Godolphin produces mixed rare earth carbonate
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2024-11-04
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Godolphin Resources (ASX:GRL) has produced the first mixed rare earth carbonate (MREC) from its Narraburra Project in New South Wales during process development testing. MREC is an intermediate product from rare earths mining and processing which can be sold to specialist refining companies for processing into rare earth metals and oxides.Godolphin says the composition of the Narraburra MREC indicates a “high value product with significant concentrations of terbium and dysprosium with low impurities”.The phase-three metallurgical test work showed magnet rare earth oxide (MREO) extraction rates of 90% with typical concentrations of impurities in leach solutions and very low acid consumption of 1.2kg per tonne. Overall recoveries of MREO from clay reached 77%, while total rare earth oxide (TREO) recoveries were greater than 71%. The critical heavy rare earth oxides account for 66% of the TREO. The final stage of the program was precipitating a MREC product using the ‘clean’ liquor from the impurity removal stage.Godolphin’s first MREC test achieved high recoveries of 99.6% neodymium, 99% praseodymium, 99% dysprosium and 99% terbium.The company notes that this coupled with the strong REO extractions achieved during leaching and only moderate losses during impurity removal, resulted in a high REO recovery from ore feed through to the final MREC product including 79% of the neodymium, 79% of the praseodymium, 63% of the terbium and 71% of the dysprosium.The percent of dysprosium and terbium was 3.1% of the MREC weight, or 5.4% of the contained TREO, which Godolphin says is high when compared to some other peer companies with clay-hosted REE mineralisation projects whose MRECs are relatively neodymium and praseodymium rich, but poor in dysprosium and terbium.The company, which has a market capitalisation of $5.4 million, says this is important because the value of dysprosium is over four times that of neodymium and praseodymium, and the value of terbium is almost 14 times that of neodymium and praseodymium.When the current prices of all the REOs are considered, the dysprosium and terbium in the Narraburra MREC makes up approximately 48.5% of the value of the TREOs, which should result in higher payability based on industry pricing mechanisms, according to Godolphin. The process development testing program was designed to investigate options for the flow sheet to process Narraburra rare earth element (REE) mineralisation, including slurry leaching, impurity removal and the production of a MREC saleable product. Test work was undertaken by The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation.Managing Director Jeneta Owens says the metallurgical test work is a critical step in understanding the optimal conditions to process the Narraburra Project’s REE mineralisation in an efficient and cost-effective manner. “Pleasingly, this has led to the creation of the project’s first MREC, which will allow for the commencement of discussions with potential offtake partners,” she says. “The MREC precipitation phase has highlighted the potential for a very high quality, high value product which can be produced from the processing of the Narraburra REE mineralisation. “These are critical factors when considering the economics of the project and will bode well for future development options.”The 100%-owned Narraburra Project covers 504km² and hosts an existing resource of 94.9 million tonnes @ 739 parts per million (ppm). including a “high-grade” core of 20 million tonnes @ 1,079ppm TREO. Godolphin is presenting on day one of the Noosa Mining Conference being held at Peppers Noosa Resort from 13-15 November.
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