Lake Hope HPA Project WA PFS and Metallurgical Test Work Up
Released
Released
Announcement PDF
ASX Code: IPT
OCTOBER 18, 2023
CORPORATE RELEASE
Lake Hope HPA Project, WA: PFS and Metallurgical Test Work Update
•
The Preliminary Feasibility Study is progressing on schedule, with significant progress made on the
metallurgical test work to verify the proprietary and patented Playa One process that converts raw lake
clay from Lake Hope into High Purity Alumina (HPA).
•
Three of the Five Stages of the Playa One sulphate process have been completed with results that
either confirm or improve upon previous results.
•
Intermediate aluminium salts have been produced from Stage 3 that require further purification in
Stages 4 and 5 to make HPA, with results expected by late this Quarter or early Q1 2024.
•
Other PFS progress includes:
•
-
Environmental baseline studies are to commence in early November.
-
Statutory approvals (PoW) have been received for a geotechnical drill program, shallow water
bores and a bulk sample program, which will all commence this Quarter.
-
A meeting with the Western Australian Department of Mines, Industry and Safety Regulations is
set for late October to discuss the lodgment of a Mining Lease application.
-
Ongoing discussions with industry analysts, marketing representatives and end users have
commenced to secure agreements for product testing.
An independent review of the Lake Hope Scoping Study is nearly complete.
Impact Minerals’ Managing Director, Dr Mike Jones, said, “We continue progressing rapidly across the entire
Pre-Feasibility Study on Lake Hope, particularly with the metallurgical test work. The test work has shown the
Playa One Sulphate Process is straightforward and very effective in leaching the unique clays at Lake Hope.
We are delighted with the results that have replicated or improved Playa One’s previous work. We have
zeroed in on the ideal process conditions to make HPA in quantity and are very focused on making
improvements that will reduce processing costs. We aim to produce 99.99% or 4N HPA by early next year.
Our work continues to highlight the competitive advantages of the unique mineral deposit at Lake Hope and
its potential to become one of the lowest-cost producers of HPA globally. We look forward to releasing our
Scoping Study shortly, following an independent review, which will give a first look at the economics of this
exceptional project”.
Impact Minerals Pty Limited (ASX:IPT) is pleased to provide an update on the company’s Preliminary
Feasibility Study (PFS) on the Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) Project located 500 km east of Perth in
Western Australia and, in particular the metallurgical test work program (Figure 1). Impact can earn an 80%
interest in the project from Playa One Pty Ltd by completing the PFS (ASX Release March 21st 2023).
Figure 1. Location of the Lake Hope Project.
The Lake Hope Project contains a unique deposit of clay, which contains about 880,000 tonnes of alumina
(Al2O3) in the top two metres of two small salt lakes on E63/2086. The deposit comprises Indicated and
Inferred Resources of 3.5 million tonnes at an average grade of 25.1% alumina (ASX Release 19th June
2023). This alumina will be converted into HPA via Playa One’s proprietary and patented ‘Sulphate Process’
(ASX Release March 21st 2023).
The unique nature of the mineralogy and the extremely fine-grained nature of the lake clays will deliver
significant cost advantages to the mining and processing of the ore to produce HPA. The clays are freedigging and require no crushing, screening or other on-site preparation and accordingly, it is envisaged that
the clay will be trucked offsite to a pre-permitted industrial site, most likely either in Kalgoorlie or Perth
(Figure 1 and ASX Release March 21st 2023).
The clay mineralogy also allows leaching by a sulphuric acid (H2SO4) dominant process, the Playa One
Sulphate Process. This process offers several advantages over other methods being trialled to produce HPA,
particularly hydrochloric acid (HCl) leaching of kaolin. This requires the kaolin to be mined, crushed and
screened by conventional mining techniques and then leached with hydrochloric acid and calcined at high
temperatures in the first stages of the process.
The Playa One Sulphate Process allows direct leaching of the raw lake clays using a cheaper, more readily
available and environmentally friendly acid and also removes the need for upfront calcining. This offers
significant cost savings in energy, acid consumption as well as capital expenditure requirements in the grade
of steel required in a processing plant.
