The Conversation (0)
Three large and significant soil geochemistry anomalies for a range of battery metals and precious metals have been identified at Impact Minerals Limited's (ASX:IPT) 100% owned Beau Project, part of the greater Arkun- Beau-Jumbo project area in the emerging mineral province of southwest Western Australia (Figure 1).
Highlights:
- Four large and significant soil geochemistry anomalies identified, including:
- a large copper-nickel-PGM-silver-cobalt anomaly up to 2.5 km by 1 km in size and associated with previously unrecognised layered mafic gabbros
- a gold-palladium anomaly about 500 metres in diameter
- two lithium-caesium-tantalum anomalies each about 1 km in dimension that may be part of a large zoned intrusive pegmatite system
- Field checking and relevant follow-up sampling of all areas will commence by the end of August to identify reconnaissance drill targets as quickly as practicable
- A reconnaissance drill programme will be organised as soon as practicable and subject to access and the harvest period
- There has been no previous exploration at Beau prior to Impact’s work
Impact Minerals’ Managing Director Dr Mike Jones said “These are the first detailed soil geochemistry results we have had from the hitherto poorly explored greater Arkun project area and confirm our belief that the area is very prospective for a range of battery, strategic and precious metals. In addition, it is a validation of our targeting methodology which we have applied across our extensive project portfolio in Western Australia and put together over the past 18 months”.
“A large nickel-copper-PGM anomaly overlies previously unidentified layered mafic intrusive rocks; these are known hosts to significant massive sulphide deposits around the globe. In addition, we have identified a gold anomaly that is associated with rare earth responses and which may be part of a large intrusion-related system. To cap it all off, we also have identified two areas with significant responses for a range of metals associated with a zoned lithium pegmatite system. Follow-up field checking will commence later this month in order to define targets for first-pass drilling as soon as practicable and to identify the bedrock which is mostly obscured by laterite. We also look forward to getting the results from a further 600 soil samples that are still to come from the northern part of the Arkun project”.
Location of Impact's projects in Western Australia
Previous work by Impact across the Arkun and Beau project areas using a proprietary geophysical-geochemical technology owned by Southern Sky Energy Pty Ltd, identified 17 broad areas of interest, principally for Ni-Cu- PGM mineralisation, for follow-up work (ASX Release 10th June 2021).
Reconnaissance soil geochemistry traverses along gazetted roads and tracks over 15 of these targets identified a total of 22 more specific targets for both Ni-Cu-PGM mineralisation and, for the first time in the area, lithium- caesium-tantalum pegmatites and Rare Earth Elements (REE). A number of the original targets returned anomalous soil results for more than one style of mineralisation. Targets for both Ni-Cu-PGM and lithium were identified at Beau.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Impact Minerals Limited , licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Impact Minerals Limited
Investor Insight
With a mining lease application underway and a scoping study that shows excellent economics, Impact Minerals’ game-changing, advanced Lake Hope high-purity alumina project makes for a compelling investment case.
Overview
Impact Minerals (ASX:IPT) is an exploration and development mining company focused on discovering and developing new resource projects within Australia. Lake Hope, a transformational acquisition by the company and its current flagship asset, is a high-purity alumina (HPA) project in Impact’s home territory of Western Australia, a tier-one jurisdiction.
This advanced-stage project allows the company to fast-track the asset toward development, firmly establishing the company on the road to production and increasing shareholder value.
HPA is a high-value product with various uses in several industries that are key to the transition to a low-carbon world. It is mainly used in LED lighting, micro-LED screens, and ceramic-coated separators in lithium-ion batteries. Both these markets are forecast to grow dramatically over the next decade, and a looming supply shortage is predicted for 2026.
HPA is also necessary for producing synthetic sapphire and scratch-resistant glass. With these ever-widening applications for HPA, demand for this resource is expected to grow from US$3.18 billion to US$12.21 billion by 2030 with a compounded annual growth rate of about 20 percent.
Lake Hope is the company’s current focus as it moves towards production, and where a very shallow, high-grade resource of HPA precursor material has been identified in the top two meters of a dry salt lake. The deposit has unique physical and chemical properties that will allow for inexpensive digging and mining, with transportation to a processing facility off-site in an established industrial area. This will accelerate the approvals processes required to get into production.
