update on charlie creek rare earths project

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CHARLEY CREEK ALLUVIAL REE PROJECT

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Geoff Eupene, Executive Director, from Crossland Uranium delivered this presentation at Mining the Territory 2012. For more information on the annual event, please visit www.miningnt.com.au/

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Page 1: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

CHARLEY CREEK ALLUVIAL REE PROJECT

Page 2: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

This presentation should not be considered as investment advice. Any party to whomthis information is made available must make their own investment decisions.

Any forward-looking statements included in this document involve subjectivejudgment, and are subject to uncertainties, risks and contingencies, which may bebeyond the control or knowledge of Crossland.

Future events may vary materially from the forward-looking statements and theassumptions on which the forward-looking statements are based. Attendees at thispresentation are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-lookingstatements.

Crossland makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy, reliability orcompleteness of information in this document and does not take responsibility forupdating any information or correcting any error or omission which may becomeapparent after this document has been issued.

JORC Statement: The review of exploration activities and results, and Mineral Resource contained in this presentation are based on information compiled by Geoffrey S Eupene FAusIMM(CP), a Fellow of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He is a director of the Company and a full time employee of Eupene Exploration Enterprises Pty Ltd. He has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and types of deposits under consideration, and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the December 2004 edition of the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves (the JORC Code). Geoffrey S Eupene has consented to the inclusion in this report of the matters based on his information in the form and context in which it appears.

Page 3: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project
Page 4: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Very large tonnage with potential for many decades of REE production

Favourable mineralogy and metallurgy

Low cost mining and gravity concentration using standard heavy mineral sands techniques

High proportion of critical heavy rare earths

Page 5: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Source of REE in the mountains

Alluvial plains

Deposit Model

Page 6: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Rare Earth Elements impact almost every aspect of modern life. A third of all metals are Rare Earths.

“[Rare earth] will do for China what oil did for Saudi Arabia.” -Deng Xiaoping

China presently produces around 97% of all REE and has tight quotas on exports

Quotas have resulted in major price rises and supply concerns, though these are now being impacted by economic slowdown.

Rest of World production scrambling to start up; strategic concerns dominate western thinking.

1 Quote from Dan Cordier, co- author of USGS 2010 Report:” “Principal Rare Earth Elements Deposits of the United States—A Summary of Domestic Deposits and a Global Perspective

Page 7: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

La

Ce

Pr

Nd

GdEu

DyTb

ErHo

YbTm

YLu

Source: http://www.reehandbook.com/

Page 8: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

HeavyRare earths

Page 9: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project
Page 10: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

The Critical REO (Dy, Tb, Y, Nd, Eu) dominate the Charley Creek REO distribution by value

At current available FOB China prices, the value of contained REO in the CUX basket is US$84.60/Kg (August 24, 2012 Metal Pages)

Based on the Toyota Forecasts for 2016, the value of the contained REO in the CUX basket is US$47.46/Kg.

This is a conservative value which CUX has used to calculate cut-off values. Current market indications suggest it may be overly conservative.

The highest value component is Dysprosium oxide (US$15.83/Kg)

80.2% of the value of the CUX basket is in the Critical REO

Page 11: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Aircore drilling completed to date has defined the following Resource

Indicated Resource - 387 million tonnes containing 114,000T of TREO

Inferred Resource – 418 million tonnes containing 121,000T of TREO

This drilling has tested a very small percentage (<1%) of the alluvial outwash.

There are over 2,000sq. Km of potentially mineralised alluvial outwash within CUX’s 6,500sq.km of Exploration Licences at Charley Creek.

Average thickness of resource is 15m, commencing from surface (no overburden); Alluvium reported to be up to 80m thick in places.

Page 12: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project
Page 13: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project
Page 14: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Vast alluvial flats

Cheap and easy to work and rehabilitate

Almost unlimited siting options

Page 15: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Contains a broad mix of all REE, but with ~80% of value in the CRITICAL REE.

The mineralisation is in alluvial deposits which are free digging, with no overburden, so

mining costs are low.

The mineralisation is readily upgradeable to high grades of contained TREO in concentrate

(>40% TREO) by physical, low cost methods. So low process risk.

REO are present in two easily dissolvable phosphate minerals – Monazite (the Light REO)

and Xenotime (the Heavy REO).

Scalable and flexible development options.

The Northern Territory regulatory regime is familiar with nuclear materials handling, and all

permitting issues should be addressable.

One hour from Alice Springs (Railway); straddles gas pipeline (energy); good prospects for

underground water.

Page 16: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

REE are contained in many minerals, but only a few have been used toproduce commercial REE.

The light rare earths (LREE) and medium rare earths (MREE) are found mainlyin bastnäsite and monazite.