Both the Sulphate Process and hydrochloric-kaolin process use hydrochloric acid and calcining in the later
stages of purification to produce HPA but on much smaller volumes of material.
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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About the Playa One Sulphate Process
The PFS metallurgical test work has focused on replicating and optimising the Playa One Sulphate Process,
which produced 99.99% Al2O3 (so-called “4N HPA”) from representative material (ASX Release March 21st
2023). The test work program is being managed by Impact with laboratory work completed at ALS
Metallurgy, Balcatta, Western Australia and with consultants Strategic Metallurgy.
The Playa One Sulphate Process is straightforward and comprises five key stages (Figure 2). The test work
program is focused on the optimisation of the principal operating conditions of each stage.
Numerous experiments have now been completed for the first three stages of the process: Stage 1 Wash
circuit, Stage 2 Roast circuit, and Stage 3 Intermediate alumina salt production (Figure 2).
The Intermediate alumina salt samples have been submitted for Stage 4 purification by conventional
hydrochloric acid gas sparging. Material from Stage 4 will then be submitted for HPA production by calcining
in Stage 5 (Figure 2).
STAGE 1
STAGE 2
STAGE 3
STAGE 4
STAGE 5
Wash Stage
Roast Stage
Intermediate Salt
Purification
HPA Calcination
•Flocc type
•Flocc dose
•Temperature
•Duration
•Acid dosage
•Reagent dose
•Temperature
•Duration
Figure 2. Summary of the Sulphate Process and Tests Completed in the Optimisation Test Work.
Details of the test work program results are given at the end of this report.
In summary, the metallurgical optimisation program for Stage 1 to Stage 3 has delivered results consistent
with or exceeding Playa One’s previous test work. It has also produced significant data for future process
modelling work.
Impact has now produced high-quality intermediate salts with several elements below the detection limits
of 100 ppm and with remaining contaminants in line with previous work and thus far validating the Playa
One Sulphate Process.
Next Steps in the Test Work Program
The samples of intermediate salt have been submitted for purification in Stage 4 purification by hydrochloric
acid- gas sparging with subsequent calcining in Stage 5 to produce HPA.
Preliminary results are expected by the end of 2023 to commercial low detection limits of 0.1 ppm to 2 ppm
for 70 elements. Further confirmation may be required via ultra-low detection limit assaying at a specialist
laboratory.
Further test work will then focus on using the optimised conditions for each stage on bulk samples in one
run to demonstrate the repeatability of the process and its ability to produce significant quantities of HPA.
This work is expected to start in Q1 2024 and will lead to further refinements before engaging in
metallurgical and hydrometallurgical flow sheet modelling to complete this part of the PFS.
UPDATE ON THE SCOPING STUDY AND PRE-FEASIBILITY STUDY
A Scoping Study, which will provide preliminary economics for the Lake Hope project, is being independently
reviewed based on the positive results from the metallurgical test work, financial modelling, and marketing
information received to date. This review will be completed shortly.
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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In addition to the metallurgical test work, which is about 80% complete, and with the recent Heritage
clearance from the Ngadju Peoples (ASX Release 27th July 2023), other parts of the Pre-Feasibility Study are
also progressing quickly as follows:
1. Impact has received statutory Programme of Works approval for a 25-hole geotechnical drilling
program and a permit for test pits and bulk sampling. This work will commence shortly and into
early 2024. It will provide data for geotechnical and mine planning purposes and bulk samples for
future test work and pilot plant programs.
2. Impact has sponsored two Masters level projects at the University of Western Australia. One study
will focus on the optimisation of the crystallisation of the final HPA product, and the second study
will focus on CO2 emissions intensity modelling. This will allow disclosure of the carbon intensity of
the Lake Hope Project and its potential low-carbon credentials within the ESG Reporting Framework
recently adopted by Impact (ASX Release 9th October 2023).
3. Environmental flora and flora baseline studies will commence in early November. Initial desktop
reviews have been completed, with no known risks identified, and regulatory outreach has been
initiated.
4. Logistics studies into the optimal location for a processing plant are ongoing, and early-stage
discussions with local government authorities have commenced.
