JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – ASX-listed Centrex Minerals has appointed two engineering houses to the first phase of work on its newly acquired Oxley potash project, near Geraldton, in Western Australia.
Amec Foster Wheeler has been appointed to undertake a technical literature review of processing route options to extract potassium from the potash feldspar, which comprises up to 90% of the Oxley mineralisation. Following the review, Amec Foster Wheeler would scope up a bench scale testwork programme for the priority process routes. The engineering company would then aid in the appointment of the facility to carry out the testwork and oversee the programme in the second half of 2015.
To feed into the testwork programme, Centrex has submitted a programme of works to the Western Australian government to complete a single PQ diamond hole to provide a bulk metallurgical sample. The drill hole would twin the top 50 m of historical RC drill hole OXRC015. The drilling would be completed over the coming months.
As a further input into processing capital and operating cost estimates that were to follow on from the metallurgical testwork programme, Centrex appointed Clough to undertake a conceptual study into the construction of a nitric acid plant at the Oxley site for potential production of high-value potassium nitrate fertiliser. The study would consider sourcing of ammonia from third-party Western Australian plants and was expected to be completed in mid-2015.
Centrex Metals recently bought the project from fellow-listed Sheffield Resources in a transaction valued at A$2.5-million.