Heavy rare earths (HREE) are somewhat more scarce and typicallyconcentrated in ionic adsorption clay found in south eastern China,Xenotime, and in complex silicate minerals.

The Phosphate Minerals, Monazite and Xenotime have long been thepreferred source of REE, and these minerals have relatively predictableprocessing characteristics.

Crossland’s REE mix contains a good spread of REE, including significantHREE (17% by weight, and 50% by value), while the mineralogy is Monaziteand Xenotime. Almost all of the HREE are in Xenotime.

Page 17: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

monazite

xenotime

zircon

Page 18: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Initially dry mining with contractors feeding mobile washing plants.

Possibly multiple extraction sites to enhance flexibility.

Evolving into dredging operation in deeper alluvium.

All alluvial tailings returned directly to excavation sites for rehabilitation, with slimes management.

Expect Wet Plant HMC recoveries of 10kg- 30kg/T of feed with HMC grades of 2-12% TREO.

Expect mineral sands type costs.

Page 19: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

WETplant DRY

plant Refinery

Mining, washing,gravity concentration

On site magnetic and electrostaticprocessing

On site(?) chemical plant to produce REO oxides/

hydroxides:Basket value: @Toyota 2016

prices: $47.46/kg;@Current Prices:$85/kg

2%-12%TREO ~40%TREO

Mine gate

HM concentrate with >2%up to 12% TREO at the mine gate: i.e.

similar grades to most Hard rock deposits; Better REO Mix than

most.

Because concentrate TREO grade is high,

the size of the chemical plant is correspondingly

small

15-20MT/yr

150,000-600,000T/yr

12,500-17,500T/yr

5,000-7,000t/yrREO products

Potential for short term off-

take agreements to other REE producers.

Page 20: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

1. Alluvial Mining- free- dig and no overburden

2. Wet Plant to produce Heavy Mineral Concentrate (HMC)

3. Dry Plant treatment of HMC to produce saleable mineral products (e.g. zircon), and/or process feed (e.g. monazite and xenotime)

4. Chemical processing of monazite and xenotime to produce value added oxide and hydroxide products

5. Production of separate refined REE metals. Crossland has no plans to produce refined metals. It will sell value added oxide and hydroxide products (Stage4) and zircon (Stage3);

6. Early development possibly facilitated by xenotime/monazite off-take deals with other producers (initial Stage 3 product).

Page 21: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Process development tests now concluded at AML in Perth

Spirals showing good HM recoveries with TREO grades of up to 12%

Wet plant process development tests under way at AML, Perth

Page 22: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Sighter tests completed on concentrates prepared on site at Charley Creek

Process validation tests, on concentrates from wet plant testwork, now complete

Testwork on magnetic and electrostatic separation of monazite and xenotime is producing high grade concentrates (>40%TREO achieved: TARGET 50%TREO)

Target combined wet and dry plant recoveries of >70%;

Page 23: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Process development for heavy mineral concentrate production (completed September 2012)

Follow up process and marketing studies (Sept 2012 - 2013)

Leach Tests (Sept- November 2012)

Scoping study (completion late 2012)

Commence long- lead environmental baseline studies Q3 this year

Regional exploration for high Xenotime ratios and grades (Phase 1 completed June 2012)

Optimise definition of alluvial fan Resource (early 2013)

Feasibility Studies during 2013. A pathway to early permitting and production.

Page 24: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Production of saleable high grade ~40%-50% REO mineral concentrates – 2015

Leading into staged development to production of REO products

Page 25: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Listed on ASX April 2007

Experienced, well qualified team

A lot of Northern Territory and radioactive mineral experience

Projects mostly internally generated, low acquisition costs, goodprospects for capital gain

Initial uranium focus, with an evolved importance of REE

Charley Creek Alluvial REE Project under definition since late 2010

Crossland’s immediate focus is to confirm the viability ofdeveloping its alluvial REE resources in Charley Creek and gettingthem quickly to production

Page 26: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

Chilling, NT – extensive area with unconformity uranium and base metals potential (Pancon JV: 55% CUX)

Mount Stafford, NT- uranium, gold and REE (Pancon JV: 55% CUX)

Bloodwood, NT – gold and base metals (Pancon JV: 55% CUX)

Kalabity, SA – uranium (Pancon JV: 55% CUX)

Lake Woods, NT – diamonds, platinum

Gypsum Cliffs, SA – Rare Metals

Page 27: Update on Charlie Creek Rare Earths Project

CUX – Ordinary Listed Shares 137,123,067

UnlistedOptions Expiry Price

CUXAT 31 Dec 12 $0.20 2,300,000 CUXAU 30 Jun 15 $0.15 5,750,000

Fully Diluted 145,173,067 Current Authorisation to issue up to 40 million new shares.