Avalon Rare Metals (TSE:AVL) Announces Progress on Product Marketing Initiatives and Update on Development of Nechalacho Rare Earth Elements Deposit
Toronto, July 12, 2011 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Avalon Rare Metals (
TSE:AVL) (NYSE:AVL) ("Avalon" or the "Company") is pleased to provide a progress report on its rare metal product marketing initiatives as well as project permitting, metallurgy and diamond drilling programs on the Nechalacho Rare Earth Elements deposit, Thor Lake, NWT, Canada.
Product Marketing
Avalon has now entered into non-binding Memorandums of Understanding ("MOU's") with three Asian industrial companies seeking to participate in the Project by investing and /or providing technical expertise in exchange for obtaining off-take rights. MOU's are commonly used to initiate a formal due diligence process and frame the discussions between the parties. The business terms of each of the MOUs are not binding and have therefore not been announced. However, each MOU requires the Company to maintain the confidentiality of the identity of the counterparty and the business terms until the negotiation process is completed and a definitive agreement is signed. Pierre Neatby VP Sales and Marketing stated, "We are encouraged that these companies have already expressed confidence in the potential of the project by signing an MOU and initiating a formal due diligence process. While the recent unprecedented increase in rare earth prices has caused some concern about substitution risk, in many applications the potential substitutes are clearly inferior. We remain confident that market demand will resume its strong growth as new supply comes into the market and technological advancements develop new applications for these remarkable commodities."
Project Permitting
Avalon is also pleased to announce the completion and filing of its Developers Assessment Report ("DAR"), (otherwise known as an Environmental Impact Statement), required by the Mackenzie Valley Environmental Impact Review Board (MVEIRB). The development of a DAR is an exhaustive study that typically takes more than a year to complete upon a company receiving the final Terms of Reference from MVEIRB. Avalon, with support from EBA Engineering (A Tetra Tech Company), completed and submitted its DAR in just three months upon receiving the final terms of reference from MVEIRB. Such rapid turn-around on submitting the DAR should reduce the potential for delays in completing the permitting process. A copy of the DAR can be found on MVEIRB's public registry at http://www.reviewboard.ca.
The Company also required a new Land Use Permit to be issued by the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water Board ("MVLWB") for its current activities at the site, as the existing permit was scheduled to expire on July 4, 2011. The Company is pleased to report that the new Land Use Permit was issued by the MVLWB on June 23, for a period of 5 years beginning on July 5, 2011.
Metallurgical Process Development
As announced in the News Release dated April 5, 2011, the metallurgical testing program continues with both flotation and hydrometallurgical testwork underway under the supervision of Avalon's metallurgist, Dezhi Qi, P. Eng. In addition, Avalon has contracted Hoe Teh, P. Eng., a metallurgist based in Vancouver, for long term consulting services. Mr. Teh obtained his B.A.Sc in metallurgical engineering from UBC. He has 38 years experience in metallurgical processing, studies, engineering and design, including senior positions with Cominco, Hatch and Barrick. John Goode, P. Eng, continues to give consulting advice to the Company and input to the metallurgical testing programs.
Bench scale flotation testing is underway to further enhance the process and a third flotation mini-pilot plant trial is planned for July. This pilot test is planned to process 3 tonnes of Basal Zone mineralized material and is preliminary to the planned large scale, 20 to 30 tonne pilot test planned for the fall. It is intended to produce concentrate to be utilized in on-going, bench-scale hydrometallurgical testwork, as well as providing additional information to help finalize flowsheet parameters for the large scale pilot plant trial planned for the fall.
Bench scale hydrometallurgical testwork is continuing at SGS Minerals in Lakefield, Ontario with testing to focus on the solution chemistry, purification and precipitation of rare earths. A contract was signed with SGS Minerals for a hydrometallurgical pilot plant, and acquisition of requisite equipment has commenced. The hydrometallurgical pilot scale work is expected to commence later this fall and may take up to 40 weeks complete.
Diamond Drilling and Mineral Resource Estimation
One drill rig was mobilized to the property on June 20, 2011 to resume geotechnical drilling with the initial objective being testing of the proposed route for the production ramp from the planned plant site to the location of the underground crusher station. This drilling is anticipated to take at least one month. As of July 2, 2011, 9 drill holes had been completed, including some very short holes in the shallower parts of the ramp. Once the ramp route drilling is completed, this drill will commence geotechnical drilling of the proposed area for the underground crusher. This drilling will also secure additional intercepts of the Basal Zone.
The second drill rig, equipped to recover large diameter PQ core for bulk sample recovery, will be commence drilling this week. It will continue a similar program as in the winter drilling, with the objective of completing in-fill holes within the Indicated Mineral Resources in the Basal Zone, focusing on the area where mining will be initiated. The results of this drilling are expected to reclassify additional Indicated Resources to the Measured level of confidence, and will also provide additional mineralized material for on-going metallurgical test work.
As previously reported, the winter drill program was completed on April 28, 2011. Assaying continues and due to the large number of samples, special processing requirements of the large diameter PQ core, quality control checking and backlogs at commercial laboratories, final assay results from this program are not expected before late summer. As a result, updating of the mineral resource estimates will not commence before September.
About Avalon Advanced Materials Inc
Avalon Advanced Materials Inc. (TSE:AVL) (OTCMKTS:AVLNF) (formerly Avalon Rare Metals) is a Canadian mineral development company specializing in niche market metals and minerals with growing demand in new technology. The Company has three advanced stage projects, all 100%-owned, providing investors with exposure to lithium, tin and indium, as well as rare earth elements, tantalum, niobium, and zirconium. Avalon is currently focusing on its Separation Rapids Lithium Project, Kenora, ON and its East Kemptville Tin-Indium Project, Yarmouth, NS. Social responsibility and environmental stewardship are corporate cornerstones.
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