Grange Resv
Grange Resv
DECEMBER 2022
31 March 2023
ASX: GRR.
HIGHLIGHTS
• Mineral Resources & Ore Reserves have been estimated for Grange’s Savage
River magnetite deposits in Tasmania, as at 31 December 2022.
The resource consists of 485.0 million tonnes at 44.5% DTR (above a cut-off of 15% DTR) as detailed
in table 1 and the reserve consists of 96.5 million tonnes at 46.7% DTR (above a cut-off of 15% DTR)
as detailed in table 2.
Table 1 Savage River Mineral Resource Estimate
The Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve have been estimated by the company’s technical staff assisted
by external consultants and are reported in accordance with the guidelines of the JORC Code (2012
edition).
Independent technical reviews were performed by AMC Consultants Pty Ltd (AMC) in 2019 & 2020
regarding the resource estimation process and the reserve estimation of Centre Pit. AMC considered,
based on the available information, Mineral Resource estimates have been completed using accepted
practice.
INTRODUCTION
This document has been prepared to summarise the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve of Grange
Resources’ magnetite deposits, located at Savage River and Long Plains in Tasmania.
This statement covers the material remaining at the end of December 2022 and contains summary
details on the history of Savage River, the geology of the deposit and information involved in
producing Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimates.
LOCATION
The Savage River Mine and concentrator plant are located approximately 100km south west by sealed
road from Burnie. The pelletising plant and dedicated port facilities at Port Latta are located 70
kilometres northwest by sealed road from Burnie (Figure 2).
Local topography surrounding the mine is rugged, with incised valleys and steep hills. The west flowing
Savage River dissects the deposit. Regional vegetation includes undisturbed rain forest with the mine
area comprising wet eucalypt, acacia and open heath land. Climate is wet temperate with an average
annual rainfall of 1,950mm and mean monthly temperatures ranging from 3-19°C.
TENURE
Grange Resources operates under the conditions
of Mining Lease 2M/2001 which consolidates and
expands the previous lease 11M/97. This lease
stands for 30 years from 2001, encompassing a
total of 4,975 hectares.
Grange was granted an exploration licence application “Pipeline Road” shown as EL8/2014 for an 11sq
km lease north of 2M-2001 in 2014 and this licence is currently on its third extension of term which
expires on 29 July 2023. An application for a further extension for EL30-2003 and EL8-2014 will be
made 3 months prior to the renewal dates in 2023.
All leases and licences previously held by Australian Bulk Minerals (ABM) were transferred to Grange
Resources Tasmania following the merger in January, 2009.
PROJECT HISTORY
Ironstone outcrops around the Savage River were first discovered by State Government surveyor C.P.
Sprent in early 1887 during one of his exploration journeys through western Tasmania. The deposits
were first reported as a possible source of iron ore in 1919.
Systematic exploration techniques were employed by the Australian Bureau of Mineral Resources
during 1956 that included ground and airborne magnetic surveys. The largest magnetic anomaly was
detected at Savage River with two smaller anomalies being detected at Long Plains and Rocky River
further to the south (Figure 3).
Diamond drilling commenced during the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s largely by Industrial and
Mining Investigations Pty Ltd (IMI).
In 1965, Savage River Mines Ltd, a joint venture of Australian, Japanese, and American interests was
formed to develop the project. PMI (Pickands Mather International) developed an open cut mine,
concentrator plant and township at Savage River to access the magnetite reserve. A pipeline from the
concentrator plant to the pelletising plant and dedicated port facilities at Port Latta located on the
northwest coast were also constructed.
Mining commenced in 1967 to supply a consortium of Japanese steel mills with 45 million tonnes of
pelletised iron ore over a twenty-year period. Annual pellet production reached a maximum of 2.4
million tonnes per annum during the period.
The Savage River Project was operated for the full term of a thirty-year lease by PMI. In early 1997,
PMI ceased mining activities at Savage River, transferring ownership of the Savage River Project to the
Tasmanian Government on March 26, 1997.
At the end of March 1997, ABM purchased the assets of the Savage River Project from the Tasmanian
Government. Following this purchase, ABM continued mining the existing pits through a series of cut-
back operations, mined the previously undeveloped South Deposit, and began exploration around the
Long Plains area.
