Still looks like a boondoggle to me...New plan is very expensive...

Still looks like a boondoggle to me...

New plan is very expensive fine grind, mag sep an multiple very low pH float circuits to recovery ~65% mag TREo into ~9% of the original mass. Previous met work had reasonable recoveries but at pH =-0.45 or =0, which is very acidic. This will be both very expensive and leach all sorts of Fe and Al etc into the liquor you don't want for the REO-precipitation stage. Assuming the majority of REO is contained in colloidal minerals, not Ionic state, as such acidic leach requires and as this mag-sep, float work indicates. If the REO were ionic bonded to kaolinite minerals then the 30x float upgrade wouldn't work... it's targeting individual minerals to float off.

So plan is reduce leach feed to reduce acid cost and plant capex etc.... except the deposit is so low grade and after all the recovery losses to a 5% TREO con and the expense to achieve it, even before the leach and precipitation stage i can't see it ever having a positive margin after opex and capex. Move on, nothing to see here imho.