OD6 Metals Ltd (ASX:OD6) has achieved further high metallurgical recoveries from the Splinter Rock Rare Earth Elements (REE) project in Western Australia with the phase 3 samples — tested at the Australian Nuclear Science Organisation (ANSTO) — achieving metallurgical recoveries of up to 90% of magnet REEs (MREE) in multiple prospect areas.
“The results continue to show that the Splinter Rock recoveries are as good as or better than the Brazilian clay-hosted rare earth plays that have gained so much attention over the last 12 months and continues to affirm that we are Australia’s premier clay-hosted rare earth deposit,” said OD6 managing director Brett Hazelden.
“The Inside Centre recoveries of ~60% when combined with grades of between 1,400 to 2,200ppm TREO, across an extensive 2-kilometre by 1-kilometre area, with substantial thicknesses between 20 to 77-metres, a low stripping ratio, plus low acid consumptions continue to be a standout for the company.
"These metrics align closely with the essential value drivers we believe are crucial for the economic viability of clay-hosted rare earth projects both in Australia and globally."
The results
A total of 71 samples were selected from a wide variety of clays, locations and depths to further develop a geometallurgical understanding of recovery across the various regolith types at the large Centre and Prop prospects at Splinter Rock.
The samples were chosen based on differing geographic locations, REE grades, colours, chemical compositions, AEM conductivity, proximity to granite, basin position (including paleo valley/channel positions) and inferred geological genesis.
The results averaged around 60% MREE recovery at 25g/l hydrochloric acid (HCI), excluding basin edges and carbonaceous shales. This ranged from 42% to 90% recovery of MagREE at Centre Prospect; 44% to 76% recovery of MREE at Inside Centre Prospect; and 41% to 77% at Prop Prospect.
The company highlighted that the recoveries for all magnet rare earth oxides (MREOs), including neodymium, praseodymium, terbium and dysprosium are similar — the key to overall project economics for any clay-hosted rare earth project.
Hazelden added, “At the Splinter Rock Project we have no private royalties, do not sit over farming land, are located in a known wind and solar renewable energy corridor, plus we are only a short distance to the major port of Esperance.
"We look forward to these factors being considered as part of our future mineral resource estimate upgrade scheduled for later this quarter.”
Further phase 4 metallurgical leaching and processing optimisation work is now underway at ANSTO.
OD6 plans to incorporate the data into a mineral resource estimate upgrade that is expected to be available this quarter.