Neometals Ltd (ASX:NMT) has collected and will ship to China a 53-tonne bulk sample from its Barramble Titanium Vanadium Project in Western Australia.
The sample was from the high-grade part of the deposit which has potential to be the main feed source for a potential direct shipping ore (DSO) operation.
Prospective buyers from China will next perform metallurgical test work on the bulk sample when it arrives in China.
Additional test work will also commence at an Australian laboratory to confirm Chinese results.
READ: Neometals expands titanium vanadium resource at Barrambie
Neometals’ CEO Chris Reed said: “As we progress the dual-track evaluation of DSO and integrated titanium/vanadium chemical production it is critical we give comfort to potential Chinese customers of the quality and value of the Barrambie DSO product.
“Undertaking test work programs at the leading research institutes in China is a key step in the marketing and pricing of a DSO product as a feedstock for the traditional smelters or titanium chemical producers.”
Barrambie hosts 280.1 million tonnes grading 9.18% titanium dioxide and 0.44% vanadium pentoxide to 80 metres vertical depth.
This represents a contained titanium resource exceeding 25 million tonnes and contained vanadium resource exceeding 1.2 million tonnes.
Metallurgy to confirm recoveries and product qualities for off-take
A number of leading mining and metallurgy research institutes in China tendered for test work to confirm the optimal pathway for the extraction of titanium, vanadium and iron products.
This work is required by prospective Chinese buyers to confirm recoveries and product qualities and form a basis to negotiate off-take pricing.