In January 2009 Grange Resources merged with ABM and has continued to operate the open pit
operation and further develop the mineral assets.
In 2021 a Pre-feasibility Study (PFS) was completed into the potential for an underground mine within
the north pit resources. The PFS successfully determined that underground mining was technically
and economically feasible and the study moved into Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) in 2022.
GEOLOGY
The Savage River magnetite deposit lies within
and near the eastern margin of the Proterozoic
Arthur Metamorphic Complex in north western
Tasmania. This complex is exposed along a
northeast-southwest trending structural
corridor, the Arthur Lineament, which separates
Proterozoic sedimentary rocks to the northwest
from a variety of Palaeozoic rocks to the
southeast.
Magnetite ore is almost entirely enclosed within a highly sheared and strike-faulted belt of mafic and
ultramafic rocks specifically serpentinite and talc-carbonate schist. The magnetite ranges in thickness
from 40 to 150 metres in width and is termed the Main Ore Zone (MOZ).
Narrow (<20metre) lenses and layers also occur in the mafic sequence to the west. The mafic sequence
comprises chlorite-calcite-albite schist and layered green amphibole-chlorite-albite schist.
A suite of late, strongly deformed metabasalt and metadolerite intrusive dykes occur either sub-
parallel to or cut obliquely across the MOZ. Vein magnesite occurs adjacent to the MOZ with
significant bodies developed in the east at South Lens and at the west in North Pit.
The magnetite ores comprise three volumetrically important groups: pyritic ores, ores associated with
serpentine and talc-carbonate ores. The ore may be massive, layered, or disseminated and range from
being fine-grained to coarsely crystalline. Accessory mineral phases may include talc, tremolite,
actinolite, chlorite, epidote, apatite and carbonate in varying amounts. The mineral assemblages
preserved at Savage River imply middle to upper green-schist facies metamorphic conditions.
In 2022, there were 5,524m (19 holes) of diamond drilling completed on surface for the Centre Pit
Drilling Project for resource definition; orebody knowledge; geotechnical modelling and waste
characterisation purposes. There was 2,570m (6 holes) drilled from underground and 1,672m (5 holes)
drilled from surface for North Pit Underground (NPUG) resource definition.
Regarding the drilling program, core recoveries are generally high in the ore zones at Savage River
(>90%) and there are no significant core recovery issues. Drill collars are surveyed using a combination
of conventional surveying (total station) and/or high resolution RTK GPS.
All samples used in resource estimation are taken from diamond drill core of either HQ or NQ size or
from reverse circulation drill holes employing a 140mm face sampling hammer.
Core was half core sampled as standard practice and rarely full core sampled to confirm historic drill
intercepts or for metallurgical testing. Sampled length is generally between 0.75m to 2m within
lithological units to preserve volume variance and to provide sample weights of 3kg. Reverse
circulation drilling was used to give uniform 1m samples by cone or riffle splitter resulting in a 3kg
sample. Field quality control procedures included insertion of prepared sample standards at a rate of
1:25 and limited field duplicate samples on the RC suite of samples.
Sample preparation techniques were industry standard for magnetite ores and used the sub-sampling
protocol as recommended by the Savage River Laboratory. Sample preparation was conducted at an
external NATA-accredited laboratory for both core and RC chips. The subsampling process for RC was
identical to that of the core except for the coarse crush stage. For drill core, the core was first analysed
for bulk density by immersion in water. All mineralised core samples have had a density determination
completed. The half core samples were oven dried at 110 degrees for 12 hours, then coarse crushed
to minus 2mm in a Boyd crusher then split to ~3kg, crushed again to 90% passing 1.7mm and split
again with a 150g sub-sample taken for pulverising to 98% passing 75 microns.
A pulp sub-sample was collected analysed at Savage River’s mine lab by Davis Tube Recovery.
The primary assay technique is Davis Tube Recovery (DTR) on a 10g sample, followed by Ferrous Iron
(Fe2+) via Satmagan and S, total Fe, TiO2, MgO, V, P, S and Ni via XRF on the Davis Tube Concentrate
(DTC) via XRF. All techniques are considered total. DTR is the most appropriate assay technique for
determination of magnetite recovery. All DTR samples were completed on the mine site using the
Savage River DTR technique. This technique has been used for 50 years and is supported by pit
reconciliations.