With a mining lease application pending, Impact aims to bring Lake Hope, which contains almost 1 million tons of potential HPA, into production when the forecast average price for 4N HPA (99.99 percent Al2O3) and related products is about US$20,000 per ton. The ‘4N’ designation indicates the purity grade, making it suitable for high-tech end uses.
Outstanding economics from the latest scoping study released by the company shows Lake Hope’s potential to be the lowest-cost producer of HPA globally by up to 50 percent.
Lake Hope has a maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 3.5 million tons at 25.1 percent alumina (Al2O3) for a contained 880,000 tons of alumina. The company also received heritage clearances for the entire Lake Hope deposit further de-risking the project and providing another critical component in the company’s application for a mining lease.
Impact completed a bulk sampling and test pits program at the Lake Hope project in December 2023, and later reached a key milestone by producing HPA greater than 99.99 percent (4N) purity from the metallurgical processing of lake clays acquired from Lake Hope.
In February 2024, a new proprietary metallurgical process for producing HPA from the lake clays was identified. Impact produced 99.99 percent (4N) Al2O3 from a low-temperature leach (LTL) process. The LTL process may lower the capital and operating costs to produce HPA compared to the sulphate process which underpinned the recent scoping study. The LTL process will be included in the ongoing pre-feasibility study in parallel with the sulphate process at marginal extra cost to determine the best processing route to HPA. The PFS is due to be completed in late 2024.
A comparison of the LTL process and the sulphate process
The company is well funded to finance the pre-feasibility study at the Lake Hope High Purity Alumina project and exploration activities at the Arkun battery minerals project.
Impact Minerals has been awarded a $2.87 million grant for the commercialisation of its innovative process to produce High Purity Alumina (HPA) from the Lake Hope deposit. The grant is under the Federal Government’s Cooperative Research Centres Projects (CRC-P) program which fosters short-term, industry-led research collaborations. The grant is part of an estimated $6.4 million research and development project to be completed within three years and designed to provide Impact with the relevant information required to complete a definitive feasibility. A key component of the grant funding will be to construct a pilot plant, which is a key goal for 2025, and this will provide consistent material for off-take and qualification trials.
Impact Minerals was also one of the inaugural cohort of seven companies selected to be part of the prestigious BHP Xplor program. BHP Xplor, an accelerator program introduced by BHP in August 2022, is designed to help provide participants with the opportunity to accelerate their growth and the potential to establish a long-term partnership with BHP and its global network of partners.
The BHP Xplor funding was used to identify new target areas for copper and other energy metals around the Broken Hill area in New South Wales, eastern Australia, where Impact has been quietly adding to its ground position for several years.
Additionally, the company is exploring its large Arkun battery metals project, also in Western Australia which covers nearly 2,900 square kilometres. Three new exploration licence applications were submitted recently immediately north of the Arkun project along trend from the recently discovered REE soil geochemistry anomalies at Hyperion, Swordfish and Horseshoe, and the Caligula copper anomaly. These anomalies require drill testing which will occur in 2024 and is an exciting development in the emerging mineral province of southwest WA.
A strong management team with over 50 years of combined industry experience leads the company. With a mining and exploration geology degree, Dr. Mike Jones, managing director, launched a long career consulting and leading mining organizations. Peter Unsworth, the non-executive chairman, has more than 35 years of experience in multiple financial sectors, such as securities industries and wealth management. Paul Ingram, a non-executive director, has led several mining companies since 2003. Impact Minerals has the experience and expertise to lead the company to success.
Company Highlights
- Impact Minerals is an exploration and development mining company focused on rapidly moving its flagship Lake Hope high-purity alumina (HPA) project toward production.
- The Lake Hope project has a high-grade maiden mineral resource estimate (MRE) of 3.5 million tonnes at 25.1 percent alumina (Al2O3), for a contained 880,000 tonnes of alumina that can be converted to HPA.
- HPA is used throughout multiple industries, and the overall HPA market is projected to grow by a CAGR of 18.4 percent by 2030.
