Latest news with #Kick-Start
West Australian
01-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Everest inks CSIRO Kick-Start agreement to study Mt Edon rubidium
Having inked an agreement with Australia's national science agency CSIRO, Everest Metals will use the agency's Kick-Start program to undertake advanced geochemical and mineralogical studies at its Mt Edon project. CSIRO's $50,000 Kick-Start Program voucher will support investigations into the suite of alkali-metals comprising lithium, rubidium and caesium whose mineral forms occur at elevated levels in Everest's Mt Edon project near Paynes Find in WA. The main focus of the studies will be on the nature and distribution of the three metals throughout the extensive Mt Edon pegmatite occurrences which will ultimately contribute to the understanding of lithium and rubidium and could improve recoveries of both metals. With caesium being one of the three elements in the triad of the lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) family, it is also a key indicator of 'pegmatite fertility' and a core focus of study. These indicators assist explorers in determining the likelihood of a pegmatite to carry potentially economic mineralisation which, until recently, have been referred to mostly in the context of the modern search for hard-rock lithium deposits which are usually hosted by pegmatites. LCT-style' pegmatites, while named for lithium, caesium, and tantalum, also relate to other metals like rubidium, beryllium, niobium, tin and sometimes even iron, manganese and rare earth elements. The collaborative study will also explore the correlation between rubidium and lithium in their various mineral phases. Overall, the venture aims to provide Everest with valid, data-based guidance towards identifying exploration areas of greatest potential for the metals. It may also enhance and streamline recoveries across a variety of metals via a single process with minimal additional flow-sheet modifications. Direct Rubidium Extraction (DRE) technology, initially developed for lithium, is now being explored for rubidium recovery. Roasting with alkali salts, followed by leaching, is also a common method for extracting both elements from certain mineral types. The specific processes and conditions for extracting lithium and rubidium more-or-less simultaneously may vary depending on the ore type and desired purity levels. Everest's estimated 9-month-long study program will benefit from the CSIRO's equipment and expertise and will begin as soon as possible, with Everest planning a campaign of representative sample collection this month. The research will include detailed laboratory analysis which will provide insights into relevant geochemical signatures and will also study rubidium's association with its fellow pathfinder elements such as lithium and caesium. Everest's Mt Edon project lies about 420km northeast of Perth and has a maiden estimated inferred mineral resource of 3.6 million tonnes grading 0.22 per cent rubidium oxide and 0.07 per cent lithium oxide. Application of a 0.10 per cent rubidium oxide cut-off grade shows the resource contains about 7920 tonnes of rubidium oxide. Increasing the cutoff grade to 0.25 per cent rubidium oxide yields 1.3Mt at 0.33 per cent rubidium oxide for 4290 tonnes of rubidium oxide, about 54 per cent of the total contained rubidium oxide. The maiden resource estimate at Mt Edon indicates a potential tier-1 deposit in both scale and grade. Importantly, at this stage, the resource is constrained within a strike distance of about 400m within a 1.2km-long LCT pegmatite corridor and to a vertical depth of about 140m below surface. Everest says multiple geological and geophysical targets have been identified throughout its project, with probable northwest and southwest extensions which further drilling is expected to enhance. The current resource is shallow, many of the pegmatites outcrop and the company believes the resource will prove mineable by open pit methods, with a probable low strip ratio. In February last year, Everest and Edith Cowan University (ECU) executed a research agreement to advance studies on the extraction of rubidium from Mt Edon ore, with research being conducted at ECU's mineral recovery research centre. The work involved a small-scale laboratory demonstration of the complete process for rubidium recovery via the DRE method, combined with studies including ion exchange to explore the potential commercialisation of Mt Edon's pegmatite-hosted ore. The process successfully yielded rubidium chloride as the primary product, which neatly sidestepped the need for additional processing. Last February, Everest submitted a provisional patent application to IP Australia for its proprietary rubidium