Stockpile the Oxide :One of the possible misunderstood issues is...

Stockpile the Oxide :

• • One of the possible misunderstood issues is viewing PGE mineralisation/orebodies like gold mineralisation - as in treat the oxide first and then the sulphide because of high recoveries in gold oxidation, whereas PGEs appear to be more like nickel mineralisation – ie altered/difficult to treat in oxide – with flotation recoveries often in the 30% to 50% area providing the PGEs haven’t altered to salts or the nickel altered to violarite and caught fire from spontaneous combustion when stacked on surface (I have seen it – it can cook/alter further too) - so PGEs in oxide are often stockpiled and possibly blended later. CHN has stated its oxide depth is ~25m (coincidentally the same as Implats Rustenburg, Sth Africa).
  • PGE companies have usually targeted the main game – the higher grade “lodes” of sulphide mineralisation, and stockpiled or left behind the lower grade “porridge” between the higher grades. (Note : PGE described as porridge because the cooled “skins” of higher grade resemble cooling/freezing the top layer of boiling porridge - often contain domes, bubbles & potholes (from burst bubbles/domes).