Overview
Stage | Permitting |
Mine Type | Open Pit |
Commodities |
- Ilmenite
- Zircon
- Rutile
- Leucoxene
|
Mining Method |
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Backfill
|
Processing |
- Electrostatic separation
- Spiral concentrator / separator
- Attrition
- Gravity separation
- Magnetic separation
|
Mine Life | 22.5 years (as of Jan 1, 2019) |
11/02/2020- Construction ready. |
Latest News | Strandline flicks switch for Coburn power supply March 10, 2021 |
Source:
Primero has started front end engineering design activities in preparation for the construction.
The agreement follows Strandline’s $18.5 million raising to advance early works development activities at Coburn.
It is the latest among Strandline’s recent contract spree at the Coburn project, including a mining services contract and a contract to design and construct mobile dozer mining units awarded to Macmahon and Piacentini & Son, respectively.
Summary:
Coburn is a world-scale mineral sands deposit, containing a rich zircon-titanium HM assemblage, with 20Mt of in-situ HM, low slimes, low oversize and strong geological continuity across and along strike.
-Coburn’s Amy deposit was discovered in 2000 after prospectors identified that the ancient coastline at Coburn was an ideal trap-site for heavy mineral sands with its characteristic hook shape
-Mineralisation consists of an accumulation of mainly aeolian sands deposited over a Cretaceous basement of clays, clayey sands and limestone
-A total of 3 dune sequences containing heavy mineral are recognised across the project area
-The Amy South mineralisation has a strike length of approximately 27 km, a width up to 3 km and a maximum thickness of approximately 50 metres. Amy North adds a further 6km in strike length
-IHC Robbins issued (November-2018) JORC compliant Global Mineral Resource estimate of 1.6Bt HM at 1.2% THM (cut-off grade of 0.8%)
-Measured-Indicated resources of 726Mt at 1.3% THM contained in the Amy South deposit (doesn’t include Amy North) have been evaluated as part of the DFS and updated Ore Reserve
-Amy South deposit comprises an exceptionally rich heavy mineral assemblage of 22% zircon, 12% rutile-leucoxene and 48% lmenite
-Indicated-Inferred resources extending north and along strike of the Ore Reserve, totals 709Mt at 1.2% THM which have been evaluated in the Mine Life “Extension Case” Scoping Study
Mining Methods
- Truck & Shovel / Loader
- Backfill
Summary:
Conventional open pit dry mining in free-dig sand using D11 dozers feeding mobile Dozer Mining Units (DMUs), with in pit tailings deposition and progressive backfill and rehabilitation.
-Seeds will be collected from vegetation across the orebody prior to the vegetation being removed by heavy mobile equipment. Collected seeds will be used in the mine rehabilitation process
-Topsoil and Subsoil material will be stripped by dozer or scraper and will be either placed in stockpiles in the vicinity of the pit or placed directly on top of recontoured tails areas. Both topsoil and subsoil will be managed to minimize stockpile duration
-Overburden, where present, will be removed by large capacity bulldozers and placed in the pit void immediately behind the mined-out ore. Interburden removal is carried out by an excavator and the EMU (Excavator Mining Unit). No drill and blast is required
-Ore is pushed by a fleet of D11 manned carry dozers to DMUs (dozer trap), oversize material is wet screened separated from the slurry undersize which is subsequently pumped to the ore processing facilities. The DMU’s are skid mounted and moved on average every 6 days during the LOM.The EMU alternates between overburden removal and ore processing during periods of DMU movement
-Grade control of the ore has been defined through the mine optimisation and scheduling process to achieve the target feed head grade to the plant. Operation efficiency of the dozers will be aided by the application of modern GPS tracking and level control technology
-The mining and related earthmoving activities will be delivered under a contract mining arrangement. The mining contractor will be responsible for efficiently feeding material to the EMU and DMU’s as per the mine plan and also performing the necessary contouring of tails and in-pit slimes, subsoil-topsoil replacement, haul road maintenance, bench management and drainage, in pit dewatering and re-contouring of the completed pit area in readiness for rehabilitation
-Strandline will be responsible for statutory duties, technical services, geology and detailed mine planning, potable water, power and communication systems.
