Azure Minerals Metallurgical Testwork Produces Pleasing Nickel-Copper Concentrates
THE DRILL SERGENT: Azure Minerals (ASX: AZS) reported pleasing results from initial metallurgical testwork of nickel and copper sulphide ore from the company’s Andover project (60% Azure / 40% Creasy Group), located in the West Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Azure Minerals commissioned a metallurgical testwork program focused on developing an economic processing flowsheet for ore from the VC-07 East nickel-copper deposit by producing saleable nickel and copper sulphide concentrates in either separate or combined form.
Stage 1 of the metallurgical testwork program comprised both sulphide flotation and comminution (crushing and grinding) testwork.
The program achieved excellent recoveries and to produce high-grade nickel-cobalt and copper concentrates, with low levels of deleterious elements.
Additionally, an internationally marketable bulk concentrate was also produced.
“These very positive results from the Stage 1 testwork program indicate that we will be able to produce high quality, high grade, clean concentrates with excellent recoveries and I am confident that further optimisation studies will continue to deliver additional improvements,” Azure Minerals managing director Tony Rovira said in the company’s ASX announcement.
“Metallurgical factors and results play a critical role in evaluating project viability, and to have produced marketable nickel and copper concentrates using a relatively simple and robust industry-standard flow sheet, at such an early stage, bodes well for the project as we move through the development studies process.”
