World News

USA USA Rare Earth exercises option to acquire stake in Round Top Project

Texas Mineral Resources Corp. (TMRC) has announced that, pursuant to the terms of the approved 2019 amended and restated option agreement, USA Rare Earth has fully funded its US$10 million commitment to earn its 70% interest in the Round Top heavy rare earth, lithium, and critical minerals project in Hudspeth County, Texas, and has exercised its option to acquire an additional 10% of the Round Top Project.

As a result of the performance by USA Rare Earth, pursuant to the 2019 amended and restated option agreement, TMRC formed Round Top Mountain Development LLC to hold the joint venture (JV) interests of TMRC and USA Rare Earth. TMRC will own a 20% interest in Round Top Mountain Development LLC. All other corporate activities, such as TMRC’s rare earth elements from coal initiatives, as well as its New Mexico silver exploration project, are not part of the USA Rare Earth JV and remain 100% with TMRC.

USA Rare Earth recently completed a Series C funding round of US$50 million and is now funded through the completion of the definitive feasibility study (DFS). The DFS includes the pre-feasibility study, the pilot plant, and a demonstration plant to be built at the Round Top site later this year, which will include test heap leach pads and continuous ion exchange processing. The demonstration plant will support the DFS and permitting, as well as producing representative materials for evaluation by prospective customers. The Round Top JV has received construction stormwater permits from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and has commenced a 20 000 t bulk sample to support the feasibility studies and the demonstration plant. USA Rare Earth will continue to explore additional financing as required with its advisors, Goldman Sachs and Bank of Montreal.

MALI Resolute Mining begins blasting at Syama Mine

Asignificant milestone for the Resolute and Orica partnership has recently been achieved, with the commencement of production blasting at the Syama mine in Mali using WebGenTM, the world’s first fully wireless initiating system developed by Orica.

The WebGen system completely eliminates the need for down-lines and surface connecting wires by sending firing commands through hundreds of metres of rock, air and water, in order to initiate blasts reliably and safely without re-entry into high-risk areas. Wireless blasting supports Resolute’s strategic vision of being a successful low-cost gold producer.

WebGen will drive eff iciency and optimisation throughout the production cycle for the mine, including increased cave flow performance and overall ore recovery by reducing the consequences of hole dislocation or loss and redrilling required.

Resolute intends to utilise WebGen across its underground production operations and sees WebGen as a critical enabler to achieving its automated mine of the future vision at Syama.

AUSTRALIA Alien Metals commences Phase 2 drilling on Hancock Licence

Alien Metals Ltd, a minerals exploration and development company, has advised that it has commenced the second phase of drilling on the Hancock Licence, part of the Hamersley Direct Shipping Iron Ore High Grade Project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This follows the recently completed maiden drilling programme.

The company had suff icient confidence from the first batch of drill results from Phase 1 – both analytically and geologically – to return to the field and push on with an in-fill and extension drilling programme, using the same drill rig and drill team. Further, preliminary assay results have been received now on all samples from the Phase 1 drill programme and, once quality assurance/quality control has been completed and reviewed, the company will update the market as soon as possible.

The company’s focus for Phase 2 of drilling will be to seek a potential maiden resource on the Sirius Extension Prospect, adding knowledge and potential to the Ridge E Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) anomaly already defined, and will also test some newly identified DSO targets within the main area already drilled, including ridge C. If possible, the company may also consider surface reconnaissance and mapping on some untested areas to further expand its knowledge of the project.

WORLD NEWS

Diary Dates

Mines and Money Online Connect 22 – 24 June 2021 VIRTUAL EVENT https://minesandmoney.com/online

MINExpo INTERNATIONAL 2021 13 – 15 September 2021 Las Vegas, USA www.minexpo.com

China Coal & Mining Expo 2021 26 – 29 October 2021 Beijing, China www.chinaminingcoal.com

The Digital Mine 2021 03 November 2021 VIRTUAL EVENT www.globalminingreview.com/ digitalmine2021

Iron Ore Conference 2021 08 – 10 November 2021 Perth, Australia, and Online www.ausimm.com/ conferences-and-events/iron-ore

AIMEX 2021 16 – 18 November 2021 Sydney, Australia www.aimex.com.au

Mining Indonesia 2021 17 – 20 November 2021 Jakarta, Indonesia www.mining-indonesia.com

To stay informed about the status of industry events and any potential cancellations of events due to COVID-19, visit Global Mining Review’s events page: www.globalminingreview.com/events

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO CMCO, ERG, Umicore, and Glencore pilot cobalt traceability solution

Major metals and mining companies CMOC, Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) and Glencore, in collaboration with battery material supplier Umicore, are piloting ReISource, a solution to trace responsibly produced cobalt from the mine to the electric car. A global electric vehicle pioneer and one of the world’s leading battery makers are also partaking.

Tested in real operating conditions, from upstream cobalt production facilities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to downstream electric vehicle production sites, the pilot will run until the end of 2021, with the roll-out of the final solution expected in 2022.

VivoPower International PLC has announced that the company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Tembo e-LV B.V., have entered into a non-binding heads of terms with Canadian industrial equipment distributor, Acces Industriel Mining Inc., for Acces to distribute Tembo electric light vehicles (e-LVs) in Canada.

