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Burley Minerals Limited (ASX: BUR, “Burley” or “the Company”) is pleased to confirm that the maiden drilling programme has commenced at the Broad Flat Well Iron Project (E47/4580) in the Pilbara, WA (1).
Highlights
- Heritage surveys completed by the Yindjibarndi Nation in June.
- Earthworks for access tracks and drill pads was recently completed by Yurra Pty Ltd, a civil services contractor majority-owned by the Yindjibarndi Nation.
- Drilling programme has commenced comprising 50 drillholes across >6 km of outcropping Channel Iron Deposits (CID)
- More than 66 hectares of mesa-form, channel iron deposits (CID) identified and sampled with rock chip samples returning assay grades averaging more than 56% Fe.
- Further rock chip sampling and mapping in progress on additional CID areas.
Photo 1: Heritage Survey Team from the Yindjibarndi Nation, with archaeologist, and Burley’s MD/CEO Stewart McCallion
Burley Minerals’ Managing Director and CEO, Stewart McCallion commented:
“Burley’s management are very excited to commence the maiden drilling programme at the Broad Flat Well Iron Project. Thanks to the Yindjibarndi Nation for completing the heritage survey in late June, and to Yurra for expeditious completion of the earthworks thereafter. Burley’s geologist and the drilling contractor have mobilised to site and are now drilling. I look forward to providing an update on the Brad Flat Well Project soon.”
Photo 2: Drill rig established on one of numerous CID targets at Broad Flat Well Iron Project
Broad Flat Well CID drilling programme commences
Figure 1: Broad Flat Well Iron Project Location; the tenement is approximately 115km from Dampier on the sealed, Manuwarra Red Dog Highway.
The drilling programme, as approved by DEMIRS, comprises approximately 50 drillholes over more than 6 km of outcropping CID. The targeted CID mineralisation area is illustrated in Figure 2.
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Types of Iron Ore: Hematite vs. Magnetite
What is hematite ore?
Hematite ore, also called direct-shipping ore, has naturally high iron content suitable for steelmaking. Because of its high iron content, hematite ore must undergo only a simple crushing, screening and blending process before being shipped off for steel production. For that reason, hematite ore is important for many mining companies.
Hematite ore is found throughout the world, with major production hotspots being Australia, Brazil, China and India.
In Australia, hematite has been the primary type of iron ore mined since the early 1960s. Nearly all of Australia's iron ore exports are high-grade hematite ore, and the majority of its reserves are located in the Hamersley mountain range of Western Australia because the range sits on a banded iron formation.
BHP (ASX:BHP,LSE:BHP,NYSE:BHP) is Australia’s leading iron ore producer and has several mining and processing hubs in Western Australia. Rio Tinto (ASX:RIO,LSE:RIO,NYSE:RIO) is also a major iron ore producer in the country, especially in the Pilbara region. One of its key iron producing operations is the Hope Downs iron ore complex, a 50/50 joint venture with Gina Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting.
Brazil is another of the world’s main sources of hematite ore. The country's Carajás mine, operated by major miner Vale (NYSE:VALE), is the largest iron ore mine in existence. Vale consistently ranks among the world's five largest mining companies and is the world's biggest producer of iron ore pellets. Its primary iron ore assets are in the Iron Quadrangle region of Brazil's Minas Gerais state.
A great deal of hematite ore is also mined in China. Known reserves include the Tung-Yeh-Chen and Dongye hematite ore deposits.
What is magnetite ore?
Mishainik / Adobe Stock
The mineral magnetite is a highly magnetic mineral found in solid and crystal forms. Magnetite actually has higher iron content than hematite. However, while hematite ore generally contains large concentrations of hematite, magnetite ore tends to hold low concentrations of the mineral magnetite. As a result, this type of iron ore ore must be concentrated before it can be used to produce steel. Magnetite ore’s magnetic properties are helpful during this process.
Magnetite ore may require more treatment than hematite ore, but end products made from magnetite ore are typically of higher quality than those made from hematite ore. That’s because magnetite ore has fewer impurities than hematite ore; in this way, the elevated cost of processing it can be balanced out.
Magnetite ore is currently mined in Minnesota and Michigan in the US, as well as in taconite deposits in Eastern Canada. A major mining site in Michigan is the Marquette Range, which hosts four types of iron ore deposits, including both magnetite and hematite ore.
In Minnesota, magnetite ore is mined mainly in the Mesabi Range, one of the four ranges that make up the state's Iron Range. Cleveland-Cliffs (NYSE:CLF) is a major player in the magnetite ore industry and the largest iron ore pellet producer in North America. Its Hibbing Taconite joint venture in Minnesota’s Mesabi Range has an annual capacity of around 7 million metric tons of magnetite ore.
In Canada, many mining companies focus on exploration and development in the iron-rich Labrador Trough, which runs through parts of the provinces of Québec and Newfoundland and Labrador.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2013.
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Securities Disclosure: I, Melissa Pistilli, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.