Company: ABx Group

ABx Group (ASX:ABX)

WRITTEN BY Aaliyah Rogan

ABx launches SPP to raise $500,000

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) is conducting a share purchase plan (SPP) to raise up to $500,000 at the same price as the placement completed in September 2023 to advance its Deep Leads/Rubble Mound Project in Tasmania. 

The offer price will be $0.08, a premium of 2.4% to the 30-day volume weighted average price (VWAP) to 24 November ($0.0781). 

ABx, which has a market capitalisation of $17.44 million, says shareholders can purchase shares totalling up to $30,000. 

Pursuant to a prospectus to be issued by ABx, shareholders will also be able to apply for one free-attaching option for every 2 shares applied for under the SPP offer. 

ABx directors that hold shares have indicated that they will be participating in the SPP at the maximum level permissible. 

The full details will be included in the SPP offer documents which will be sent to eligible shareholders on 4 December 2023. 

The funds raised will be applied to advance its rare earths project, namely Deep Leads/Rubble Mounds, as well as general working capital. 

Its rare earths resource in Tasmania is a true ionic absorption clay deposit. Desorption tests conducted by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) found that the ABx deposit has the ‘highest’ extractions under relatively neutral conditions reported from any clay-hosted rare earth deposit in Australia. 

ABx Group is a high-tech Australian company focused on ionic adsorption clay rare earths, hydrofluoride and aluminium fluoride.

Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au  

Images: ABx Group
Author Image
Written By Aaliyah Rogan
Relocated from the East Coast in New Zealand to Queensland Australia, Aaliyah is a fervent journalist who has a passion for storytelling. When Aaliyah isn’t writing stories, she is either spending time with friends and family or down at the beach.
  • 21 November, 2023
WRITTEN BY Mining.com.au Staff Writers

ABx block model approach almost doubles resources

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has completed the first comprehensive block model resource estimation of the Deep Leads-Rubble Mound rare earth resources. Managing Director and CEO Mark Cooksey tells Mining.com.au this is the first resource estimate using the block model approach, which almost doubled the resource up to 52 million tonnes. Averaging 817ppm, he says it is also a very similar grade to other comparable projects in Australia.

Written By Mining.com.au Staff Writers
WRITTEN BY Adam Drought

ABx’s Tasmanian rare earths resource exceeds 50 million tonnes

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has posted a resource estimate of more than 50 million tonnes (Mt) for its Deep Leads-Rubble Mound rare earths project in Tasmania. 

The $16.96 million market capitalisation company says the resource sits at 52Mt averaging 817 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO) from 39% of the mineralised outline. It marks the first comprehensive block model resource estimation of the Deep Leads-Rubble Mound rare earth resources. 

ABx reports the resource demonstrates a ‘remarkably high’ proportion of dysprosium plus terbium, averaging 4.4% of TREO, with some blocks exceeding 6%.

The company notes that these results represent the highest proportion of any clay-hosted rare earths resource in Australia. 

ABx states the resource model is based on data from 407 drillholes across the resource area and, because it models all intercepts to date, highlights 4 ‘high-grade’ zones that warrant follow-up. 

Drilling is currently in ‘full swing’ at the project. 

As of 1:50pm AEDT, ABx Group’s share price had increased by 7.142% to $0.075.     

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Cooksey says the block modelling represents a ‘significant’ step towards the commercial assessment of its Tasmanian assets.

“ABx’s resource is exceptionally enriched in permanent magnet rare earths, especially dysprosium and terbium, which have the highest supply risk and are almost exclusively produced ion ionic adsorption clay rare earth deposits.”

ABx Group is a high-tech Australian company focused on the creation of an ionic adsorption clay rare earth project in northern Tasmania and establishing a plant to produce hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride from recycled industrial waste. 

As of 30 September, the company had $6.896 million cash and cash equivalents at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.

Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au

Images: ABx Group
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Written By Adam Drought
Born and raised in the UK, Adam is a sports fanatic with an interest in Rugby League and UFC/MMA. When not training in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Adam attends Griffith University where he is completing his final year of a Communication & Journalism degree.
  • 15 November, 2023
WRITTEN BY Mining.com.au Staff Writers

ABx Group live from Australian National University Rare Earth Conference: Mining Minute November 15

In today’s Mining Minute, ABx Group (ASX:ABX) Managing Director Mark Cooksey joins Mining.com.au live from Canberra following the Australian Aluminium Council breakfast with MPs, Senators, and Advisors. Cooksey is attending the Australian National University Rare Earth Conference from 14-16 November this week, also in Canberra.

