Superior Study habits yield outstanding results
THE INSIDE STORY: Dual-listed lithium developer, European Metals Holdings (ASX & AIM: EMH) recently accomplished an important milestone at the company’s 100 per cent-owned Cinovec lithium-tin deposit in the Czech Republic.
European Metals Holdings successfully produced highly-improved recoveries of lithium concentrate at the Cinovec project using a wet magnetic separation (WMS) process on coarse grind samples as part of an ongoing pre-feasibility study (PFS) at the Cinovec project.
The latest testwork results demonstrated the combination of lower operating costs of WMS versus the use of a flotation circuit, conducted as part of an earlier scoping study, will substantially boost the economics of the project.
The Scoping Study determined the deposit could be amenable to bulk underground mining.
Metallurgical test work, carried out as part of the Scoping Study, produced both battery grade lithium carbonate and high-grade tin concentrate at excellent recoveries.
The Study also demonstrated Cinovec to have potential to be a very low cost producer of lithium carbonate, net of by-product credits.
Further financial inputs for the Scoping Study are imminent, with results to date pointing to a substantial downward revision in estimated pre-construction capital costs.
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As the PFS continues, the company will focus on metallurgy work, especially on the lithium carbonate processing plant, with the aim of maximising both lithium and tin recoveries.
“We recently achieved successful wet magnetic separation of the Cinovec ore, demonstrating it to be an inexpensive and very effective technique for separating lithium mica,” European Metals Holdings managing director Keith Coughlan told The Resources Roadhouse.
“This was an extremely important outcome for us to have achieved in the development of the Cinovec lithium-tin deposit.
“That the process delivers near-pure lithium mica recoveries on such a scale is excellent, however it also delivers on two other fronts, firstly by improving the project’s environmental performance, and secondly by lowering operating costs compared to the previously considered flotation process.”
Cinovec is an historic mine incorporating a significant undeveloped lithium-tin resource with by-product potential including tungsten, rubidium, scandium, niobium tantalum and potash.
Cinovec hosts a large hard rock lithium deposit with a total Indicated Mineral Resource of 49.1 million tonnes at 0.43 per cent lithium dioxide (Li2O) and an Inferred Mineral Resource of 482 million tonnes at 0.43 per cent Li2O containing a combined 5.7 million tonnes Lithium Carbonate Equivalent.
This makes Cinovec the largest lithium deposit in Europe and the fourth largest non-brine deposit in the world.
Within this resource lies one of the largest undeveloped tin deposits in the world, with total Indicated Mineral Resource of 15.7 million tonnes at 0.26 per cent tin and an Inferred Mineral Resources of 59.7 million tonnes at 0.21 per cent tin for a combined total of 178,000 tonnes of contained tin.
Cinovec is centrally located for European end-users and is well serviced by infrastructure, with a sealed road adjacent to the deposit, rail lines located five kilometres north and 8km south of the deposit and an active 22 kilovolt transmission line running to the historic mine.
As the deposit lies in an active mining region, it also has strong community support.
European Metals currently has a Pre-Feasibility Study underway, expected to be completed late 2016 to early 2017, that is aimed at producing 20,000 tonnes per annum of lithium carbonate with associated tin/tungsten and other by products.
The company is currently drilling ahead at Cinovec with three diamond rigs operating.
Recent announcements have highlighted considerable pre-production capital costs savings in the vicinity of US$85 million in addition to greatly improved recoveries.
“The combination of these developments significantly improve the economics of the project,” Coughlan explained.
“The Cinovec mineralogy possesses characteristics that provide a major beneficiation advantage over competing hard rock lithium deposits.
“We’re extremely confident that combination of these factors will result, in not only industry leading recoveries, but lower capital and operating costs, which will be incorporated in the on-going pre-feasibility study.”
European Metals Holdings Limited (ASX: EMH)
…The Short Story
HEAD OFFICE
Suite 12, Level 1
11 Ventnor Avenue
West Perth, WA 6005
Ph: +61 (8) 6141 3500
Email: keith@europeanmet.com
Website: www.europeanmet.com
DIRECTORS
David Reeves, Keith Coughlan, Dr Pavel Reichl, kiran Morzaria