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Namibia Critical Metals Successfully Completes Flotation Pilot Plant Test Work on Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth Deposit
HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Met...
About this update from Namibia Critical Metals Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"Namibia Critical Metals Successfully Completes Flotation Pilot Plant Test Work on Lofdal Heavy Rare Earth DepositHALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / January 3, 2024 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. (\"Namibia Critical Metals\" or the \"Company\" or \"NCMI\") (TSXV:NMI)(OTCQB:NMREF) is pleased to announce the successful completion of the pilot plant flotation test work for its \"Lofdal 2B-4\" heavy rare earth project.From October to December 2023, rigorous tests were conducted on a 5-ton representative bulk sample from the Lofdal Area 4 starter pit at SGS Lakefield. Based on preliminary data, the pilot plant program confirms the reproducibility of the grinding and flotation regime for the Lofdal flowsheet and the ability to scale-up the design with confirmation of engineering design criteria.Through an extensive flotation optimization program conducted at SGS in 2023, several adjustments were undertaken to the flotation parameters developed in 2022 (see PEA report \"Lofdal 2B-4\" on SEDAR). The applied optimization steps aimed at decreasing operating expenditures (OPEX) compared to the PEA \"Lofdal 2B-4\" and increasing recovery of the heavy rare earth mineral xenotime into the concentrate.Darrin Campbell, President of Namibia Critical Metals, stated:\"We are extremely pleased with the completion of the flotation pilot plant test work, which has yielded highly positive results. This groundbreaking achievement of scaling up from bench-scale to pilot-scale marks a significant milestone in the journey toward unlocking the immense potential of the Lofdal deposit. The uniqueness of our Lofdal heavy rare earth deposit, with its complex xenotime mineralization, required us to pioneer novel beneficiation methods. Based on the preliminary data, it appears that the hard work invested by our metallurgy teams over the past months will result in a substantial cumulative reduction in OPEX compared to previous financial estimations.The outstanding work accomplished by our dedicated team in drilling and metallurgical test work has been recognized and validated by our esteemed partner, JOGMEC, whose continued funding commitments demonstrate their confidence in the Lofdal project.This remarkable progress underscores Namibia Critical Metals' commitment to developing the globally significant Lofdal Project, which hosts the highly sought-after heavy rare earth ...