September 14, 2020 (Australian Mining) - Strandline Resources has awarded Piacentini & Son a contract to design and construct mobile dozer mining units for its Coburn mineral sands project in Western Australia.
The scope of work includes the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of three in-pit dozer units.
They will be capable of receiving and delivering ore to the processing facilities at an average rate of 3100 tonnes an hour, based on two units operating at one time.
The dozer units will play a part in executing Strandline’s dry mining methodology at the Coburn project, which is set to produce zircon and titanium mineral sands once operational.
Processing
- Electrostatic separation
- Spiral concentrator / separator
- Attrition
- Gravity separation
- Magnetic separation
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
-The testwork confirmed a process circuit capable of producing a high-grade saleable 95% Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC) product from the Wet Concentrator Plant (WCP), and final finished products through further processing by the Mineral Separation Plant (MSP)
-Engagement with leading global mineral sands consumers during the DFS confirmed the saleability and high market appeal of Coburn’s products in both concentrate and final product form. As such, the DFS presents development options for the “HMC Case” and “Final Products Case”
-A key feature is the uplift in separation efficiency using modern technology (resulting in improved WCP and MSP recoveries compared to previous testwork)
The WCP receives ore from the mining units and associated pumping system at an average rate of 3,000tph. A high grade 95% Heavy Mineral Concentrate is produced through multiple stages of high efficiency gravity separation and classification technology
Wet Concentration Plant ........

Recoveries & Grades:
Commodity | Parameter | Avg. LOM |
Ilmenite
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 95.4 |
Zircon
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 54.8 |
Rutile
|
Recovery Rate, %
| 70.9 |
Projected Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | Avg. Annual |
Ilmenite
|
Mineral
|
t
| 110,000 |
Zircon
|
Mineral
|
t
| ......  |
Zircon
|
Mineral in concentrate
|
t
| ......  |
Rutile
|
HiTi90
|
t
| ......  |
Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Ore tonnes mined, LOM
| ......  |
Annual mining rate
| ......  |
* According to 2019 study.
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Reserves at April 16, 2019:
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven
|
106 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
1.1 %
|
1.16 Mt
|
Probable
|
417 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
1.12 %
|
4.66 Mt
|
Proven & Probable
|
523 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
1.11 %
|
5.83 Mt
|
Measured
|
119 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
1.3 %
|
1.5 Mt
|
Measured
|
1.5 Mt
|
Ilmenite
|
45 %
|
|
Measured
|
1.5 Mt
|
Zircon
|
24 %
|
|
Measured
|
1.5 Mt
|
Rutile
|
5 %
|
|
Measured
|
1.5 Mt
|
Leucoxene
|
6 %
|
|
Indicated
|
607 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
1.3 %
|
7.7 Mt
|
Indicated
|
7.7 Mt
|
Ilmenite
|
48 %
|
|
Indicated
|
7.7 Mt
|
Zircon
|
22 %
|
|
Indicated
|
7.7 Mt
|
Rutile
|
7 %
|
|
Indicated
|
7.7 Mt
|
Leucoxene
|
5 %
|
|
Corporate Filings & Presentations:
Document | Year |
...................................
|
2020
|
...................................
|
2019
|
- Subscription is required.
News:
News | Date |
Strandline flicks switch for Coburn power supply
|
March 10, 2021
|
Strandline locks in Coburn final offtake
|
March 3, 2021
|
Strandline selects Contract Power for Coburn power station
|
November 4, 2020
|
Strandline awards three major Coburn contracts
|
November 2, 2020
|
Primero secures Strandline contract for Coburn development
|
September 29, 2020
|
Strandline hands dozer contract to Piacentini
|
September 14, 2020
|
Strandline to accelerate development of Coburn
|
August 6, 2020
|
Strandline wins NAIF loan for Coburn project
|
July 16, 2020
|
Strandline declares Macmahon preferred contractor for Coburn
|
April 30, 2020
|
Strandline locks in three sales contracts for Coburn
|
April 20, 2020
|
Strandline delivers 70% boost to ore reserve at Coburn
|
April 16, 2019
|
Aerial view:
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