Written By Mining.com.au Staff Writers
WRITTEN BY Aaliyah Rogan

ABx’s new pilot batch reactor begins operations

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has officially commissioned its new ‘state-of-the-art’ bath pilot batch reactor at its 83% owned subsidiary ALCORE’s technology centre in New South Wales. 

With the reactor now operational, the first results on its performance and bath process yield are expected in December 2023. 

The reactor has been designed for the recovery of fluoride from ‘excess bath’ to produce hydrogen fluoride, with a later-stage commercial plant to further react the hydrogen fluoride to produce aluminium fluoride — a ‘high-value’ chemical essential for aluminium smelting. 

ABx, which has a market capitalisation of $16.47 million, says the initial reactor operations processed excess bath using modified process conditions to provide greater safety and certainty that the reactor will perform as expected. 

The first run demonstrated the potential of the reactor, with operations proceeding without issue and hydrogen fluoride produced. 

Following the hydrogen fluoride production, ABx conducted a hazard and operability (HAZOP) study, which reviewed all of the processes undertaken throughout the operations. This was to ensure the safety and efficacy of the reactor operations. 

ABx Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Cooksey says the commissioning of the reactor, alongside the production of hydrogen fluoride from excess bath, is a ‘fantastic’ result for ALCORE. 

“While using modified conditions, these results provide the technical validation required to proceed with further processing activities. 

Processing of bath using our new reactor will provide important data on our ability to produce greater yields, at roughly ten times the scale of our smaller laboratory reactor, where much of our work has been focused to date. 

“Results from this new reactor are expected to provide more robust data which will be used to eventually scale-up operations to a continuous pilot plant and first commercial plant”

Results from this new reactor are expected to provide more robust data which will be used to eventually scale-up operations to a continuous pilot plant and first commercial plant.”

ABx Group is a high-tech Australian company focused on the creation of an ionic absorption clay rare earth project in northern Tasmania and establishing a plant to produce hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride from recycled industrial waste. 

As of 30 September 2023, the company had $6.87 million cash at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.

Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au 

Images: ABx Group
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Written By Aaliyah Rogan
Relocated from the East Coast in New Zealand to Queensland Australia, Aaliyah is a fervent journalist who has a passion for storytelling. When Aaliyah isn’t writing stories, she is either spending time with friends and family or down at the beach.
WRITTEN BY Adam Drought

ABx seeks to increase MRE as follow-up drilling gets underway

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) is looking to increase the existing Deep Leads – Rubble Mound JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) through a follow-up drilling program in northern Tasmania. 

The $16.23 million market capitalisation company says the follow-up drilling will test step-out locations from its previous campaigns, which intersected the highest assays of rare earth elements (REE) to date. 

Drilling will begin at the Wind Break deposit before moving to the northern extensions of the Deep Leads – Rubble Mound resource which ABx in September identified a series of ‘high-grade’ exploration results, including hole RM336 with 17,333 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO). 

This result is 4 times higher than ABx’s previous ‘highest-grade’ discovery. 

The company notes drilling at Wind Break is supported by funding from Mineral Resources Tasmania for round 8 of the exploration drilling grant initiative (EDGI). Funding is for up to a maximum of $70,000 on a dollar-for-dollar basis. 

ABx hopes potential discoveries from this campaign, in conjunction with ‘high-grade’ results from previous drilling, will increase the Deep Leads – Rubble Mound resource, which currently sits at 27 million tonnes (Mt) @ 803ppm TREO (24Mt inferred and 4Mt indicated).       

ABx Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director Mark Cooksey says the drilling program adds to the company’s strategy of building a reputation as a ‘highly active’ explorer in Tasmania. 

“ABx continues to build a reputation as a highly active exploration company in Tasmania, with continuous discoveries made throughout the year and now the launch of our next campaign which is anticipated to run until at least the end of 2023.