- A pre-feasibility study is currently in progress and scheduled to be completed by Q4 2024. A mining lease application for the Lake Hope High Purity Alumina (HPA) was recently lodged with the aim of being granted by 2026.
- The company’s project portfolio also includes assets with high-grade mineral deposits of a range of base, critical and precious metals.
- Impact Mineral’s 2,000-square-mile Arkun nickel-copper-PGE project in Western Australia has produced encouraging assays that motivate further exploration. Maiden drill programmes are planned for early 2025.
- The company is also exploring its Broken Hill copper project in New South Wales following a major grant under the auspices of the BHP Xplor program in 2023..
- A strong management team leads the company with experience in geology, mining and corporate finance.
Key Projects
Lake Hope HPA Project
Impact Minerals’ Lake Hope HPA project is in Western Australia, a tier-one mining jurisdiction. HPA is a crucial component in many new and emerging technologies, creating ongoing demand for high-grade sources. The Lake Hope project is the company’s flagship as it moves toward production.
Project Highlights:
- Maiden Mineral Resource Estimate: A maiden mineral resource of 3.5 million tonnes at 25.1 percent alumina (Al2O3) for a contained 880,000 tonnes of alumina has been defined at the Lake Hope HPA Project. About 88 percent of the resource, or 775,000 tonnes of alumina, is in the higher confidence indicated resource category.
- Amenable to Open-pit Mining: The Lake Hope project is a unique HPA asset amenable to shallow, open-pit mining. The deposit is soft and shallow, allowing for cheap digging and minimal infrastructure requirements. This type of deposit also lowers the environmental footprint of the operation.
- Fast-tracked to Production: A mining lease application is currently underway. Once granted, the company will begin working towards a pre-feasibility study and mini pilot plant. Impact Minerals plans to reach a complete pilot plant by 2026.
- Impressive Results of the 2023 Scoping Study: Outstanding economics show Lake Hope to potentially be the lowest-cost producer of High Purity Alumina (HPA) globally by up to 50 percent. Key outcomes from the scoping study include:
- Annual production of 10,000 tpa of 4N HPA with an initial 25-year mine life
- Annual EBITDA of A$174 million.
- 2 years construction period with 5,000 tonnes of production during the first year, 8,000 tonnes in the second year and 10,000 tonnes of production thereafter.
- US$934 million post-tax NPV8 at an IRR of 55 percent.
- Mining Lease Application: Amining lease application was lodged in mid-2024 over the West Lake resource while a miscellaneous licence application (L63/99) was lodged to cover mine infrastructure and haulage road.
The scoping study was underpinned by a sulphuric acid process allowing the company to achieve a new milestone by producing HPA with purity of more than than 99.99 percent (4N) from the metallurgical processing of lake clays acquired from Lake Hope. The company further identified a new proprietary metallurgical process for producing HPA from the lake clays. Known as the low-temperature leach (LTL) process, this also produced 99.99 percent (4N) Al2O3 and has the potential to lower even further the capital and operating costs to produce HPA compared to the sulphate process. The LTL process will be included in the ongoing pre-feasibility study along with the sulphate process to determine the best processing route to HPA. The PFS is due to be completed in late 2024.
Broken Hill Copper Project
The Broken Hill project has a significant land position of 815 square kilometers and hosts multiple targets with the potential for high-grade copper. Broken Hill is located in New South Wales, Australia, an area known for its prolific silver-lead-zinc mining operations and the giant Broken Hill deposit.
Project Highlights:
- Participant in the BHP Xplor Program: Impact was selected for the BHP Xplor program in 2023 based on its Broken Hill project. The program is designed to allow participants to accelerate growth and establish a long-term partnership with BHP.
- Potential for Additional Minerals and Deposits: As well as copper, the project has significant exploration potential for magmatic nickel-copper-PGE sulphides, and at the time the host rocks were formed, Broken Hill was located close to the world-class nickel-copper-PGE deposit of Jinchuan and the significant Lengquisheng deposit. The project area also has the potential to contain zinc-lead-silver deposits, providing even more value.
