Australia’s next rare earths producer Hastings Technology Metals Limited (ASX: HAS) announced stand-out results from metallurgical test work carried out on drilling samples from Simon’s Find, one of the key deposits that make up the Yangibana Rare Earths Project (Yangibana) in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Metallurgical test work from Simon’s Find deposit, part of the Yangibana Rare Earths Project, has delivered strong results:
- 86% beneficiation recovery generating a concentrate grade of 8.9% Nd2O3 from flotation test work.
- 98% recovery through hydrometallurgical acid bake and water leach test work on flotation samples.
- Beneficiation concentrate results from Simon’s Find are comparable to other Yangibana deposits which have much higher mined TREO grades.
- Results show an average beneficiation Nd2O3 upgrade factor of 28 times from the calculated head grade, equivalent to a concentrate grade of 19% TREO.
- Upgrade factors up to 50 times the calculated head grade, producing a concentrate grade up to 29% TREO were reported in many samples.
- Up to 57% of Simon Find’s TREO is neodymium and praseodymium (Nd2O3 + Pr6O11) – a ratio unrivalled for any known rare earths deposit worldwide.
- Ore sorting variability test results indicated that the head grade of Simon’s Find can be upgraded from an average grade of 0.58% to 0.84% TREO, an increase of 45%.
- Simon’s Find samples that were ore sorted, upgraded faster in flotation with superior TREO recoveries when compared to the unsorted feedstock.
- These results are being fed into the Yangibana Project updated Ore Reserves estimate, for which a maiden ore reserve estimate will be defined for Simon’s Find.
The test work carried out at Simon’s Find is a key milestone in the Company’s finalisation of its updated Ore Reserves and mine scheduling that will underpin Yangibana’s development.
The Simon’s Find deposit is part of the 8km-long Bald Hill – Simon’s Find – Frasers mineralised trend and is strategically located close to the site of Yangibana’s proposed process plant and infrastructure.
