Venture Minerals (ASX:VMS) is conducting a series of reviews of mineralogical data to inform the design of metallurgical processing routes and align them with the Jupiter rare earth discovery’s style of mineralisation.
As part of the comprehensive metallurgical program, which follows on from the initial resource drill-out at Jupiter, testwork will focus on removing coarse quartz, iron oxides, and feldspar via common, cost-effective, physical separation methods.
Venture Minerals, which has a market capitalisation of $43.91 million, says this work will aim to update the clay-hosted rare earths mineralisation.
Managing Director Philippa Leggat says the company is focused on making “smart decisions” that gives Jupiter the best chance of being a mining operation in the future.
“There is no one-size-fits-all approach to rare earths, and that means doing the work to build a meaningful foundation, which is particularly important with a project as big as Jupiter,” Leggat says.
“We have completed an extensive resource drill-out across the 40km2 area and have taken the time to understand our mineralisation, so that we can make decisions based on data.
“That process is ongoing and allows us to incorporate data as we can receive assays or test results, and as our knowledge grows.”
The testwork is designed to assess the potential and efficacy for creating a beneficiated product, because of the “significant” benefits that beneficiation could yield.
Leggat notes that the company’s work on the mineralogy has uncovered the opportunity to upgrade the clay-hosted rare earth minerals like quartz and iron oxides.
“We’re looking at the potential to create a beneficiated product by reducing the overall volume of material that we might process using cost-effective, industry-standard methods to remove waste,” she says.
“Beneficiation has the potential to substantially reduce the volume of material that is processed, which in turn could result in lower capital and operating costs for a future mining operation.
“Also keep in mind that Jupiter is located within an existing mining precinct that’s supported by excellent, existing infrastructure, including rare earths processing facilities within trucking distance on bitumen highways.”
Further, the program will inform and be a precursor to subsequent extractive metallurgical testwork.
The broader metallurgical program is planned to follow in stages and will be undertaken across several independent laboratories. Different testwork may be undertaken in conjunction or in series, to deliver results as efficiently and effectively as possible.
The Jupiter discovery lies in regional Western Australia and is less than 10km from the bitumen highway that runs between Mount Magnet and Geraldton.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: Venture Minerals