Arkun Nickel-Copper-Gold-Lithium-REE Project
The Arkun project is a 2,900-square-kilometer nickel, copper and gold project located in the emerging Ni-Cu-PGE province near the world-class Julimar Ni-Cu-PGE deposit and surrounded by Anglo American Corporation, which secured its ground holding shortly after Impact secured its asset. Anglo-American is one of the world’s top ten mining companies, and their presence in the region brings confidence in the project’s potential.
Project Highlights:
- Additional Exploration Underway: Impact plans follow-up work programs, including drilling, at its priority targets.
- Significant Targets Identified: Recent soil sampling identified two new prospects:
- Hyperion prospect - Located in the northwestern part of the project area returned with rare earth element anomalism of up to 5,880 ppm (0.59 percent) total rare earth oxide (TREO+Y) and neodymium and praseodymium (Nd+Pr) of up to 21 percent.
- Caligula prospect - Initially identified on the roadside, the Caligula prospect is a large and significant target for porphyry copper mineralisation.
- Three New Exploration Licences: Impact applied for three new exploration licences expanding Arkun project along trend from the recently discovered REE soil geochemistry anomalies at Hyperion, Swordfish and Horseshoe as well as the Caligula copper anomaly.
Management Team
Peter Unsworth - Non-executive Chairman
Peter Unsworth, formerly a chartered accountant, has over 35 years of experience in the corporate finance, investment and securities industries and a wealth of management experience with public and private companies. A former executive director with a leading Western Australian stockbroking company, Unsworth has been a director of several public exploration and mining companies. He recently completed a long time serving as chairman of the Western Australian Government-owned Gold Corporation (operator of The Perth Mint). Unsworth is the founding chairman of Impact Minerals.
Dr. Mike Jones - Managing Director
Dr. Mike Jones is the founding managing director of Impact Minerals Limited, which was listed on the Australian Stock Exchange in November 2006. Reporting to the board of directors, he is responsible for the company's performance as it moves towards production at its Lake Hope High Purity Alumina Project and also for implementing strategies to explore and maximize the value of the company's other extensive tenement holdings.
Since listing, he has helped raise more than $60 million to help fund the exploration of Impact’s projects and managed the company through significant adverse events, including the global financial crisis and the Fukushima nuclear disaster, which affected Impact’s considerable investment in the uranium sector, a five-year global downturn in the mining sector and more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic.
Paul Ingram - Non-executive Director
Paul Ingram is a geologist with extensive experience managing major mineral exploration programs for several publicly listed companies and has been involved in the mining sector for over thirty years. He has designed and implemented innovative techniques for exploration in remote areas and has managed projects in countries throughout Australia and East Asia. Ingram has been a director of the following listed companies in the past three years: Polo Resources from January 2008 to January 2011; A-Cap Resources since June 2009; Consolidated Global Investments since September 2006; Caledon Resources from February 2003 to March 2008; and Australian Pacific Coal since March 2011.
Dr Frank Bierlein - Non-executive Director
Dr. Frank Bierlein is a geologist with 30 years of experience as a consultant, researcher, lecturer and industry professional. Bierlein has held exploration and generative geology management positions with QMSD Mining, Qatar Mining, Afmeco Australia and Areva NC, and consulted for, among others, Newmont Gold, Resolute Mining, Goldfields International, Freeport McMoRan, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. He is currently a non-executive director of PNX Metals. He was previously a non-executive director of Gold Australia NL and chaired the advisory board of a Luxembourg-based private equity fund between 2014 and 2021.
Rua Gold
Investor Insight
Rua Gold offers a compelling investment opportunity driven by its highly promising gold assets in New Zealand’s historic gold-producing regions, and supported by the government’s renewed focus on fast tracking economic growth.
Overview
Rua Gold (TSXV:RUA,OTC:NZAUF,WKN:A4010V,OTCQB:NZAUF) is a gold exploration company focused on two prolific, historic gold-producing regions in New Zealand: Hauraki Goldfield and Reefton Goldfield. Both these regions boast of previous high-grade gold production, with more than 15 million ounces (Moz) produced in the Hauraki district and over 2 Moz in the Reefton Goldfield. New Zealand is a tier 1 mining jurisdiction with highly prospective geology, and a skilled workforce. The new government of New Zealand has committed to promoting economic growth through mining- and business-friendly policies, such as the Fast Track Approval Bill, which proposes quicker approval timelines for a range of projects, including mining.
