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The assay results – released by SGS Geosol – showed ore from Campo Grande contains refinery-grade extractable alumina and low reactive silica, consolidating earlier results which included gallium intercepts up to 106.5 grams per tonne gallium oxide (Ga₂O₃) and bauxite intervals up to 42.1% of aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃).

This confirms that the project’s bauxite meets the standard for processing in a refinery via the low-temperature Bayer process, which is the industry standard for alumina production from gibbsite-rich ores.

SGS Geosol assessed this by placing samples through alkaline digestion under heat and pressure to mimic Bayer circuit parameters.

Equinox managing director Zac Komur said the results highlighted the value of Campo Grande – which is located in Brazil’s Bahia region – given the presence of these critical minerals.

“Recent results confirm the presence of refinery-grade bauxite, elevated gallium, and rare earth elements within the Campo Grande Project area,” he said.

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Of key importance, Mr Komur added, is the timing: “This project is along a key critical minerals trend in Brazil, at a time of increasing market focus on secure and independent sources of alumina and strategic metals.”

EQN shares rose on the news to trade at around 8.6 cents each.

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The New Norcia project is within the Darling Rangle Bauxite Mineral Field, around 25 kilometres north of Julimar West. Western Yilgarn has since applied for an Exploration Licence over this territory, aiming to delineate its mineralisation, starting from historical aircore drilling and surface sampling data.

“We are extremely pleased with securing the New Norcia Project as it provides further scalability and excellent potential to increase the bauxite tonnage and grade through further exploration and metallurgical test work,” Western Yilgarn director Mr Kastellorizos said after the market release.

The former includes nine metres (m) at 95.83 grams per tonne (g/t) Ga2O3 (gallium oxide) from surface; two metres at 134.3 g/t Ga2O3 from surface; and six metres at 110.24 g/t Ga2O3 from surface.

The project also has a suite of high-grade vacuum and aircore drilling results, including seven metres at 50.39% Total Al2O3 (aluminium oxide), 29.83% Available Al2O3 and 3.4% Reactive SiO2 (silica) from surface; and five metres at 42.39% Total Al2O3, 33.2% Available Al2O3 and 5.5% Reactive SiO2 from surface.

Historical high-grade surface sampling from 2010 includes rock chip sample of 50.4% Total Al2O3 and 8.39% SiO2; 48.7% Total Al2O3 and 6.2% SiO2 from sample.

“The location of the current resource is within trucking distance of a multi-user railway at a time of record alumina and bauxite prices,” Mr Kastellorizos said.

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“The extensive bauxite zones have the potential for additional resource growth along strike and depth, concentrating to the west and south of the current tenure. Western Yilgarn will be planning the next phase of drilling in the project’s untested zone with a view of expanding the current mineralised footprint.”

WYX shares have been trading at 3.6 cents this Wednesday.

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The MRE was calculated with reference to a cut off of more than 25% Al2O3, and when the latter was shifted to a cut off of more than 35%, the resource was estimated at 97.1Mt at 40.5% Al2O3 and 11.3% total SiO2.

The West Julimar Bauxite Project – located in the Darling Range north of Perth – comprises mineral resource areas known as Blocks 100 to 600; the mineralisation there stretches to a strike length of 49 kilometres and up to 13km wide.

Resource extension will now be pursued, with drilling work planned for multiple areas.

Non-executive director Pedro Kastellorizos said he was pleased with the resource estimate, and the viability of the project, given its proximity to transport infrastructure such as a multi-user railway, and the strong alumina and bauxite prices.

“The Julimar West Bauxite Project presents an excellent opportunity to create value for shareholders, generate jobs in local communities, and positions the company to establish itself as a new independent, highly profitable supplier of high-quality bauxite,” he said.

“Furthermore, our technical team believe the bauxite deposits have substantial potential foradditional resource growth along strike and depth. Western Yilgarn will be planning the next phase of drilling within the project’s untested Zone with a view of expanding the current mineralised footprint.”

Western Yilgarn has been trading at 2.6 cents.

