American Rare Earths (ASX:ARR) has returned ‘positive’ metallurgical testwork results from its flagship Halleck Creek Project in Wyoming, US.
These initial results indicate the capability for increased recoveries of target rare earth element (REE) materials using conventional processing technologies — with recoveries of neodymium and praseodymium oxide (NdPr) increased 28.5% from prior designs.
The $58.17 million market capitalisation company says the results suggest the ore can be effectively processed using conventional technologies that not only require less initial capital expenditure but also provide lower ongoing operating costs.
Preliminary acid tank leach testing adopted 6 hours of residence time at 90 degrees celsius, with 250kg/t sulphuric acid addition, extracted 82% to 87% of the NdPr from feed material.
American Rare Earths Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Donald Swartz says the company is ‘encouraged’ by the results provided by Wood PLC, as they suggests the Halleck Creek deposit may allow for the extraction of greater recoveries of magnet metals using simpler, lower-cost technology.
“Acid tank leaching is a well-established mineral processing technology with little technical risk and offers the ability to process high volumes of concentrate in low-cost leach trains at below boiling point, compared to the constraints of acid-baking kilns that are limited to feed solids and are expensive to build and operate.”
“Acid tank leaching is a well-established mineral processing technology with little technical risk and offers the ability to process high volumes of concentrate in low-cost leach trains at below boiling point”
As this metallurgical testing program is completed, American Rare Earths is about wrap up its current exploration program.
The company says all of the core material obtained from the ongoing program is being prepared and will be sent to labs for the next phase of detailed metallurgical testing.
Following today’s news, American Rare Earths’ share price has increased by 7.69% at $0.14 as of 1:15pm AEDT this afternoon (19 October).
American Rare Earths is a rare earths-focused exploration company with assets in the US. As of 30 June 2023, the company had $12.485 million cash at hand, according to its latest quarterly report.
Write to Aaliyah Rogan at Mining.com.au
Images: American Rare Earths