New Zealand has a rich history of gold production from orogenic deposits (+9 Moz), epithermal sources (+15 Moz), and alluvial deposits (+22 Moz). The country has low sovereign risk with no corruption, making it an attractive destination for mining investment.
The company has launched a fully funded exploration program at its properties. This includes a 2,500-meter diamond drill program focused on the Pactolus prospect at Reefton Goldfield.
Pactolus has returned assays for three of six holes drilled on the system, with hole DD_PAC_035 intersecting 2 meters @ 5.13 grams per ton (g/t) gold. Additional work is required to accurately model this zone's geometry before proceeding with further drilling at this prospect. Consequently, the company anticipates redirecting its focus towards the previously productive areas in Reefton in the near future, which includes the Murray Creek, Crushington, Capleston and Caledonian historic districts. These historic mines collectively produced ~700 koz at 25.2 g/t within a radius of ~20 kms.
The company has applied for a minimum impact access agreement with the New Zealand Department of Conservation for the Glamorgan project. Once granted, the company will commence an exploration program that includes soil sampling, magnetic and resistivity geophysical surveys, and geological mapping.
Rua Gold benefits from a team of professionals boasting extensive expertise in geology and mining. The company’s board of directors is led by Oliver Lennox-King (Fronteer, Roxgold), who has a successful track record developing projects and companies.
Company Highlights
- Rua Gold is a gold exploration company with two highly prospective land packages in New Zealand’s historic gold districts – Hauraki Goldfield and Reefton Goldfield.
- New Zealand is a tier 1 mining jurisdiction boasting highly promising geological formations and a significant history of gold production, with orogenic deposits (+9 Moz), epithermal sources (+15 Moz), and alluvial deposits (+22 Moz).
- The company’s two key assets include the Reefton Goldfield on New Zealand’s South Island and Glamorgan on New Zealand’s North Island.
- The new government is focused on stimulating economic growth, as evidenced by the recent Fast Track Approval Bill, which proposes fast-track approvals for a range of projects, including mining.
- Rua Gold has high-quality orogenic and epithermal gold prospects, boasting historical production grades ranging from 16 to 50 g/t gold.
- Rua Gold is fully permitted and fully financed with significant near-term catalysts. The company has launched an exploration program at its two properties. Drilling is ongoing at the company’s properties in the Reefton district.
- Proposed acquisition of Reefton Resources Pty Limited was approved by the shareholders of Siren Gold (ASX:SNG). Reefton is a 100 percent owned subsidiary of Siren, with tenements located adjacent to the Rua Gold’s suite of properties in New Zealand’s prolific Reefton Goldfield.
- A seasoned board and management team is at the helm of Rua Gold, with extensive regional knowledge and a proven track record of successful discoveries. With full financing and permits in place, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on growth prospects.
Key Projects
Reefton Goldfield
Rua Gold holds six project areas at the Reefton Goldfield – Northern, Capleston, Murray Creek, Ajax, Crushington and Southern. The Reefton district has a rich history of gold production with over 2 Moz of gold recovered at 24.5 g/t. Among the noteworthy findings from recent years of exploration is the greenfield discovery of the Pactolus quartz vein. Sampling and assays conducted thus far have unveiled significant concentrations of high-grade gold in this vein.
Pactolus: Pactolus is a new surface greenfield discovery made by Rua Gold in 2021. Pactolus has returned assays for three of six holes drilled on the system, with hole DD_PAC_035 intersecting 2 meters @ 5.13 g/t gold and hole DD_PAC_036 intersecting 2 meters @ 3.61 g/t gold.
Initial findings and observations validate the southern extension of the Pactolus system by 550 meters, showcasing substantial mineralization at surface. However, accurately determining the plunge and quality of the ore shoots presents a challenge. An additional update is expected upon receipt of results from the remaining drill holes.
Murray Creek prospects: Rua Gold’s systematic exploration has highlighted the potential for the rejuvenation of this district in renewed opportunities around the historic high-grade gold deposits. Rua Gold completed an extensive assessment of the historical mines situated within the company's tenements in the Reefton Goldfield, yielding five targets in the Murray Creek area.