All logging and assay data is stored in a database which was validated against original log sheets. The
database includes holes drilled by Savage River Mines Limited, ABM and more recent holes drilled by
Grange Resources.
The North Pit 2022 wireframing utilised the recent drilling completed in 2022. The updated domains
contained less discreet lens of internal low grade and internal waste but more low-grade and waste
incorporated into the Main Ore Zone Domain (MOZ). The updated wireframes for the MOZ and
Western Lens (WL) resulted in a slight increase in tonnes. Category Indicator Kriging (CIK) was run on
MOZ domain to discriminate high grade (>35% DTR), low grade (35% < 15% DTR) and internal waste
domains. Geologists completed a review the adjusted wireframes and resolved interpretation
conflicts between MOZ and WL.
Sample data at Savage River were generally composited to 1 metre down hole length using a best fit-
compositing method. Residual samples (those composite intervals for which there was less than 75%
of the composite length) were considered biased and hence were not included in the estimate.
Block models were prepared for each part of the deposit using Surpac Software. Block sizes at Savage
River are:
• North Pit 5mE by 5mN by 5mRL parent block size with sub-celling to 2.5mE by 2.5mN by
2.5mRL for North Pit,
• Centre Pit 5mE by 15mN by 5mRL parent block size with sub-celling to 2.5mE by 3.75mN by
2.5mRL
• Long Plains were assigned a 10mE by 25mN by 10mRL parent block size with sub-celling to
1.25mE by 6.25mN by 2.5mRL owing to the thinner mineralised magnetite lenses at Long
Plains.
Models were estimated using Ordinary Kriging for the main deposits with Inverse Distance Cubed
weighting estimation techniques employed for the Sprent pit resource. Geostatistical analysis,
including variography studies to develop spatial estimation parameters were prepared for each of the
major areas of mineralisation by Optiro Consultants. These parameters were used to assist in the
classification of the resource. The Snowden Optiro estimate for North Pit was completed in 2022 and
is used for this report.
Mineral Resources have been classified on the basis of confidence in geological and grade continuity
using the drilling density, geological model, modelled grade continuity and conditional bias measures
(kriging efficiency where available). Assessment for Reasonable Prospects of Eventual Economic
Extraction (RPEEE) was undertaken and based on a review of mineable shapes by open cut or
underground methods and economic viability at historical market highs. Areas below a pit shell with
unlikely prospectivity or for extraction from underground with a true width less than 20 metres were
manually removed.
Block model validation results show good correlation between the input data to the estimated grades.
The mineralised domains have demonstrated sufficient geological and grade continuity to support the
definition of a Mineral Resource, and classifications were applied under the guidelines of the JORC
Code (2012 Edition).
There has been no material change to the Centre Pit Mineral Resource since the last statement. There
are 6 new drillholes that will be included in the 2023 resource estimate and it is not anticipated to
amount to a material change.
There have been no other changes over the last year to the Mineral Resource for South Deposit, Sprent
or Long Plains.
Oxidised hematite mineralisation is not included in the any of the resource estimation.
Mineral Resources at the Savage River Mine including Long Plains are as at the end of December 2022.
Mineral Resources are categorised in accordance with the guidelines established in the JORC Code
(2012 Edition). Estimated Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are inclusive of those Mineral
Resources modified to produce the estimated Ore Reserves.
Some Mineral Resources such as, Sprent and Long Plains have not had the required level of studies
completed to report any Ore Reserves associated with those deposits. They are considered to meet
the Mineral Resource requirement of having reasonable prospects of future eventual economic
extraction.
ORE RESERVES
Measured and Indicated Mineral Resources are considered for conversion to Ore Reserves, based on
assessment against an optimised pit design and with respect to the modifying factors. The Mineral
Resource is inclusive of the Ore Reserve.
The Ore Reserve estimation for Savage River includes Mineral Resources from North Pit and Centre
Pit. Ore Reserves were developed as part of Feasibility Studies completed in September 2006 and a
further feasibility study on Centre Pit was completed in October of 2019. Ore Reserves have continued
to be developed during the annual review of the Savage River Life of Mine Plan.
