Quarterly Activities Report
Perth, Oct 29, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Australia's next rare earths producer, Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (
ASX:HAS) (5AM:FRA), is pleased to report on exploration and development activities for the three-month period to 30 September 2021.
Most of the activity focused on the Company's Yangibana Rare Earths Project (Yangibana) in the Gascoyne region of Western Australia.
The Company continues to remain lost time injury free. There were no incidents resulting in injury during the September quarter, with the LTI free period now stretching to 1157 days.
Work on development of project health and hygiene management plans for Yangibana and Onslow sites have now commenced whilst a medical services contract has been approved and is being mobilised to site.
Western Australian State Government Commendation
Hastings has received commendation from Premier Mark McGowan, on behalf of the Western Australian Government, for the Company's commitment to bring the Yangibana Rare Earths Project into production. The project is demonstrated to have strong alignment with the State's Future Battery Industry Strategy, which aims to expand the range of future battery minerals that are extracted and processed in Western Australia.
Environment & Permitting
Environmental referral documentation for the Onslow Rare Earths Plant, which will serve as the downstream hydrometallurgical processing operation for the Yangibana Rare Earths Project was submitted to the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (DAWE) during the quarter. Following the end of the quarter, Hastings was informed that DAWE had granted environmental approval for construction and operation of the plant (see ASX announcement dated 26 October 2021 Commonwealth Environmental Approval for Hydro Plant Onslow). A Native Vegetation Clearing Permit, Works Approval and Development Application are being readied for submission in anticipation for the commencement of construction during 2022.
Section 45C approval for the revised layout at Yangibana, to incorporate additional Mineral Resource areas that will extend the life of mine to 15 years currently, is now imminent. Secondary approvals have been progressed and are forthcoming.
The Environmental Scoping Document for Yangibana Expansion 1 was approved by the WA EPA Board. Studies are well advanced to inform the approval documentation for the additional Mineral Resource areas to be used at Yangibana.
Onslow Rare Earths Plant
Hastings received conditional approval from the WA Government's Development WA to develop the Yangibana Rare Earths Project's hydrometallurgical plant - to be known as the Onslow Rare Earths Plant - in the Ashburton North Strategic Industrial Area (ANSIA), near Onslow on the Pilbara coast. As detailed above, subsequent to quarter-end Hastings also received environmental approval from the Commonwealth's DAWE.
ANSIA offers Hastings access to key utilities as well as proximity to a skilled workforce in Onslow and the town's port and airport facilities. The ANSIA location has access to key services required for rare earths processing, such as a natural gas connection, sufficient water and power that are all located within close proximity of the proposed hydrometallurgical plant location.
ANSIA is approximately 430km by road from the Yangibana mine site. Location of the hydrometallurgical plant at ANSIA is where the final production of a mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) occurs.
Early Works Underway at Yangibana Site
Early works as part of a $20 million infrastructure scope of activities are now underway at the Yangibana mine site. The 60-bed fly camp is operational and key staff and contractors are operating from the site. Enabling infrastructure works will continue ahead of the plant construction activities and mine development, which are planned to commence formally in 2022.
Hastings announced in August 2021 that the initial early works construction focus would encompass:
- Access roads connecting the mine site to the public Shire roads;
- A 2,000m long airstrip capable of accommodating aircraft with up to 50 seat capacity;
- A 300-bed accommodation village;
- A multi-tower communications microwave link to connect the site to the public network;
- Water reticulation from the borefield to the processing plant; and
- Ongoing geotechnical activities
Yangibana Technical and Design Development
Project development and associated engineering efforts including execution readiness tasks continue to accelerate during the quarter towards delivering an updated control capital budget and schedule. This will allow more rapid progress of detailed engineering to finalise the control budget and schedule for the de-coupled hydrometallurgical processing plant arrangement.
Kiln, scrubber and SAG mill packages continue to progress. To assist with these works, the Hastings engineering team has been bolstered with the appointments of an experienced contracts manager and a project cost controller. Both appointments are integral as Hastings continues with early infrastructure construction over the coming months.
A geotechnical program of test pitting and shallow boreholes to support final design work for the access road, airstrip, process plant and tailings storage facility was completed. This allows final design work to be completed prior to the commencement of earthworks in Q4 2021.
The beneficiation plant site layouts and design continue to mature. DRA Global is continuing with detailed Material Take-offs (MTOs) for both the beneficiation and hydrometallurgical plant sites with detailed engineering to allow quantities of earthworks, concrete, steel, piping and electrical to be estimated ready for the tendering process.
Water drilling tender packages have progressed with additional bores in the SipHon bore field scheduled for installation in Q4 2021 along with water pipeline designs to support earthwork construction activities.
The 300-bed village tender process is progressing to a close with a final decision on award expecting late in Q4 2021.
IT infrastructure packages are progressing as planned with negotiations around site access for towers being finalised with Traditional Owners. Site works for towers are scheduled to commence in Q4 2021.
Work with the Shires of Upper Gascoyne, Carnarvon and Ashburton continues regarding a road condition report and assessment to support the development of an agreement that will outline road upgrade requirements, traffic management and road maintenance for the duration of the project.
Ongoing cost pressures are being experienced across the board in Western Australia's resources sector because of higher energy costs, material shortages and acute skilled labour shortages. While iron ore prices have softened during the quarter the expected price correction in steel prices has not yet materialised. These inputs are placing the current capital and operating cost estimates for all development-stage resources projects under pressure. During the quarter Hastings has continued to evaluate the impacts of these increases and any project scope remediation and engineering mitigation that may be required or possible to implement to manage and offset, where possible, capital cost escalations.
To view the full Quarterly Report, please visit:
https://abnnewswire.net/lnk/34YX04OB
About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd
Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas.
Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China.
Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project.
Brockman Project
The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition).
The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project.
Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products.
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