Name of the Project
Yangibana rare earths project.

Location
The project is located in the Upper Gascoyne region of Western Australia.

Project Owner/s
Hastings Technology Metals.

Project Description
The project includes the development of five openpit mines, groundwater abstraction, an on-site processing plant, tailings storage facilities, access and haul roads, as well as supporting infrastructure such as accommodation facilities, administration buildings and an airstrip.

The project proposes the construction of a beneficiation and hydrometallurgy processing plant, which will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare-earth oxides at processing plants overseas.

The one-million-tonne-a-year operation is expected to produce 15 000 t/y of mixed rare earths concentrate and about 8 850 t/y of total rare-earth oxides over 13 years.

Potential Job Creation
Not stated.

Net Present Value/Internal Rate of Return
The project has an after-tax net present value, at an 8% discount rate, of A$549-million and an internal rate of return of 28%, with a payback of 2.6 years.

Capital Expenditure
The project’s cost was revised in March 2019 to $427-million.

Planned Start/End Date
Not stated.

Latest Developments
Hastings Technology Metals has extended the mine life of its Yangibana project by two years.

The total rare-earth oxide estimate for the project has increased by 9%, or 11 900 t, to 138 000 t, while the neodymium and praseodymium oxide estimate has increased by 11%, or 4 800 t, to 49 000 t.

The project’s probable ore reserve tonnage has increased by 18%, to 12.2-million tonnes, at 1.13% total rare earth oxide.

The increase in the ore reserve has resulted in the mine life of Yangibana extending to 13 years, resulting in the project’s net present value increasing by 6%, to A$549-million.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Wave International (project management and definitive feasibility study lead); Hastings Technology Metals, Widenbar and Associates (geology and resource evaluation); Southern Geoscience (geophysical Interpretation); Snowden Mining Industry Consultants (reserve estimation, mine planning and design, geotechnical); ATC Williams (tailings management); ALS, ANSTO, KYSPY Met, SGS Minerals (pilot plant and metallurgical testwork); Tetra Tech Proteus (process plant and metallurgical testwork, process plant design, as well as utilities and infrastructure); Wave International (infrastructure); Enperitus Radpro, JHI, Bennelongia, Ecoscape (environment); JDA (surface water hydrology); Groundwater Resource Management (groundwater hydrogeology); Trajectory (mine closure cost estimates); Tetra Tech Proteus and Wave International (capital and operating cost); Hastings Technology Metals, Argus Metals International (market analysis); and Qube Logistics (logistics study).

On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Hastings Technology Metals, email info@hastingstechmetals.com.