Pit designs are based on optimised shells determined using Geovia Whittle software. The cut-off grade
of 15%DTR was determined as part of feasibility studies and is reviewed periodically. Current mining
and recovery factors are applied to account for mining practices of conventional bulk mining methods
utilizing hydraulic face shovels, excavators, dump trucks and conventional drill and blast processes.
These are based on reconciliations calculated periodically for the different areas of the deposit.
Metallurgical factors are applied to account for mill performance. The overall pit slope criteria used
for the design and optimisation are based on ongoing geotechnical studies which are reviewed and
updated on an annual basis as part of Grange Resource’s Life of Mine Planning process.
Between Dec 2021 and Dec 2022 Ore Reserves at North pit reduced by 4.4 million tonnes to 65.5
million tonnes, due to mining depletion. Proven Reserves reduced by 0.5 million tonnes and Probable
Reserves decreased by 3.9 million tonnes. This movement is owing to a decision to classify all ore
reserves within the final west wall cut back of North Pit as meeting the lower confidence classification
of a Probable Ore Reserve. Total North Pit Ore Reserves less mining depletion remain in line with
previous reports.
The Tasmanian EPA issued final approval for Centre Pit mining in Q2, 2022. Obtainment of the
approval has allowed the upgrading of some Probable Ore Reserves in Stage 2 and 3 of Centre Pit to
meet the requirements of Proven Ore Reserves.
Estimates of Ore Reserves at the Savage River Mine are as at the end of December 2022. Ore Reserves
are categorised in accordance with the guidelines established in the JORC Code (2012 Edition). The
following tables represent the Mineral Resource for each part of the deposit. In each case, elemental
compositions were measured from Davis Tube Concentrate. A cut-off of 15%DTR was used in the
calculation of Ore Reserves.
Grange’s senior staff designated with responsibility for internal review of the JORC Mineral Resources
and Ore Reserves include:
These staff oversee the planning and implementation of exploration and resource evaluation
programs. The evaluation process incorporates internal skills and knowledge in operation and project
management, downstream processing, and commercial/financial areas of the business.
The Chief Operating Officer, in consultation with senior staff, facilitates the planning, monitoring, and
the estimation and reporting of resources and reserves. The process is reviewed by an internal peer
review team. External consultants are also utilised to supplement internal resources in the estimation
process, with independent technical review undertaken as required.
Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve reporting is based on substantiated geological and mining
assumptions and prepared in accordance with the Australasian Joint Ore Reserves Committee (JORC)
Code 2012.
Grange reports Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves on an annual basis. Competent Persons named
are members of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and qualify as
Competent Persons as defined in the JORC Code 2012.
Mr Maynard has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of
deposit under consideration and to the activity being undertaken to qualify as a Competent Person as
defined in the 2012 Edition of the ‘Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral
Resources and Ore Reserves’.
Mr Maynard consents to the inclusion in the report of the matters based on his information in the
form and context in which it appears.
Grange’s operations consist principally of owning and operating the Savage River integrated iron ore
mining and pellet production business located in the north-west region of Tasmania. The Savage River
magnetite iron ore mine is a long-life mining asset. At Port Latta, on the north-west coast of Tasmania,
Grange owns a downstream pellet plant and port facility producing more than two million tonnes of
premium quality iron ore pellets annually.
Grange has a combination of spot and contracted sales arrangements in place to deliver its pellets to
customers throughout the Asia Pacific region. In addition, Grange is a majority joint venture partner
in a major magnetite development project at Southdown, near Albany in Western Australia.
Contacts
Investors:
Honglin Zhao, CEO
Grange Resources Limited
Phone: + 61 3 6430 0222
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.grangeresources.com.au
-ENDS-
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Estimation and • The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) • Estimations up to 2014 been undertaken by Grange staff using recommendations and parameters defined in
modelling applied and key assumptions, including treatment of extreme variography studies completed by Snowden Mining Industry Consultants
techniques grade values, domaining, interpolation parameters and • Since 2014, estimations have been undertaken by Optiro, Xstract Mining and Snowden Optiro consultants in
maximum distance of extrapolation from data points. If a consultation with Grange staff.
computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a
description of computer software and parameters used. • Mineralized domains were established from high grade and low grade intersects as interpreted in the
geological model.
