PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Minerals explorer Rox Resources has launched a prefeasibility study (PFS) on its Fisher East nickel sulphide project, in Western Australia.
The PFS followed on from a positive scoping study, completed in February this year, which considered two development options.
The first option was the construction of a 500 000 t/y processing plant at the Fisher East project, which produces 8 000 t/y to 10 000 t/y of contained nickel-in-concentrate.
The second option would see Rox haul 250 000 t/y of run-of-mine ore to a nearby processing plant for toll treatment.
“Undertaking a PFS on the project is an important milestone, with the main aims to update the resource base and to confirm and optimise the mine schedule, which is a critical component of the economic viability of the project,” said MD Ian Mulholland.
“Undertaking the PFS now, at relatively low cost, will allow us to be in a position to move the project forward rapidly when nickel prices improve as expected.”
Mulholland said the PFS would likely be completed by the end of this year.