Western Yilgarn Limited (ASX: WYX) has announced a maiden JORC (2012) Inferred Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 39.27Mt at 22.7% Available Al₂O₃ and 12.8% Reactive SiO₂ for its New Norcia Bauxite Project. Western Yilgarn is an Australian exploration company focused on discovering and developing high-quality mineral resources. The project is strategically located within the Darling Range region, north of Perth, Western Australia.
The MRE zone extends approximately 3 km in length and averages 2 km in width, with bauxite mineralisation occurring from surface to a depth of 7 vertical metres. The estimate was calculated using data from 187 drillholes, totalling 1,478m of drilling. New Norcia is situated approximately 25 km north of the company’s flagship 168Mt Julimar West Bauxite Project, within the Darling Range Bauxite Mineral Field. The company’s total JORC (2012) Bauxite Resources now stand at 244Mt.
According to Western Yilgarn, the Darling Range Bauxite Field demonstrates significant potential to host an economic bauxite resource of sufficient size and quality to support a small- to medium-scale Direct Shipping Ore (DSO) operation. The company is targeting established alumina refineries in China and the Middle East via seaborne export. The company noted that bauxite from the Darling Range plateau is highly suited to DSO export, owing to its high-grade, gibbsitic composition and low reactive silica content (<5%). Pedro Kastellorizos, Non-Executive Director of Western Yilgarn, commented that the company is extremely pleased with the outcomes of the Bauxite Resource Estimations at the New Norcia Project. He added that the results highlight strong scalability and significant potential to increase tonnage through further exploration. Planning is already underway for the next phase of drilling across untested zones within the company’s bauxite portfolio, aimed at expanding the current mineralised footprint.
