Name and Location
Browns Range heavy rare earths project, Australia.

Client
Northern Minerals.

Project Description
A prefeasibility study (PFS) completed on the Browns Range project has demonstrated that the project can potentially be the first significant world producer of high-value dysprosium outside China.

Northern Minerals intends to mine rare-earth ore using a combination of openpit and underground mining methods.

The ore will be treated through on-site process plants consisting of a beneficiation plant and a downstream hydro-metallurgical plant. The beneficiation plant will treat up to 585 000 t/y of ore to produce an estimated 17 045 t/y of mineral concentrate at a grade of 20% total rare-earth oxide. The mineral concentrate will be further treated in the hydrometallurgical plant to produce 279 000 kg/y of dysprosium, contained within 3.2-million kilograms a year of high-purity mixed rare-earth oxide. The mixed rare-earth oxide product will be packaged on site and exported to international markets.

The project has a ten-year mine life.

Net Present Value and Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value estimated at $446-million, an internal rate of return of 33% and a 3.3-year payback from start of production.

Value
Preproduction capital is estimated at $313.7-million.

Duration
Northern Minerals is aiming to start production by the end of 2016.

Latest Developments
The positive results of the PFS will support the project’s continuation to feasibility study stage, as the company aims for a 2016 production target.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
AMC Mining Consultants (mine design and scheduling), DRA Global (beneficiation plant, power station, accommodation village), Hatch (hydrometallurgical plant, waste water treatment plant), Sargon Engineering (METSIM modelling), Golder Associates and Knight Piésold Consulting Engineers (tailings management and storage), Klohn Crippen Berger (project water supply), Intech Engineers (airstrip), Shawmac (access roads), Wyntac Logistics (project logistics), NAGROM Laboratories (beneficiation and hydrometallurgical testwork), SGS Lakefield (beneficiation pilot plant), ANSTO Minerals (hydrometall-urgical pilot plant) and ALS Ammtec (hydrometallurgical testwork).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Northern Minerals, tel +61 8 9481 2344, fax +61 8 9481 5929 or email info@northernminerals.com.au.
AMC Mining Consultants, tel +61 8 6330 1100, fax +61 8 6330 1199 or email amcperth@amcconsultants.com.
DRA Global, tel +61 8 9324 3833 or email admin@drap.com.au.
Hatch, tel +61 8 9428 5000, fax +61 8 9428 5555 or email hatch@hatch.com.au.
Sargon Engineering, tel +61 8 9457 2296 or email info@sargon.com.au.
Golder Associates, tel +61 8 9213 7600 or fax +61 8 9213 7611.
Knight Piésold Consulting Engineers, tel +61 8 9223 6300 or fax +61 8 9223 6399.
Klohn Crippen Berger, tel +61 8 9486 5400 or fax +61 8 9486 5499.
NAGROM Laboratories, tel +61 8 9399 3934 or fax +61 8 9497 1415.
SGS Lakefield, tel +61 8 9373 3500.
ANSTO Minerals, tel +61 2 97173895, fax +61 2 97179129 or email ansto.minerals@ansto.gov.au.
ALS Ammtec, tel +61 8 9344 2416.