Horizonte Minerals Plc, (LON:HZM) has completed a trial excavation programme at its Araguaia nickel project in Brazil.
The programme included pre-mining diamond drilling, a test pit with around 27,000 tonnes of ore mined and analysis of the mined material.
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The trial was supervised by well-known mining consultant Snowden, which is also compiling the technical and economic results with the aim of incorporating them into the ongoing feasibility study being conducted at Aragauia.
"The completion of the trial excavation programme at Araguaia, marks another key development milestone for Horizonte,” said Horizonte chief executive Jeremy Martin.
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“This programme has generated real in-situ data that will allow us to confirm the mining technique, slope stability, grade profiles, dewatering requirement with additional work on ore handling which has allowed the primary crushing design to be finalised. The feasibility study is well advanced with the focus now around the build-up of the capital costs, the implementation strategy and overall project economics.”