Given the spectacular results from our last campaign, the team is very keen to get back on the ground to further test this heavily enriched critical minerals channel. ABx has followed this REE channel for 16 km eastwards from Deep Leads to its Wind Break REE discovery and, to date, the best grades appear to occur in hilly scrub country or plantation forests.  

These increasing grades are coupled with the knowledge that the rare earth deposit has been confirmed to contain ionic adsorption clay rare earths. These are amenable to low-cost benign production methods with the potential to significantly reduce extraction costs.” 

ABx is a high-tech Australian company delivering materials for a cleaner future. 

The company’s current areas of focus are the creation of an ionic adsorption clay rare earth project in northern Tasmania and the establishment of a plant to produce hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride from recycled industrial waste through its 83% owned subsidiary Alcore. 

ABx had $6.896 million cash and cash equivalents at hand as of 30 September 2023, according to its latest quarterly report.

Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au

Images: ABx Group
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Written By Adam Drought
Born and raised in the UK, Adam is a sports fanatic with an interest in Rugby League and UFC/MMA. When not training in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Adam attends Griffith University where he is completing his final year of a Communication & Journalism degree.
WRITTEN BY Aaliyah Rogan

ABx to unearth more bauxite from DL130

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) is planning to excavate an additional 1,000 tonnes of bauxite during the December quarter from its DL130 Bauxite Project in Tasmania.

The product will come from a second trial pit and will be provided to 2 customers. 

This news comes after the $17.44 million market capitalisation company announced during the September quarter it had signed an agreement with Adelaide Brighton Cement (ABCL) for the supply of bauxite over a 5-year term. 

The bauxite material for ABCL to trial is on-site at the Birkenhead cement manufacturing operation, and ABCL will trial the material at an ‘appropriate time’ within its production schedule. 

ABx notes that some aspects of the mine lease application for DL130 are taking longer than anticipated. As such, bauxite mining is now expected to occur in Q2 2024. 

Meanwhile at the Sunrise Bauxite Project in Queensland, survey reports of the Bundaberg port lease area are planned to begin in December this year. 

ABx says the application to adjust the site boundary at the Bundaberg port is being progressed by the Department of Resources. 

Further, the company is continuing to schedule its planned environmental studies at the mine and port sites.

In Tasmania, ABx has a bauxite resource of 13.7 million tonnes across 3 deposits, and the company plans to begin exporting product during the first half of 2025.

The company reiterated this and more as part of its September quarterly report, released today (31 October). 

Alongside its bauxite plans, ABx highlighted a resource increase of 30% for its rare earths ionic adsorption clay asset in Tasmania to 27 million tonnes averaging 770 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxides (TREO) and 585 ppm TREO-cerium oxide (CeO2). 

This came after hole RM336 struck 17,333 ppm TREO — 4 times higher than the previous highest-grade hole from the area. 

During the quarter, ABx also installed a new bath pilot batch reactor at its Alcore Technology Centre in New South Wales. The commissioning of this reactor is still in progress. 

ABx Group is scheduled to exhibit at the International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) held in Sydney from 31 October to 2 November 2023. Mining.com.au is an official media partner of IMARC, which will showcase 470-plus mining leaders and resource experts throughout 7 concurrent conferences.

ABx Group is a high-tech Australian company focused on rare earth elements, aluminium fluoride, and bauxite. 

As of 30 September 2023, the company had $6.87 million cash at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.

Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au  

Images: ABx Group
Author Image
Written By Aaliyah Rogan
Relocated from the East Coast in New Zealand to Queensland Australia, Aaliyah is a fervent journalist who has a passion for storytelling. When Aaliyah isn’t writing stories, she is either spending time with friends and family or down at the beach.
WRITTEN BY Adam Orlando

ABx at IMARC: how grade and metallurgy reign supreme in rare earths

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) continues to position itself as a high-tech listed Australian company focused on delivering materials for a cleaner future.

As the first company to discover rare earths in Tasmania, ABx is uniquely positioned for growth with a focus on 3 significant businesses — the creation of an Ionic Adsorption Clay (IAC) rare earths project in northern Tasmania; the establishment of a plant to produce hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride from recycled industrial waste via its 83% owned subsidiary ALCORE; and mining and enhancing the value of bauxite resources for cement, aluminium, and fertilisers.

