PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Project developer Peak Resources has started beneficiation at its pilot plant at the Ngualla rare earths project, in Tanzania.
The company had selected a flowsheet comprising two-stage flotation with intermediate grinding for the treatment and upgrading of the Ngualla mineralisation, and a 66 t bulk sample of mineralistion had now been collected from the project.
Peak MD Darren Townsend said on Monday that the selection and piloting of the beneficiation flowsheet was an integral part of the bankable feasibility study and demonstrated the company’s commitment to move towards the commercialistion of the Ngualla project.
A 2014 PFS estimated the project could deliver some 10 000 t/y of separated high-purity rare-earth oxides over a mine life of 58 years. The project was estimated to have an operating cost of $11.74/kg and would deliver a net present value of $1.3-billion and an internal rate of return of 39%.
Along with the completion of the feasibility study, financing and offtake discussions would be progressed over the next 12 months or so. Peak was targeting plant commissioning in 2018.