Metallurgical Testwork Confirms Outstanding Ionic Clay Recoveries for Caldeira REE Project
Meteoric Resources NL (ASX: MEI) (Meteoric or the Company) is pleased to report additional results of the metallurgical test work being undertaken on its 100%-owned Caldeira Rare Earth Ionic Clay Project, in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil.
Highlights
- Metallurgical testwork results continue to show excellent leach extractions for Ionic Clays1 at the Caldeira Project.
- Rare Earth Element recoveries across all six deposits tested display consistent strong ionic behaviour over thick intervals using a standard AMSUL wash test (unoptimised).
- Exceptional Magnet Rare Earth Element2 (MREE) leach extractions, include;
- 48 different metallurgical composites across ALL deposits had a TREO head grade of >4,000ppm and achieved average Magnetic REE leach extractions of 73% with 74% Nd, 71% Pr, 57% Tb and 56% Dy with a standard AMSUL wash (unoptimised) at pH4.
- 81% magnet metal extractions over 10.4m from CVNDD001 with a high of 88% including 90% for Nd, 86% for Pr, 79% for Tb and 84% for Dy.
- 73% magnet metal extractions over 8.4m from SBDD009 with a high of 75% including 76% for Nd, 73% for Pr, and 63% for Tb & Dy respectively.
- 80% magnet metal extractions over 5.6m from DM2DD001 with a high of 85% including 87% for Nd, 81% for Pr, 73% for Tb and 77% for Dy.
- 73% magnet metal extractions over 8.7m from CDMDD009 with a high of 75% including 77% for Nd, 74% for Pr, 55% Tb and 55% for Dy.
Meteoric has engaged Australia’s leading laboratory in ionic clay leaching – Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) to assist with process flowsheet development. The testwork reported is from diamond drill cores collected during a metallurgical sampling program completed by Meteoric across the six deposits with defined Inferred Resources. These results build on historical testwork from a single composite sample at the Capo do Mel deposit which produced outstanding results including leachability averaging 70%.
Chief Executive Officer, Nick Holthouse said,
“We are delighted by more great results from the metallurgical testwork program which continues to build on the exceptional Recovery to Leach results announced earlier this year.
The recoveries not only confirm that the vast majority of samples tested are truly ionic and amenable to low Capex, low Opex AMSUL leaching at pH 4.0 but also that the ionic clays extend significantly below the existing resource profile. All of the results add value to the schedule through increased scale and scheduling flexibility.
Importantly, the latest results focus on de-risking process recoveries for the Southern Licenses of Capão do Mel and Soberbo, both integral as near-term sources of ore feed for Meteoric’s proposed Southern license processing plant location and the ongoing focus for resource infill drilling, engineering and permitting packages.”
New ANSTO Metallurgical Leach Results
Metallurgical testwork commenced at ANSTO in July 2023 on 3m composite samples from forty-one (41) diamond drill cores completed as part of the Company’s metallurgical sampling program in March-July 2023. The program targeted the six deposits which currently define the Company’s stated Inferred Resource Estimates: Capão Do Mel, Soberbo, Figueira, Cupim Vermelho Norte, Donna Maria 1, and Donna Maria 2 (Figure 1 & Appendix 1). Standard AMSUL washes have been completed for 33 diamond drill holes to date for a total of 190 composite diagnostic leaches. The remaining results are pending and are expected in December 2023-January 2024.
The metallurgical testwork program was designed to:
- Validate the results of previous testwork undertaken by JOGMEC in 2019 and reported to the ASX by MEI in December 2022; and
- Assess the metallurgical variability both laterally and at depth across each of the deposits, paying particular attention to the clay zone below known JOGMEC drilling, the current resource estimation boundary, and the previous SGS testwork.
Composite samples (3m) were collected from beneath the soil horizon (2m depth), starting in the clay zone and progressing down the hole until the intrusive basement was reached. Whilst the soil from the deposit does contain strongly elevated REE, it was not included in the testwork as it is planned for stockpiling and subsequent replacement and revegetation after mining.
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