Ian Prentice

Technology Metals Australia’s two-step strategy to bring its Yarrabubba magnetite iron ore and vanadium project south of Meekatharra in Western Australia to life ahead of developing its nearby Gabanintha vanadium project, said to be one of the highest-grade undeveloped vanadium deposits in the world, is motoring along. The company has progressed a suite of activities as a definitive feasibility study on Yarrabubba nears completion.

Resource drilling by specialty metals company, Technology Metals Australia has identified a thickening of its Yarrabubba magnetite iron and vanadium deposit south of Meekatharra in WA. Drilling in the south-east of the existing 27.7Mt resource going 38.7 per cent iron and 0.9 per cent vanadium pentoxide has returned broad high-grade zones including 24m at 50.2 per cent iron and 1.13 per cent vanadium pentoxide.

Technology Metals Australia has secured well known private equity fund RCF as a corner stone backer as part of a two-stage $20m placement that will see Technology Metals fast-track the development of its Yarrabubba and Gabanintha high purity vanadium projects in WA. The projects are just south of Meekathara and will seek to capitalise on the resurgent vanadium price.

Technology Metals Australia has delivered an impressive 32 per cent increase to its Yarrabubba vanadium pentoxide resource at its Murchison Technology Metals Project in WA, including a cracking 110 per cent lift in the indicated resource component. The company’s resource base at the project now clocks in at a whopping 146.2 million tonnes grading 0.8 per cent vanadium pentoxide.

WA-based Technology Metals Australia has extended an agreed Memoranda of Understanding with Japan’s LE System, a leading vanadium battery company. The agreement will see the duo launch a feasibility study into the development of Australia’s first fully integrated vanadium electrolyte plant, a material used in industrial scale electric batteries. The proposed plant will aim to utilise vanadium from the company’s Murchison Technology Metals project near Meekatharra.

Amidst a tight global market Technology Metals Australia has produced high vanadium recoveries up to 95 per cent in test work as it plans to merge its two deposits and deliver the world’s next large scale primary vanadium mine.

ASX-listed Technology Metals has signed an agreement with energy infrastructure company, APA Operations, to start work on the Gabanintha gas pipeline. The proposed pipeline is less than half the length originally proposed, which should result in lower gas transportation charges. The pipeline will allow an option to source gas from the emerging Perth Basin, further reducing costs for the project’s gas.