5. Early engagement with the Western Australian Department of Mines Industry Regulation and Safety
(DMIRS) about the mining lease application for Lake Hope has also commenced, and an important
baseline meeting is set for later in October. Impact has lodged the required Mining Proposal Scoping
Document, which forms the basis for pre-application discussions with DMIRS about the proposed
mining envelope, environmental factors and the ongoing work program. Pending receipt of
feedback on the Mining Scoping Document, Impact would then be able to lodge a Mining Lease
Application, possibly later this year.
6. Impact has progressed discussions with industry analysts, marketing representatives and end-users
to determine the target market and potential customers. This will be a crucial focus for the company
in 2024 when meaningful quantities of HPA can be provided for product qualification.
The PFS remains on track for completion by Q3-Q4 2024.
COMPLIANCE STATEMENT
This report contains new Exploration Results for metallurgical test work.
Dr Michael G Jones
Managing Director
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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RESULTS OF THE METALLURGICAL TEST WORK PROGRAM
Five samples for the test work were prepared from a 25 kg bulk sample of the lake clays from Lake Hope.
Details of the bulk sample (LHMET001), including its location and head assays for alumina (the target oxide)
and other major oxides that are contaminants, are given in Table 4 below.
Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) work completed by RSC Mineral consultants has shown the clay is
mostly comprised of mineral particles that are exceptionally fine-grained and between 40 and
300 nanometres in size (Figure 3).
This offers advantages both to mining because on-site beneficiation is not required and processing because
the material has an almost infinite surface area for leaching, which greatly enhances the kinetics of the
sulphuric acid digestion.
The extremely fine particle size is beyond the SEM's resolution for mineral identification; therefore, X-ray
diffraction has been relied upon. Chemical mapping by the SEM shows general uniformity and homogeneity
throughout the mud.
Figure 3. SEM imagery of typical mineralisation in the lake clays.
Results for each Stage of the Sulphate Process from the test work program are detailed below (Figure 2).
Sample IDs with the prefix HY are laboratory IDs for samples prepared from the bulk sample LHMET001.
STAGE 1 Wash Circuit
Stage 1 comprises washing the clay to remove easily soluble sodium chloride salt (NaCl), which amounts to
3% to 5% of the lake clay by mass to reduce the amount of sodium, a critical contaminant for HPA, entering
the purification circuit.
Washing
Washing involves mixing the raw mud with typically available fresh scheme water, adding flocculant
chemicals, and settling out of the solids to feed to Stage 2, the acid roast stage. The wash water is then
proposed to be desalinated and reused in-circuit.
Assays for the raw clay and washed mud are shown in Table 1 and show that about 74% of the sodium, 45%
of the magnesium and 61% of the calcium are removed by washing. Removal of iron, potassium, vanadium,
and phosphorus is limited.
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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Element
RAW MUD
LHMET001
WASH COMP
HY15362
% Extraction
15
0.01
0.03
61.85
2.39
0.23
5.64
0.73
0.27
45.46
N/A
~~
0.704
74.34
0.04
14.80
9.82
~~
0.18
~~
0.004
3.36
Al
%
14.3
Ca
%
0.06
Fe
%
2.29
K
%
5.33
Mg
%
0.42
Mn
%
<0.01
Na
%
2.44
P
%
0.04
Si
%
9.28
Ti
%
0.19
V
%
0.002
Table 1. Mud washing metal extraction test work June-July 2023
Table 1. Assays of Raw Clay (mud) and Washed Clay
Flocculation Testing
Various cationic, anionic, and non-ionic flocculant chemical additives commonly used to precipitate
suspended solids from mining slurries were tested. Flocculation test work was carried out on a Flocculant
dosage of 0.01% in addition to a 10% pulp volume. Settling times were from one to two hours on average.
The results show that the mud is insensitive to flocculant type (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Flocculation Performance Testing LHMET001
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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STAGE 2 Acid Roast
Although the expected cost of a wash circuit is likely to be a modest component of the capital expenditure
required to build a full-scale processing plant, test work for Stage 2 onwards has been completed both on
washed clay from Stage 1 and unwashed, raw clay to determine if the Wash Circuit can be eliminated.
