Austpac ERMS SR ongoing

摘要

Austpac Resources NL, Sydney, has signed a research agreement with BHP Billiton to continue the ongoing development of Austpac's ERMS SR technology for the production of high grade synthetic rutile and the direct reduced iron co-product (DRI). Under the agreement, BHP Billiton will provide funds for: 9 the commissioning and operation of the equipment designed to prove Austpac's proprietary continuous metallisation process, which is now in the final stages of construction at the Newcastle plant additional modelling of the proprietary continuous leach vessel that will form part of the proposed ERMS SR demonstration plant planned for Newcastle a review and update of the capital cost estimate for the demonstration plant an independent concept level cost study to obtain updated capital and operating costs for a commercial scale ERMS SR plant The agreed work program will take approximately three months and should be completed in November 2006.