OD6 Metals says it has recovered up to 90 per cent rare earths from its sampling program conducted across multiple targets at its Splinter Rock project, about 150km north-east of the major port town of Esperance in Western Australia.
The company’s most recent metallurgical testwork was completed on 60 samples and recovered consistent levels of high-value magnetic rare earth oxides (MREO) across the program. It says the samples were selected from a wide variety of separate locations, clays and depths to further develop a geometallurgical understanding of recovery across the various regolith at the four large prospects at Splinter Rock – which comprises a 2579-square-kilometre tenement package with six granted exploration licences.
OD6 says samples were also chosen based on differing locations, rare earths grades, colours, chemical compositions and conductivity from airborne electromagnetic surveys, in addition to the proximity to granite.
Management says the high recoveries included consistent levels of valuable rare earths such as neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. It says the similar levels of recovery from the sampling program, coupled with the diversification of having all four in-demand elements, is the key to an economically-viable, clay-hosted rare earths project.
Combining the recovery levels with the high grades achieved, low stripping ratios, low acid consumption and substantial tonnages of mineralised material, the company says it now has considerably more confidence in the key economic drivers featured at Splinter Rock.
The latest results show that the Prop, Centre, Scrum and Flanker’s recovery levels averaged between 53 per cent and 70 per cent. The Prop prospect produced the highest average level of 70 per cent recovery, with the Centre prospect returning the highest, up to 90 per cent.
Management says one prospect now grabbing its attention is the Inside Centre area. Positioned within the Centre prospect, it is impressive in size –about 2km in length by 1km in width – and has recorded a drill-hit up to 69m.
The company says assays showing grades ranging between 1400 parts per million and 2200ppm total rare earth oxides (TREO) highlight its value proposition. The recoveries from the area averaged 64 per cent, further outlining its potential value towards the project.
The outstanding results from our metallurgical leaching studies continue to affirm the Splinter Rock project as Australia’s premier clay-hosted rare earth deposit. With consistent recoveries averaging over 60% across multiple prospects, and notably high recoveries observed for each of the fifteen rare earth elements, our confidence in the project’s potential remains high. OD6 Metals managing director Brett Hazelden
Chairman Darren Holden also noted that the extensive rare earths clay basins span hundreds of square kilometres, providing the company with the ability to select basins based on superior grade, thickness and recovery potential. Management is now planning future works to include potentially upgrading the mineral resource estimate based on the latest results, in addition to completing bench-scale slurry leach tests and assessing options for converting rare earth oxides to a mixed rare earths carbonate-hydroxide via a downstream process.
OD6 announced a maiden mineral resource estimate in July last year of 344 million tonnes at 1308ppm TREO. Highlights included 149 million tonnes at 1423ppm TREO oxides and 23 per cent MREO at the Centre Prospect, with near surface mineralisation up to 70m thick.
The company also has the prospective Grass Patch project, comprising a 2248sq-km tenement package consisting of four granted exploration licences. The project is about 30km north of Esperance on private agricultural land where the company last year identified high-grade clay rare earths from a 93-hole reconnaissance drilling program.
Rare earths are becoming increasingly important in the global economy, with uses including advanced electronics and permanent magnets in electric motors. A neodymium magnet used in a wind turbine or electric vehicle motor is 18 times stronger than a standard ferrite magnet.
With a large mineral resource already in its pocket and confirmation of high average recoveries across the project area, along with
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