Diatreme Resources (ASX:DRX) is set to begin an aircore drilling program at its Cyclone Zircon Project in Western Australia as it seeks to update its metallurgical testwork and confirm previous drilling results.
Discovered in 2007, the project sits along the Barton shoreline within the Wanna Lakes area of the northern Eucla Basin, 25km from WA’s border with South Australia. Diatreme completed its first aircore program at the project shortly thereafter, during which the Cyclone deposit was discovered.
The upcoming campaign is expected to consist of up to 156 holes totalling 5.5km of aircore drilling. This will be completed along existing gridlines, 25m apart from the previously drilled holes.
Diatreme says this work will provide greater data certainty while more accurately determining the target depth and sampling intervals.
Under the metallurgical component of the program, 10 tonnes of heavy mineral sand will be collected from the Cyclone deposit, taken from areas that represent the first three years of planned production. Diatreme intends to gather enough samples for processing testwork using the latest equipment and processes.
Previous metallurgical testing had been carried out on a seven-tonne bulk sample in 2011, as well as a 12-tonne sample in 2013.
The aim is to boost recovery grades and product quality for both zircon and the “full suite of titanium minerals” through improvements to the project’s wet concentrator plant and mineral separation plant.
“This new drilling program will enable further metallurgical assessment of the Cyclone deposit’s amenability to the latest innovative processing techniques, while also reconfirming the Definitive Feasibility Study modelling on Cyclone’s heavy mineral sands product suite is optimised for both market acceptability and pricing,” Diatreme CEO Neil McIntyre says.
“The ‘shovel-ready’ Cyclone Project is well-positioned for development, with all major approvals in place and given the declining global supply and continued demand for these key critical minerals of high-grade zircon and titanium.”
Diatreme will be presenting at the Noosa Mining Conference being held from 13 to 15 November 2024 at Peppers Noosa Resort. Click here to register. Mining.com.au is a media partner of this year’s event.
Write to Oliver Gray at Mining.com.au
Images: Diatreme Resources
