geologist or mining engineer help please, page-94

Guys, I haven't been able to find any reference that says the CID is free digging. There are plenty about the overburden, but not the CID. Is drilling required? I have no idea, but here is the description of the mineralisation taken from the company's 2007 annual report.

'The potential of the licence has been confirmed by drilling in the north-west sector, where mineralisation grading over 58% Fe has been intersected over a 2km length of the range front. The iron ore mineralisation in this area comprises unconsolidated to moderately cemented detrital hematite-goethite material with iron grades ranging from 55-63% Fe. It is expected that this style of mineralisation would be amenable to continuous miners, such
as proposed by Fortescue Metals Group at their nearby Cloud Break Mine. The mineralisation has been derived from the Range via short valleys feeding detritus into the Fortescue Valley. The overburden comprises loosely
compacted detritus (no blasting required) with significantly lower iron content than the mineralised (+ 55% Fe)material.'

In terms of the alumina and overburden, this is what was reported in the quarterly report to 31 March 2007 (april 2007).

'Coring Programme
The Company plans to carry out a sonic core drilling programme in the North West Sector in June. The objective is to collect core samples for ore characterisation and metallurgical testwork, to assess the potential for beneficiation of the mineralisation eg. by screening to remove high alumina clay material. The Company will also investigate the possibility that lower grade pisolitic mineralisation overlying the main zone could be upgraded into a saleable product following screening.

Mining Study
An independent mining consultant has carried out a preliminary open pit mining assessment with the objective of indicating stripping ratios and mining costs that could be applicable to the North-West Sector (based on the current mineralisation estimate). The assessment indicated a stripping ratio (overburden : mineralisation) of approximately 4:1 and an overall mining cost of $7.60 per tonne (i.e. per tonne of the 30Mt mineralisation estimate). This assessment takes into account the “free digging” nature of the “valley-fill” material overlying the mineralised zone.'

I leave it to the more knowledgeable to interpret whether drilling is required for the CID if it's unconsolidated to moderately cemented detrital hematite-goethite material with iron grades ranging from 55-63% Fe.

The alumina in the detrital seems to be contained in the clay material, according to is written in the coring programme paragraph. I don't know if this confirms that the alumina can be significantly reduced through screening.