Group 6 Metals Limited (ASX: G6M, 'Group 6 Metals' or the 'Company') is pleased to announce highly encouraging results from ore sorting trials conducted for the Company's wholly owned Dolphin Tungsten Mine ('DTM'), with HPY Sorting Technology.
The trials were conducted in April and focused on evaluating the potential of ore sorting technology to enhance the processing of both low-grade and high-grade ore from the DTM. Representative scheelite ore samples were submitted for testing. These were divided into low-grade ore sample OS 001 and high-grade ore sample OS 003. The low-grade ore sample OS 001 weighed 595.5 kg with an average grade of 0.22% WO3, while the high-grade ore sample OS 003 weighed 609.5 kg with an average grade of 0.61% WO3. In OS 001 ore, 66.05% of the material containing 0.02% WO3 or less was classified as waste rock. Similarly, in OS 003 ore, 55.30% of the material containing 0.093% WO3 or less was classified as waste rock. For both samples, the ore was representatively sub-divided into two individual samples. Each sample was processed using the HPY-P60-X1400 ore sorting machine. After sorting, the concentrate and waste rock were collected, cleaned, weighed, and assayed for WO3 content. The results demonstrate significant potential for ore sorting at DTM. For OS 001, the WO3 grade in the waste rock was reduced to 0.022% and 0.050% in the two tests, respectively, while achieving WO3 recovery rates of 96.26% and 85.53% in the ore. This represents enrichment ratios of 2.09 and 2.53. Similarly, for OS 003, the WO3 grade in the waste rock was reduced to 0.088% and 0.066%, respectively, with WO3 recovery rates of 95.32% and 96.37% in the concentrate and enrichment ratios of 1.35 and 1.49
While further testing is required, these results clearly indicate that ore sorting can significantly increase the grade of the processed material while achieving high recoveries. Group 6 Metals is now in discussions with HPY Sorting Technology to conduct further testing, with a preference for on-site trials in Q4 CY 2024.
About Ganzhou HPY Technology Co., Ltd. (HPY)
HPY is a world leader in the design and manufacturing of ore sorters in China and internationally. Since designing and building its first ore sorter in 2015 it has developed a range of sorters which utilise proprietary AI software to rapidly classify and separate ore streams into 'accepts' and 'rejects'. HPY manufactures over 95% of the sorter's sensors and other components itself and assembles the machines in its recently commissioned 100,000 m2 factory in Ganzhou which will feature the largest sensor-based ore sorting testing center and ore sorting manufacturing facilities in the world. To date HPY has delivered over 400 sorters to mining operations producing a wide range of metal concentrates including over 90 sorters designed to sort scheelite and wolframite (tungsten) ores. Refer https://hpysorting.com/ for further information
Keith McKnight continued, 'The Company is excited by the results from its recent ore sorting trials which are very encouraging. As higher-grade ore from the open pit is prioritised as feed to the process plant, lower grade ore is being stockpiled for blending with the high-grade underground ore. As the ore sorting trials are indicating, there may be a significant opportunity to sort this ore which would bring it forward in the production plan. The opportunity may extend to treatment of high-grade ore also which could significantly improve the performance of the process plant and lower unit process costs. The Company will proceed with further testing and an engineering concept study to integrate ore sorting at DTM.'
Contact:
Keith McKnight
Managing Director & CEO
Email: keithm@g6m.com.au
Tim Dohrmann
Media & Investor Relations
Tel: +61 (0) 468 420 846
Email: tim@nwrcommunications.com.au
About Group 6 Metals
Group 6 Metals Limited (ASX: G6M), previously known as King Island Scheelite Limited (ASX: KIS), is an Australian resource exploration, development, and production company. The Company's name honours tungsten as Group 6 Metals' first commodity project (The Dolphin Mine) in production, as tungsten is a member of Group 6 of the periodic table along with chromium and molybdenum, as well as being a critical mineral and a geopolitically strategic resource. The Company is focused on producing high-grade tungsten concentrate from its 100%-owned Dolphin Mine located on King Island, Tasmania. The Company's medium-term objective is to investigate opportunities to value-add the product for supply into the upstream tungsten industry.
Forward-looking statements
Statements in this Announcement may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as, but not limited to, 'may', 'will', 'expect', 'anticipate', 'estimate', 'would be', 'believe' or 'continue' or the negative or other variations of comparable terminology. Certain statements made in this announcement contain or comprise certain forward-looking statements regarding Group 6 Metal's Mineral Resources and Reserves, exploration and project development operations, production rates, life of mine, projected cash flow, capital expenditure, operating costs and other economic performance and financial condition as well as general market outlook. Although Group 6 Metals believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, such expectations are only predictions. They are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that could cause actual values, results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed, implied or projected in any forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that such expectations will prove correct. Accordingly, results could differ materially from those set out in the forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, changes in economic and market conditions, delays or changes in project development, the success of business and operating initiatives, changes in the regulatory environment and other government actions, fluctuations in commodity prices and exchange rates and business and operational risk management.
(C) 2024 Electronic News Publishing, source ENP Newswire