Developing a world-class rare earth deposit in South Africa
Developing a world-class rare earth deposit in South Africa
Developing a world-class rare earth deposit in South Africa
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Rare Earth Metallurgy<br />
Metallurgy is key to development time and capital and operat<strong>in</strong>g costs for RE projects<br />
RE m<strong>in</strong>erals <strong>in</strong> many new projects have never had commercial processes developed<br />
for flotation or leach<strong>in</strong>g of the conta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>rare</strong> <strong>earth</strong>s<br />
Zandkopsdrift is expected to pr<strong>in</strong>cipally conta<strong>in</strong> “conventional” RE m<strong>in</strong>erals for which<br />
commercial extraction processes exist<br />
Bulk of the <strong>rare</strong> <strong>earth</strong> content is <strong>in</strong> supergene monazite (similar to Lynas‟ Mount Weld<br />
<strong>deposit</strong>)<br />
Lesser amounts <strong>in</strong> crandallite and gorceixite<br />
M<strong>in</strong>eralogy and metallurgy reviewed by SGS M<strong>in</strong>erals Services (1) , who concluded:<br />
Considerable potential for upgrad<strong>in</strong>g by flotation of a majority of the available REE<br />
Very good levels of recovery (>90%) of <strong>rare</strong> elements to solution<br />
The REE element bear<strong>in</strong>g m<strong>in</strong>erals are likely amenable to conventional extractive<br />
processes<br />
Low thorium (average 225ppm) and uranium (average 65ppm)<br />
Reduces environmental permitt<strong>in</strong>g and related issues<br />
(1) SGS M<strong>in</strong>erals Services report, Appendix 5, NI 43-101 Resource Estimate and Technical Report (28 September 2010)<br />
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