The Avonbank Project is WIM's flagship HMS project and is currently at a Bankable Feasibility (BFS) & approvals stage. Subject to approvals & a final investment decision, WIM expects WIM to commence construction by 2022.
WIM’s BFS is currently well advanced – and will be underpinned via a recently completed test pit and a Pilot Scale Demonstration Wet Concentration Plant, that will be undertaken at site, for final optimisation & engineering purposes.
WIM expects to commence construction of the Pilot Scale WCP in August-September 2019 and plans to employee locals from the Wimmera Region.
Avonbank contains a World Class Total Ore Reserve of 311.8 Million tonnes @ 4.3% Total Heavy Mineral (THM), including 220.4 Mt @ 4.4% THM at the Proven level of classification.
Key Project Metrics include:
Projected to have an intial 30 year mine life
Low CAPEX - due to exisiting power, water supply and a rail loading facility in centre of project and direct mine site to port access - via a dedicated rail line
Avonbank is modelled to have an approximate strip ratio (waste to ore) of 2:1 and grade of 5.0% THM for the first 10 years of mine life
Avonbank - Premium Product Streams
WIM engaged world-leading HMS processing experts Mineral Technoligies Ltd to complete PFS level flow sheet development on a 20 tonne bulk sample of ore from Avonbank. MT have designed a simple, conventional FPC, WCP and MSP flow sheet.
The Avonbank Development Approach
WIM plans to use simple, conventional dry HMS mining techniques and a direct return mining sequence - this will assist with prompt rehabilitation of the mine path and keep the mining foot print very low. The ore will be processed using conventional wet separation techniques to nproduce an HMC that WIM will transport to China for further mineral separation.
The Avonbank Project will attract significant investment over a long period (30 years) and is expected to generate significant employment opportunities for Horsham locals & Vicitorian's and contribute to the economic growth of Horsham, regional Victoria and significantly to the Victorian economy.
The Avonbank project is centered approximately 15km north of Horsham, Victoria. The project area is well serviced by:
Existing rail
Electricity
Roads
Port options readily accessible through local and regional rail
Water & Gas facilities
Potential for a local workforce
30,000m of air core drilling
Processed over 6000 samples for assay
Detailed mineralogical test work on drill cuttings, to determine the approximate valuable heavy mineral assamblage of the HM
Resource estimates based on the above drilling
The Avonbank project is modelled to produce over 450,000 tonnes of of HMC per annum, over its initial 30 year mine life
Existing water, road & power infrastructure within the project area – positions Avonbank as potentially the lowest CAPEX & highest quality Zircon & Rare Earth development project in the world
Avonbank will be amendable to conventional dry mining and primary wet separation techniques – meaning the environmental & social footprint is expected to be very low
The Port of Portland & Melbourne provide WIM two existing options to transport bulk &/or containerised HMC, directly from the exisiting rail freight terminal in the centre of the project area
In April 2016, WIM appointed world leading mineral sands processing experts - Mineral Technologies Ltd - to undertake PFS level processing & flow sheet design.
Test work undertaken on full scale MG12 spiral models indicates very high Zircon & Rare Earth recoveries (refer below picture). MG12 spiral models offer a higher throughput efficiency factor and this is expected to offer WIM considerable OPEX reductions for the Avonbank WCP.