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The assays – which included 73 holes in three batches – included four metres at 50.3% Al2O3 (aluminium oxide) 3.1% SiO2 (silicon dioxide) from surface; four metres at 46.6% Al2O3, 0.7% SiO2 from one metre; and six metres at 47.1% Al2O3, 2.3% SiO2 from surface.

The work was focused on three of nine targets which Arrow delineated at Niagara, and will include 111 holes to test extensions – these results are due in coming weeks.

Managing director David Flanagan said the reported assays showed the project to have strong parameters.

“These latest outstanding results confirm that Niagara is a substantial bauxite discovery with high-grade mineralisation already outlined over 5km2, with results from another 111 holes offering potential to grow the discovery further,” he said.

“This is all within trucking distance of a multi-user railway at a time of record alumina and bauxite prices.

“Guinea is the world’s largest and most important supplier of high-quality bauxite. These results are comfortably in line with the product that has made Guinea the world’s number one bauxite producer.”

Arrow shares spiked upwards after the news, and at 10:43 AEDT, they were trading at 0.2 cents – a rise of 100% since the market opened.

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The company is set to list on the market at 11:00 AEST.

Alcoa specialises in various parts of the upstream aluminium industry – including bauxite mining, alumina refining, and aluminium smelting and casting operations – and has direct and indirect ownership of assets in 27 locations across nine countries on six continents.

The company’s entry to the Australian bourse was preceded by its acquisition of Alumina Ltd (ASX:AWC), with which it was progressing joint venture AWAC (Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals), with the latter being one of the world’s largest producers of alumina and miners of bauxite.

Alcoa and Alumina Ltd entered into a Binding Scheme Implementation Deed on July 18, which enabled the former to take on 100% of Alumina Ltd’s shares.

However, shipment volumes were down overall for the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, registering as a drop of 2%, to 157.4 million tonnes.

The company stated that a train collision in mid-May had affected production and shipping, resulting in rail capacity being lost for six days and stockpiles building up at some Rio Tinto mines.

Production of other commodities fared better, with bauxite volumes rising by 9% in the first quarter of 2024 – to 14.7 million tonnes – compared to the same time in 2023, and registering a rise of 10% between the first halves of 2023 and 2024.

Mined copper rose 18% in the second quarter – to 171 kilotonnes – from the same period last year, and also rose 13% from the first halves of 2023 and 2024.

Aluminium production lifted 1% in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year – to 824 kilotonnes – and also registered a rise of 3% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023.

However, there was a 22% drop in production of titanium oxide slag – to 238 kilotonnes – in the second quarter of 2024, compared to the same period last year, with a 16% fall when the first halves of 2023 and 2024 were compared.

Production of IOC (Iron Ore Company of Canada) iron ore pellets was sitting at 2.2 million tonnes for the second quarter of 2024, a rise of 6% since the same period last year, with a 5% rise between the first halves of 2023 and 2024.

The company’s injury rate also fell in the second quarter of 2024, sitting at 0.32, a decrease from the same time last year (0.38).

Rio Tinto Chief Executive Jakob Stausholm said there has been many developments during this period and ahead.

“Our operational performance continues to progress: while there are still significant improvements ahead, we are beginning to see a step-change in production, includingfrom our Queensland bauxite business following the roll-out of the Safe Production System,” he said.

“We are growing with discipline in the materials the world needs for the energy transition. Construction of the Simandou high grade iron ore project in Guinea is advancing at pace, the ramp up of the Oyu Tolgoi underground is on track and we are set to achieve first production from the Rincon starter plant by the end of the year.

“We continue to prioritise the decarbonisation of our business, announcing the installation of carbon free aluminium smelting cells using ELYSIS technology at our Arvida smelter in Quebec and an investment in a R&D facility to test our low-carbon ironmaking process, BioIron, in Western Australia.”

“We also signed 20-year electricity arrangements backed by renewable electricity to secure the future of the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter in New Zealand.

“As we progress against our four objectives and strategy, we have a clear long-term pathway to profitable growth and continued attractive shareholder returns.”

Rio Tinto has been trading at $119.84