• Ordinary Kriging (OK) was employed to estimate the North Pit resource from 2007 based on the
recommendation of a report by Snowden in 2006. Other deposits have progressively moved from inverse
distance methods to OK as appropriate.
• For the 2022 North Pit estimate, a southerly plunge was identified from variography and Categorical Indicator
Kriging (CIK) was used to help refine the domaining of low and high grade material. Indicators set at 15% and
35% DTR were used to flag material and domain the low grade, while an indicator set at 35% was used to flag
material above this level as High Grade. The flagged drill data was then coded to the relevant domains for use
in OK estimation.
• The Sprent deposit is comparatively small (<3M tonnes) and considered to be an extension of Centre Pit
South. It was developed in 2010 to supplement ore supply.
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• The minimum and maximum number of samples were tested for each deposit using the Kriging
Neighbourhood Analysis (KNA). The following table outlines the Number of Samples selected to inform the
three estimation passes in each of the block model estimates for the various deposits.
• The estimation was validated by completing visual checks in section and plan and comparing statistics of
input composite drillhole sample grades to estimated block grades on both a local and global basis. Local
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• Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the • The First Principles equation relates density to DTR and provides a reasonable fit to the measured data.
evaluation process of the different materials. • 2019 and later North Pit models removed percussion holes (nearly half of informing data of c. 2011 models -
NP1103 model).
• Centre Pit retained the use of percussion holes in the resource estimate. As a consequence, there are now
much greater proportion of densities having measured values and a smaller portion of density is calculated
via regression methods where primary density measurements were absent.
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• The major assumptions made, and Mineral Resource model • The Smallest Mining Unit (SMU) assumed is 5 m x 5 m x 2.5 m in the X, Y and Z direction consistent with the
used for pit and stope optimization (if appropriate). sub-cell resolution in the resource.
• The mining dilution factors used. • The mining block model includes an allowance for likely mining dilution based on historical performance. For
• The mining recovery factors used. North Pit this has added approximately 2% tonnage and reduced the DTR by 8%. In Centre Pit this has added
zero additional tonnage and reduced the DTR by 15%.
• These factors reflect the expected ore dilution leading to a decrease in recovered grade and an increase in
recovered ore volume and are based on historic reconciliation performance. Reconciliations (global) are
compiled annually, and bench reconciliations are compiled as benches are completed (about 8 per year).
• Temporal or period reconciliations are run to check the quality of the 3-month plan cycle.
• Any minimum mining widths used. • Mining widths of 20m are applied to the pit designs based on the current primary load and haul equipment’s
minimum working requirements. Ore and waste can be mined and segregated to the minimum block size
based on the current equipment specification and mining method.
• The manner in which Inferred Mineral Resources are utilised in • The Whittle Optimization on which the mine design is based utilises only Measured and Indicated Material.
mining studies and the sensitivity of the outcome to their Ore Reserve classification is that portion of the mineral resource that resides within an economic pit design.
inclusion. Only Measured and indicated resources are considered.
• Inferred Resources are not scheduled or included in cash flow assessments. Inferred Resources are
considered during optimisation to assess further reserve development priorities.
• The infrastructure requirements of the selected mining • The mine can conduct remote blast hole drilling and charging to support safe operation utilising the mining
methods. method.
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• For minerals that are defined by a specification, has the ore • Magnetite concentrates and hematite pellets are sold on a market specification.
reserve estimation been based on the appropriate mineralogy
to meet the specifications?
Environmental • The status of studies of potential environmental impacts of the • The mining and exploration tenements held by the Company contain environmental requirements and
mining and processing operation. Details of waste rock conditions that the entities must comply with in the course of normal operations.
characterisation and the consideration of potential sites, status • Conditions and regulations cover the management of the storage of hazardous materials and rehabilitation
of design options considered and, where applicable, the status of mine sites. The Company obtained approvals to operate in 1996 and 1997 under Tasmania's Land Use
of approvals for process residue storage and waste dumps Planning and Approvals Act (LUPA) and the Environmental Management and Pollution Control Act (EMPCA)
should be reported. as well as the Goldamere Act and Mineral Resources Development Act. The land use permit conditions for
Savage River and Port Latta are contained in Environmental Protection Notices 248/2 and 302/2 respectively.
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