Longonjo mineral resource estimate upgraded
Published by Jessica Casey,
Editor
Global Mining Review,
Pensana Rare Earths Plc has announced a substantial upgrade to the mineral resource estimate for its Longonjo Project, Angola. International mining industry consultants SRK Consulting has reported an upgraded measured, indicated and inferred mineral resource estimate of 313 million t at 1.43% total rare earth oxides (REO), including 0.32% neodymium+praseodymium oxide (NdPr) for 4.47 million t of REO, including 990 000 t of NdPr. A 0.1% NdPr cut is applied.
The upgraded estimate:
- Contains more than 2.3 times the previous estimate of the measured and indicated resources used in the preliminary feasibility study announced 15 November 2019.
- Has increased the proportion of the resources reported in the measured and indicated categories from 31% to 68%.
- Has increased the overall contained NdPr by 35%.
A number of previously announced drill holes in fresh rock mineralisation immediately below the weathered zone have reported continuous mineralisation to a depth of 80 m, which remain open. Further drilling is planned in this area which will form the basis for future mineral resource estimation.
At a 0.2% NdPr lower grade cut, the measured and indicated mineral resource estimate for the weathered zone is 39.9 million t at 2.38% REO, including 0.52% NdPr for 948 000 t of REO, including 208 000 t of NdPr. A 0.2% NdPr cut is applied.
Weathered zone measured and indicated categories only, and is contained within and is a subset of the total mineral resource estimate. The upgraded resource estimate is being incorporated into the technical studies currently underway and is expected to support an extended mine life on completion of additional workstreams of the bankable feasibility study.
Executive Director, Dave Hammond, commented: “This is a substantial upgrade which will underpin the bankable feasibility studies. We now have 2.3 times the amount of mineralisation in the measured and indicated category, which we expect will lead to a significantly extended mine life beyond the nine years defined in last year’s preliminary feasibility study.
“We have only just begun to explore the fresh rock mineralisation which lies immediately beneath the weathered zone. We’ve tested it to 80 m depth so far with several holes ending in mineralisation. Metallurgical test work is currently underway on this material to confirm the optimum process route to treat this second style of mineralisation, which if successful, could add significantly to the scale of the project.”
Read the article online at: https://www.globalminingreview.com/exploration-development/15092020/longonjo-mineral-resource-estimate-upgraded/
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