PAN GLOBAL REPORTS POSITIVE COPPER METALLURGY RESULTS FOR THE LA ROMANA COPPER-TIN-SILVER DISCOVERY, SPAIN
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- Copper metallurgy tests confirm saleable concentrate grades are achievable across the deposit through a simple conventional flotation process flowsheet
- Excellent recoveries up to 88% copper
- Concentrate grades up to 32.5% copper, with payable silver content and low deleterious elements
- Positive results advance La Romana to the preliminary design phase of the metallurgical process
"The new copper metallurgy test results for the La Romana deposit are further confirmation that simple conventional froth flotation can produce a high-value, high-quality, and clean copper concentrate at potentially lower cost than the average within the pyrite belt. These characteristics are highly desirable for smelters and potentially attractive for blending with lesser quality concentrates to increase the value and reduce penalty costs. The results are an important project development step to determine optimum process economics, metal recoveries, cash flow projections, and economic studies," said
The metallurgical test program is being conducted by
Minepro Solutions SL reported on
- A simple conventional flotation flowsheet can achieve saleable concentrate grades and good recoveries for La Romana copper mineralization.
- A series of open circuit rougher and cleaner flotation tests were performed on composites from 10 blocks distributed across the deposit (see Figure 1 below) and compared to a reference sample from previous test work:
- Head grades ranged from 0.33% Cu to 0.54% Cu (average 0.40% Cu)
- Flotation tests for seven of the blocks (blocks 1-5, 8 and 10) established attractive concentrate grades ranging from 26.8% to 32.5% Cu (average 29.1% Cu) and overall recoveries from 73.5% to 88.3% Cu (average 81.4% Cu)
- Additional tests with finer regrinding indicate target concentrate grades and good recoveries for the other three blocks (blocks 6, 7 and 9)
- Where concentrates exceeded 30% Cu, the number of cleaning cycles were reduced from 3 to 2, simplifying and improving copper recovery
- Results indicate copper concentrate grades and recoveries increase with higher head grades
- Locked Cycle Tests (LCT) conducted on four of the 10 blocks resulted in Cu recoveries to concentrates ranging from 72% to 88.7% Cu and concentrate grades of 22.7% to 30.6% Cu. These compare closely to the 83.54% recovery and concentrate grade of 28.54% Cu for the reference sample used as the baseline for comparison.
- Multi-element analyses on the final concentrates from the four LCT confirmed low concentrations of deleterious elements (As, Sb, Bi, Hg, Cl, and F) and the potential for a silver credit with grades from 88 to 102g/t Ag, contributing to a higher Net Smelter Return potential.
- Tests to determine energy required for milling ore returned Bond Ball Mill Work Index (BBMWi) results ranging from 12.23 to 16.97 kWh/t (average 14.99 kWh/t). The average energy requirement is a slight improvement on the reference sample (15.48 kWh/t), and is classified as medium to hard.
- Additional optimization of the flotation processing and costing will be undertaken to enhance potential economics.
The primary objective of the La Romana metallurgical test program is to determine the optimal mineral processing flowsheet and treatment plant design to produce marketable copper and tin concentrates.
The metallurgical variability study and new BBMWi tests were carried out using drill core sample composites selected from 10 blocks distributed throughout the La Romana deposit, and at different depths to help simulate different mining extraction phases. Applying the same test conditions, the results for all the blocks were compared with a reference sample ("REF") from previous successful metallurgical test work reported on
The processing flowsheet for the variability tests replicated the flowsheet and chemical reagents used for the reference sample. Specifically:
- Each composite consisted of a minimum 30 kg of material from selected drill core
- Initial crush to reduce the material to 1mm for head grade assay and comminution tests, including ball milling amenability and net power requirements
- Primary grind size of 106 microns, followed by a copper rougher flotation stage to maximize recovery of the copper minerals to a concentrate at a coarse particle size
- Regrinding of the rougher concentrate down to 20 or 15 microns, contingent upon the cleaner performance
- Further extraction and upgrading of the copper concentrates through a series of two to three cleaner flotation stages
- Locked Cycle Tests on 4 of the 10 blocks
- Recoveries calculated from correlating locked cycle tests results with open circuit flotation results
Approximately 50 additional drill holes were completed at La Romana after the samples for the variability test program were selected in
Tin metallurgy results are expected to be reported shortly, and results are pending for additional drill holes at the Cañada Honda discovery. Additional drilling is planned at both La Romana and Cañada Honda as part of the 2024 drilling program.
Table 1 – Summary Locked Cycle Test results and reference sample (REF)
|
Head Grade |
Concentrate Grade |
Recovery |
BLOCK |
Cu % |
Cu % |
Cu % |
REF |
0.39 |
28.54 |
86.40 |
2 |
0.37 |
30.60 |
87.61 |
5 |
0.38 |
22.71 |
78.23 |
6 |
0.34 |
25.45 |
71.98 |
10 |
0.37 |
23.86 |
88.68 |
Table 2 – Head grades, Open Circuit concentrate grades and recoveries
Block |
Cycles |
Head Grade |
Grind |
Regrind |
Open Circuit |
Interpolated LCT |
Cu % |
µm |
µm |
Cu % |
Cu % Recovery |
||
REF |
1 Ro + 3 Cl |
0.39 |
106 |
20 |
30.18 |
86.15 |
B.1 |
1 Ro + 2 Cl |
0.33 |
106 |
20 |
32.49 |
76.40 |
B.2 |
1 Ro + 2 Cl |
0.37 |
106 |
20 |
31.17 |
88.83 |
B.3 |
1 Ro + 2 Cl |
0.54 |
106 |
20 |
30.56 |
66.62 |
B.4 |
1 Ro + 3 Cl |
0.47 |
106 |
20 |
28.55 |
84.43 |
B.5 |
1 Ro + 3 Cl |
0.38 |
106 |
20 |
20.64 |
88.18 |
B.6 |
1 Ro + 3 Cl |
0.34 |
106 |
15 |
21.51 |
74.34 |
B.7 |
1 Ro + 3 Cl |
0.35 |
106 |
20 |
17.03 |
66.59 |
15 |
22.391 |
73.611 |
||||
B.8 |
1 Ro + 2 Cl |
0.41 |
106 |
20 |
28.77 |
82.88 |
B.9 |
1 Ro + 3 Cl |
0.39 |
106 |
20 |
15.90 |
77.91 |
15 |
20.911 |
83.221 |
||||
B.10 |
1 Ro + 3 Cl |
0.37 |
106 |
20 |
25.33 |
87.91 |
Ro = Rougher, Cl = Cleaner |
1 = Estimated |
Table 3 – Bond Ball Mill Work Index comminution test results
BLOCK |
kWhr/tonne |
B.1 |
13.91 |
B.2 |
15.78 |
B.3 |
16.67 |
B.4 |
16.97 |
B.5 |
13.70 |
B.6 |
14.92 |
B.7 |
12.23 |
B.8 |
14.87 |
B.9 |
15.16 |
B.10 |
15.66 |
Average |
14.99 |
Álvaro Merino, Vice President Exploration for
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