Binjour Project Update - Port MoU and Bulk Sampling Results
Sydney, May 30, 2019 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Emerging bauxite producer, Australian Bauxite Limited (
ASX:ABX) (ABx, ASX Code ABX) considers its Binjour Project located 115kms southwest of Bundaberg Port (see Figure 1 in link below) to be the best source of gibbsite-trihydrate (THA) metallurgical-grade bauxite in Queensland that is suitable for low temperature alumina refineries and sweetener circuits in some high-temperature refineries.
- ABx has executed an MoU with the Port Authority for the Port of Bundaberg to investigate the opportunity to export bauxite in bulk tonnages through the Port of Bundaberg
- The MoU provides ABx with access to a vacant block of land owned by the Port Authority to investigate its suitability for bulk storage and loading large bulk carrier ships at an annual volume of around 1 million tonnes per year
- Bulk sampling has commenced at the Binjour project area, with good initial results
- Early-stage trial screening has yielded encouraging results which will guide larger scale trial bulk sampling scheduled for late June. Grades 42% to 44% Al2O3
ABx has worked with landholders, local government, state government, port authorities, mining contractors and logistics companies to develop a viable strategy for the Binjour Bauxite Project to produce and deliver good quality metallurgical bauxite onto large bulk carrier ships at the Port of Bundaberg.
MoU agreement: On 29 May 2019, ABx executed a Memorandum of Understanding agreement ("MoU") with the Port Authority to gain access to a block of land at the Port of Bundaberg to investigate its potential to be the bauxite port hub for:
1. Stockpiling bauxite of various grades from the Binjour project
2. Blending the bauxite to the contracted specification, and
3. Transhipping bauxite for loading 150,000 tonne bulk carrier ships within port boundaries.
Early Results from Bulk Sampling
On 9 May, ABx excavated approximately 600 tonnes of "moderate" grade bauxite and collected 81 samples totalling 860kgs from 3 test-pits conducted at the Binjour project in Queensland.
Results from this work confirmed that:
1. The bauxite is free-digging using a medium-sized excavator
2. Approximately 15% to 20% of oversized boulders of good grade bauxite were encountered
3. Based on experience at ABx's Tasmanian mine, these oversize boulders will be valuable for crushing and blending high grade bauxite into the final product, so as to achieve the optimum export grade and to meet bauxite bulk-shipping specifications - see Table 1
4. Most encouraging was the excellent dry-screening performance of the bauxite. This was the best screening performance of bauxite from any ABx prospect to date.
--------------------------------------------------------------------Bauxite Parameters Binjour Target --------------------------------------------------------------------Al2O3 42 % - 44 % SiO2 4 % - 6 % Rx SiO2 3.5 % - 5.5 % Fe2O3 26 % (Max) Size 0 -100mm --------------------------------------------------------------------Table 1: Target bauxite specifications for sales contracts --------------------------------------------------------------------
All bauxite is gibbsite-rich trihydrate (THA) bauxite with very low content of the monohydrate alumina minerals boehmite and diaspore which require high temperature refining. These bauxite specifications in Table 1 are ideally suited for low-temperature alumina refineries.
Results to date (refer JORC Table 1 below for explanations of procedures)
By simple dry-screening only, a product averaging about 42% Al2O3 and less than 5% SiO2 was achieved which is within the target specifications for metallurgical bauxite sales. However, TasTech testwork is underway at our Tasmanian laboratory to increase Al2O3 to 45% Al2O3 whilst also increasing yields to above 65%. Progress so far has been very encouraging.
These two test-pit sites are where the Binjour bauxite layer occurs at surface and contains a spectrum of medium-grade bauxite grades that are suitable for conducting trial mining to assess:
1. Mineability - hardness, density in-situ, moisture, size distribution
2. Optimum method for grade control to identify and discard clay-rich layers
3. Screening performance, yield, size distribution, grade upgradeability
4. Handling characteristics, angle of repose, stockpile density
5. Trucking performance
6. Rehabilitation characteristics, regeneration rates, soil nature
Variability of grades and thicknesses of bauxite are being assessed for resource estimation purposes.
Rehabilitation completed immediately to ABx standards
"ABx endorses best practices on agricultural land, strives to leave land and environment better than we find it. We only operate where welcomed." This policy has always applied since 2009.
Any disturbed land is reinstated immediately or at the first possible opportunity. Nothing is left at sites. The pit sites have been restored to their original landforms, ready for vegetation to regrow naturally.
No trees were impacted during this pit sampling work.
To view tables and figures, please visit:
http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/9VC605Z5
About ABx Group Limited
ABx Group Limited (ABx) (ASX:ABX) started as a bauxite miner in Tasmania in 2014 & controls the Eastern Australian Bauxite Province. In 2020 to 2023, ABx also discovered Australia’s only true ionic adsorption clay Rare Earth Elements resource at Deep Leads in pine plantations 40km west of Launceston with a JORC-compliant resource of 89 million tonnes from only 29% of the mineralised outline, averaging 844 ppm total rare earth oxides that is the most enriched in the critically important rare earths, Dy and Tb, of any Australian REE deposit.
ABx has also developed a proprietary technology to produce fluorine chemicals from an aluminium smelter waste product and return the fluorine back into the smelters, thus reducing reliance on imported aluminium fluoride.
ABx has committed a large proportion of its expenditure into Research and Development and has found ways to capitalise on the main strengths of its bauxite type which is very clean, free of all deleterious elements and can be separated into different product streams using physical, chemical and geophysical methods. It has produced and marketed specialist bauxite products for the manufacturers of fertiliser, cement with high late strength for major infrastructure such as bridges and is in the advanced stages of approvals for production of metallurgical bauxite from its Binjour Bauxite deposit with JORC-compliant resources of 37 million tonnes of bauxite, in a joint development with a Chinese-focussed Australian trading company Good Importing International.
ABx is also preparing to produce fertiliser grade and cement grade bauxite from its DL130 bauxite quarry in northern Tasmania, 40km west of Launceston. This quarry is sited in the middle of the large Deep Leads REE deposit and may one day be a site for heap leaching of the REE using a low-cost, benign leachate with the same acidity as apple juice or tea.
ABx endorses best practices on agricultural land, strives to leave land and environment better than we find it. We only operate where welcomed.
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