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Australia

Yangibana Project

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Overview

Mine TypeOpen Pit
StageConstruction
Commodities
  • REE
  • Neodymium
  • Praseodymium
Mining Method
  • Truck & Shovel / Loader
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SnapshotThe Yangibana Project contains one of the most highly valued deposits of NdPr in the world with an NdPr to Total Rare Earth Oxide ratio of up to 52% in some areas of the orebody.

The Yangibana Project will be developed in two stages with an initial focus on the construction of the mine and beneficiation plant to produce of mixed rare earth concentrate. The Yangibana Project is fully permitted for first rare earth concentrate production in the first half of 2025.

In Stage 2, a hydrometallurgical plant will be constructed which will process the concentrate from Yangibana into an intermediate product called a mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC), to be shipped to customers for further downstream processing into NdPr oxides.

Owners

SourceSource
CompanyInterestOwnership
Hastings Technology Metals Ltd. 100 % Indirect
The tenements of Yangibana Project are wholly owned by Yangibana Pty Ltd or Gascoyne Metals Pty Ltd, both wholly owned entities of Hastings Technology Metals Limited.

The world’s leading producer of rare earths permanent magnets, JL Mag Rare-Earth Co., Limited to make a $7 million strategic investment in Hastings for 9.8% of the company. Settlement is expected to occur following customary overseas direct investment approvals.

Contractors

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Deposit type

  • Vein / narrow vein

Summary:

The Yangibana Project includs Bald Hill, Fraser’s, Simon’s Find, Auer, Auer North, Yangibana, and Yangibana North deposits.

The near surface mineralisation throughout the Yangibana Project is hosted by iron oxides and hydroxides termed ironstone, being the alteration products of the primary hosts ferro-carbonatite and phoscorite intrusive veins. The main rare earths-bearing mineral is monazite which has locally undergone alteration at shallow depths (to 25m depth) to its hydrous equivalent rhabdophane and to rare earths-bearing aluminiumphosphates such as florencite.

The deposits occur as narrow but strike extensive veins that have a range of dips from almost horizontal (10- 20o ) to sub-vertical. The Fraser’s deposit has the most extreme range from 5o in portions towards its northeastern end to 65o at its southwestern end. Average true thickness varies from 2.2m to 3.5m throughout the Yangibana deposits although locally true thicknesses in excess of 20m occur.

REE mineralisation at the Yangibana REE Project is hosted within carbonatites and associated phoscorite dykes emplaced within a variety of rock types but predominantly in granites.

Economic mineralisation is hosted within in the completely weathered and oxidised portions of the carbonatite-phoscorite rocks which occur as ironstones.

The nature of weathering and oxidation means that all resources occur in the near surface. Transitional zones from completely weathered ironstones to primary carbonatite have rarely been intersected in drilling across the Yangibana REE Project as drilling has focused primarily on relatively shallow mineralisation.

Dimensions
Bald Hill mineralisation dips shallowly (maximum 30o) but variably to the southwest and ranges from 1m to 10m thick. Maximum depth of the resource is to a vertical depth of 80 metres below surface

Fraser’s mineralisation dips steeply (70-80o) in the western portion becoming more shallow (to 30o) in the east and ranges from 1m to 6m thick. Maximum depth of the resource is to a vertical depth of 140 metres below surface.

Simon’s Find mineralisation dips shallowly (variably between 30o and 40o) to the west and southwest and ranges from 2m to 11m thick. Maximum depth of the resource is to a vertical depth of 70 metres below surface.

Yangibana mineralisation dips shallowly (maximum 30o) but variably to the south and ranges from 1m to 5m thick. Maximum depth of the resource is to a vertical depth of 100 metres below surface.

Yangibana North mineralisation dips shallowly (maximum 30o) but variably to the south and ranges from 1m to 5m thick. Maximum depth of the resource is to a vertical depth of 140 metres below surface.

Auer is a steeply dipping zone of mineralisation extending Northeast-Southwest over a total strike length of approximately 2.4 km and to a depth of 150m below surface.

Auer North is a steeply dipping zone over a strike length of 1,400m and has been tested to 120m below surface. Auer North is separated from Auer by an area of limited drilling and is expected to form a continuous zone once infill drilling is completed. The Auer deposit extends over a total length of 4km.

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
REE Oxide t 8,500
REE Concentrate kt 37
Nd2O3+Pr6O11 Oxide t 3,400

Operational metrics

Metrics
Annual ore mining rate  ....  Subscribe
Annual production capacity  ....  Subscribe
Annual processing capacity  ....  Subscribe
Ore tonnes mined, LOM  ....  Subscribe
Tonnes milled, LOM  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study.

Production Costs

CommodityUnitsAverage
Cash costs Total Rare Earth Oxides AUD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study / presentation.

Operating Costs

CurrencyAverage
OP mining costs ($/t mined) AUD  ....  Subscribe
* According to 2023 study.

Project Costs

MetricsUnitsLOM Total
Pre-Production capital costs $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
Net revenue (LOM) $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax NPV @ 11% $M AUD  ......  Subscribe
After-tax IRR, %  ......  Subscribe
After-tax payback period, years  ......  Subscribe

Required Heavy Mobile Equipment

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Personnel

Mine Management

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Aerial view:

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