Managing Director and CEO Dr Mark Cooksey tells this news service at the upcoming International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) held in Sydney from 31 October to 2 November 2023, he will predominantly be presenting about the company’s REEs exposure due to time restrictions.

Speaking ahead of the conference, of which Mining.com.au is an official media partner, Cooksey notes there is a potential update regarding ALCORE ahead of the event, which will showcase 500-plus mining leaders and resource experts throughout 7 concurrent conferences.

Last month, this news service reported the arrival and installation of a bath pilot batch reactor at ABx’s 83% owned subsidiary ALCORE’s Technology Centre located on the New South Wales Central Coast.

The reactor employs ‘state-of-the-art technology’ to enhance process mixing, which is critical to achieving a high fluorine yield, and features a processing capacity 10 times larger than the previous bath laboratory reactor. 

However, at IMARC Cooksey says he plans to use his time presenting to reiterate recent record high assay results where ABx recorded 17,333 parts per million Total Rare Earth Oxides (TREO) from a drillhole within its Deep Leads-Rubble Mound Project area — 4 times higher than its previous top result.

The area was deliberately targeted, and the MD notes he will flag to IMARC how an analysis of the flowsheet, costs, and overall market indicates that the most critical factors for such deposits are grade and metallurgy.

“Resource size is less important, because the rare earth market is small“

“Resource size is less important, because the rare earth market is small.”

Cooksey could also touch on how a 5-year supply agreement signed with Adelaide Brighton Cement – a subsidiary of Adbri (ASX:ABC) – for 90,000-120,000 tonnes of bauxite from ABx’s DL130 Project will provide useful cashflow for the company.

IMARC now features 7 concurrent conferences covering the entire mining value chain with more than 340 technical talks, panel discussions, and strategic keynote presentations taking place throughout the 3 days. Attendees have an opportunity to gain strategic insights from C-suite executives on progressing ESG and environmental resilience, accelerating mining’s energy transition, and the digitisation of mines.

Write to Adam Orlando at Mining.com.au

Images: ABx 

  

  
  

        

      

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 Written By Adam Orlando
        
Mining.com.au Managing Editor Adam Orlando has more than 20 years’ experience in the media having held senior roles at various publications, including as Asia-Pacific Sector Head (Mining) at global newswire Acuris (formerly Mergermarket). Adam has worked in newsrooms around the world including Hong Kong, Singapore, London, and Sydney.

      

    

    
    
  



 


  
			

			    
  

				 WRITTEN BY Aaliyah Rogan 
	

	
  

    
ABx Group adopts WEF-developed ESG framework
  

  
  
  

    

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has adopted a new environmental, social, and governance (ESG) framework developed by the World Economic Forum (WEF). 





The $17.2 million market capitalisation company has also subscribed to a reporting platform built by Melbourne-founded ESG tech specialist Socialsuite to support its ESG monitoring and disclosing process.





ABx plans to release a baseline ESG disclosure report developed using Socialsuite’s tech before the end of December. 





The company plans to use Socialsuite’s platform to deliver and report on its ongoing progress towards improving ESG metrics and indicators, with the platform touted as an efficient tool for investors and other stakeholders to assess the company’s commitment and progression. 





ABx Group Managing Director Mark Cooksey says subscribing to the reporting platform has enabled the company and other small-to-mid-cap companies to complete their ESG reporting in a ‘structured, standardised, and globally recognised manner’. 





“As part of our purpose of ‘delivering materials for a cleaner future’, ABx is committed to the principles of ESG. 





The Socialsuite platform excels in making the World Economic Forum framework accessible and operational, and we will use it to demonstrate our ESG performance and share our journey of building robust ESG credentials.”







“As part of our purpose of ‘delivering materials for a cleaner future’, ABx is committed to the principles of ESG”







ABx has 2 key focus areas for its ESG reporting: the creation of rare earth element (REE) projects to enable the increased production of permanent magnets essential for renewable energy generation; and the establishment of a plant to produce hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride from recycled industrial waste. 





