<article><p class="lead">Perth-based metals developer Neometals has reached an initial agreement with a Chinese government research institution to develop its Barrambie titanium-vanadium project in Western Australia.</p><p>The agreement will outline the potential for a 50:50 joint venture between Neometals and the Institute of Multipurpose Utilisation of Mineral Resources (IMUMR), part of the China Academy of Geological Sciences.</p><p>The venture includes a hydrometallurgical demonstration processing plant. If successful, this will lead to an engineering study to evaluate a mining and processing operation operation at Barrambie and a downstream beneficiation plant in China.</p><p>IMUMR has previously conducted test work on bulk ore samples from Barrambie. Its mandate includes the development of an upstream supply chain for industries of strategic importance to China.</p><p>China is the world's largest producer of titanium and vanadium chemical products with applications including pigment, aerospace alloys and energy storage. Its chemical producers need to secure long-term upstream feed supplies.</p><p>Barrambie is one of the world's highest-grade hard rock titanium deposits with a mine life of around 15 years and a development cost of $484mn. It has a mineral resource of 208mn t and an ore reserve of 40mn t. Contained metal is estimated at 1.2mn t of vanadium pentoxide and 25.7mn t of titanium oxide.</p><p>Tests have confirmed the technical feasibility and economic viability for production of vanadium pentoxide and ferro-vanadium.</p></article>
