Minerals

Definitive Feasibility

Songwe Hill Project

In a major step forward, Definitive Feasibility Study results for the Songwe Hill Rare Earths Project in Malawi, East Africa have been released this July by Mkango Resources. ANSTO has been involved in the project for a number of years supporting the DFS through optimisation and piloting programs conducted at our Lucas Heights facility. 

The final hydrometallurgical pilot at ANSTO in late 2021 produced a mixed rare earth concentrate containing 55 wt% TREO equivalent, enriched in neodymium and praseodymium (Nd/Pr) oxides, which together made up 31% of the rare earth oxide content. The Songwe Hill deposit comprises mostly carbonaceous gangue minerals with the principal rare earth bearing mineral being synchysite (CaCO3·CeFCO3).

Test work

Songwe Hill pilot plant

Mkango Resources (Mkango) have commenced preparation for hydrometallurgical pilot testing at ANSTO in support of the Songwe Hill Rare Earth Project in Malawi.

Mkango is currently piloting the up-front flotation process to produce sufficient mineral concentrate. This will be supplied to ANSTO for piloting of optimised hydrometallurgical processes, representing an improvement to that used in the Pre-Feasibility Study.

Mkango and ANSTO have been working together since 2017, our team is looking forward to supporting the project during this critical stage of the Feasibility Study.

Cost savings

Angela Uranium deposit

ANSTO partnered with Marenica Energy Limited to evaluate strategies to reduce acid consumption during leaching for the Angela Uranium Deposit. 

Successful demonstration of the rejection of calcite using Marenica's U-prgrade™ technology at ANSTO resulted in: 

• Reduction of acid consumption from 104 to 24 kg/t, a difference of 80 kg/t
• Uranium extraction from the ore post calcite removal increased in comparison to the untreated ore from 95.8% compared to 93.0%

ANSTO is looking forward to working with Marenica on further development and optimisation of the calcite removal process.

IX optimisation

Honeymoon project

Boss Resources Ltd. has announced improved process economics for its Honeymoon Uranium Project in South Australia.

Recent optimisation test work on the ion exchange (IX) circuit of the process has identified the ability to remove heating during elution which positively impacts the project economics.

The IX process proposed for Honeymoon also uses a patented elution process developed at ANSTO.

ANSTO continues to work with Boss on it's revised Feasibility Study for the Honeymoon restart.