Ceramic proppant demand attracts bauxite and kaolin players

It's timely that this month's issue of IM is covering bauxite projects around the world (see p.41). While it remains the case that commercially developed refractory grade bauxite sources remain extremely limited (just China and Guyana, and the latter operated by a Chinese bauxite producer) and thus there is a drive to develop new refractory grade deposits, there is also enhanced interest of late from developers in assessing the potential use of bauxite as a ceramic proppant raw material feedstock. First Bauxite has commissioned consultants to assist in conducting a Preliminary Economic Assessment level study of the viability of manufacturing bauxite-based ceramic proppants from rejected bauxite from its proposed Guysin plant and/or bauxite ore mined directly from the Bonasika 1, 2, & 5 deposits. The project's Bankable Feasibility Study Update (6 October 2011), did not include the Bonasika 1, 2 & 5 deposits. In the 14 February 2013 announcement, the company stated: Potential entry into proppants manufacture would maximise utilisation of all the company's known bauxite resources and would be accretive to and, potentially enhance, the returns of the Bonasika Project.