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Heap Leach Test Work
Fox Resources has a new operating strategy, based on capitalising the 300,000 + tonnes of stockpiled material to establish an initial five-year heap leaching operation. The Company is currently conducting metallurgical test work to explore the potential of heap leaching ores from Whundo and Radio Hill. Whundo Copper Column testing will commence as soon as possible to determine copper recovery, reagent consumption and general leach kinetics. The liquor produced will also be processed in a highly concentrated solution using copper resin technology. This resin technology will then facilitate the production of a high grade saleable copper product such as copper sulphate or copper cement. It is anticipated that this test work should be completed in three months from commencement. Assuming successful results from this testwork, Fox geologists have commenced a review of the resource models at Whundo and West Whundo to determine the quantity of additional copper oxide ore that can be mined for such heap leaching operations. The installed heap leaching infrastructure would also facilitate the future heap leaching of considerable copper and zinc sulphide resources known to exist below existing pit levels. Radio Hill Nickel/Copper/Cobalt Column testing will commence as soon as possible to determine metal recovery, reagent consumption and general leach kinetics. Resin technology will also be used to produce a high tenor liquor which can then be converted to a nickel/cobalt mixed hydroxide precipitate (MHP) which is a post-smelting product. Nickel/Cobalt MHP can attract a premium to conventional sulphide concentrates as MHP’s are introduced into the refining process thereby by-passing the smelting process. A high copper concentrated liquor will also be produced from this material, which can be run through electro-winning cells to produce copper cathode. The commissioned testwork will determine what end product Fox will produce. Disseminated ore from Fox’s Sholl deposit has been previously heap leached by Titan Resources NL as part of a large field based, pilot scale operation with a 5,000 tonne heap and another 8,000 tonne heap. Irrigation of the initial 5,000 tonne heap commenced in May 2000 and by October 2000, nickel recovery into solution reached 74%. It is anticipated that the column testing will take up to 12 months to complete however satisfactory results may be achieved much earlier as demonstrated from Titan’s pilot operation. Assuming successful results from this testwork, there exists the potential to utilise disseminated resources available from the Radio Hill underground mine and Sholl B2. |
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Approximately 60,000 tonnes of oxide material grading 1.5% copper is stockpiled on surface at the Whundo site as a result of previous mining operations by Fox (see Figure 1). This means there are significant cost savings, as there is no requirement to mine or crush the ore, thus resulting in significant cost savings.