Bauxite Resources and Yankuang one step closer to Western Australian alumina refinery decision

Bauxite Resources has completed Phase 1 of the Bauxite Alumina JV Study for the development of an alumina refinery in the south west of Western Australia. Further assay and resource modelling for northern tenements will be completed over the next 3 to 6 months.

Bauxite Resources and Yankuang Resources established two JV on April 1st 2011, the Bauxite Resource JV and the Alumina Refinery JV. Both of these JV are managed by jointly owned company Bauxite Alumina JV.

Phase 1 of the study involved obtaining sufficient geological data in the JV’s northern tenement to provide information for making decisions about the refinery.

An internal draft refinery scoping study and a series of financial models have been completed, to contribute to Phase 2 which will focus on geological exploration in the southern tenements. Phase 2 will aim to gain sufficient data to assess the merits of a refinery located in the northern or southern areas.

This comparison will look at:

1. The likely quality and location of bauxite sources in each region

2. The metallurgical variability of the different bauxite and mineralogy profiles

3. Tthe preferred bauxite/alumina process path

4. Eenvironmental and social issues

5. Infrastructure requirements

6. Economics

With Phase 1 of the JV now complete, the Bauxite Alumina JV will operate separately from the parent companies with an independent general manager to be appointed.