The following information was released by Vital Metals (ASX: VML), developing and exploring the Nechalacho Rare Earth Project in Northwest Territories.
Click here to 'unlock' the news release in its entirety directly from vitalmetals.com
Vital Metals Limited (ASX: VML) is pleased to announce it has appointed ERM Consultants Canada Limited (“ERM”) for the Scoping Study to examine the size and scalability of future production scenarios for the Tardiff deposit at its Nechalacho Rare Earths Project in Northwest Territories, Canada.
Vital has been progressing technical workstreams informed by the 2023 drilling program. An Updated MRE was delivered in April 2024 and, coupled with the recently released final 2023 assay results (ASX release 23 July 2024), has continued to expand the size of high-grade REE mineralisation.
Various work-streams continue to provide key inputs to the Scoping Study that will consider the future size and scalability of production scenarios. ERM will review previous work by Vital, including data verification and metallurgical testwork, define a saleable product, estimate capital expenditures and trade-off analysis, estimate operating costs, and review environmental information relating to the project in completing its report.
Vital Managing Director Lisa Riley said: “We are pleased to be working with ERM to deliver this report by the end of 2024.”
“The Tardiff Scoping Study will examine our pathway to developing this large-scale and globally significant rare earths deposit. Tardiff’s MRE of 213 million tonnes at 1.17% TREO including 623,000 tonnes of NdPr in a single pit-constrained resource offers potential to be a large-scale source of rare earths needed for North America’s transition to low-carbon energy.
An MRE of 213Mt at 1.17% total rare earth oxides (TREO) was completed for the Upper Zone at Tardiff in April 2024. The deposit is estimated to contain more than 623,000 tonnes of neodymium oxide + praseodymium oxide (NdPr).
Having now received all results from its 2023 drill program at Tardiff, Vital expects to complete an updated MRE for Tardiff, which will be incorporated into the Scoping Study.
Image