Optimal Roasting Temperature
Roast temperature variability testing was undertaken on washed clay (HY15632) and raw clay (LHMET001) at
150°C, 180°C, 210°C and 250°C, at a constant acid addition of 750 kg/t, and constant roast time.
Results showed that increased temperature correlates with increased recovery of alumina salts and other
metals for both the washed and unwashed clay (Figure 5 and Table 2). Alumina recovery peaked at 89.5% at
250°C, the maximum temperature tested and in line with previous testing. Further testing at 300°C is in
progress.
There was no significant difference in the results between the washed and unwashed clay (Table 2).
Figure 5. Acid bake metal extraction (Sample LHMET001 only shown)
Table 2. Acid roast temperature variability tests and metal extractions
Acid Dosage Test
Tests to determine the optimal sulphuric acid dosage were completed at amounts between 580 kg/t and
750 kg/t of sulphuric acid. Results showed that 750 kg/t of sulphuric acid is the ideal dosage, with minor
reductions in alumina extractions at lower dose rates. This was in line with previous work by Playa One.
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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STAGE 3 Intermediate Salt Production
Reagent Dosage
The roasted mud from Stage 2 is then washed with water to dissolve the aluminium salts (and other salts) to
produce an acidic Pregnant Leach Solution (PLS), which is then mixed with a reagent to create an
intermediate aluminium salt. This is a crucial step in removing most of the major contaminants (iron, calcium
and sodium) before presentation to Stages 4 and 5, the final purification circuit.
Varying amounts of reagent were added to the unwashed clay (HY16444 to HY16447) and washed clay
(HY16736) to determine the optimal reagent dosage that maximises aluminium salt extraction and
minimises contaminant extraction. The results are shown in Figure 6 for the unwashed clay with assays for
all samples shown in Table 3, together with a previous sample tested by Playa One (2022) for comparison.
Figure 6. Reagent addition and intermediate salt quality tests LHMET001
Table 3. Intermediate salt quality from current work and HY11134 Playa One original work
The results of both the unwashed and washed clay show that 90% of the alumina is precipitated from the
PLS despite varying the reagent addition. This indicates only modest amounts of reagent may be required in
the processing circuit, and in general, the reagent consumption is about 30% less than previous work
completed by Playa One. This may result in cost savings in the final process design phase.
In addition, the purity of the intermediate salt is excellent for this Stage of the process, with many elements
below the assay method's 0.01% (100ppm) detection limit. Only sodium of the major contaminants showed
a significant difference between the washed (sodium content of 60 ppm) and unwashed (sodium content of
220 ppm to 400 ppm). This is a promising development for removing the Stage 1 Wash Circuit. The sodium
content of 60 ppm in the washed mud is a significant improvement over Playa One’s previous work.
The samples of intermediate salt from both washed and unwashed mud have been submitted for Stage 4
purification by hydrochloric acid- gas sparging. This will produce ultrapure aluminium hexachlorohydrate
(ACH), which will be subsequently calcined in Stage 5 to produce HPA. The final product will be submitted
for accurate and precise assay at a suitably qualified laboratory.
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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In summary, the metallurgical optimisation program for Stage 1 to Stage 3 has delivered results consistent
with or exceeding Playa One’s previous test work. It has also produced significant data for future process
modelling work.
Impact has now produced high-quality intermediate salts with several elements below the detection limits
of 100 ppm and with remaining contaminants in line with previous work and thus far validating the Playa
One Sulphate Process.
The intermediate salts from washed and unwashed clay have been submitted for Stage 4 purification by
hydrochloric acid-gas sparging. This will produce ultrapure aluminium hexachlorohydrate to be subsequently
calcined in Stage 5 to produce HPA.
Sample Information
Sample
MGA E
MGA N
Source
Al2O3%
K2O%
Fe2O3%
CaO%
Na2O%
SiO2%
MgO%
MnO%
P2O5%
LHMET001
243,880
6,409,250
East Lake
28.77
7.25
3.03
0.05
3.29
15.8
0.79
x
0.082
Table 4. Sample location and assays of major oxides for bulk sample LHMET001.
