A recent announcement of the Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC 2012), Western Yilgarn Limited, has made an inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the Cardea 3 Bauxite Project. This estimate will add nearly 16.57 million tonnes to the total bauxite resource base, which at present holds 205 million tonnes.
Image source: westernyilgarn.com.au
The recent enlargement of the resource shall enhance the firm's potential to have future resource growth as well as help it gain a key leader position in the bauxite supply chain. Not only this, but also the strategic advantages that the company will receive with the proximity to such infrastructure and high-grade bauxite will directly aid in shipping ore operations.
The Inferred MRE-achieved has a high-grade subset consisting of 3.78 million tonnes at 35.8 per cent alumina with an additional 3.7 per cent reactive silica. Nonetheless, the subset is just a part of a larger sample that holds 16.57 million tonnes at 34.2 per cent alumina and 30.2 per cent silica. With this addition, the company's total bauxite resource base now stands at 205 million tonnes, spanning Cardea 2, Cardea 3 and the flagship Julimar West (168 million tonnes).
Pedro Kastellorizos, the Non-Executive Director of Western Yilgarn Limited, commented, "We are very pleased with the outcomes of the Cardea 3 Bauxite Resource Estimate. The results demonstrate the project's strong scalability and highlight significant potential for further resource growth through ongoing exploration. Importantly, the current resources are located within trucking distance of a multi-user rail line — a strategic logistical advantage, particularly in the context of record-high alumina and bauxite prices."
He further added, "The Cardea 3 Bauxite Project, in conjunction with our broader Julimar West Bauxite Project, presents a compelling opportunity to deliver shareholder value, support regional employment, and position Western Yilgarn as a new, independent, and highly profitable supplier of premium-grade bauxite. Our technical team remains confident in the substantial upside potential of these deposits, with further growth anticipated along strike and at depth. Planning is already underway for the next phase of drilling across untested zones within both Cardea 3 and the Julimar West area to expand the mineralised footprint."
Located approximately 110km from Perth, Cardea 3 benefits from proximity to key infrastructure, including a multi-user rail line. The project shows strong potential for a small-to-medium scale Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) operation, targeting supply to established alumina refineries in China and the Middle East through seaborne export.
The Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) zone stretches roughly 3 kilometre in length and averages 1 kilometre in width, with mineralisation starting at surface and extending to a depth of 7 vertical metres. Bauxite from the Darling Range plateau is well-suited for DSO export due to its high-grade, gibbsite composition and low reactive silica content.
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