Mining Intelligence and News
Australia

Dubbo Project

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Categories

Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StagePermitting
Commodities
  • REE
  • Zircon
  • Hafnium
  • Niobium
  • Tantalum
  • Yttrium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
Mine Life... Lock
SnapshotThe Dubbo Project is construction ready, with all major permits approved.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Australian Strategic Materials Ltd. 100 % Direct

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Volcanic hosted

Summary:

The Toongi deposit is centred on a trachyte outcrop that forms one of several alkaline volcanic and intrusive bodies of Jurassic age in the region (formed approximately 205 to 140 million years ago). The elliptical-shaped body has approximate dimensions of 850m east–west by 550m north–south. The deposit forms a low irregular topographic rise and has a depth extent of 115m below surface.

The orebody is dominantly a massive, fine grained microporphyritic trachyte comprising more than 80% feldspar, albite and aegirine in roughly equal amounts. The remainder of the rock is made up of opaque minerals. Extensive mineralogical studies indicate that the ore minerals contained in the deposit are extremely fine-grained, being less than 100µm in size (and generally less than 10µm), and uniformly distributed throughout the rock mass. The bulk of the ore metals are hosted in complex Na–Ca Zr–Hf–HREE silicate phases (eudialyte like). The dominant Nb (and Ta) mineral is close to NaNbO3 (natroniobite) in composition. Separately bastnasite hosts the light rare earth metals.

The deposit contains elevated levels of the metals zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), niobium (Nb), tantalum (Ta), yttrium (Y) and rare earth elements (REEs) – lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd), samarium (Sm), europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb) and lutetium (Lu). The orebody also contains uranium and thorium and is classified as a weakly radioactive ore.

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

CommodityProductUnitsAvg. Annual
Zircon Oxide t 13,500
Hafnium Oxide t 30
Niobium Ferro-niobium t 2,650
Terbium Oxide t 22
Dysprosium Oxide t 142

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Plant annual capacity  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe19 Mt *
Tonnes processed, LOM  ....  Subscribe19.3 Mt *
* According to 2021 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Assumed price Dysprosium USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Terbium USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Praseodymium USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Neodymium USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Hafnium USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price ZrO2 USD  ....  Subscribe
Assumed price Ferrous Niobium USD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2021 study / presentation.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Sustaining CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Total CapEx $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Gross revenue (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax Cash Flow (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax NPV @ 8% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 8% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Pre-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe

Heavy Mobile Equipment

Fleet data has not been reported.

Personnel

Mine Management

Job TitleNamePhoneProfileRef. Date
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 10, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required ........... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 10, 2024
....................... Subscription required ....................... Subscription required Subscription required Jan 10, 2024

Total WorkforceYear
...... Subscription required 2021

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