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VBX Doubles Wuudagu Resource With New High-Grade Bauxite Across Multiple Plateaus   

VBX Limited (ASX: VBX) has more than doubled the Measured and Indicated mineral resource at its Wuudagu bauxite project in northern Western Australia following the delineation of new deposits at the Wuudagu D, E, and F plateaus.  

The updated estimate incorporates results from the 2025 drilling program and increases the total resource across the two categories at Wuudagu to 131.9 million tonnes at an improved grade of 40.2% aluminium oxide and 12.6% silicon dioxide.

Wuudagu D was estimated at 16.7Mt at 42.1% aluminium oxide and 9.6% silicon dioxide; Wuudagu E at 6.7Mt at 41.3% aluminium oxide and 9.5% silicon dioxide; and Wuudagu F at 14.5Mt at 41.6% aluminium oxide and 10.0% silicon dioxide.

VBX expects the new deposits to support a longer mine life and higher production rates as part of the ongoing Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS), noting that the D, E, and F plateaus are thicker and have less overburden, contributing to the improved grade profile and mining characteristics.

Implications for Mine Life and Development

The expanded Measured and Indicated resource base removes a key constraint that had previously limited Wuudagu’s mine life to around 10 years under earlier studies.

VBX expects the larger, higher-quality resource to support an extended mine life at a higher planned mining and beneficiation rate of approximately 8Mt to 9Mt per annum.

Mine planning work is already underway to incorporate the updated resource into the DFS scheduled for completion in the first half of 2026.

The company also highlighted additional exploration potential within the broader project area, including the 6.6 square kilometre Plateau G, which remains untested.

Aircore Techniques Applied

Drilling completed at Wuudagu in 2025 used aircore techniques on nominal 150-metre by 150m spacing, which provided sufficient confidence for Indicated classification across most of the new plateaus.

Metallurgical test work has demonstrated silica reduction through wet screening and scrubbing, with optimisation studies ongoing as part of the DFS.

Managing director Ryan de Franck said the 2025 drilling program delivered an exceptional outcome for the project, noting that the new deposits materially improve both scale and quality.

Mr de Franck said the results underpin a stronger development case and allow mine planning to move beyond earlier life-of-mine constraints.

VBX expects the updated Mineral Resource Estimate to play a central role in defining the final production profile and development pathway for Wuudagu as feasibility work continues.

Source: SmallCaps