Western Yilgarn’s maiden Cardea 2 resource lifts bauxite ambitions

Western Yilgarn has defined a maiden resource of 20Mt at 32.1% alumina for its Cardea 2 bauxite deposit with potential for DSO operations.

The maiden bauxite resource at Western Yilgarn’s Cardea 2 deposit has the potential for DSO mining. Pic:Getty Images

Special Report: Western Yilgarn is surging past the milestones at its Cardea 2 bauxite deposit in WA’s Darling Range with the definition of a maiden resource just weeks after securing an exploration licence.

• Western Yilgarn defines maiden resource of 20Mt at 32.1% alumina for its Cardea 2 deposit
• Potential for further growth rests in untested 3.8km by 1.2km area in western part of licence
• Cardea 2 is within trucking distance to multi-user railway and has the potential for DSO operations

The resource of 20Mt grading 32.1% total alumina and 26.3% total silica extends 2.8km in length and averages 1.3km in width with mineralisation occurring from surface to a depth of 5.5m.

This has potential for further growth with Western Yilgarn (ASX:WYX) pointing to a 3.8km by 1.2km area in the western portion of exploration licence E70/6702 that remains untested for bauxite mineralisation.

Adding further interest, Cardea 2 is just 16.5km southeast of the company’s flagship 168Mt Julimar West project and has the potential to host an economic bauxite resource of sufficient size and quality to support a small- to medium-scale direct shipping ore (DSO) operation.

Bauxite from the Darling Range plateau is known to be highly suited to DSO export due to its high-grade, gibbsitic composition and low reactive silica content.

Cardea 2 is also close to Perth, major ports and key infrastructure.

“The results highlight strong scalability and significant potential to increase tonnage through further exploration,” non-executive director Pedro Kastellorizos said. 

“Importantly, the current resources are within trucking distance of a multi-user railway - an advantage that comes at a time of record alumina and bauxite prices.

“The Cardea 2 bauxite project, together with our extensive Julimar West bauxite project, represents a compelling opportunity to deliver shareholder value, create jobs in local communities and establish Western Yilgarn as a new, independent and highly profitable supplier of high-quality bauxite.”

He added the company’s technical team was confident its bauxite deposits offered substantial upside potential, with room for further resource growth along strike and at depth.

Bauxite prices, which rose following last year’s suspension of exports from Guinea, are expected to rise further this year after the West African country started proceedings in May 2025 to revoke Emirates Global Aluminium’s licence.

Emirates Global Aluminium supplies ~4% of global aluminium. 

Cardea 2

The Cardea 2 project forms part of the Darling Scarp Bauxite Province of WA, which centres on Pinjarra, Waroona and Worsley aluminium production 80km to 150km south of Perth.

It was systematically explored by the Bauxite Alumina joint venture in the early 2010s and can be accessed from Perth via the Great Northern Highway while the Perth Kalgoorlie Railway line runs to the south of the Project area.

Historical high-grade vacuum drilling results include 10m at 47.8% Al2O3 and 10% total Si02 from 1m, 7m at 50.7% Al2O3 and 10.2% total SiO2 from surface as well as 7.5m at 48.5% Al2O3 and 13.8% total SiO2 from surface. 

Besides the overall resource, WYX’s review of the historical drill holes has also a resource of 2.15MT at 35.7% available alumina and 2.8% reactive silica across the entire bauxite zone using the Bomb Digest method.

First pass exploration will target the untested bauxite zones within the western portion of the licence.

This article was developed in collaboration with Western Yilgarn, a Stockhead advertiser at the time of publishing. 

This article does not constitute financial product advice. You should consider obtaining independent advice before making any financial decisions.

Originally published as Western Yilgarn’s maiden Cardea 2 resource lifts bauxite ambitions