EXPLORATION & DEVELOPMENT

WA Kaolin doubles reserves

WESTERN Australian miner WA Kaolin has more than doubled reserves at its Wickepin development to a level that could support 73 years of production.

The Wickepin pit

The Wickepin pit

Reserves have jumped from 30.5 million tonnes to 64.9Mt, which the company says cements its role as the largest known primary kaolin deposit in the world.

Inferred resources are steady 643Mt. 

WAK is working to ramp up production to 200,000tpa, and is advancing work for a stage two development to double production to 400,000tpa - accounting for just 2% of global demand.

The deposit, 220km, south-east of Perth, was discovered by Rio Tinto in 1994, and has been actively mined over the past year, following commissioning of the plant in September 2022.  

WAK has offtake agreements with customers in Australia, Japan, and Malaysia. 

WAK shares have traded at 11-19c over the past year and were last priced at 13c, capitalising it at $51 million.

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