FPX Nickel Corp (TSX-V:FPX) has revealed results from the first phase of its metallurgical test program that it said demonstrates the potential for a “significant increase” in nickel recovery at its Baptiste project in British Columbia.
Phase 1 testwork confirmed the flowsheet in the preliminary economic assessment (PEA) and showed the potential to achieve nickel recoveries up to 5% higher than the 85% Davis Tube Recoverable (DTR) nickel recovery assumed in the 2020 PEA, according to FPX.
Testing also confirmed material from Baptiste as consistent, medium-hard to hard, and mildly abrasive across all mining phases, which FPX said points toward a consistent grinding requirement in sync with the PEA basis.
READ: FPX Nickel's Baptiste nickel project has potential to become the industry's first carbon-neutral operation
The metallurgical testwork is a three-phased program, with Phase 2 currently underway. The second phase focuses on validation and optimization of flotation parameters in a bid to confirm the production of a high-grade nickel concentrate, as well as examine the potential to produce iron ore concentrate as a byproduct.
Results from Phase 2 are expected in the first quarter of 2022.
In the third Phase, which is set to commence shortly, FPX will endeavour to validate battery material supply chain integration via hydrometallurgical testwork, and conduct larger-scale pilot testing to crystallize Phase 1’s indicated recovery benefits.
Results from Phase 3 are anticipated to come in the third quarter of 2022.
By introducing conventional cyclone classification into the process test work, FPX can better estimate the expected nickel recovery in a full-scale operation, according to CEO Martin Turenne.
“In the case of the Baptiste deposit, significant upside to liberation is observed due to hydro-cyclone classification and the associated preferential grinding due to the dense nature of Baptiste's awaruite nickel mineralization,” Turenne said in a statement. “It is estimated that every percentage point increase in recovery yields a US$56 million improvement in after-tax NPV, based on PEA metrics."
Baptiste has been the focus of diamond drilling since 2010, with a total of 82 holes and over 31,000 metres of drilling completed.
FPX Nickel is focused on the exploration and development of the Decar Nickel District, located in central British Columbia, and other occurrences of the same unique style of naturally occurring nickel-iron alloy mineralization known as awaruite.
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