Assay and Metallurgical Information
All testing was undertaken at ALS Metallurgy Pty Ltd, Balcatta, Western Australia, under the supervision of a
qualified metallurgist. All data is presented as received. Assays were undertaken at ALS Geochemistry using
4-Acid digestion with ICP-OES multi-element quantification or lithium borate fusion with XRF finish, where
appropriate. The metallurgical test work is incomplete, and the results are preliminary.
About the Lake Hope Project
The Lake Hope Project covers numerous prospective salt lakes between Hyden and Norseman in southern
Western Australia, a Tier One jurisdiction. It comprises five granted exploration licences (E63/2086,
EL63/2317, 2318 and 2319, and EL74/673), covering the Lake Hope deposits already discovered, together
with three further exploration licence applications (ELA63/2730, ELA74/779 and ELA74/764) which are
poorly explored. The tenements cover about 238 km2 and are all 100% owned by Playa One Pty Limited.
Impact has the right to earn an interest in the company Playa One Pty Limited as follows (ASX Releases 1st
and 4th May 2023):
1. Upon completion of a PFS, Impact can enter an incorporated joint venture with the Playa One
shareholders (through an entity representing them, Playa Two Pty Ltd). If so, it will acquire an
immediate 80% interest in Playa One by issuing up to 120 million fully paid ordinary shares capped at
a maximum value of $8 million (based on the 5-day VWAP before the election) to the Playa One
Shareholders.
2. Upon completion of a Definitive Feasibility Study to be sole-funded by Impact, Impact will issue up to
100 million fully paid ordinary shares capped at a maximum value of $10 million (based on the 5-day
VWAP before the ASX announcement of the completion of the DFS) to the Playa One Shareholders.
3. Playa One shareholders will be free-carried to a Decision to Mine. Impact will maintain all Playa One
tenements in good standing during this time.
4. If a Decision to Mine is made, the Playa One Shareholders may contribute to mine development costs
or be diluted. If their interest falls below 7.5%, it will convert to a 2% net smelter royalty.
The Lake Hope Project contains globally unique high-grade aluminium clay minerals in the top few metres of
a playa lake, which has unique physical and chemical properties that allow for low-cost mining and offsite
metallurgical processing via a novel and cost-disruptive acid leaching process.
Preliminary economic studies indicate that the production of HPA and related products from Lake Hope will
be cost-competitive with current producers and other developers in Australia and globally.
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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Competent Persons Statement
The review of exploration activities and results in this report is based on information compiled by Dr Mike Jones, a Member of
the Australian Institute of Geoscientists. He is a director of the company and works for Impact Minerals Limited. He has sufficient
experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposits under consideration and to the activity that he is
undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code). Mike Jones has consented to the inclusion in the
report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
The review of metallurgical results contained in this report is based on information compiled by Mr Roland Gotthard, a Member
of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and a consultant to Impact Minerals Limited. He has sufficient experience
relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposits under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to
qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results,
Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code). Mr Gotthard has consented to the inclusion in the report of the matters
based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.
The data in this report that relates to Mineral Resource estimates for the Lake Hope Project is based on information evaluated
by Mr Simon Tear, who is a Member of The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (MAusIMM) and who has sufficient
experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is
undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of
Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the “JORC Code”). Mr Tear is a Director of H&S Consultants Pty Ltd,
and he consents to the inclusion in the presentation of the Mineral Resources in the form and context in which they appear.
The information in this announcement related to the Minerals Resource for the Lake Hope Project is based on information
announced to the ASX on 19th June 2023. The Company confirms that it is not aware of any new information or data that
materially affects the information included in the relevant market announcement and that all material assumptions and
technical parameters underpinning the estimates in the relevant market announcement continue to apply
ASX:IPT | ABN 52 119 062 261
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JORC Code, 2012 Edition – Table 1
Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data
Criteria
JORC Code explanation
Commentary
Sampling techniques
•
Nature and quality of sampling (e.g. cut channels,
random chips, or specific specialised industry standard
measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under
investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or
handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should
not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling.
•
Sampling comprised a representative 10kg sample dug from a pit
•
Samples were obtained from 0.5 to 1m depth with a weight of ~10kg, with the whole
sample bagged in plastic buckets.
•
LHMET sample preparation and analysis was completed at a commercial laboratory
(Intertek WA) using industry standard practices.
