Alkane Resources Ltd is an ASX listed multi commodity explorer and miner focused in the Central West Region of New South Wales. It has two advanced feasibility studies in progress and a new major gold discovery in partnership with Newmont. The Company also retains a 15% interest in BC Iron Ltd a iron ore company with a major project near Nullagine in the East Pilbara of Western Australia. Alkane has a 25% reducing interest in a nickel sulphide JV with Xstrata Nickel (Jubilee) in WA.
Current Operations
New South Wales
TOMINGLEY GOLD PROJECT: Gold – New South Wales Development Summary
Definitive Feasibility Study program well advanced, and scheduled for mid 2009
Program includes Caloma resource compilation (complete)
Revamp of Wyoming One and Wyoming Three resources (complete) Metallurgical work nearly complete and +90% recoveries from standard gravity
CIL gold circuit, with average to above average crush/grind/chemical consumption
Mine planning and scheduling in progress
Design and engineering for CIL treatment plant in progress, with Capex and Opex
Land access nearly finalised; water supply being finalised; power supply progressing
Complete Environmental Assessment and lodge Development Application mid 2009
Investigate financing options, and development decision Q3 2009 Production anticipated Q3/4 2010
Wyoming Development Summary
Definitive Feasibility Study program well advanced, and scheduled for mid 2009
Program includes Caloma resource compilation (complete) Revamp of Wyoming One and Wyoming Three resources (complete)
Metallurgical work nearly complete and +90% recoveries from standard gravity
CIL gold circuit, with average to above average crush/grind/chemical consumption
Mine planning and scheduling in progress
Design and engineering for CIL treatment plant in progress, with Capex and Opex
Land access nearly finalised; water supply being finalised; power supply progressing
Complete Environmental Assessment and lodge Development Application mid 2009
Investigate financing options, and development decision Q3 2009
Production anticipated Q3/4 2010
DUBBO ZIRCONIA PROJECT - Zirconia, yttria-rare earths, niobium-tantalum – NSW Current Program
AusIndustry Commercial Ready Grant of A$3.29M in April 2006 on dollar for dollar basis to complete process optimisations, and construct and operate the demonstration Pilot Plant (DPP).
Laboratory program to optimise flow sheet commenced at ANSTO Lucas Heights (Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation) July 2006, with Demonstration Pilot Plant commissioned March 2008.
Substantial product samples (several tonnes) from DPP to be distributed 2H 2009
Currently + 1,000kg of zirconium and 200kg of niobium.
Market update completed late 2007 – strong growth predicted in most products
Direct contact marketing in progress – Japan May and Europe/N America July.
Revise and update the 2002 feasibility study mid 2010.
ORANGE DISTRICT EXPLORATION JOINT VENTURE Gold, copper – NSW Alkane Resources Ltd 100% subject to Newmont Australia earning an initial 51%
In August 2005, Alkane reached agreement with Newmont Australia Limited (Newmont) to farmin to Alkane’s Orange Project which includes the Molong and Moorilda tenements located near the city of Orange in the Central West of New South Wales, adjacent to Newcrest Mining Ltd’s Cadia Valley Operations (~30Moz total resources).
Initial exploration programs tested targets at Charlies, Galloway and Borenore within the Molong Project but in mid 2006 drilling targeted the McPhillamys prospect within the Moorilda Project. This drilling has identified significant gold mineralization over a strike length of 600 metres and up to 200 metres width.
Initial drill intercepts included 123m @ 1.96g/t gold, 77m @ 1.65g/t gold and 31m @ 1.64% zinc.
Regional exploration in progress to evaluate McPhillamys type targets and more drilling scheduled for McPhillamys in the second half of 2007.
Follow up deep diamond drilling at McPhillamys late 2007 generated two substantial gold intercepts of:
KPD002 224.8m @ 1.16g/t gold within 349m @ 0.87g/t gold.
PEAK HILL GOLD MINE Gold – New South Wales Alkane Resources Ltd 100%
The Peak Hill Gold Mine is located 400km north west of Sydney between the large regional towns of Parkes and Dubbo in the Central West of New South Wales. After completing a feasibility study in 1993 the development of the oxide mine was delayed by native title and environmental issues until 1996, with the first gold poured in October of that year.
The mine site occupies 130 hectares within the larger exploration licence area 40km2, and is located immediately to the east and north east of the township of Peak Hill. Other projects include:
WELLINGTON - Gold
BODANGORA - Copper, Gold
CUDAL - Gold, Copper
Western Australia
LEINSTER REGION JOINT VENTURE Nickel, gold – WA
Three prospects – LEINSTER DOWNS, MIRANDA and McDONOUGH LOOKOUT– are subject to a farm-in agreement with Jubilee Mines NL (Jubilee). Jubilee has earnt a 75% interest in the properties by spending $4.5 million.
Jubilee has completed extensive programmes of ground electromagnetic surveys, aeromagnetic surveys, diamond core and RC drilling and geological mapping. Jubilee is specifically targeting komatiite channel facies hosted nickel sulphide mineralisation at Miranda, McDonough Lookout and Leinster Downs.
Encouraging environments for massive nickel sulphide accumulation were observed at all three locations, particularly at the Taurus prospect within the Miranda tenement where the following intercepts were reported:
TAD004 9.0 metres @ 0.57% nickel from 351.0 metres and 0.15 metres @ 2.90% nickel from 324.85 metres
TAD005 0.2 metres @ 8.1 % nickel from 245.3 metres
Several other holes intersected disseminated sulphide mineralisation with grades in the range 0.5% to 1.0% nickel.
At Leinster Downs disseminated sulphides were also intersected in four holes which tested channel facies ultramafic flow sequences with 0.5% to 1.0% nickel recorded over several metres.
NULLAGINE Iron, diamonds, gold – WA Alkane Resources Ltd retains a 60% in the diamond potential.
In October 2006, Alkane and the Randolph Syndicate reached agreement with Consolidated Minerals Limited (CSM) to jointly float a new company, BC Iron Limited (BCI), to acquire 100% of all minerals within 14 exploration licences in the East Pilbara region of Western Australia. The BCI agreement excludes diamonds and an option granted to Vaalbara Resources Pty Ltd to acquire an 80% interest in gold, silver and uranium and Witwatersrand style mineralisation in the three Alkane-Randolph tenements (EL’s 46/522-524).
The combined tenements cover approximately 1500km2 and include a number of Tertiary aged palaeochannel systems which host extensive outcrops of iron rich pisolitic accumulations with similarity to the Channel Iron Deposits (CID) currently being mined at Robe River in the west Hamersley Range.
The project is centred about 200 kilometres southeast of Port Hedland and 100 kilometres north of Newman. The nearest existing significant infrastructure is the Newman to Port Hedland (BHPBilliton) iron ore railway which is located 50 to 100 kilometres to the west. The Fortescue Metals Group Cloud Break and Christmas Creek iron deposits and their proposed rail link to Port Hedland, are located 20 to 30 kilometres to the south.
Based on the detailed mapping, the drilling intersections and a standard specific gravity of 2.6 tonnes per cubic metre, BCI determined that a potential for 40 million tonnes per vertical metre of iron rich pisolitic material may exist within the main Bonnie Creek palaeochannel system. This provides an exploration target of between 200 million tonnes (5m thick) and 600 million tonnes (15m thick) of iron rich channel deposit within this system. Other, but smaller, potential exists within the nearby Shaw River and Nullagine River systems.