Positive Float Test Work Results Continue
Neometals Ltd (ASX: NMT) has received further encouraging results from preliminary metallurgical tests carried out at the Mt Edwards Nickel Project in Western Australia.
Specifically, a successful flotation test-work program was carried out on mineralised samples derived from the 132N Deposit Mineral Resource and the Munda Deposit.
The company said the results confirm, ‘in principle’, the ability of the mineralisation from both 132N and Munda to upgrade to commercially acceptable concentrate levels (+12% Ni grade).
Munda and 132N represent excellent near-term mining prospects warranting further studies. With this in mind, flotation test- work was carried out to determine if nickel mineralisation could be upgraded to commercial grade concentrate. This strategy follows on from earlier positive results at the Armstrong Deposit where flotation test-work revealed the presence of potential co-products in addition to the contained nickel.
Managing Director, Chris Reed, said the Munda flotation program yielded excellent recovery (83.8% recovery at 13.0% nickel concentrate grade) with a very favourable iron/magnesium oxide ratio which is highly desirous for smelting customers.
Despite a lower sample nickel head grade (1.45% versus Mineral Resource grade 2.0%), the 132N flotation programme yielded 62.8% recovery at 13.5% nickel concentrate grade. Importantly, the 132N test-work evidenced palladium in the concentrate (3.06g/t Pd) which supports further evaluation to quantify the potential for co-product revenue.
Mr Reed said these metallurgical results, together with those previously announced at Armstrong, provide Neometals with encouragement regarding the potential to establish meaningful co-products from future operations at Mt Edwards. Further float work on the other deposits with near term exploitation prospectivity will be undertaken to close off processing and marketing aspects of the development study which aims to re-establish a viable production centre at Mt Edwards. Future metallurgical work will be undertaken with core from planned exploration drilling to provide fresh materials to test. Importantly, these fresh samples will generate more information on co-products and their deportment.
Key points noted from the metallurgical flotation test-work:
- A blend of source material from both 132N and Munda deposits was mixed in order to achieve a head grade not dissimilar to the overall Mineral Resource grades for each deposit
- Standard Kambalda Nickel Operations flotation reagent regime implemented
- In the case of 132N
Test-work on samples from both deposits followed commercial process norms comprising a regime of sequential flotation involving a preliminary rougher product being generated with two subsequent stages of cleaning to generate a final cleaner product.
The samples of mineralised core for testing were sourced from a single diamond drill hole (WD9807W1 drilled by Western Diamond Drillers Pty Ltd in July 2018) at 132N. Diamond drill holes from Munda (EMD001 and EMD002) were drilled in July 2019 by Topdrive Drillers Australia for Estrella Resources from whom Neometals acquired the Munda nickel rights in September 2019.
The company has now commenced a detailed geological and geometallurgical programme to ascertain the potential impacts on its eleven separately defined Mineral Resources at Mt Edwards and exploration potential within its > 300 square km tenure.
“Further to our earlier test-work at Armstrong these preliminary results confirm the presence and recoverability of palladium at 132N, some 4 km south along strike, and the eminently marketable nature of nickel products able to be generated from both 132N and Munda,” Mr Reed said.
Of specific note is the high-quality concentrate made from Munda, a deposit not previously exploited for its nickel endowment. This represents another positive step in the development of the Mt Edwards project.”
For further information please visit: http://www.neometals.com.au/
