Altiplano Metals Inc (TSX-V:APN, OTC:ALTPF) has reported that its application to incorporate an iron separator and a high-efficiency water recovery circuit at the El Peñón processing facility at its Farellon iron-oxide-copper-gold (Cu-Au) mine has been approved by the Chilean mining authority.
In an update on the construction phase at the processing facility, Altiplano noted that the iron separator is designed to recover high-value iron oxide while the water recovery circuit is designed to produce dry tailings.
The company said the addition of this equipment into the processing circuit provides the opportunity to capture high-value iron which can be sold to generate a secondary income and, with the removal of the iron, reduce the overall tailings output by 50%.
READ: Altiplano Metals advancing its Farellon mine in Chile with decline extension and upgraded ventilation
"We are pleased to receive this important approval as the next step in completing our processing facility,” the company’s CEO Alastair McIntyre said in a statement.
“With our processing design, APN will be one of the first companies in the Chilean small mining sector to implement an industry-leading environmental process focussed on water conservation and waste reduction.
“Water is an important resource in Chile and our process is designed to preserve this precious resource. I believe our best practice approach to sustainable mining and environmentally friendly processing will minimize our footprint and establish APN as a leader in the Chilean small mining sector."
Once installed, Altiplano said the dewatering stack will generate a dry tailings product that can be moved and stored in an environmentally efficient manner which replaces the need for a conventional tailings dam system.
In addition, the de-watering stack circuit will reduce the overall freshwater consumption needed at the plant by approximately 75%. The equipment has been newly manufactured and will be delivered from storage in Chile to the site next week. Civil work such as pad levelling, electrical, and plumbing is underway in preparation to install the equipment, it added.
Altiplano Metals is a growing gold, silver, and copper company focused on the Americas. The company has a diversified portfolio of assets that include an operating copper-gold-iron mine, development near term producing gold-copper projects, and exploration land packages with district-scale potential.
Contact the author at stephen.gunnion@proactiveinvestors.com