Identifying the ultra high purity "Dorsal Fin" area was a game changer because it meant that the two applications it is suitable for can now be prioritized in the mine plan in one hit. This was part of the reason the DFS has been pushed back.
Naturally the two applications we know about are High Purity Alumina and Paints/Polymers/Coatings - the rationale for HPA is due to the cost/purity/crystallization process (to name a few) and the rationale for paints/polymers and in particular
coatings is because the ultra bright kaolinite is extremely good at stabilizing the product.
The capacity for it to be 'fine' (I believe as it relates to particle size) helps mechanical performance and it is able to dilute titania down in formulation which makes it more valuable particularly to a coatings market.
Prices we have to assume are over $1kpt from what has been previously announced.
I think there must be other uses for UHP Kaolinite as the low deleterious elements must make it superior in traditional products but potentially new ones - something we should all keep an eye out for as you never know really.
Here is another section that shows the high purity zone in pink nice and clearly and it compliments your post.
Below is an updated figure for your records HK which shows that table a bit better.
We know deeper down that the hard fresh granite sits above the water table so that's fine we don't need to go there, and we know the overburden is about 15m deep and is partly where the concrete comes from. I think the more interesting question becomes why is there suddenly an application to sell sand and who is paying for it?
There are conventional methods in place to filtrate the kaolin from silica sand and this is not a difficult operation at all really. Using a attrition drum scrubber, vibrating screen, hydro/spiral classifier and and dewatering screen can get you there.
The current refining plant flow sheet has three sections where sand is removed, being 1: after the first screen, 2: after the drum washer (as above) and 3: after the dewatering belt filter (also as above) so the flowsheet has a process for this to be accommodated (naturally as the CRM has to be de-sanded anyway) but now according to JM, the sand itself has value.
What makes the sand valuable and why.. it's commercially important if you extrapolate tonnage over LOM even at low figures pt. Not to mention the higher grade stuff which whole companies are chasing.
We could also probably start a new thread for 'Pectoral Fin' yet to be fully announced and only discussed by JM in conversation (online) but that's also in the above picture and where they are logically getting ore from for the centrifuge at the SB PP.
So in summary we've got sections of the GW orebody that are UHP Kaolin, UHP Halloysite, mix/blend of both at industry leading grades and then by products that are commercial opportunities in CRModification and Sand....
Interesting times ahead.
(20min delay)