ABx is scheduled to exhibit at the upcoming International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) held in Sydney from 31 October to 2 November 2023. Mining.com.au is an official media partner of IMARC, which will showcase 500-plus mining leaders and resource experts throughout 7 concurrent conferences.





Socialsuite describes itself as a ‘global leader’ in impact technology. The company was founded in 2014 in Melbourne and has offices in Australia, the US, and Canada. 





ABx Group is focused on delivering materials for a cleaner future. As of 30 June 2023, the company had $5.89 million cash at hand, according to its latest quarterly report. On 6 September, the company launched a placement to raise $1.5 million.





Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au    





Images: ABx Group

  

  
  

        

      

                        Author Image
              

      
 Written By Aaliyah Rogan
        
Relocated from the East Coast in New Zealand to Queensland Australia, Aaliyah is a fervent journalist who has a passion for storytelling. When Aaliyah isn’t writing stories, she is either spending time with friends and family or down at the beach.

      

    

    
    
  



 


  
			

			    
    
    
  • 28 September, 2023
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				 WRITTEN BY Carolyn Rebeiro 
	

	
  

    
‘The best we know of in Australia’: Mark Cooksey on ABx’s latest assay Results
  

  
  
  

    

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has recorded 17,333 parts per million total rare earth oxides from a drillhole within its Deep Leads-Rubble Mound Project area in Tasmania — 4 times higher than the company’s previous top result. The area was deliberately targeted, and Managing Director and CEO Dr Mark Cooksey says the result gives the company greater confidence in its targeting methods as it seeks out more similar material.

  

  
  

        

      

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 Written By Carolyn Rebeiro
        
Joining Mining.com.au from the West Coast, finance presenter Carolyn began her journalism degree in Townsville and developed a passion for mining news after a FIFO stint in WA's Goldfields.

      

    

    
    
  



 


  
			

			    
  

				 WRITTEN BY Aaliyah Rogan 
	

	
  

    
ABx gears up for Deep Leads /  Rubble Mound drilling
  

  
  
  

    

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) is planning its next round of drilling which is set to begin in late October at the Deep Leads / Rubble Mound project in Tasmania. 





As well as planned exploration drilling, the $19.38 million market capitalisation company will progress expanding the rare earths target area from 35km to more than 100km at the Deep Leads / Rubble Mount to the Windbreak discovery area. 





The company notes the rare earths target area also has the potential to expand ‘significantly’ to the west of drillhole RM336. 





This news follows after ABx received an ‘outstanding’ 17,333 parts per million (ppm) total rare earth oxide (TREO) assay result from its recent drilling program. 


















ABx says these intersected from drillhole RM336 are 4x higher than the previous ‘highest grade’ discovery hole RM302. 





Hole RM336 contained ‘extraordinarily’ high grades grades of the 2 most critical rare earth elements, dysprosium and terbium: up to 819ppm Dy2O3 and up to 138ppm Tb4O7. ABx’s rare earth discoveries in Tasmania are heavily enriched Dy and Tb. 





Results from this drilling campaign has given ABx further ‘encouragement’ that the company has located another ‘high-grade’ zone to complement those at Deep Leads, Rubble Mound, and Windbreak within an exploration target area that exceeds 100km-square and is only partly evaluated to date. 





An update resource estimation process is now underway to identify the ‘high-grade’ thick zones within the widespread resource and to identify those areas that require follow-up. 





The company has started research testwork to assess the trade-off between cost of extraction and the value of the concentrate produced whilst using benign leaching methods.















Commenting on the latest results, ABx Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Cooksey says: “Our ionic adsorption clay rare earths resources are exceptionally enriched in the 2 most critical rare earths, namely Dy and Tb. 





Hole RM336 is our most enriched intercept to date, with grades that I believe are unrivalled in Australia. These latest results have confirmed that ABx’s exploration technology is unravelling the genesis of this unique rare earths resource and leading us to the richer, thicker rare earths mineralisation.” 





ABx Group is an high-tech Australian company, focused on 3 current ‘significant’ projects prospective for rare earths. 





As of 30 June 2023, the company had $5.89 million cash at hand, according to its latest quarterly report. Subsequent to the end of the quarter the company conducted at $1.5 million single tranche share placement.





Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au       





Images: ABx Group

  

  
  

        

      

                        Author Image
              

      
 Written By Aaliyah Rogan
        
Relocated from the East Coast in New Zealand to Queensland Australia, Aaliyah is a fervent journalist who has a passion for storytelling. When Aaliyah isn’t writing stories, she is either spending time with friends and family or down at the beach.

      

    

    
    
  



 


  
			

			    
  

				 WRITTEN BY Adam Drought 
	

	
  

    
ABx expands exploration tenure in Tasmania
  

  
  
  

    

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has been granted 2 ‘significant’ exploration licences near Launceston in northern Tasmania. 





The $18.90 million market capitalisation company says the 2 tenements (EL27/2022 and EL28/2022) cover an area of 483km-square and have been granted for an initial 5-year term. 





ABx reports the ‘highly prospective’ licences secure the southwards extension of the ‘high-grade’ Portrush REE discovery about 52km east of its ‘major’ Deep Leads / Rubble Mound REE Project. 





Exploration programs at both tenements will now move ahead targeting prospective areas using the knowledge it has gained at the Deep Leads / Rubble Mound project and re-assaying of bottom-of-hole samples from the Portrush licence. 





Targets will then be tested for ionic adsorption clay rare earth deposits which, subject to results, may extend drilling programs at the tenements.     







“We’ve wanted to secure these two exploration areas ever since we obtained our highest rare earths grade of 4,812 ppm total rare earth oxides in hole PR033 at our Portrush discovery“







Speaking on the new licences, ABx Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Mark Cooksey says: “We’ve wanted to secure these two exploration areas ever since we obtained our highest rare earths grade of 4,812 ppm total rare earth oxides in hole PR033 at our Portrush discovery. 





These 2 large exploration licences significantly increase our rare earths exploration footprint in Tasmania to almost 600km-square, and I look forward to getting on the ground and kicking off our exploration program to locate more ionic adsorption clay rare earth deposits.” 





ABx Group is a ‘uniquely’ positioned and high-tech Australian company delivering materials for a cleaner future. 





The company’s current projects are the creation of an ionic adsorption clay rare earth project in northern Tasmania, the establishment of a plant to produce hydrogen fluoride and aluminium fluoride from recycled industrial waste through its 83-owned subsidiary Alcore, and the mining and enhancing of bauxite resources.





ABx Group had $5.89 million cash at hand as of 30 June 2023, however, the company raised an additional $1.5 million through a share placement reported earlier this month (September 2023).





Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au





Images: ABx Group

  

  
  

        

      

                        Author Image
              

      
 Written By Adam Drought
        
Born and raised in the UK, Adam is a sports fanatic with an interest in Rugby League and UFC/MMA. When not training in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Adam attends Griffith University where he is completing his final year of a Communication & Journalism degree.

      

    

    
    
  



 


  
			

			    
  

				 WRITTEN BY Adam Drought 
	

	
  

    
ABx to commission new ALCORE reactor
  

  
  
  

    

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) is ready to commission a new bath pilot batch reactor at the Alcore Technology Centre in New South Wales.





The $17.88 million market capitalisation company says the bath pilot batch reactor has arrived and has been installed at the centre following manufacture by a specialised international supplier in late March this year. The centre is owned by ABx’s 83%-owned subsidiary, ALCORE. 





ABx reports the reactor employs ‘state-of-the-art technology’ to enhance process mixing, which is critical to achieving a high fluorine yield, and features a processing capacity 10 times larger than the previous bath laboratory reactor. 





The company says recent development work by ALCORE has indicated that achieving a ‘very high’ fluorine yield from ‘excess bath’, an aluminium smelter waste product, has been proved feasible. However, this was difficult to achieve using the previous laboratory reactor, hence the installation of the new reactor. 





If the new pilot batch reactor achieves its designed high yield of fluorine from the aluminium smelter waste, it will give further confidence that the continuous pilot plant and first commercial plant will perform as designed and enable further development work to be conducted. 





The pilot plant facility is being developed to recover fluorine from excess bath to produce hydrogen fluoride, with a later-stage commercial plant to further react the hydrogen fluoride to produce aluminium fluoride, which represents a ‘high-value’ chemical essential for aluminium smelting.  





