Overview
Stage | Restarting |
Mine Type | Tailings |
Commodities |
- REE
- Ilmenite
- Zircon
- Rutile
- Monazite
- Xenotime
|
Mining Method |
|
Production Start | ... |
Mine Life | 9 years (as of Jan 1, 2022) |
Mining ceased at Eneabba in March 2013. Iluka routinely produces the rare earth bearing minerals monazite and xenotime as by-products of mineral sands processing activities. In 2019, Iluka initiated the Eneabba Project to process stockpiled monazite material.
Phase 1 of the development commenced operating in 2020 and produces a mixed monazite-zircon concentrate. Phase 2 further processes this product to produce a 90% monazite concentrate – a direct feed to a rare earths refinery; and a separate zircon-ilmenite concentrate. Phase 2 was completed in June 2022.
Phase 3, a fully integrated rare earths refinery for the production of separated rare earths, received final investment approval in April 2022. The Eneabba stockpile comprises the rare earth minerals monazite and xenotime, produced as by-product from Iluka’s Narngulu mineral processing plant and stored since the early 1990s is going to be the initial feed source. |
Source:
p. 7
Iluka Rare Earths Pty Ltd holds a sublease of Mining Lease M267SA from Iluka Eneabba Pty Ltd and M70/821 from Iluka Midwest Pty Ltd. Iluka Rare Earths Pty Ltd, Iluka Eneabba Pty Ltd and Iluka Midwest Pty Ltd are wholly owned subsidiaries of Iluka Resources Limited.
Contractors
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Summary:
The Eneabba Mineral Separation Plant (MSP) By-Product Mineral Resource is located within the Perth Basin however the material is made up of mineral sands by-product from Iluka’s Narngulu MSP. Being a minerals sands stockpile there is no geological structure. The stockpile physically presents as a fine grained sand and is approximately 300m in length, 150 wide and varies from 1 to 15m in thickness. The fine grained, dark brown to black material is easily distinguishable from the yellow clayey sand it resides on.
A half to one meter cap of orange brown, gravelly, clayey sand covers the resource. A mixed zone of the by-product and capping immediately below the capping with high HM grade in combination with elevated slimes and oversize is recognised, being defined in the resource estimation and reporting.
The tailings material comprises a mixture of ilmenite, staurolite, aluminosilicates, zircon and the rare earth bearing mineral ‘monazite’, a naturally-occurring radioactive material (NORM).
Summary:
The mining will be campaigned and require a Front End Loader (FEL) to move the by-product from the stockpile and feed into a mobile screening plant. A bulldozer will be required for short periods of time to push the top of the by-product stockpile down to enable safe access by the FEL. Once dry screened, the material will be loaded into dump trucks and dumped near the Wet Screening Plant (WSP) for processing.
Mining of the thin layer of waste capping material covering the stockpile will be conducted using a truck and shovel fleet.
Grade control will occur during the mining process, with daily sampling to analyse materials for blending. Blending and grade control will occur during the mobile screening process within the pit. The heavy mineral sand is easily distinguishable from the underlying yellow clayey sand and as such minimal dilution or ore loss is expected.
Flow Sheet:
Summary:
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Production:
Commodity | Product | Units | 2021 | 2020 | Avg. Annual |
REE
|
Oxide in concentrate
|
kt
| | | 12 |
Nd2O3+Pr6O11
|
Oxide in concentrate
|
kt
| | | ...... |
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Operational Metrics:
Metrics | |
Annual production capacity
| ...... |
Annual production capacity
| ...... |
* According to 2022 study.
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Reserves at December 31, 2023:
Mineral Resources are reported inclusive of Mineral Reserves.
Category | Tonnage | Commodity | Grade | Contained Metal |
Proven & Probable
|
1.08 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
80.8 %
|
0.87 Mt
|
Proven & Probable
|
0.87 Mt
|
Ilmenite
|
34 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
0.87 Mt
|
Zircon
|
27 %
|
|
Proven & Probable
|
0.87 Mt
|
Monazite + Xenotime
|
19.1 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
519 Mt
|
Heavy Minerals
|
5.3 %
|
27.6 Mt
|
Total Resource
|
27.6 Mt
|
Ilmenite
|
45 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
27.6 Mt
|
Zircon
|
12 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
27.6 Mt
|
Rutile
|
7 %
|
|
Total Resource
|
27.6 Mt
|
Monazite + Xenotime
|
1.3 %
|
|
Commodity Production Costs:
| Commodity | Units | Average |
Cash costs
|
Total Rare Earth Oxides
|
USD
|
......
|
Assumed price
|
Nd2O3+Pr6O11
|
USD
|
......
|
Assumed price
|
Total Rare Earth Oxides
|
USD
|
......
|
* According to 2022 study / presentation.
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Corporate Filings & Presentations:
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