extraction process using the Mt Edon feedstock. Rubidium is a critical raw material for various high-tech applications, including the development of new energy conversion technologies and new communication technologies. The element has important applications in a wide range of fields including military, aerospace, atomic clocks, communications and emerging energy forms of power generation. It also used in medicines, in specialist glass such as lasers and lenses and as an industrial catalyst to control or trigger chemical reactions. Global rubidium resources are relatively scarce, with most resources containing limited rubidium. The rubidium industry is expected to grow from US$4.46 billion ($A6.98B) in 2023 to US$7.2 (A$11.26B) by 2032. Once the CSIRO-supported research is complete, Everest expects to find the detailed scientific data valuable in providing it with fresh insights into the nature of its deposits and enable it to target the most prospective rubidium exploration areas at Mt Edon. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
West Australian
01-05-2025
- Business
- West Australian
Venus to unleash cutting-edge WA gold targeting project with CSIRO
Venus Metals has homed in its exploration focus at its Bellchambers gold project in Western Australia, announcing a high-tech collaboration with scientific research leaders the CSIRO, to crank up the hunt for more gold in the richly-endowed Sandstone region. The company has inked a deal through the CSIRO's Kick-Start program, securing a $47,426 voucher to fund a six-month research project to zero in on gold and copper alteration zones at Bellchambers. Venus says by harnessing a combination of hyperspectral satellite imagery, downhole scanning and handheld spectrometers, the company will be able to rigorously map the mineral system with highly detailed 3D accuracy. Sitting 23 kilometres southwest of the historic Sandstone gold-rush township and just 70km from Rox Resources' Youanmi gold mine, Bellchambers already boasts a modest but promising gold resource of 722,000 tonnes grading 1.31 grams per tonne (g/t) for 30,500 ounces. That includes 22,100 ounces in the indicated category which Venus is currently probing to expand along strike and at depth. The company is currently conducting a 2000m reverse circulation (RC) drilling campaign, punching out 26 holes to test for gold outside the known resource and around the Bellchambers deposit. Diamond drilling is set to follow the 2000m program, with all RC chips and core samples feeding directly into the CSIRO's project to refine its advanced minerals mapping. Venus says it will also look to simultaneously refine the metallurgical profile of its deposits from sampling to test the gold's free milling nature, hoping it can be quickly monetised following the grant of a mining lease. The CSIRO collaboration leans on next-gen hyperspectral satellite sensors that can scan the Earth's surface in unprecedented detail, creating mineral maps that dovetail with subsurface data from Venus' drilling. By integrating HyLogger-3TM downhole imagery and surface spectrometry, the project aims to generate a holistic view of the mineralising system, potentially lighting up new gold-copper zones across the 125km² tenement. Venus has lodged a mining lease application over 415 hectares of its ground, covering the Bellchambers deposit and its prospective surrounds. Historical production at the project delivered a tidy 3688 ounces from just 5620 tonnes at a whopping 21 g/t, hinting at the high-grade potential still lurking beneath. The company's exploration push is backed by a rock-solid $21.5 million in cash and liquid investments thanks largely to its 55 million shares in Rox Resources, worth around $19.8M.. Rox has its ears pinned back at the Youanmi project charging toward gold production having launched a $40 million capital raise today. Venus' 1 per cent royalty over the mine could eventually deliver a steady cash stream, while ongoing talks for a mine gate sale agreement could fast-track Bellchambers ore to Rox's processing plant. Venus is hoping it can tie in its Range View prospect, that is just a stone's throw from Bellchambers, which has already dished up some enticing hits, including a 11m grading 4.69g/t from just 12m. The CSIRO project is expected to wrap up by year-end, with drilling assays and mineral maps set to drop in the following months. As the results roll in, Venus could be on the cusp of transforming Bellchambers into a cornerstone asset as gold prices remain above $5000 an ounce. The company looks to be riding a golden tailwind and with a war chest valued north of $20M, Venus' current market cap of $21.7M is certainly eye-catching. Is your ASX-listed company doing something interesting? Contact:
