Surefire Resources closes in on completion of pre

Surefire Resources (ASX: SRN) continues to make strong progress with its plans to mine and produce highly sort after critical minerals at its Victory Bore project in Western Australia.

The company has confirmed it has obtained positive results as it closes in on completion of highly detailed work as part of a pre-feasibility study (PFS) economic assessment of the "flagship" Victory Bore vanadium development.

The company is targeting the production of vanadium and potentially high purity alumina (HPA), both of which have been added to the Australian government's "critical minerals" list in recent years.

Both products are highly sort after by a hungry steel market, particularly due to their potential to support the ‘greening" of steel production.

Surefire has contracted the experienced METS Engineering to complete the PFS following a review of metallurgical information and their previous involvement in the project area, located 400km from the port city of Geraldton.

The company is confident the PFS is on target to be wrapped up by November.

In parallel with the PFS work, Surefire is also investigating a unique direct vanadium extraction plan.

Preliminary testing is currently underway and the company will incorporate the results into the PFS if the tests are successful.

Also being undertaken in parallel with the PFS, is a separate study into the potential for the production of HPA from the waste and host rock at the Victory Bore vanadium project.

Initial studies investigating leaching and concentration of liquor have already been completed and further work is being undertaken into the optimisation of aluminium recovery in leachate.

Testing has already successfully produced aluminium chloride hexahydrate (ACH) from the leachate, with a 99.8% pure sample collected after recrystallisation.

Specialist contractor Lava Blue, which is handling this phase of the studies, is now assessing contaminant control strategies and it has plans to produce 4N HPA samples following the next phase of test work.

The company is also assessing potential options for processing of Victory Bore concentrate in offshore locations and has engaged with several proponents.

Surefire is testing whether offshore production may provide operating and market advantages.

The company has also commenced offtake discussions with a number of interested parties.

Surefire has already identified a world class resource and exploration target at the Victory Bore project and has plans to further refine those numbers.

Victory Bore currently has an estimated total mineral resource of 234.8 Mt at 0.39% vanadium oxide, made up of a measured resource of 16.8 Mt at 0.42% vanadium oxide, an indicated resource of 70.3 Mt at 0.40% vanadium oxide and an inferred resource of 147.7 Mt at 0.38% vanadium oxide.

The company is in the initial stages of designing a new drilling program to support its plans to convert the project's measured resources into a JORC reserve.

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