The Mine
Historical photos from the Anglo-American operations between 1954 & 1960.
The current explored and delineated orebody reports a NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate that indicates the presence of 665,000 tonnes of ore at an average grade of 14.5% and a total rare earth content of 86,900 tonnes with expansion potential at depth and along strike.
The current explored and delineated orebody reports a NI 43-101 compliant Reserve Estimate that indicates the presence of 799,700 (including contamination) tonnes of ore at an average grade of 8.68% and a total rare earth content of approximately 69,400 tonnes.
Current planning allows a Life of Mine of approximately 28 years which can be extended through the planned expansion exploration programme.
The Steenkampskraal mine is located in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is an existing mine that produced and exported a monazite concentrate during the 1950s and 1960s.
The mine has one of the highest grades of rare earth elements (REE) in the world. It has a currently explored and delineated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) of 665,000 tonnes at an average grade of 14.5% contained total rare earth oxides (TREO) for a total of 86,900 tonnes contained TREO including Y2O3.
The determined Mineral Reserve including dilution is approximately 799,700 tonnes at an average grade of 8.68% yielding approximately 69,400 tonnes contained TREO including Y2O3.
There is the potential to further increase the resource within and beyond the current mining right area. The neodymium grade, on its own, is 2.58% which is higher than the total rare earth grades in most other rare earth deposits. The total quantity of neodymium in the MRE is approximately 15,600 tonnes.
The Mining Right held by Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine Proprietary Limited (SMM), a subsidiary of Steenkampskraal Holdings Limited (SHL), will consist of two separate but integrated activities:
- Mining from an existing underground mine and surface tailings and rock dumps; and
- The production of a monazite concentrate, mixed rare earth carbonate and Thorium in various stages.
The mine was awarded a South African New Order Mining Right (MR) under the MPRDA on 2 June 2010. This allows mining for 20 years until 1 June 2030 and is renewable. The mine also holds a Resource Reserve Classification Certificate of Registration Number 23 (CoR-23) granted by the South African National Nuclear Regulator (NNR). This allows the company to mine, process, transport and store naturally occurring radioactive material.
Steenkampskraal is a high-grade, hard-rock, monazite vein deposit with a resource that has recently been increased by extensive drilling work, as reported in the mine’s NI 43-101 compliant Mineral Resource Estimate. The underground in-situ average grade is 14.5%. There are also surface tailings stockpiled as a result of previous mining and processing operations with a grade of about 7% TREO.
Steenkampskraal Monazite Mine (SMM) prepared an EMP that was approved by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy(DMRE) in 2010. This EMP forms an integral part of the Mining Right and subsequently updated.
Steenkampskraal Competitive Position
- Steenkampskraal, as one of the highest grade rare earths mine in the world, will have low mining costs.
- Steenkampskraal is a shallow mine with a mining depth to a current maximum depth of 160 metres.
- The planned beneficiation technologies have been tried and tested over many years.
- The mine has well-established transport infrastructure which means that the transport of labour and materials to the mine and product from the mine will be low.
