Blackstone Minerals Ltd (ASX:BSX, OTCQX:BLSTF) has appointed Tier 1 engineering, minerals processing and metallurgical consultants Wood and ALS to help it deliver a definitive feasibility study (DFS) for the downstream Ta Khoa Refinery (TKR) in Vietnam.
The company is focused on building an integrated upstream and downstream battery metals processing business in Vietnam that produces Nickel: Cobalt: Manganese (NCM) Precursor products for Asia’s growing lithium-ion battery industry.
It owns a 90% interest in the Ta Khoa Nickel-Copper-PGE Project, which includes an existing modern nickel mine, Ban Phuc, built to Australian standards which is currently under care and maintenance.
DFS strengthened by Wood and ALS
Blackstone has appointed Wood as lead engineering consultant for the Ta Khoa downstream DFS.
Wood is recognised in the industry as a leading hydrometallurgical group with vast experience in the project delivery of pressure oxidation (POX) technology and has experience delivering throughout South-East Asia. Its offices in Vietnam and Thailand will ensure compliance with regulations in Vietnam.
Wood’s experience includes:
- Çöpler Gold process plant, Turkey (2019) – Engineering, Procurement, Construction & Management (EPCM) of a 5,000t/day refractory gold sulphide through POX (project value ~$US750 million).
- Hydrometallurgical projects include Macraes, Anglo Platinum’s Rustenburg Base Metal Refinery, Chelopech, Corrego do Sitio, Cawse, Ravensthorpe, Niqueldo Vermelho and Kansanshi.
Wood will oversee project management, project controls, engineering, cost estimating and execution planning services for the TKR plant design, including auxiliary services and utilities.
As for ALS it has been tasked with leading the Phase 1 Pilot Plant. ALS is a global leader in metallurgical testing and was selected due to the completion of several hydrometallurgical piloting campaigns like that required for the TKR.
ALS will perform a hydrometallurgical test-work program, which will provide design criteria support and generate engineering data required for the TKR Refinery DFS design.
In addition, ALS will also conduct a peer review on the TKR PFS process flow sheet, including bench-scale confirmatory test-work to confirm pilot plant operating parameters ahead of piloting.
Blackstone will provide ALS with concentrate samples from the Ban Phuc mine as well as third-party concentrate for piloting across two campaigns. The two campaigns comprise:
- Campaign 1 – continuous pilot plant to produce a MHP intermediate product from blended concentrate.
- Campaign 2 – continuous pilot plant campaign to produce battery grade NCM811 from MHP intermediate product.
Pilot Plant Phase 1 will be performed in Perth, Western Australia, using ALS laboratories and equipment.
Building on the PFS
“Blackstone has engaged world-class engineering consultants Wood and ALS to build on the compelling pre-feasibility study for the TKR completed in July,” Blackstone Minerals’ managing director Scott Williamson said.
“We are excited to be working with Wood and ALS, and their impressive credentials are validation of the quality of the TKR project.
"Blackstone is confident in delivering a DFS that boasts the highest technical rigour, ready by the middle of next year to align with critical financing milestones including supply and customer offtakes, as well as debt financing.”
BSX has completed a technically and economically robust PFS for its Downstream Business Unit (DBU) which sees expanded downstream capacity.
This is based on the Ta Khoa refinery being designed to process 400,000 tonnes per annum of nickel concentrate, supplied from the Ta Khoa Nickel-Copper-PGE Mine as well as third-party concentrate.
BSX is continuing to advance a PFS for the UBU, which will contemplate the option to mine several higher-grade massive sulphide vein (MSV) deposits. This has the potential to reduce initial upfront capital requirements for the UBU by enabling BSX to restart the existing Ban Phuc Concentrator (450ktpa).
In combination with existing mineral inventory (Ban Phuc Disseminated Sulphide - DSS), exploration potential presented by high priority targets such as Ban Chang, King Snake, Ta Cuong and Ban Khoa, and the ability to source third-party concentrate, BSX will be able to increase the scale of its downstream business to cater to the rising demand for downstream nickel products.