Daily ore mining rate 2,500 t *
Waste tonnes, LOM 63.1 Mt *
Ore tonnes mined, LOM 6,042,000 t *
Daily processing capacity 2,500 t *
Tonnes processed, LOM 6.04 Mt *
Annual processing rate 840 kt *
Annual processing capacity 900 kt *
Annual ore mining rate 840,000 t *
* According to 2014 study.

Reserves at May 12, 2021:
Mineral Resource Estimates above 0.1% TREO cut-off grade.

CategoryTonnage CommodityGradeContained Metal
Measured 5.93 Mt Total Rare Earth Oxides 0.21 % 12.71 kt
Measured 5.93 Mt Light Rare Earth Oxides 0.07 %
Measured 5.93 Mt Heavy Rare Earth Oxides 0.14 %
Indicated 38.83 Mt Total Rare Earth Oxides 0.165 % 64.24 kt
Indicated 38.83 Mt Light Rare Earth Oxides 0.08 %
Indicated 38.83 Mt Heavy Rare Earth Oxides 0.082 %
Inferred 8.67 Mt Total Rare Earth Oxides 0.172 % 14.92 kt
Inferred 8.67 Mt Light Rare Earth Oxides 0.09 %
Inferred 8.67 Mt Heavy Rare Earth Oxides 0.076 %

Commodity Production Costs:

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs Total Rare Earth Oxides USD 50.5 / kg *
Assumed price Total Rare Earth Oxides USD 105.77 / kg *
* According to 2014 study / presentation.

Operating Costs:

Units2014
OP mining costs ($/t mined) USD 23.7 *
Processing costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required
Total operating costs ($/t milled) USD  ......  Subscription required
* According to 2014 study.
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

2014 Study Costs and Valuation Metrics :

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Initial CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Sustaining CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Total CapEx $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Net revenue (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscription required
After-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Pre-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscription required
After-tax NPV @ 10% $M USD  ......  Subscription required
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M USD  ......  Subscription required
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscription required
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscription required
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscription required
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Proposed Heavy Mobile Equipment as of October 1, 2014:
HME TypeModelSizeQuantity
ANFO Loader ....................... Subscription required
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Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Subscription required - Subscription is required.

Staff:

Total WorkforceYear
Subscription required 2014

Corporate Filings & Presentations:

DocumentYear
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
................................... Subscription required 2021
Preliminary Economic Assessment 2014
Subscription required - Subscription is required.

News:

NewsDate
Bannerman Acquires Strategic Stake In Namibia Critical Metals May 19, 2022
Namibia Critical Metals Announces 25 Year Mining Licence Issued for Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Dysprosium-Terbium Project in Namibia July 22, 2021
Namibia Critical Metals Files NI 43-101 Mineral Resource Estimate Report for the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth (Dysprosium - Terbium) Project on SEDAR June 30, 2021
Namibia Critical Metals Inc.: More than 650 Percent Increase in Measured and Indicated TREO Mineral Resources for the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project May 20, 2021
Namibia Critical Metals Successful Drilling Campaign on Schedule to Meet Objectives at Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth JV June 18, 2020

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