Hastings has today announced a Maiden Niobium Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource estimate at its Yangibana Project within the Bald Hill and Simon’s Find deposits.
Recent geological, mineralogical, and metallurgical studies have revealed a promising pathway for extracting high-grade niobium concentrate from the Bald Hill and Simons Find deposits.
The majority of niobium in the ore is present in ferrocolumbite, a mineral with a high niobium content.
A substantial portion of niobium is liberated at a particle size of 90µm, indicating excellent potential for concentration.
Estimate highlights:
- Niobium Pentoxide Measured and Indicated Mineral Resource now 6.7Mt at 2,305ppm for 15,501t Nb2O5.
- Niobium is present within the existing footprint of the Yangibana Project.
- Niobium (Nb2O5) concentrations occur in the form of mineral ferro-columbite at the Yangibana Project over a 4km strike at the Simon’s Find and Bald Hill deposits.
- Analysis indicated that zircon in the Bald Hill sample was the source of the reported zirconium and hafnium, contained at a ratio of 13 to 1 (49.0% / 3.8%). The Hf-enriched zircons from Bald Hill thus contain 3.8 times the HfO2 content compared to the benchmark of 50:1.
- An updated Mineral Resource Estimate is expected to be available by the end of 2024, including the potential of associated Critical Minerals ZrO2 and HfO2.
- The additional Critical Metals will provide a multi-commodity recovery process stream and by product credit income.
Read the full announcement: