Australian Bauxite has reported a maiden resource of six-million tons at its Guyara project, in New South Wales.

The company said on Monday that the bauxite was relatively consistent in quality, demonstrated by the fact that around 87% of the 71 bauxite intercepts were classified as high grade, being superior quality, low silica, gibbsite bauxite and suitable for refineries.

Australian Bauxite reported that the deposit was open in several locations, with more deposits identified in the area. Follow-up drilling of the Guyra discovery was scheduled over the coming months, in line with a review of the environmental factors, which had been approved by the Department of Industry and Investment.

Australian Bauxite holds 37 tenements in Queensland, New South Wales and Tasmania, covering some 8 500 km2. At the company’s first drilling prospect at Inverell, in New South Wales, an interim resource of 35-million tons was reported from drilling for between 15% and 20% of the area prospective for bauxite, with a resource tonnage of around 25-million tons reported at the Taralga project, also in New South Wales.