Name of the Project
Browns Range pilot plant project.

Location
The project is located about 160 km south-east of Halls Creek, in northern Western Australia.

Client
Northern Minerals.

Project Description
Browns Range will be the only heavy rare earths mine in Australia once completed.

The project will be developed in three stages and will enable Northern Minerals to test the process and market the mixed rare-earth carbonate product, then develop the project to bankable feasibility study (BFS) level and finally build the full-scale operation.

Stage 1 involves the construction of a 60 000 t/y pilot plant operation at Browns Range. The proposed pilot plant, at a scale of 10% of the full-scale operation, has a designed front-end of a 60 000 t/y crushing beneficiation circuit, and a 3 200 t/y hydrometallurgical plant aimed at producing 590 t of total rare-earth oxide (TREO) in a mixed rare-earth carbonate. The pilot plant is scheduled to operate for three years, in which time a decision to commit to the full-scale operation may be made. A full-scale plant will take two years to build.

Stage 2 involves developing the project to bankable feasibility study level, based on the definitive feasibility study (DFS) completed in March 2015. The results of the studies, announced in August the same year, aimed at reducing mining costs, boosting production, producing a premium product and increasing the ore reserve.

Stage 3 involves building the project to full-scale production based on the successful outcomes of stages 1 and 2. Once at full scale, the project will process 585 000 t/y to produce 279 000 kg of dysprosium, contained within 3.09-million kilograms TREO a year (prior to yttrium rejection), in a mixed rare-earth carbonate.

Jobs to be Created
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
Not stated.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
Construction of Stage 1 is expected to take about nine months once product offtake and funding are in place.

Latest Developments
Northern Minerals received approval for the Browns Range pilot plant mining proposal from the Western Australian Department of Mines and Petroleum in December 2016. The approval is one of the last key approvals required before the start of mining operations.

Northern Minerals also lodged a works approval licence with the Western Australian Department of Environment Regulation. The approval process was expected to take 60 days.

In late November 2016, Sinosteel MECC was selected as the preferred engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the pilot plant.

The memorandum of understanding with Sinosteel includes an option for the deferral of up to $12-million in costs for 24 months or conversion to equity, at Sinosteel’s election.

Northern Minerals is aiming to award contracts for the construction of the pilot plant in early 2017, with mining and installation expected in the second half of 2017.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Sinosteel MECC (EPC).

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.