Ongoing drill campaign at the Murray Creek prospects intersected visible gold and confirmed downhole continuity of high-grade gold mineralization.Glamorgan Project
The Glamorgan project comprises over 4,600 hectares in the Hauraki district on New Zealand’s North Island. Hauraki boasts of a substantial presence of high-grade gold and silver mining, with approximately 50 epithermal deposits mined since the 1860s. These deposits have yielded over 15 Moz of gold and 60 Moz of silver. Glamorgan has a 3.8 km zone displaying indications of gold mineralization, backed by soil and rock samples, suggesting the presence of an epithermal gold mineralized system at the property.
Glamorgan is located 2.8 kms north of Oceana Gold’s recent significant discovery at Wharekirauponga. The company has applied for a minimum impact access agreement with the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Once granted, the company will commence an exploration program that includes soil sampling, magnetic and resistivity geophysical surveys, and geological mapping.
After receiving a minimum impact access agreement (MIA) from the Department of Conservation for the Glamorgan project, the company has mobilized an exploration team that has made progress in collecting 2,000 of the planned 3,000 soil sample program; completing the first full phase of UAV drone magnetic geophysical surveying; and commencing ground geological mapping.
Based on initial surface soil geochemistry, interpreted geophysical structures, and geological mapping, there is preliminary evidence that the Glamorgan project has the hallmarks of a significant epithermal gold system, with surface features similar to the adjacent WKP gold deposit. Rua Gold will design a drill program and apply for a full access agreement by the end of the year to commence drilling.
Management Team
Oliver Lennox-King – Non-executive Chairman
Oliver Lennox-King boasts a distinguished and extensive career within the mineral resource sector, encompassing a broad experience in financing, research and marketing. Since 1992, he has occupied senior executive and board roles in various junior exploration and mining enterprises. Most recently, Lennox-King was the chairman of Roxgold from 2012 until July 2021 when it was sold for $1.2 billion to Fortuna. In addition to Roxgold, he also served as chairman of other notable firms, including Pangea Goldfields, Aurora Uranium and Fronteer Gold.
Robert Eckford – CEO and Director
Robert Eckford is a certified professional accountant with significant expertise in mergers and acquisitions, accounting, finance and commercial management within the mining sector. Most recently he was co-founder and head of finance for Aris Mining, and prior to that, has worked with international mining companies, including Barrick Gold, Yamana Gold and Leagold Mining.
Simon Henderson – COO and Director
Simon Henderson is an exploration specialist and has over 40 years of experience, most of which is in New Zealand. He was part of the discovery team for several significant gold finds in New Zealand, such as Wharekirauponga. He maintains robust connections with key local stakeholders and the country's permitting authorities.
Zeenat Lokhandwala – CFO and Corporate Secretary
Zeenat Lokhandwala brings over a decade of expertise in mergers and acquisitions, finance, accounting and taxation. She is the former CFO of Great Bear Royalties and director of finance at Great Bear Resources.
Brian Rodan - Director
Brian Rodan has more than 43 years of experience who is currently serving as Fellow of the Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. Rodan is the founding director of Dacian Gold (ASX:DCN)
Mario Vetro - Director
Mario Vetro has extensive experience structuring and providing guidance to resource companies. He is the co-founder of K92 Mining and the proprietor of Commodity Partners.
Paul Criddle - Director
Paul Criddle has extensive experience constructing and overseeing gold mines in Australia and West Africa. He was formerly a chief operating officer for West Africa at Fortuna and also served as the COO for Azimuth and Perseus. He was previously the managing director at Matador Mining.
Tyron Breytenbach – Director
Tyron Breytenbach is a geologist with operational and capital markets experience. He is currently the CEO of Lithium Africa Resources. Previously, he was senior vice-president of Capital Markets at Aris Mining and served as managing director at Cormark Securities. Before transitioning to capital markets, Breytenbach spent a decade in the mining sector as a geologist, focusing on orogenic and epithermal gold deposits and specializing in resource estimation. He earned his BSc (Honours) degree from Rand Afrikaans University in South Africa and is a designated professional geologist in Ontario.
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