•
Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample
representivity and the appropriate calibration of any
measurement tools or systems used.
•
Metallurgical samples are representative powders produced in the laboratory using
normal metallurgical processes
•
Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are
Material to the Public Report.
•
p
f‘ d
y
d d’ w k
Drilling techniques
•
Drill type (e.g. core, reverse circulation, open-hole
hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and
details (e.g. core diameter, triple or standard tube,
depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type,
whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc).
•
No drilling has been reported so this criteria does not apply.
Drill sample recovery
•
Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample
recoveries and results assessed.
•
No drilling has been reported so this criteria does not apply.
•
Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and
ensure representative nature of the samples.
•
Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery
and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred
due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material.
•
Whether core and chip samples have been geologically
and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support
appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies
and metallurgical studies.
•
Mineralisation collected in LHMET001 is visually and chemically identical to material
throughout the East Lake
•
Mineralogy is impossible to determine visually
•
Photography of intact core specimens exists for 40 holes. For push tube holes where
core was not intact enough to be meaningful, no photos were taken.
•
Photography of 140 of 160 auger hole samples exists
•
Logging is qualitative in nature as the grain size is too fine to allow visual
identification of mineralogy even under hand lens or electron microscope
•
X-ray diffraction analysis was undertaken on 100 samples. XRD was used to infer
mineralogical composition to a minimal level of confidence and infer alunite
percentages for samples via regression of XRF assays using a ratio of 1% alunite per
2.26% Al2O3 on a dry basis
If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half
or all core taken.
•
0.5m sampling intervals were utilised where practicable
•
•
Whole core sample intervals were submitted for analysis
If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split,
etc and whether sampled wet or dry.
•
•
Samples were dried, crushed to 1mm and then riffle split to give a 300g sub sample
that was then pulverised to 80% passing 75 microns, which homogenised the clay.
For all sample types, the nature, quality and
appropriateness of the sample preparation technique.
•
•
Limited pulverising QAQC has been undertaken to ensure laboratory homogenisation
of the samples.
Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling
stages to maximise representivity of samples.
•
No wet samples were encountered. Most samples would be classed as moist clay.
•
Sample preparation techniques are considered appropriate.
•
49 Field duplicates were taken. For auger drilling this involved sampling 50% to each
duplicate from the opposite sides of the auger. A video is available to show this
process.
For the push tube drilling, cores were cut in half with a knife to produce a duplicate of
the sample.
•
Sample sizes are appropriate to grain size of the material being sampled
Logging
Sub-sampling techniques and
sample preparation
•
Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature.
Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography.
•
The total length and percentage of the relevant
intersections logged.
•
•
•
Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is
representative of the in-situ material collected, including
for instance results for field duplicate/second-half
sampling.
Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size
of the material being sampled.
Criteria
JORC Code explanation
Commentary
Quality of assay data and
laboratory tests
•
The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying
and laboratory procedures used and whether the
technique is considered partial or total.
•
LHMET samples were assayed via lithium borate fusion and XRF quantification via
FB1/XRF10 or FB1/XRF30. The technique is considered a total digest technique.
•
•
The assay method is considered appropriate for the material and elements reported
For geophysical tools, spectrometers, handheld XRF
instruments, etc, the parameters used in determining the
analysis including instrument make and model, reading
times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation,
etc.
•
Sampling methodology
•
Flocculation testing was undertaken at ALS Laboratories, Balcatta, using a 56mm tube
with 100ml at 10% pulp density, and a variety of 0.01% flocculant added
•
Metallurgical solids are assayed by ALS Geochemistry using 4-acid or fusion digests
and ICP-MS or XRF quantification, respectively. These are considered total digestions.
•
Metallurgical liquors are assayed via solution ICP-MS and halides by ISE
•
Percent extractions are calculated by ALS Metallurgy based on solid and liquid assays
•
SEM imagery by RSC Consultants using backscatter electron and energy dispersive
spectrometry
The verification of significant intersections by either
independent or alternative company personnel.
•
LHMET001 to LHMET005 has been assayed at Intertek and at ALS Laboratories
•
•
Metallurgical samples have not been independently verified
The use of twinned holes.
•
•
Documentation of prima
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