Excellent ore sorting results at Heemskirk
Heemskirk developer Stellar Resources has announced strong results from their ore sorting testwork at the Tasmanian tin project.
Using the x-ray transmission (XRT) ore sorting, grade was increased from 0.70% Sn to 1.65% Sn by rejecting 64.2% of the mass, achieving 84.7% recovery. The company said recovery could be further improved to 95.3% by combining high and medium grade product streams.
Six samples totaling 88.6 kg were taken from existing metallurgical samples from across the Severn orebody to provide understanding of variability of response across the deposit.
Stellar Resources reports that the results indicate a high potential for ore sorting to significantly optimise operations, with the possibility of rejecting half of the ore mined at Heemskirk before it enters the processing circuit.
The company’s ongoing prefeasibility study is examining how best to apply ore sorting to reduce capex with a smaller processing plant and tailings storage requirements, reduce processing costs, and increase metal production.
Simon Taylor, Stellar Resources’ Managing Director, commented “The ore sorting results are extremely positive with the impact of providing less material and an increased head grade into the processing plant while providing a potentially reduced capital outlay which has serious positive ramifications to the economics for developing the Heemskirk Tin Project.”
Further test work planned on a much larger sample will provide the company with optimisation data to evaluate different trade offs between mass rejection and tin recovery and their impacts on operating and capital costs.
The company is undertaking other drilling and metallurgical work, and is targeting the completion of the prefeasibility study H2 2025, alongside an updated mineral resource estimate.
Ore sorting is an increasingly used technology in tin production, including at the nearby Renison mine, and we are pleased to see positive results at Heemskirk. We look forward to seeing further studies by Stellar Resources as the company advances the project toward production.
