Bauxite gains 13 new exploration permits

Bauxite Resources has been granted 13 additional exploration licenses in Western Australia's Darling Range, which the company says will strengthen its joint venture with China's Yankuang Group.

Bauxite said the joint venture recently signed with Yankuang reflected the long-term strategy of commercialising its Darling Range tenement holdings.

The company now holds 28 exploration licenses in the Darling Range, with a further 76 under application.

The mining and refining joint venture with Yankuang is aimed at delivering a 1.1 million tonnes per annum alumina refinery in the South West by late 2015.

Under the agreement, Yankuang will pay 91 per cent of the refinery construction costs and receive 70 per cent of the plants output.

Bauxite was embroiled in controversy last year when it suspended its Bindoon trial mine after local protests opposed its expansion to commercial scale.

Environment Minister John Day dismissed appeals under the Environmental Protection Act against Bauxite's Bindoon operation in November.