Tests Return Excellent Recoveries Of Palladium, Platinum And Rhodium
Blackstone Minerals Limited (ASX:BSX) has received an added bonus with preliminary hydrometallurgical test work completed by Simulus Engineers on Pre- Feasibility Study (PFS) Pressure Oxidation (POX) residues has demonstrated excellent recoveries of Platinum Group Elements (PGEs) including palladium, platinum and rhodium using a conventional flowsheet.
Highlights from the studies include:
• Concentrate residue samples have been tested and determined to be amenable to chlorination leaching, which adds further value to Blackstone’s Downstream Business Unit (DBU).
• The Blackstone DBU hydrometallurgical process enables economic PGE recovery from concentrates with PGE concentrations below typical payability limits, due to low losses in the POX process.
• The positive results indicate the potential for the economic recovery of PGEs. Test work is ongoing to further optimise these results, and in parallel, studies are continuing with the aim to incorporate the PGE recovery circuit into the DBU Pre- Feasibility Study.
Significant PGE intercepts from Blackstone drilling at the Ban Phuc DSS deposit in Vietnam (subject of the current PFS) include:
- BP19-09 11.95m @ 1.46% Ni, 0.15% Cu, 0.02% Co from 107.00m; incl 11.95m @ 0.65g/t Pd, 0.47 g/t Pt & 0.06g/t Rh from 107.0m and 2.00m @ 0.90g/t Pd, 0.79 g/t Pt & 0.09g/t Rh from 110.00m
- BP19-17 15.50m @ 0.74% Ni, 0.09% Cu, 0.01% Co from 191.50m; incl 5.60m @ 0.74g/t Pd, 0.54 g/t Pt & 0.07g/t Rh from 191.50 and 2.00m @ 0.82g/t Pd, 0.68 g/t Pt & 0.07g/t Rh from 193.10m
- BP19-23 15.70m @ 1.48% Ni, 0.22% Cu, 0.02% Co from 187.00m; incl 5.10m @ 0.82g/t Pd, 0.61 g/t Pt & 0.08g/t Rh from 188.30m and 1.70m @ 0.98g/t Pd, 0.83 g/t Pt & 0.11g/t Rh from 188.30m
- BP19-32 13.30m @ 1.08% Ni, 0.13% Cu, 0.01% Co from 108.60m; incl 1.00m @ 2.14g/t Pd, 1.89 g/t Pt & 0.13g/t Rh from 109.60mand 4.10m @ 0.64g/t Pd, 0.43 g/t Pt & 0.05g/t Rh from 116.90m
Blackstone will also test the recovery of PGEs from its MSV deposits. Significant PGE intercepts identified at Ban Chang and King Snake include:
- BC20-01 1.05m @ 2.98% Ni, 1.22% Cu, 0.18% Co from 58.5m; incl. 1.05 m @ 2.04g/t Pd, 0.60g/t Pt & 0.09g/t Rh from 58.50m
- BC20-03 5.70m @ 2.07% Ni, 1.08% Cu, 0.12% Co from 60.00m; incl. 1.00 m @ 2.33g/t Pd, 0.15g/t Pt & 0.15g/t Rh from 63.35m
- BC21-07 11.81m @ 0.4% Ni, 0.4% Cu, 0.04% Co & 0.74g/t PGE1,2 from 72.12m; incl. 0.30m @ 0.95% Ni, 2.73% Cu, 0.17% Co & 15.99g/t PGE1,2 from 72.12m
- KS20-02 5.88m @ 1.22% Ni, 0.49% Cu, 0.04% Co 4.67g/t PGE1,2 from 131.74m; incl. 1.81m @ 0.77% Ni, 0.44% Cu, 0.03% Co & 12.53g/t PGE1,2 from 131.74m
- KS20-03 5.55m @ 1.35% Ni, 0.45% Cu, 0.05% Co & 1.28g/t PGE1,2 from 204.00m;incl. 1.19m @ 3.56% Ni, 0.98% Cu, 0.13% Co & 3.10g/t PGE1,2 from 205.38m
Blackstone Minerals’ Managing Director, Scott Williamson, said the recovery of PGEs will add another value component to the company’s downstream refinery business.
“Palladium, platinum and rhodium could offer significant by-product credits, thereby reducing the overall cost of producing NCM precursor products.
“Blackstone offers a unique opportunity for investors to gain exposure to PGEs on the Australian Stock Exchange. Palladium, platinum and rhodium will play an important part in addressing global climate change, with their strong current demand being driven by their use in reducing emissions from vehicles. In addition, we expect growing demand for platinum given its use as a catalyst in hydrogen fuel cell technology,” he said.
