Platina to commence Owendale Scoping Studies

THE BOURSE WHISPERER: Platina Resources (ASX: PGM) has commissioned SNC-Lavalin Australia to develop and manage a comprehensive hydrometallurgical test work program for the extraction of Scandium and associated metals (Copper, Cobalt, Nickel and Platinum) from the company’s Owendale deposit in New South Wales.

 

Owendale project location. Source: Company announcement

 

Platina said the program will provide the basis for a Scoping Study to investigate the initial economic attractiveness of a number of hydrometallurgical options for the development of the resource.

Other aspects to be investigated include direct shipping of ore to a processing plant in China, or a partial processing of a concentrate in Australia.

The hydrometallurgical test work program is anticipated to take approximately 7 weeks to complete.

Platina indicated the work will include a range of leaching options including Solvent Extraction tests.

Overall the work is designed to investigate the preliminary economics and viability of several project options and identify which of these are the most attractive to take to the pre–feasibility and final feasibility stage.

The company, along with its consultants, is currently reviewing other aspects of the Owendale project such as environmental baseline studies and requirements for a mining lease application, which it expects will be formalised and advised in due course.

“Platina is currently progressing negotiations with two Chinese manufacturers who have signed Heads of Agreement, and the commencement of the Scoping Study at Owendale is a major milestone in the project history towards development of the deposit,” Platina Resources managing director Rob Mosig said in the company’s announcement to the Australian Securities Exchange.

The Owendale project hosts an Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resource (JORC 2012) of 24 million tonnes of scandium grading 384ppm scandium (at a cut-off of 300ppm Sc) and contains a total in-situ content of 9,100 tonnes of scandium metal or 14,000 tonnes of scandium oxide.

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Website: www.platinaresources.com.au