Under the proposed agreement, Acces would commit to purchasing 1675 Tembo e-LV conversion kits through December 2026. Based upon the company’s estimates, these orders could be worth an estimated US$120 million in total value over the life of the proposed agreement, with a delivery schedule weighted towards the latter part of the proposed agreement period. The proposed agreement must be finalised prior to 30 June 2021, unless the parties agree to an extension, and all purchase commitments would be subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the final agreement.

The Tembo kits transform diesel-powered Toyota Land Cruiser and Hilux vehicles into ruggedised e-LVs for use in mining and other hard-to-decarbonise sectors, including construction and defence. Alongside solar generation, battery storage, and on-site power distribution, Tembo e-LV products are a key component of VivoPower’s turnkey net-zero solutions for corporate decarbonisation. The proposed agreement follows January’s distribution agreement with GB Auto Group Pty Ltd and GB Electric Vehicles Pty Ltd. Discussions with other distributors are also active and ongoing across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, the Americas, and Asia. VivoPower is targeting the completion of its global Tembo distribution network by December 2021.

VivoPower selected Acces as the company’s distribution partner in Canada because of its established, long-term experience supplying, ruggedising and servicing Toyota Land Cruisers, as well as its extensive active relationships with dozens of mining companies.

Under the proposed agreement, it is intended that Acces would commit to purchase the 1675 kits from VivoPower as scheduled over the duration of the agreement; acquire an equal number of Land Cruisers or Hilux from Toyota; convert the vehicles to ruggedised e-LVs using the Tembo solutions; sell the units on; and be retained by customers for servicing and maintenance.

VivoPower and Acces intend to finalise the proposed agreement as soon as practical.

CANADA VivoPower International proposes US$120 million Canadian distribution agreement

WORLD NEWS

AUSTRALIA Roy Hill expands K2fl y agreement

Following the completion of the SATEVA Acquisition by K2fly Ltd on 28 October 2020, K2fly has announced the first contract of the full Mining Technical Assurance suite, a 5-year contract with a total contract value of AUS$2.44 million to Roy Hill.

Roy Hill is a world-class iron ore operation and the largest single iron ore mine in Australia, situated 344 km south-east of Port Hedland in Western Australia’s mineral rich Pilbara region. It is an independent iron ore operation with local majority ownership, chaired by Gina Rinehart. The operation ships more than 60 million tpy of iron ore, with approval to move up to 70 million tpy.

Among the many benefits of the adoption of this suite of products is an improvement in critical mine geology through automation, resulting in improved short-term scheduling and excavation of the ore body. In large scale opencast mines, such as Roy Hill, small improvements in grade recovery or excavation eff iciency deliver significant additional value to the operator.

The contract marks two significant milestones for K2fly: it is the first contract of the full suite of SATEVA products, including model management, automated-ore-blocking, and mine-geology-data-management devices that work together to deliver enhanced assurance and improved recoveries for large opencast mines. In addition, it is a significant expansion in the company’s relationship with Roy Hill, which has actively collaborated with SATEVA previously and K2fly since its acquisition of this solution. The entities will continue to expand their partnership and collaboration into the future.

CANADA Weir Minerals announces order with IAMGOLD

Weir Minerals has announced another major order of Enduron® high pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) in gold application with IAMGOLD.

An Enduron HPGR, with rolls measuring 2.4 m x 2.4 m (length:diameter), will be installed at IAMGOLD’s Côté Gold Project, Ontario, Canada. This will be the largest HPGR in Canada and the largest in the world in a gold hard rock application. Weir Minerals’ Enduron HPGR unique design is well suited to IAMGOLD’s Côté Gold operations and will help to achieve industry-leading particle size reduction, with the lowest total operating costs.

The Weir Minerals Canada team and purpose-built facilities will be providing full HPGR services for the Côté Gold operations.

SERBIA Rio Tinto partners with InoBat

Rio Tinto and InoBat have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together to accelerate the establishment of a ‘cradle to cradle’ battery manufacturing and recycling value chain in Serbia. The partnership will cover the full commodity life-cycle – from mining through to the recycling of lithium.

Rio Tinto’s Jadar project in Serbia, one of the largest greenfield lithium projects in development, has the potential to produce approximately 55 000 t of battery grade lithium carbonate in Europe, one of the world’s largest growing electric vehicles markets. InoBat, a European based battery manufacturer with a battery reasearch and development facility and pilot plant being developed in Slovakia, intends to scale up its future production, through gigafactories to be built in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. InoBat’s goal is to serve the European market with innovative energy solutions, including production and recycling of electric vehicle batteries.

It is envisaged that the collaboration between Jadar and InoBat will also encourage the development of a complete European lithium and electric vehicle battery value chain that will harness and enhance local skills; environmental, social, and governance standards; and cross-border interactions for the benefit of Serbia and other European economies that wish to collaborate.

In 2020, Rio Tinto approved an investment of almost US$20 million to complete the final phase of study at the Jadar project, which is expected to be finalised in 2021, with an investment decision to follow. The scale and high-grade nature of the Jadar deposit provides potential for a mine to supply lithium products into the electric vehicle value chain for decades. If approved, construction of a mine to the highest environmental standards would take up to 4 years and be a significant investment for Serbia, with direct and indirect economic benefits to the Serbian economy.