Commenting on the installation of the new reactor, ABx Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Mark Cooksey says: “The commissioning of this state-of-the-art reactor will be a major milestone in the development of the ALCORE process, as it will demonstrate that sufficient fluorine yield can be achieved using commercial reactor designs and process conditions. 





This significantly increases confidence in the overall process scale-up and commercialisation.”





ABx is an ASX-listed high-tech company delivering materials for a cleaner future. 





The company’s majority-owned subsidiary, ALCORE, is currently developing a technology centre situated on the Central Coast in New South Wales. 





ABx Group had $5.89 million cash at hand as of 30 June 2023, according to its latest quarterly report, though the company launched a $1.5 million share placement to help fund the ALCORE Pilot Plant earlier this month.





Write to Adam Drought at Mining.com.au





Images: ABx Group

  

  
  

        

      

                        Author Image
              

      
 Written By Adam Drought
        
Born and raised in the UK, Adam is a sports fanatic with an interest in Rugby League and UFC/MMA. When not training in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Adam attends Griffith University where he is completing his final year of a Communication & Journalism degree.

      

    

    
    
  



 


  
			

			    
    
    
  • 11 September, 2023
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				 WRITTEN BY Carolyn Rebeiro 
	

	
  

    
New bauxite supply deal underpins ABx’s DL130 Project
  

  
  
  

    

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has signed a 5-year supply agreement with Adelaide Brighton Cement, a subsidiary of Adbri (ASX:ABC), for 90,000 – 120,000 tonnes of bauxite from ABX’s DL130 Project in Tasmania. ABx Managing Director and CEO Mark Cooksey tells Mining.com.au that this agreement underpins the project, is sufficient to justify the start of mining, and will make it ‘easy’ to supply other customers at ‘relatively short notice’.

  

  
  

        

      

                        Author Image
              

      
 Written By Carolyn Rebeiro
        
Joining Mining.com.au from the West Coast, finance presenter Carolyn began her journalism degree in Townsville and developed a passion for mining news after a FIFO stint in WA's Goldfields.

      

    

    
    
  



 


  
			

			    
  

				 WRITTEN BY Aaliyah Rogan 
	

	
  

    
ABx signs 5-year bauxite supply agreement
  

  
  
  

    

ABx Group (ASX:ABX) has signed a 5-year agreement with Adelaide Brighton Cement, a subsidiary of Adbri (ASX:ABC), for the supply of cement-grade bauxite. 





ABx, which has an $18.55 million market capitalisation, says the bauxite will come from its DL130 Bauxite Project in northern Tasmania and will be shipped to Adelaide Brighton Cement’s Birkenhead cement manufacturing operation in South Australia. 





This is anticipated to begin in Q1 2024. 





ABx says the agreement forecasts the supply of 90,000 to 120,000 tonnes of bauxite over the 5-year term. The bauxite sale price has been agreed upon for the first shipment and is ‘satisfactorily profitable and commercial-in-confidence’, according to ABx. 





The sale price is to be negotiated for subsequent shipments. Adelaide Brighton Cement has the option to extend the term for a further 5 years. 





Commenting on the agreement, ABx Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mark Cooksey says: “This 5-year agreement with ABCL for the supply of cement-grade bauxite from our DL130 Bauxite Project represents a significant milestone for ABx and endorses the suitability of our bauxite for the broader cement industry. 







“Importantly, regular mining operations to supply ABCL will increase ABx’s ability to secure additional customers, for which there are active discussions.“







It enables both parties to plan for ongoing supply with confidence. Importantly, regular mining operations to supply ABCL will increase ABx’s ability to secure additional customers, for which there are active discussions.”





The company notes the mine lease application for DL130 is in progress, with approval pending and mining cement grade and fertiliser grade bauxite expected to begin in Q1 2024.





ABx Group is an Australian minerals company focused on delivering materials for a cleaner future. The company is focused on rare earths, hydrogen fluoride, aluminium fluoride, and bauxite.





Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au   





Images: ABx Group

  

  
  

        

      

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 Written By Aaliyah Rogan
        
Relocated from the East Coast in New Zealand to Queensland Australia, Aaliyah is a fervent journalist who has a passion for storytelling. When Aaliyah isn’t writing stories, she is either spending time with friends and family or down at the beach.