Amur Minerals PLC (LON:AMC) has upgraded the resource at Kubuk, a fourth deposit at its Kun-Manie nickel prospect in Far East Russia.
The group will now move on to the metallurgy part of the definitive feasibility study for the whole project, said Robin Young chief executive.
Kubuk is the third largest deposit drilled at Kun-Manie and contains 16% of the total identified ore.
It is now estimated to contain 25.7mln tonnes of ore (20.6mln previously) at an average nickel grade of 0.52% for a total 133,000t nickel (118,900t previously) plus 39,400t (32,900) of copper.
Young said since April last year Amur had more than doubled the Measured and Indicated resource at Kun-Manie through its drilling.
“Now standing at approximately 107 million ore tonnes containing 484,100 nickel tonnes and 136,600 copper tonnes, we have a substantial resource from which to define reserves for the DFS.
"We are now reviewing available metallurgical test work to establish grade recovery curves for each of the four deposits that will be sources to the mill.
“The curves will allow us to define the unique operating profits per ore tonne as each deposit does display differing metallurgical recoveries.”
The mining production schedule will allow us to establish the variability of the total metal recovered and optimise the plant for a Low Grade Matte, Young added.