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Venus Metals Corporation Limited (VMC) owns 90% of a unique open pit Vanadium oxide resource of world-scale at Youanmi in the Midwest region of Western Australia. Youanmi Vanadium deposit is located on the exploration licence E57/986 (117.7 km2) and approximately 40 km southeast of the mothballed Windimurra Mine. The Youanmi Vanadium-Titanium-Iron deposit has good access to major infrastructures such as gas pipelines, roads and port facilities (Figure 1).

The Youanmi vanadiferous titanomagnetite resource holds immense potential to become a significant player in the global titanium-vanadium market, particularly in meeting the emerging renewable energy needs of Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries (VRFB).

The tenement area falls within the Youanmi Intrusive Complex in the Southern Cross province of Archean Yilgarn Craton, WA. The tenement covers a substantial strike length of the Youanmi intrusive gabbroic complex that has intruded the poorly exposed Youanmi greenstone sequences. The Youanmi Intrusion occupies an oval-shaped area bounded by marginal greenstone lithologies and granitic rocks. The Youanmi Intrusion contains several prominent vanadiferous titano-magnetite units forming two strong magnetic horizons near the base of the intrusive stratigraphy.

van map

Figure 1. Location of Youanmi Titanium Vanadium  Iron Project

Widenbar and Associates (“WAA”) were commissioned to produce a Mineral Resource Estimate for the Youanmi Vanadium-Ti-Fe Deposit.

Two high-grade mineralised domains have been interpreted, with low-grade domains lying between and above them. The Resource Estimate has been classified in the Inferred category as defined by the 2012 edition of the JORC Code. WAA has reviewed the drilling, sampling and assaying data used in the estimate and considers it sufficient to support the resource classification applied. Initially, historical drill hole data of 49 RC holes and 11 diamond holes were used for resource modelling. WAA has reported a JORC 2012 compliant Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of 330.6 Million Tonnes @ 0.29% V2O5, 5.95% Titanium (TiO2) and 19.41% Fe (0.10% V2O5 cut-off, 350m RL base) for 951,000 tonnes of Vanadium Pentoxide resource (Table-1).

 Table 1. JORC 2012 Inferred Vanadium Resource Estimate (2015)
(refer to VMCASX Release: 6 February 2015)
JORC 2012 Inferred Vanadium Resource Estimate 2015

In 2019, Venus drilled an additional 139 RC holes for a total of 5,919, bringing the total drilling to 199 holes for a total of 9,187m (Figure 2). Drilling was confined to the weathered oxide component of the resource reported at 0.10% V2O5 cutoff are summarised below (Table 2 and Figure 3)

Table 2. Youanmi Vanadium Oxide Resource Estimate - March 2019
(refer VMC ASX Release: 20 March 2019)

Table 2. Youanmi Vanadium Oxide Resource Estimate March 2019

YVP Fig02
Figure 2. Location of Historical and recent RC Drill holes
YVP Fig03
Figure 3. Plan view showing Measured, Indicated and Inferred Vanadium Oxide Resource
 

A comprehensive hydrometallurgical study was conducted by the Hydrometallurgy Research Group (HRG) at Murdoch University, Western Australia, to develop an integrated process flow sheet for extracting vanadium, iron and titanium. Tests indicate that a blended composite raw material grading 0.66% V2O5 and 44.38% Fe2O3 can be upgraded through a simple concentrating process to 1.07% V2O5 and 65.3% Fe2O3 (hematite). Notably, low acid consumption is achieved after a 70% acid recovery by a novel process. A provisional patent application for the Youanmi oxide ore process has been lodged and accepted with IP Australia (refer to ASX release 11 May 2022).

The Youanmi Ti-V-Fe Mining Lease application (M57/670) covers approximately 1,035 hectares within E57/986, including areas considered deemed prospective for the identification of additional resources (Figure 4). Recently, Venus joined as a partner in the Minerals to Megawatts CRC bid team, which is primarily focused on ‘Critical’ Renewable Technologies and establishing value-added processing of critical minerals, thereby enhancing the industry’s ability to capitalise on natural reserves (https://www.mmcrc.com.au/) (refer ASX release 18 December 2024).

Venus is dedicated to developing an innovative multicommodity processing hub for the Youanmi deposit. This hub aims to integrate the production of zinc-indium, nickel-cobalt, vanadium-titanium-iron, and lithium into a single synergistic processing precinct at Youanmi. The CRC research program includes further developing the vanadium production process to produce vanadium electrolytes for clean energy storage, with titanium and iron as byproducts.

This technology has reached an advanced stage, with a provisional patent application lodged with IP Australia for the processing of Youanmi Ti-V-Fe oxide ore (refer to ASX release 11 May 2022).

The work on these two projects may proceed sequentially or overlap, allowing completion at Murdoch University’s new Research and Education Centre for Extractive Metallurgy, which is expected to be commissioned in March 2025. A detailed project proposal outlining specific aims, objectives, and budgets will be developed once the CRC commences

 

 vanML

Figure 4. Location of Youanmi Mining Lease Application shown on Aeromagnetic Anomaly Image